H.M.S Minerva plank on frame 1/48 scale - Prototype Pilot Model

Good day friends,
I have started assembling the bow structure pieces. This Yellow Tang wood is really something else. It sandpapers to a porcelain like finish and its really hard, holds an edge easily and looks like English boxwood.
The model has timber-heads already milled on the top edge of the frames. It only required a slight touch with sandpaper and then its ready to fix in place.


.IMG_4781.jpg
 
Good day friends,
I have started assembling the bow structure pieces. This Yellow Tang wood is really something else. It sandpapers to a porcelain like finish and its really hard, holds an edge easily and looks like English boxwood.
The model has timber-heads already milled on the top edge of the frames. It only required a slight touch with sandpaper and then its ready to fix in place.


.View attachment 317577
Does yellow tang wood lend itself well to carving like boxwood? Perhaps it would a make a suitable substitute.
 
Good day friends,
I have started assembling the bow structure pieces. This Yellow Tang wood is really something else. It sandpapers to a porcelain like finish and its really hard, holds an edge easily and looks like English boxwood.
The model has timber-heads already milled on the top edge of the frames. It only required a slight touch with sandpaper and then its ready to fix in place.


.View attachment 317577
Dear Bryian
As your work on this model progresses, I am very impressed with the quality of the materials and workmanship of the creators of the kit and yours of course
 
Bonjour Peut-on envisager une date pour la commercialisation ?
Cordialement et félicitations pour votre travail
Gerard

Hello Can we consider a date for marketing?
Regards and congratulations for your work
Gerard
 
Bonjour Peut-on envisager une date pour la commercialisation ?
Cordialement et félicitations pour votre travail
Gerard

Hello Can we consider a date for marketing?
Regards and congratulations for your work
Gerard
Rough estimate,maybe in 6 months ,but that is not written in stone!
 
Hi Brian,

Please don t be too enthausiastic and show us all these fantastic details.
I know where this ends........I have to get this kit :-).

This can be build into a seriously nice navy board model in a full box wood appearence.
 
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Hi Brian,

Please don t be to enthausiastic and show us all these fantastic details.
I know where this ends........I have to get this kit :).

This can be build into a seriously nice navy board model in a full box wood appearence.
I agree with Maarten, this is a one-of-a-kind kit (thus far), and can be built to a high-grade model without bashing (out of the box)! I look forward to seeing the progress...the more details the better!
 
I echo everyone's comments and enthusiasm. The kit quality, at a glance is like nothing I've ever seen. I will piggyback on Kurt's question Brian. In your opinion, does this Yellow Tang wood look like a workable substitute for English Boxwood?

I ask, because only 4 days ago I bought a "live edge" piece of not "English", but "South African" boxwood of 4in. x 5in. x 43in., for $300! :oops:o_O It was a "clear" piece, i.e., no checks, cracks, worm holes or bark inclusions, but just so expensive. I don't even have a use for it at the moment, but with supplies drying up, I decided just to add to my inventory. Finding a workable substitute would be a welcome development.

Ken
 
In fact, we have prepared quite a lot of Asian boxwood. Although I can't compare it with English boxwood now, but it is quite close to English boxwood in terms of density, fineness, color, engravability on text description. This boxwood is used as high-grade wood for carving crafts in China. For modeler with high-end requirements, I think we can provide components in a customized way-full boxwood kit.
 
In fact, we have prepared quite a lot of Asian boxwood. Although I can't compare it with English boxwood now, but it is quite close to English boxwood in terms of density, fineness, color, engravability on text description. This boxwood is used as high-grade wood for carving crafts in China. For modeler with high-end requirements, I think we can provide components in a customized way-full boxwood kit.
I have to comment on this... It is not just you are offering something very different and technically new engineering way for the kit, you are actually offering an optional choice of timbering set? Am I correct? Does this mean you can take orders for a choice of timber? :cool: I hope I interpreted it correctly...
 
I have to comment on this... It is not just you are offering something very different and technically new engineering way for the kit, you are actually offering an optional choice of timbering set? Am I correct? Does this mean you can take orders for a choice of timber? :cool: I hope I interpreted it correctly...
Jim,
yes you are correct. I was offered a choice of Pear, Yellow tang and boxwood. The boxwood version was double the price of Yellow tang.
 
Brian, how does the Yellow Tang compare to boxwood in general? Not looking for specific Janka Hardness #s or anything, just your impression. Would it be a suitable substitute for boxwood, carving, similar applications?

I've looked for it online and can't seem to find anything like it. Closest wood I've found is Yellowheart, which I know is not the same.

Thanks,
Ken
 
Hi Ken,
I do have some real English boxwood here and in comparison to yellow tang, it feels the same in hardness and density. It has no grain and the colour looks like vintage cheese.
I have also searched online for yellow tang wood without success. Its also known as Chinese Jujube wood.
 
There are many varieties of wood in China,once I compared two kinds of yellow Tang wood from different provinces, but the difference is quite obvious. Also, in China, boxwood from different provinces is different, among which boxwood from Hubei is recognized as the best, and the wood I purchase is from Hubei. Brian's wood comes from the north of China, but to be exact, this kind of wood may belong to jujube wood. In the past four years, I looked for many wood suppliers, but they were unable to provide this kind of wood. Only one supplier told me that he selected it from the thousands of tons of wood he purchased. I only reserve about 4 tons of this kind of wood, and I'm not sure whether I can purchase the same more. If I have the opportunity, I'll reserve some more.This kind of wood is called 'Golden Tang' wood by Internet, which can also be collectively referred to as jujube wood. But as I mentioned earlier, the supplier doesn't tell me what kind of tree this kind of wood is and where it comes from. Maybe this is their trade secret. He once told me vaguely that even if they came from the same area, the varieties of trees were different.

But at least one thing, there has been a saying 'hundred years of pear wood and jujube wood' in China. Both pear wood and jujube wood were the preferred wood for carving in ancient China. However, because there was no power tools in ancient times, jujube wood was too dense and hard to be carved manually (compared with pear wood), so pear wood was used more widely. But the color of pear wood is quite different from boxwood. The jujube wood model is closer to the style of the museum and can be painted(frieze) directly.
 
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