Kits and let downs

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pocketshaver

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Jan 1, 2018
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Always thought that the Corel Kit of HMS Peregrine, since it came out, was a nice looking ship. Then I made the mistake of looking at a few unboxing videos of it.
Really really smaller then a person would think. Deck of cards could be mistaken for bulk heads, and that so many parts are cast form something that might be slightly better then britania pewter.

Is it normal for kit contents to be such a let down?
 
I built Le Couonne by Corel many years ago and I'm afraid I have to agree with you.

The cast decorations had a high gloss gold plating on them that looks cheap. Also some of the wooden deck fittings were plywood which is not the best look with a clear finish on it.
 
Nothing wrong with cast metal parts for most people, but the funny thing is, it would be better to have made those parts out of PLASTIC RESIN and have them looking better as is.

Bitts, mast caps, pumps, so on out of a metal with a finish that looks like it came off your shoe bottom isn't right. Kind of tossed me off the kit actually. I know it wouldn't be TOO much more difficult to make my own from wood, but its like being told to overlook a girls three face tattoos and chicken bone in each ear because she has a "pleasant disposition".
 
Brian077 said:
I built Le Couonne by Corel many years ago and I'm afraid I have to agree with you.

The cast decorations had a high gloss gold plating on them that looks cheap. Also some of the wooden deck fittings were plywood which is not the best look with a clear finish on it.
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I tried to build La Couronne exactly 37 years ago. Strip wood was very good. Pressed sawdust/fibre windows and decorations were also good and nicely detailed but metal ones were as you say. Unfortunately just after I finished the hull and was very satisfied, it warped badly along keel line. Don’t know why but I suspect bulkhead and keel structure was very weak to begin with. Damage was irreversible and had to abandon it. After that I added extra bulkhead reinforcement to my other builds.
 
Little Things like this make new buyers a tad weary and a bit more wary of buying a kit. Like this week, I learned that the new version, circa 2014, mantua sovereign of the seas uses balsa planking, genuine balsa planking now.
A tad let down as most places still are feeling its worth charging customers 1200.00 for it..
 
I agree with all the comments above. The European and U.S kits generally use generic parts in their kits like cannon barrels and ships boats which are not accurate, but they are made to a price.
I have found in recent times, that I have thrown away most of the kit supplied planking and fittings and sourced my own or scratch built them myself.
 
You have two options,buy high quality chinese or russian kits or scratch build,so whats your plan for your next build?
 
Zoly, There is a third option, check out some exceptional kits from THE LUMBERYARD made in the USA, good quality good research and plans, instructions getting better all the time, check out the CAUSTIC BUILD INSTRUCTIONS ON YOU TUBE check out my log on MSB, maybe things are changing, another good manufactutrer is DUSEK kits, in both instances help is available direct from DAVE AT THE LUMBERYARD AND DANIEL DUSEK, I totally agree with all parties about inferior and VERY HIGH PRICE EUROPEAN KITS, GETTING WORSE INSTEAD OF BETTER I FOR ONE WILL NOT BY THERE PRDUCT, I WILL GO CHINESE, EASTERN EUROPEAN OR SOME LOCAL COs, the worst things are the plans and instructions, I always up grade materials any way especially deck planking and hull planking, and I detset the PLYWOOD THAT IS BEING USED, my thoughts anyways. Don
 
Yes Don you are right,Dusek ,Maristella ,Amati Victory Models,Master Korabel,Lumberyard are another options,but you got the point what I really meant.

Zoltan
 
I sure did Zoly, and I agree, MAYBE PUT IN BLUJACKET, even though I have not done one of theres but from what I understand they are GOOD, do not know that personally. Don
 
And I have good experience with caldercraft / jotika . Good value for money and very good instructions and plans
 
pocketshaver said:
Little Things like this make new buyers a tad weary and a bit more wary of buying a kit. Like this week, I learned that the new version, circa 2014, mantua sovereign of the seas uses balsa planking, genuine balsa planking now.
A tad let down as most places still are feeling its worth charging customers 1200.00 for it..
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I know someone who was building the Mantua SOS in the 1970’s. The quality of the wood was exceptional. The keel and bulkheads were made of walnut. I wanted to have one then but it was unafordable for me on my apprentice wages. Sad to hear about the decline.
 
We have lost a lot of manufactures and the old one are seeming to decline in value. I believe that part of the problem is that the people that made the company have got to old and their kids take it over or some owners have died off and the new owners are not interested or capable of updating their kits properly. Mantua is one that the updated kit are worse than their previous version. They add in incorrect parts, worse rigging instead of correcting already bad rigging, cheaper parts or elimating the parts that used to be part of the kit. Hopefully, some of the new kit manufactures will start to raise the bar rather than decline or leave kits as they have been for years. New information, books and other sources should make models better. New manufacturing technique, computers, etc. should be moving products forward rather than backwards.
 
Even with the expensive Chinese kits, theres still room for improvement.

I found with building my Le Requim Xebec that the rigging thread and tackle blocks were better than most manufacturers, but I still discarded them and made my own rope, and purchased aftermarket blocks of a better quality.
 
pocketshaver said:
problem is, when you pay 3-600 or more for a kit, you shouldn't have to go do your own substitutions.
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that is a very good point what is the sense of buying a kit then replacing the wood, the fittings, blocks and rigging? why not just start from scratch.
 
Hopefully, some of the new kit manufactures will start to raise the bar rather than decline or leave kits as they have been for years. New information, books and other sources should make models better. New manufacturing technique, computers, etc. should be moving products forward rather than backwards.

I am working with a group of guys that are designing model ship web sites, kits and modeling projects. We designed a kit with the best of everything from a 3D instruction model to a build log, top of the line 3D printed parts, laser cutting and best wood available.

so yes we raised the bar and guess what by raising the bar raised the production cost to a point is made the kit unaffordable for the market.
So the answer is to lower the bar thus lower the production cost which in turn lowers the retail price.

we can produce a state of the art kit of a 1890 wooden steam tug. timber for timber every last detail of the engine room reproduced and 3D printed, a 3D model so the builder can see the project from any perspective. Every aspect of the building project is top of the line and it would retail for just a bit under $2,000.00 so how many kits do you think will sell?
 
Dave is this kit includes the whole ship fittings,blocks etc.?or just a hull frame?
 
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