Vivian Galad Posted July 8, 2014 #1 Posted July 8, 2014 I´ve been scrolling through Ebay on Amati and found lots of tools from them. Question is - is it worth? Some of them look just some money wasted, but not all. Any thoughts will be welcome! Quote Current: Red Dragon (modified) by Vivian Galad - Artesania Latina - 1:60 Oseberg (modified) by Vivian Galad - Amati (1:50)Cocca Veneta by Vivian Galad - Corel - 1:70 Finished 15th Century Latin Caravel kit model from Artimanha models
prutser Posted July 8, 2014 #2 Posted July 8, 2014 I have the plank bender from Amati and it works very well,first soak the planks a while standing in a bottle of water. I don't know if they are also available for 110 volt Mine is 220 volt as usual in Europe.Regards,Richard Vivian Galad 1 Quote
testazyk Posted July 8, 2014 #3 Posted July 8, 2014 I haven't been too impressed. I have the nailer and the opening at the end is too small for all but the tiniest nails. The keel holder is also too small for most larger models unless they've redesigned it. Vivian Galad 1 Quote Tom Current: Sergal Sovereign of the Seas Previous builds: AL Swift, AL King of the Mississippi, Mamoli Roter Lowe, Amati Chinese Junk, Caesar, Mamoli USS Constitution, Mantua HMS Victory, Panart San Felipe, Mantua Sergal Soleil Royal
chris watton Posted July 8, 2014 #4 Posted July 8, 2014 I hardly use any at all. Just have my trusty Stanley knife (craft knives aren't really strong enough..), steel rule, pair of small pliers (mainly for temporarily fixing pins into first planking), tweezers, drill and drill bitts, small plane, razor saw - and that's about it! On a personal level, I have never really seen the point of 'modelling' tools - but that may have something to do with not being able to afford them when I first started modelling, and just got used to using standard everyday tools.... As a main tool, I still find the Stanley knife hard to beat, even after 2 decades... riverboat 1 Quote Vanguard Models on Facebook
Blue Ensign Posted July 8, 2014 #5 Posted July 8, 2014 I do find my Amati keel clamp very useful, excellent for smaller kits, but my current model of Pegasus is about the largest size model it will safely take. Now I know why I'm not a master builder like Chris, I have never used a Stanley knife in model building. I do however get thro' copious amounts of No 11 scalpel blades. riverboat and mikeaidanh 2 Quote Current Build: Medway-longboat-1742-by-blue-ensign-½”-scale Completed builds: HMS Indefatigable-1794-by-blue-ensign-vanguard-models-1:64-scale HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign. 1:64 scale - Vanguard Models Queen-Anne-Royal-Barge-circa-1700-by-Blue-Ensign Fifie fishing boat Lady Eleanor Muirneag-1903-–-a-scottish-zulu-fishing-boat-164-scale-based-on-the-vanguard-models-zulu-kit/ HM Cutter Alert 1777 HM Cutter Cheerful 1806 18th-century-English-longboat-by-Blue-Ensign-ms-148-scale/ 18thc English Pinnace by Blue Ensign-Model-Shipways-1:24 scale/ HMS-Pegasus-by-Blue-Ensign-finished-Victory-Models-1:64-scale/ Heller Seventy-four 1:150 scale - modified Le Superbe/Le Glorieux kit after Boudriot, waterline setting with sails. The schooner Pickle, Jotika pob kit 1:64 scale, my interpretation.
chris watton Posted July 8, 2014 #6 Posted July 8, 2014 I do find my Amati keel clamp very useful, excellent for smaller kits, but my current model of Pegasus is about the largest size model it will safely take. Now I know why I'm not a master builder like Chris, I have never used a Stanley knife in model building. I do however get thro' copious amounts of No 11 scalpel blades. I started off using scalpel blades, as this was what all the books and magazines advised. but I always found them to be a little too flimsy at least for me, and they bent too easily, sometimes even breaking/snapping off, with the end of the blade flying all over the place - Perhaps it's more to do with my bull-at-a-gate style of modelling... Bettina, Jay 1 and Mirabell61 3 Quote Vanguard Models on Facebook
Blue Ensign Posted July 8, 2014 #7 Posted July 8, 2014 Bull-at-a-gate style Chris - I can't believe that of you. It's horses for courses I think, I tend to work with smaller stuff for which scalpels are fine. Can't imagine what would happen if I took my stanley knife to this, matchwood I suspect. B.E. Mirabell61, mtaylor, riverboat and 1 other 4 Quote Current Build: Medway-longboat-1742-by-blue-ensign-½”-scale Completed builds: HMS Indefatigable-1794-by-blue-ensign-vanguard-models-1:64-scale HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign. 1:64 scale - Vanguard Models Queen-Anne-Royal-Barge-circa-1700-by-Blue-Ensign Fifie fishing boat Lady Eleanor Muirneag-1903-–-a-scottish-zulu-fishing-boat-164-scale-based-on-the-vanguard-models-zulu-kit/ HM Cutter Alert 1777 HM Cutter Cheerful 1806 18th-century-English-longboat-by-Blue-Ensign-ms-148-scale/ 18thc English Pinnace by Blue Ensign-Model-Shipways-1:24 scale/ HMS-Pegasus-by-Blue-Ensign-finished-Victory-Models-1:64-scale/ Heller Seventy-four 1:150 scale - modified Le Superbe/Le Glorieux kit after Boudriot, waterline setting with sails. The schooner Pickle, Jotika pob kit 1:64 scale, my interpretation.
