The Ship Model Forum

Finally! After months of watching and waiting, I was able to get a hold of one of these sets. When they are in stock, they LITERALLY sell out the same day. Must be lots of people that are building this kit.
It's a beautiful set. Very impressive with a massive amount of machined parts. The detail on the frets is fantastic. I think the best way to carefully review this set is to just update as I go along. Sometimes you don't find things until later and I don't think it's fair to give it a glowing score if something comes up later one.
For instance, as expected, the instructions will not hold your hand. You really have to know what you're doing or you will get lost and confused.
I began working with some of the mast components and they are really nicely made. Everything fits nice and tight, but some of the "wire" components that are super thin are VERY fragile and I've had to reattach several after they just broke off.
I did run into one problem which I have to address because I think this was a mistake.
The "crows nest" has a rail that is oval shaped. The part that was supplied was scored for bending in 3 different places even though there are NO square sides in this assembly. It is literally and oval, which is IMPOSSIBLE to make with those scores. It would have been much better had the part been a straight, unscored piece of railing, to allow one to bend it into a nice oval to match the base of the crow's nest. In the process of making it, every single score broke. I ended up having to make the oval out of 4 different pieces which was ridiculous! Why Pontos decided to score it makes no sense to me.
I am almost complete with the foremast, and other than that and the very fragile thin parts, it's looking great. I will shot some pics later.
I have included a picture of the bad part I've talked about. It is the railing piece number 327. I have also indicated one of the scores. There are 2 others. Hope this help.
To be continued.

I can see why they scored it - to let you know which stanchion to start the two curved sections at, and which sections are to be left straight and uncurved.

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De quoi s'agit-il?

If you build this, good luck getting it to smoothly match the base, without any bends.

Continuing, the directions to the thin cables with the turnbuckles are very sparse. I've included the 2 pictures you get for the foremast. No indication at all as to how they are attached on both ends.

Intended in the best way possible, it can't be "IMPOSSIBLE" to assemble the parts as supplied because someone has done it under some element of time pressure at Pontos Model, and photographed the evidence of said achievement in order to make the instruction sheets up.

I did find myself admiring the forming and gluing of parts in the demonstration / instruction manual models and through the power of social media, just asked the designer how they achieved certain parts. It's improved my own skill set in working with photo etched bits no end by doing so

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James Duff
Sovereign Hobbies Ltd
http://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk

Current build:
HMS Imperial D09 1/350
http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=167151