Ship modeler Jon Peterson has been sharing an update on his build of Artesania Latina’s Vasa kit. This 1:65 scale wooden ship model kit is a big one, measuring some 42″ long when complete. Jon has completed the hull planking and is making very good progress.
Swedish Warship Vasa, by Artesania Latina
He comments that he likes the Artesania Latina kit, “because the instructions make it easier to complete certain steps on the construction. Nothing is left to guess work because of the pictures. They have a lot of tools to make your modeling go to the next level, and the design is easy to follow.”
Jon kindly provided us with some photos of his construction process to share with our readers here.
While he acknowledges that he has a long way to go on the model due to limited time available to work on the model, it’s clear he’s making great progress with beautiful results! We’re hoping he continues to share photos of his model progress with us.
Our customer Paul Timm of Pittsburgh, PA sent us photos of his first ever wooden ship model, the Red Dragon from Artesania Latina.
The Red Dragon is a 1/60-scale wooden ship model kit of a Chinese armed junk. Paul clearly has his configured as a pirate junk, flying the Jolly Roger!
Paul has a plastic modeling background, but says this kit has turned him into a wooden ship modeler! We think he did a fantastic job and look forward to his future builds! Ω
Cross section kits are a great way to do some ship modeling while adding all the small details of the inner workings of the ship, yet in a model that takes up far less time and far less space than a full ship model. Introducing Artesania Latina’s latest kit, the Cross Section of HMS Victory in 1/72 scale.
For a long time, Corel’s cross section model kits of HMS Victory was the only one on the market. While it’s a fine kit, it’s also a very old style of kit with it’s materials and instruction. It was also a smaller sized, 1/98 scale kit.
Artesania Latina recently released a new cross section wooden model kit of HMS Victory in 1/72 scale, which is as big as the largest scale HMS Victory currently available, Caldercraft’s 1/72 scale HMS Victory kit. But with this kit, you can focus on the inner workings of the ship, without the rigging, and without dealing with the complex curves of the full hull shape.
Study the inner workings of the ship as you build the model, adding hammocks, rigging the guns, adding the bilge pumps, beams, deck planks, ballast, and more. The kit even includes a set of figures to help bring your model to life.
Ever since Artesania Latina’s return, they’ve been producing some amazing wooden ship model kits: Updated Hermione kit, the new Harvey kit, the Wasa, the Soleil Royal, the Endeavour, and others. Now, they’ve brought us a new and incredibly detailed kit of the flagship of the Spanish Royal Navy, the three-decker ship of the line Santissima Trinidad, which led the Spanish fleet at the battle of Trafalgar.
The Santissima Trinidad is a 1/84 scale kit made for the expert ship modeler. As with all their newer kits, printed instructions are no longer included. However, you can download the instructions with a QR code provided in the kit and can simply download the instructions as needed to your phone, tablet, or computer. You can even print them if you like, but there are so many pages of instructions, you’re probably not going to want to do that.
Take a look at the first set of downloadable instructions – click here. There are 14 more sets of instructions, 100’s of pages, plus plans, parts list, and sail plans. All of which will help you to build this magnificent model.
The kit also includes pre-sewn sails to make that part of model construction simpler. Instructions are also provided for use of Artesania Latina’s optional lighting kit.
The overall length of this model is 1191mm by 905mm tall and 464mm across the longest yardarm (46.9″ long, 35.6″ high, and 18.3″ wide).
There’s so much more to this kit. Check out our listing for full details and pricing.
Spanish wooden ship model kit company Artesania Latina has long produced a kit of the tugboat Sanson. While the kit disappeared for a while, it is back and it looks better than ever.
Completely redesigned with a new approach to wooden model kit instructions, the new Sanson kit is considered an Intermediate model kit that can be built by beginners, due to a very detailed set of video instructions that make this kit truly unique.
Here, Artesania Latina has done away with printed instructions. They actually did this in previously released kits, which included photo-based instructions available on an included DVD and which could also be downloaded from the Internet. But, with the Sanson, they have included only a large 1:1 photo of the completed model, as all instructions are done in a series of these detailed Youtube videos.
While this type of instructions may take some getting used to for long time builders, it is ideal for for introducing the newer generations of model builders into the world of wooden ship model building.
But, beyond the instructions, this is a wonderful 1:50 scale wooden kit that will make a beautiful, large, display model, or can be built for Radio Control operation. What’s more, you can add some night life to your model with the optional LED Lighting Set for Scale Models, available separately.
The 17th century French ship-of-the-line Le Soliel Royal was build as as a 104 gun warship name for the “Sun King”, King Louis XIV, and served as the flagship of Admiral Tourville. The “three decker” was built in 1669 and was one of the most powerful ships of her day. She was also among the most sumptuously decorated warships with wooden carvings paying tribute to the French monarch.