chris watton Posted July 8, 2014 #8 Posted July 8, 2014 Yes, it's probably down to what you're used to, I did used to smile when the people at Amati asked why I don't use any of their tools.... I am bull at a gate - the amount of times I have gone into something head first and made a mess/right cock-up, and then pray to God after the fact to please not have made that happen.. I guess I am good at covering up my own silly mistakes. Quote Vanguard Models on Facebook
Vivian Galad Posted July 8, 2014 Author #9 Posted July 8, 2014 Well, u´ve give me more to think about. At the moment I find all my scalpel blades too fragile, as I keep breaking them a lot. Things that do look intreresting to buy are clamps, that detail sander, keel klamper and master cut. On a second thought, detail sander can be avoided, as I can do my own. I have no clamps yet and use cloth ones, which are not that good most of the time. Keel klamper seems a darn good thing to hold ships, though I can´t say how much it can hold (I´m for 2 or 3 more kits before going full scratch - that´s my planning, at least). Master cut would help me with breaking those scalpel blades. I know I could build a master cut, but do not trust myself yet to build one with no power tools - I don´t even have saws for that matter. I´m buyng tools as needed and at the moment, am missing cutting, clamping and measurement tools. As Amati have lots of tools for modelling, and has a name to zeal, should I trust their tools as quality ones? Quote Current: Red Dragon (modified) by Vivian Galad - Artesania Latina - 1:60 Oseberg (modified) by Vivian Galad - Amati (1:50)Cocca Veneta by Vivian Galad - Corel - 1:70 Finished 15th Century Latin Caravel kit model from Artimanha models
hornet Posted July 9, 2014 #10 Posted July 9, 2014 (edited) Don't know if this will help any but I will post anyway I looked into purchasing a keel clamp a few years ago and found them to be too expensive - for what they were offering. I decided to make my own. It is a cheap alternative. It doesn't rotate or tilt, but to be honest, I found I didn't have a great need for these functions. It just holds the model firmly upright, is portable or can be G-Clamped to a workbench. Hope the idea is of some use. - Purchase a couple of cheap hobby vices - they are available from a multitude of places for very few $$$ - Use a hacksaw to neatly slice off the clamp section. Grind or file so you end up with a flat surface (not difficult as they are all made with a fairly soft alloy. - disassemble the top of the vice by removing the circlip behind the front jaw. - Countersink two holes into the base of the vice - construct a timber base long enough to accommodate a range of keel lengths - screw the vices to the base ensuring that they line up with each other. I have glued pieces of ice block sticks to the jaws to avoid keel damage. If I have to accommodate a longer/ shorter keel, I simply drill a new set of holes in the base of the keel clamp and relocate the vices. I have used it in the completion of 6 models so far. I suppose you could use more vices to clamp a particularly large model, but I have found that two works well enough on everything so far - up to and including the Corel Victory. Edited July 9, 2014 by hornet WackoWolf, cristikc, mtaylor and 3 others 6 Quote Hornet Current Build: - OcCre Shackleton’s Endurance. Completed Ship Builds: Caldercraft - HM Bark Endeavour. (in Gallery) Caldercraft - HMAV Bounty (in Gallery) Caldercraft - HM Brig Supply (In Gallery) Aeropiccola - Golden Hind - Constitution Clipper Seawitch (maker unknown - too long ago to remember!) Corel - Victory Modeller's Shipyard - A Schooner of Port Jackson - In Gallery - Brig `Perseverance' - In Gallery - Cutter `Mermaid'- In Gallery - Sirius Longboat (bashed) - In Gallery - Sloop Norfolk - In Gallery Completed Cannon: - French 18th Century Naval Cannon - Napoleonic 12 pound field piece - English 18th Century Carronade Non Ship Builds - Sopwith Camel - Artesania Latina - Fokker DR1 - Artesania Latina
michael mott Posted July 9, 2014 #11 Posted July 9, 2014 I don´t even have saws for that matter. Vivian, might i suggest a simple jewelers saw, you can cut through a lot of different materials with them. they accept different thicknesses of blades with all sorts of different teeth spacings. Use this instead of the scalpel for the hard to cut items and you will save time and blades and be more satified with the results i am sure. Michael WackoWolf and Vivian Galad 2 Quote Current builds Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8; Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8; Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8 Other projects Pilot Cutter 1:500 ; Maria, 1:2 Now just a memory Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8 Finished projects A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100 Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.
testazyk Posted July 9, 2014 #12 Posted July 9, 2014 As far as cutting tools, I would highly recommend X-acto knives. They have an amazing variety and they don't break like scalpel blades. They even have a little saw which is great for cutting out gunports and things like that. They also have some nice toolkits that include sanding blocks, spokeshaves and planes. I forgot about the Loom a line and agree with Brian. In fact, if there were a competition for the least useful and easy to use tool ever made that would be it. I've never really used the one I bought because it practically forces you to not do your shrouds properly. End of rant. Vivian Galad and WackoWolf 2 Quote Tom Current: Sergal Sovereign of the Seas Previous builds: AL Swift, AL King of the Mississippi, Mamoli Roter Lowe, Amati Chinese Junk, Caesar, Mamoli USS Constitution, Mantua HMS Victory, Panart San Felipe, Mantua Sergal Soleil Royal
Gaetan Bordeleau Posted July 9, 2014 #13 Posted July 9, 2014 Hi Vivian, As Amati have lots of tools for modelling, and has a name to zeal, should I trust their tools as quality ones? A quality tool is rarely made from plastic. I showed a variety of tools I use in this subject: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4386-tool-storage/ If I were you, I would look in the jewelery tools to begin mtaylor, WackoWolf and Vivian Galad 3 Quote
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