wthilgen Posted March 23, 2013 Share #61 Posted March 23, 2013 I have to say, the Royal William is one beautiful piece of work. Thanks for you input. Quote Current Build: La Nina, Latina - Wood / 1:65 On The Shelf: San Francisco II, Latina - Wood 1/90, U.S.S. Constitution, Revell - Plastic / 1:96 (Remake), H.M.S. Bounty, Latina - Wood / 1:48, H.M.S. /Mayflower, Latina - Wood / 1:64, La Pinta, Latina, Latina - Wood / 1:65, La Santa Maria, Latina - Wood / 1:65, Completed: San Francisco / Cross Section, Latina - Wood / 1:50, Coastal Submarine, Revell - Plastic / 1:144, Cutty Sark Wall Plaque, Revell - Plastic / 1:50, H.M.S. Victory, Revell - Plastic / 1:146, H.M.S. Bounty, Constructo - Wood / 1:50, Oseberg, Billings Boats - Wood / 1:25, Clipper Ship (Sea Witch), Unknown - Wood / 1:46, U.S.S. Constitution, Revell - Plastic / 1:96, Man Of War, Scientific - Wood / 1:50, Robert E. Lee, Scientific - Wood / 1:45, PT-109, Revell - Plastic / 1:72, U.S.S. Enterprise, Revell - Plastic / 1:720, R.M.S. Titanic, Revell - Plastic / 1:720, Numerous other wooded tall ships and boats from companies named: Ideal, Dumas, Pyro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffT Posted March 23, 2013 Share #62 Posted March 23, 2013 The Sovereign is one of my favorites. I have the kit sitting in my closet collecting dust. Quote Jeff In progress: Medway Longboat 1742 - Syren Ship Model Company -1/2" scale USS Constitution - Model Shipways - Scale 1:76 HMS Granado - CAF Model - 1:48 HMS Sphinx - Vanguard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazmira Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share #63 Posted March 24, 2013 Jeff, what a shame...make me a good deal on it lol Bill if you build it, let me know so I can watch your build log and live vicariously through you Quote Robbyn If you risk nothing, you risk everything! Current builds Syren (Model Shipways) version 2.0 AL San Francisco II Mordaunt (Euro Model) Completed Builds 18th Century Longboat designed by Chuck Passaro In the closet Battle Station Al Charles Morgan (1980s version) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realworkingsailor Posted March 24, 2013 Share #64 Posted March 24, 2013 Robbyn, you need to have a look at Bill Short's Sovereign. It's a shame his build log got Lost and he has not come back... yet... Have a look at his web page, it offers only a tanatlizing look at his workmanship. http://carvingbook.weebly.com/photos-of-the-sovereign.html Andy Quote Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati Current Build: USF Confederacy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffT Posted March 24, 2013 Share #65 Posted March 24, 2013 Jeff, what a shame...make me a good deal on it lol Bill if you build it, let me know so I can watch your build log and live vicariously through you the sovereign really is a nice kit. I'm impressed with everything in the box. the keel in this kit looks to be walnut. I've never seen that before so I don't know if its typical for the kit. and there are hundreds of bronze parts. Quote Jeff In progress: Medway Longboat 1742 - Syren Ship Model Company -1/2" scale USS Constitution - Model Shipways - Scale 1:76 HMS Granado - CAF Model - 1:48 HMS Sphinx - Vanguard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wthilgen Posted March 24, 2013 Share #66 Posted March 24, 2013 I believe you stated that yours had gathered some dust. It was a good investment, the price for that build is quite high. Quote Current Build: La Nina, Latina - Wood / 1:65 On The Shelf: San Francisco II, Latina - Wood 1/90, U.S.S. Constitution, Revell - Plastic / 1:96 (Remake), H.M.S. Bounty, Latina - Wood / 1:48, H.M.S. /Mayflower, Latina - Wood / 1:64, La Pinta, Latina, Latina - Wood / 1:65, La Santa Maria, Latina - Wood / 1:65, Completed: San Francisco / Cross Section, Latina - Wood / 1:50, Coastal Submarine, Revell - Plastic / 1:144, Cutty Sark Wall Plaque, Revell - Plastic / 1:50, H.M.S. Victory, Revell - Plastic / 1:146, H.M.S. Bounty, Constructo - Wood / 1:50, Oseberg, Billings Boats - Wood / 1:25, Clipper Ship (Sea Witch), Unknown - Wood / 1:46, U.S.S. Constitution, Revell - Plastic / 1:96, Man Of War, Scientific - Wood / 1:50, Robert E. Lee, Scientific - Wood / 1:45, PT-109, Revell - Plastic / 1:72, U.S.S. Enterprise, Revell - Plastic / 1:720, R.M.S. Titanic, Revell - Plastic / 1:720, Numerous other wooded tall ships and boats from companies named: Ideal, Dumas, Pyro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazmira Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share #67 Posted March 24, 2013 Andy, WOW!! OMG what a craftsman he must be, those pictures are really quite the tease, but the craftsmanship is impeccable!!! Brian, experience requirements don't really scare me off, building pieces from scratch doesn't frighten me either, that is why I am dabbling in the dark side now with both the Triton cross-section and the battle station, while I bash many of the parts on my current kit. I figure the kits are only going to keep going up in price, that is why I would like to purchase one now, knowing it will sit on the shelf for quite awhile as I hone my skills to do her justice when the time is right. Quote Robbyn If you risk nothing, you risk everything! Current builds Syren (Model Shipways) version 2.0 AL San Francisco II Mordaunt (Euro Model) Completed Builds 18th Century Longboat designed by Chuck Passaro In the closet Battle Station Al Charles Morgan (1980s version) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffT Posted March 24, 2013 Share #68 Posted March 24, 2013 I believe you stated that yours had gathered some dust. It was a good investment, the price for that build is quite high. Yes Bill, I got the kit a few years ago, so I didn't pay the price they want today. Quote Jeff In progress: Medway Longboat 1742 - Syren Ship Model Company -1/2" scale USS Constitution - Model Shipways - Scale 1:76 HMS Granado - CAF Model - 1:48 HMS Sphinx - Vanguard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bago100 Posted October 27, 2015 Share #69 Posted October 27, 2015 I see Euromodels have a rare sale on Soooo tempting *wrings hands* *gnashes teeth* The admiral says No Maybe next time. mtaylor, Canute and catopower 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 27, 2015 Share #70 Posted October 27, 2015 Ahoy Mates Depends on just what you mean by "Best Kit Maker" Here's what I would define it as: Not having to replace the following,since the kit would have top standard material in the first place. Wood Rigging rope Blocks Cannon barrels Cannon carriages Rings,eyebolt's, Grating Deadeye's Right now I have in my kit stash and have built kits from the following makers: Euro Model- Royal William and Lyde Pan Art Royal Caroline and 1803 Armed Launch Lauck Street Shipyard Halifax and Fair American Aeropicola Golden Hinde Model Shipways Union Picket Boat Number 1,Fair American,Armed Virginias Sloop,Gunboat Philadelphia ,USS Confederacy, HMS Bounty Launch Woody Joe Royal Charles Yacht Navy Board Models The Battle Station Inter-Action Enter. CR Lamb Sternwheeler Caldercraft/Jotika Mary Rose Syren Cheerful Billings Viking ship,Smitt Ocean Tug,Nord fishing boat Dumas Chris Craft Runabout, Typhoon, Broklyn Tug,44 Foot Cost Guard Motor Life Boat. Bluejacket WW1 Four Stack Destroyer Amati Ferrari Arno Hydroplane with cast metal engine Saito Star steam Launch As you can see I have a cross section of the makers of kits.NONE of them are perfect. I would say that you can build all of them without replacing anything in their kits,but it would be a real task on some due to the garbage wood that they include for planking. Overall that is true for 99% of the kits listed below except for these kits: LSS Fair American,Halifax. Woody Joe Royal Charles Yacht Inter-Action CR Lamb Sternwheeler I have spent a lot of money on boxwood and swiss pear from Jeff and Jason to plank all of my ship's that I have completed and have a large supply waiting for the kits to be built. I build vintage RC Gliders also and the best thing that has happened in that side of the hobby is the "Short Kit" where you can buy laser cut ribs and plkans without having to also buy all of the other wood for the kit. That way you can get what you like in balsa and other woods when you want and the quality that you want,without having to buy wood thats sub-standard and just fit to start a fire with. I love the way that Chuck is going starting with his Cheerfull. You get the plans and laser cut bulkheads and keel parts and other sub assemblies when you want. And then can get the wood you want to build it with. From either basswood to