Artesania has recreated this ship in incredible detail with this big 1/72 scale wooden ship model kit that is replete with decorative fittings, particularly at the bow and stern. The kit features hundreds of laser-cut plywood and solid wood parts, cast and photo-etched metal fittings, as well as a full set of pre-sewn sails. To finish the model, the kit also comes with wooden base and metal nameplate, plus a set of 12 cast metal figures of the ship’s crew, ready to paint and assemble.
The completed model measures just about 36″ long, 34″ high, and just under 12″ across.
We also stock Artesania Latina’s optional lighting kit, which you can use to add extra life to your model.
As with all Artesania Latina kits now, all instructions are provided in digital format on computer DVD . The step-by-step instructions consist of nearly 400 pages, with thousands of images and text to help get you through this incredible kit, designed for the Expert ship modeler.
Don’t have a DVD drive? Not a problem, you can download the instructions directly or you can preview them here.
To get started on your own Artesania Latina Soleil Royal build, visit our kit listing at Ages of Sail here. Ω
Those of you who want to add some nice details to your model without going out and buying specialty shaped strips of wood or brass should take a look at these two tool sets from Artesania Latina.
Micro Shapers Set A
Micro Shapers are scrapers, each with 15 to 16 pre-cut specialty bead molding shapes. There are two sets available, and each set contains 3 different shapers, you just have to cut them loose from the sheet.
Micro Shapers Set B
To use them, you simply scrape lightly against the appropriate sized strip wood. This is how to add fine detailed elegance to your ship model.
Artesania Latina has even created a nice little Youtube video, illustrating how to use them.
We carry each of these sets for $12.99, plus tax and shipping. Check them out, along with the whole range of Artesania Latina’s specialty ship modeling tools here at Ages of Sail . Ω
This latest shipment we received from Artesania Latina is particularly significant. As you might have read in our recent post, the new Vasa kit they came out with is in stock at our shop and it looks incredible. They’re clearly vying for best Vasa (or Wasa) kit in the industry. But, that’s not all that’s new from them. Take a look at this beautifully designed Santa Maria kit.
Artesania Latina’s kit is newly redesigned to make your ship model building experience better than ever. This 1/65-scale wooden kit measures roughly 19.5″ long and 19.4″ tall. It is a carefully engineered kit featuring laser-cut wooden framing, and includes cast metal, turned brass, photo-etched brass, and wooden fittings. Pre-sewn sails are included, as are the colorfully printed flags, and templates for painting the sails.
To add some extra realism to your model and to help bring it to life, they’ve created an optional set of 10 figures especially designed for this kit. This set includes figures of Christopher Columbus, Juan de la Cosa, Martín Alonso Pinzón, Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, Rodrigo de Triana, plus five sailor figures. And, of course, these figures should work well on any 1/65-scale galleon or caravel, which includes the full range of Artesania Latina’s models of Columbus’s ships, as well as that of Amati’s, which is also in 1/65 scale.
One of the best things about these new Artesania Latina kits is how much work they’ve put into the kit instructions. These instructions are now in digital format, so you’ll need a computer to read the included DVD, or you can simply download them from Artesania Latina’s website and view the helpful tutorial videos (also included on the DVD) on their Youtube channel.
You may not be able to see it fully on our post image here, but the full-sized image clearly shows the run of one of the rigging lines, actually showing you where the line begins, how it runs through two blocks, and where it ties off. This is an area where many less experienced ship modelers have difficulties with interpreting printed plans. Such plans often show a line, but it can be hard to follow where the line runs and where it is belayed.
Artesania Latina solves the issue by provide a 164-page visual guide with hundreds of photos, showing you every step of construction and rigging.
If this kit is an example of the direction Artesania Latina is taking their products, ship modeling appears to have a very bright future.
We just received a big shipment of products from the “new and improved” Artesania Latina, so we’re finally recovering after the holidays depleted our stocks of this long-time popular brand. In addition, we’ve receive some new kits you might want to check out, as well as the return of an old favorite, the San Juan Nepomuceno. But, the biggest news by far is the release of their brand new kit of the 17th century Swedish warship Vasa.
This spectacular kit is made for the Expert Level modeler and is produced in 1/65-scale, making it one of the largest Vasa kits available at 42″ long and 34″ high. The kit makes heavy use of die-cast and photo-etched decorations, and there are a LOT of them!
Just saw this beautifully done build of Artesania Latina’s Pen Duick kit built by Model Shipworld Member “Reci”.
Photo from The Nautical Research Guild’s MSW.
The Pen Duick is a cutter-rigged racing sailboat built in 1898 and still participates in races today. There’s a nice photo of the deck on the Wikipedia entry…
The build log is not long, but it’s full of photos showing some nice step-by-step detail of construction.
The kit is manufactured by Artesania Latina, which is a classic and relatively inexpensive brand, and generally easy to find. The kit is a 1/28-scale plank-on-bulkhead wooden model and measures just over 29″ long and about 24″ high.
Artesania Latina produces quality kits and many, like this, feature laser-cut wooden structural parts, quality woods, brass, and cast metal fittings, rigging line, sail cloth, plus nice step-by-step, color illustrated instructions.
Ages of Sail 