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As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering. |
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The beloved Ships in Scale Magazine is back and charting a new course for 2026! Discover new skills, new techniques, and new inspirations in every issue. NOTE THAT OUR NEXT ISSUE WILL BE MARCH/APRIL 2026 |
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I agree but not surprised. While no kit is perfect, Vanguard kits are light years ahead of the better known European manufacturers when it comes to quality and accuracy. Why Vanguard kits have not taken over the market of European kit makers should be surprising as they are so much better but it could be that they are not producing kits with more familiar names like Victory. It seems that the name and history of the ship is often the number one criterion when it comes to the buyer making a choice and that is understandable.
The instructions are great and the quality of the wood is on par with the Unicorn HMS Enterprise kit l bought.
This may not be of any intrerest to you but just in case.......... As this is the first layer, not to worry. Even for the second layer, if your ship is to have a coppered bottom, the look of the planking will be covered. If not to be covered, or if you want to learn how planking was actually done, at least for the second layer you may find it beneficial to study some planking tutorials that show how to line off the hull so you can reduce the breadth of each strake accurately from the dead flat to the end of the strake. There is not enough room to lay in all the planks if they are the same breadth their entire length. You can spile the planks from sheets, but if you already have the strips, once the breadth is correct for their entire length they can be edge bent in a homemade jig so there is no lifting. In the end, all strakes should land in the rabbet at the stem and the post.
Are you pre-edge bending the tapered planks before trying to glue them to the hull? If you don't, there will be gaps and lifting, especially at the bow. Check out the many posts on preshaping the planking so they will lay nice and flat on the hull. I noticed you did not mark out the hull with tick strips so you will have the exact breadth of each plank from the dead flat to the bow. It is not so difficult from the dead flat to the stern post, but still is a help as the planks broaden aft or require some stealers.
I'm not quite amazed by that since UK left EU and went overwhelmed with imported inflation, obvious in some cheap solutions (MDF frames, etc) and high labor cost. Nontheless, Mr Watton is a deeply competent guy and his tiny company a valuable one, IMHO.
I bought this kit for 200 CND, if I had ordered it brand new, with the exchange rate, taxes, shipping and duties?? it would have been over 600.00.
Sorry for the miscommunication, I was referring to the edge bending, not the broad bending. Looking all the planks having a lift near the bow instead of laying flat makes it look like they were not pre-bent in the edge direction to prevent this lifting.
You may want to consider giving it a try next time, it will help a LOT. It takes a little time, but the fit will be much better and very little if any sanding will be needed compared to the time needed for sanding out the lifted edges. Another little thing that makes a difference, the garboard strake ends at the boxing joint and does not carry up the stem. This makes it easier to get all the strakes to end in the rabbet as was done on the ships.