boxwood,and have no problems with wood thats garbage and dried out that's bought in bulk for mass produced kits. The best thing is to read the build logs here and find out what the qualites of each kit maker is and ask about the kit that you might want to build. Each kit maker can have a different designer for each kit they produce,and each one will be of different building quality,along with instructions that also might differ in quality. Get with a building group and hear and see what others are having to do in their builds. Everyone's standards are different,what I woulkd call a great kit will be different from another builder in my group of builders. GuntherMT, mtaylor, Landlubber Mike and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda DOBLE Posted June 22, 2022 Share #71 Posted June 22, 2022 Hi guys, I am a novice and attempted to build the Endeavour by AL years ago - I ended up so frustrated with the cheap materials and very bad instructions, I scraped it. Now I’m 66, looking for a Gratifying hobby so thought I’d give it another go. After reading many of the comments, I’ve narrowed my next model brand between Caldercraft or Occre. May I please have your experienced and expert opinions on which one to get? I’m interested in clear instructions and good quality. thanks - Linda mtaylor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenD Posted June 22, 2022 Share #72 Posted June 22, 2022 @Linda DOBLE Caldercraft kits are decent but they need a lot of work to look good. Occre are similar in parts quality but have much more comprehensive instructions. You might also want to look into https://vanguardmodels.co.uk/ those kits have excellent materials and instructions. mtaylor and Ryland Craze 2 Quote Ropes of Scale.com - Rope and cable for the scale modeler. Finished builds: HM Cutter Sherbourne - Caldercraft - 1:64 - 9th century longship - Falkonet - 1:72 Current builds: HMS Snake - Caldercraft - 1:64 - Tender Avos by BenD - Master Korabel - 1:72 - 19th Century Four-Oared Yawl by BenD - Falkonet - 1:24 scale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldsalt1950 Posted June 22, 2022 Share #73 Posted June 22, 2022 Go with Caldercraft. If you want really good quality and clear instructions, then you want to look at Vanguard and Syren. The down side is they cost more, but you get the best of the best with them. mtaylor, rshousha, BenD and 1 other 4 Quote Current Build: Fair American - Model Shipways Awaiting Parts - Rattlesnake On the Shelf - English Pinnace 18Th Century Longboat I stand firmly against piracy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nipper Posted June 22, 2022 Share #74 Posted June 22, 2022 4 hours ago, Linda DOBLE said: Hi guys, I am a novice and attempted to build the Endeavour by AL years ago - I ended up so frustrated with the cheap materials and very bad instructions, I scraped it. Now I’m 66, looking for a Gratifying hobby so thought I’d give it another go. After reading many of the comments, I’ve narrowed my next model brand between Caldercraft or Occre. May I please have your experienced and expert opinions on which one to get? I’m interested in clear instructions and good quality. thanks - Linda Linda - I'm a relative novice too, especially compared to the many experienced contributors here on MSW. But what I have learned from MSW is that you get what you pay for in terms of model kits. My experience with Vanguard Models is that you get superb materials and a superb manual - and in addition, if you have a problem, you'll get help from the producer of the kits, Chris Watton, and his model builder James H, right here on MSW. This is also true of Syren models, whose producer Chuck Passaro is always here to provide advice and help, as well as being an inspirational leader of the ship modelling community. Nipper mtaylor and Ryland Craze 2 Quote Current build: HMS Sphinx 1775 - 1/64 - Vanguard Models Completed build: HM Cutter Alert 1777 - 1/64 - Vanguard Models Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanyed Posted June 22, 2022 Share #75 Posted June 22, 2022 (edited) As a novice, SERIOUSLY consider starting with the three boat series from Model Shipway designed by David Antscherl. You will learn proper techniques and wind up with realistic looking models. Study the kit build logs, look at the