This kit is utilizing newer technology than the old Spanish and Italian kits we have seen since the 1970's. Like Mamoli, this company is relying on laser engraving to add more detail to their parts, and omitting metal castings of the past. Mamoli has some parts, such as transom carvings, detailed with laser, but this new
HMS Rattlesnake kit uses laser cutting and detailing on a much wider scale. As long as the wood quality is still good, e.g. fine hardwood vs. coarse grained basswood, the appearance of the model will still appear clean, the wood will look good when stained, and hull painting will not be absolutely necessary.
The kit actually resembles the cheap $15 Chinese
Halcon and
Harvey kits in this respect. The kit is simplified so that a builder does not have to plank the deck, and plank lines on other parts are simulated as well. This makes the kit simpler to build, especially for beginners. A laser engraved deck doesn't look the same as a strip planked one, but it doesn't look bad either.
Deck fittings such as the booby hatches and gratings using laser cutting and detailing benefit the builder by simplifying these parts while providing some trim details without using micro-strips of wood or carving. The parts are precision cut, removing lots of sanding for shaping and fitting, and promoting quick assembly. All that is needed is edge cleanup to remove char. Etched parts add detail without burdening the builder as well. More work on this kit was devoted to the design of the laser cut parts in that instead of simple wood strips being provided for hull planking, pre-spiled, curved strips have been cut, greatly simplifying the scary task of planking the hull for beginners.
Some of the shortcuts on using all laser cut wood are shared with the Chinese Halcon kit, which reduces the appearance of some parts. Take the anchors, for example. they are not cast metal, but laser cut wood, and their appearance is not quite as good. The bolting on the anchor stocks appears the same as the trenails on the deck. All of these details can be improved upon easily with replacement parts and some basic scratch building techniques.
All this forethought and effort into designing the laser detailing and shaping the parts makes the kit very inexpensive to produce, and reduces the amount of different types of materials which are included in the kit. The builder spends much less time crafting smaller parts for details, and more time assembling. As long as the instructions are detailed and step-by-step, a kit like this is great for beginners. It's a far cry from Corel kits which are made for experienced craftsman, and provide plans and a pile of basically shaped wood blocks and golden castings. Those old kits rely on skill of the builder to add details and fit the parts together, and they are not suitable for beginners which have no experience shaping wood with hand tools.
Or a similar cutter from 1775. Here is their paper version.