details and end results of all the brands, then note the few brands that are being built far more often, including Syren, MS, and Vanguard. There is a reason for this. Allan Edited June 22, 2022 by allanyed Canute, Oldsalt1950, Ryland Craze and 4 others 7 Quote PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series. Click on http://trafalgar.tv There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time. THANK YOU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccoyle Posted June 22, 2022 Share #76 Posted June 22, 2022 Nearly all of the Caldercraft kits were designed by Chris Watton, the current owner of Vanguard Models. Chris' first designs for Caldercraft were innovative for their time, but they are now over 20 years old in some cases, and even Chris will readily admit that his designs have improved significantly since then. Plus, unless the folks at Caldercraft have updated and reprinted them since then, the older Caldercraft kits were very light on the instructions. The upshot of all this is that the Caldercraft kits will still make very nice models, but they are not as beginner-friendly as newer releases. OcCre kits typically include very user-friendly, photo-style instructions, and they are relatively inexpensive. The flip side is that OcCre kits are not known for accurately portraying their subjects. We have many finished build logs of kits from both companies, as well as from Vanguard Models. I suggest you have a look at some from each company and also peruse some of the reviews for each company in the kit reviews section. These will help you make an informed decision. Last bit of advice: choose a kit subject you really like, not just one that seems like the best model for a beginner. You need to feel a connection to your subject matter in order to stay motivated during the long haul of building. Cheers! Oldsalt1950, BenD, allanyed and 6 others 9 Quote Chris Coyle Greer, South Carolina When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk. - Tuco Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Hawker Hurricane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted June 22, 2022 Share #77 Posted June 22, 2022 6 hours ago, ccoyle said: Last bit of advice: choose a kit subject you really like, not just one that seems like the best model for a beginner. You need to feel a connection to your subject matter in order to stay motivated during the long haul of building. Cheers! In a nutshell.. that one sums things up nicely along with the manufacturer comments. Ryland Craze, Canute and thibaultron 3 Quote Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Triton Cross-Section NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever: CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcNS Posted January 2, 2023 Share #78 Posted January 2, 2023 Stumbled on to this thread and was interested in the various viewpoints. Personally, I have been pretty happy with my AL projects (Bluenose II (old), San Francisco II, Pinta) good value, complete kits, instructions ok. I like Amati, though it was Chris’s version of the Revenge was the best (and most expensive) kit I have ever done. My Amati Bounty was a struggle but the Santa Maria was very good, as mentioned in another other post’s instructions are difficult and I made use of google translate a few times to look at the original Italian wording. I just completed the Bluenose from Model Shipways and I need to be contrary to many contributors here. I found the kit to be highly unsatisfactory, the instructions were more of the designer showing off his knowledge of ship terminology than providing helpful info. The materials were basic and random- seems they threw a bunch of stuff into the box and left you to figure it out. In other cases they referenced or showed materials on the plans that were not included in the kits. Regrettably, I bought the MS Rattlesnake before building the Bluenose, not sure I’ll waste my time building it. I also built the Endeavour (Corel), really challenging- not for the new modeller, the instructions aren’t poor they’re just non existent though a large number of drawings, nice materials. It was a struggle but the final result was very nice. GrandpaPhil and Canute 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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