OcCre’s HMS Terror Build in High Speed

March 29, 2022 / agesofsail / 1 Comment

The latest video work from TOM’S Modelling in Motion brings us a 4-1/2 minute build of the Arctic expedition ship HMS Terror, one of two ships that disappeared while searching for the Northwest Passage in 1845, the other being HMS Erebus. The video takes us rapidly through the model, seemingly building itself, while educating us about the story of the ship and crew.

One thing that’s interesting about Tom’s build is his use of some specially designed 3D printed figures which are prominently displayed at the start of the video. Apparently, these figures are available as a file download for your 3D printer for a very reasonable price. Of course, you’ll need your own 3D printer or service to create them.

Tom’s figures are available as 3D printer files, which you can purchase, download, and print to your own 3D printer or using a service of your choice.

We don’t sell these ourselves, and we are not responsible for the quality or use of the file or figures. But, you might be interested in using them yourselves. Again, we have no knowledge about how to use the downloaded files, so please don’t ask us! Here’s the link that Tom shared on his Youtube description: https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/admiral-captain-and-sailors-for-hms-terror

But, the model is of course the HMS Terror kit from OcCre of Spain. And, if you’re inspired to build your own model of this fascinating ship, we do carry this very popular kit.

Start by checking out the kit on the Ages of Sail online shop here: https://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/occre/occre-ship-model-kits/hms-terror-occre-oc12004.html

Find this, and more, at Ages of Sail

HSPMS In-Person Meetings Restart

March 21, 2022 / agesofsail / Leave a comment

It’s great to see that the ship model groups in the greater San Francisco Bay Area are opening up again to in-person meetings.

This coming Saturday, March 26, the San Francisco based group, the Hyde Street Pier Model Shipwrights, are having their return meeting at the Maritime Museum building.

We’ve shared their post here – read for more details…

Hyde Street Pier Model Shipwrights

There’s good news for the Hyde Street Pier Model Shipwrights. With things opening up again in San Francisco, we’re going to start our in-person meetings again!

The bad news is that the gangway on the Eureka has been pulled due to tidal conditions, plus it will be relocated for repair later this year, so we won’t be meeting aboard the Eureka any time soon. Instead we will be meeting at the Bathhouse building, otherwise known as the Maritime Museum building, with our first meeting scheduled for Saturday, March 26th.

Meeting from 2018

The building doesn’t officially open until 10am, but there will be someone to let us in early. Our Commodore, Paul Reck, says we’ll meet up in front of the building between 9am and 9:30am, and we’ll call someone to let us in.

This will be the first in-person meeting we’ve had in over a year. Hopefully, people…

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Artesania Latina’s Soleil Royal Now in Stock!

March 9, 2022 / agesofsail / 2 Comments

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

Amati Gunboat “Arrow” Build – In the Beginning, Part 2

February 23, 2022 / agesofsail / Leave a comment

Another update here on this build of Amati’s Arrow Gunboat kit, an American galley gunboat from the era of the War of 1812. This update fills in the earlier stages of construction of this model, which is nearing completion.

Of course, this is an available kit, here at Ages of Sail, ideal for a ship modeler with a little bit of experience looking for a smaller wooden ship model kit of a uncommon subject. If you’re interested in building this kit, you can find it here: https://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/am1422-amati-arrow.html

Ship Modeler

As I continue progress with the Amati “Arrow” American Gunboat kit, I wanted to wrap up my look at the earlier stages of this kit, which began as described in the earlier post Amati Gunboat “Arrow” Builde – In the Beginning. After the part where I left off last, the footrests for the rowing stations were added, and these openings in the deck were lined.

I found the provided wood had a nice natural look to them, so I avoided any painting of the model. I edged the planking in pencil, and I simulated the treenails in the deck by simply drilling holes for them. I found that the wood dust filled in the holes and made for a very natural look, especially after the application of a little danish wood oil.

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Realistic Blocks Now Available at Ages of Sail

January 31, 2022 / agesofsail / 1 Comment

The blocks included in ship model kits haven’t changed a whole lot over the ages. That’s because they’re small wooden details that weren’t easy to produce in a fashion that looked much like real blocks used on ships. There are things you can do to make blocks look better, like spinning them in a special tumbler, which can improve the shape. For most of us, that’s probably fine.

In recent years, newer methods have been incorporated in the mass production of wooden blocks for ship models, and we are proud to announce that we’re now carrying high quality pear wood blocks produced by Master Korabel!

How do these blocks compare to the standard kits blocks? You can see this for yourself. Below are some single sheave blocks. Can you tell which ones are Master Korabel and which is not?

We carry all sizes from 2mm to 5mm of single-sheave and double-sheave blocks. They come in 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, and 5mm and are sold in packs of 10.

These blocks are pricer than standard kit blocks, and they’re not available in larger sizes. But, they are ideal for brigs, schooners, ketches, and such, as well as smaller scale models of larger ships. But, mainly, these provide an option to add a higher level of detail and realism to your models than was possible before.

Find these on our online shop here: https://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/new-master-korbel/realistic-blocks.html

Amati Gunboat “Arrow” Build – In the Beginning

January 29, 2022February 23, 2022 / agesofsail / Leave a comment

Amati Model’s American Gunboat Arrow, is a unique kit in that it represents an unusual style of American gunboat that was used at the time of the War of 1812. This lateen-rigged, Mediterranean style design was developed by naval architect Josiah Fox and it was one of many designs that were created and built to defend the American coasts, lakes, and rivers.

Due to the amount of detail, and unusual hull style, Amati’s kit is probably best identified as an intermediate kit, or at least an advanced beginner kit.

There are few kits available of American gunboats. But, if you want to try your hand at this build, you can find it at Ages of Sail here: https://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/am1422-amati-arrow.html

Ship Modeler

I’ve turned my attention back toward the completion of the Amati Gunboat “Arrow” kit and it’s coming along. I’m ready to deal with rigging and the sails as most of the hull and deck detail is done. This is a kit that I started quite some time ago, but other things pushed it on a back burner, and I mean way back, because I started it in 2014.

I’ll post an update soon. But, I’ve written a few posts now about building this Amati kit, and mostly of the middle stages of construction. For those who are interested in building the kit, since the construction of this kit is unlike most ship model kits I’ve encountered, I thought it might be good to post some photos from the early stages of construction.

On thing in particular that makes this kit unusual is that this is a shallow draft gunboat, so…

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Vanguard’s Lady Eleanor – A First Time Build

January 13, 2022 / agesofsail / 1 Comment

It’s always a pleasure when customers send us photos of their completed models, so we were particularly happy to start off the new year when customer tomsimon of Chino Hills, CA, shared with us the final photos of the wooden ship model he just completed, the Lady Eleanor from Vanguard Models. He gave us permission to share these photos on our social media sites, so we’re happy to post them here for you.

Tomsimon tells us that this Lady Eleanor is his first ever wooden ship model, and we think he’s done a wonderful job!

Lady Eleanor is a 1/64 scale wooden model kit of a Scottish fishing boat type called a Fifie. It’s described as a type that was commonly seen off the east coast of Scotland from the 1850s through the 1950s, and was known as a workhorse in the fishing community. Continue reading →

An Amati Drakkar Viking Ship Build

January 4, 2022May 23, 2024 / agesofsail / 1 Comment

An Australian ship modeler that goes by the screen name of Amfibius built an incredibly well done Drakkar Viking Ship that he built from a kit by Amati Model. The model photos were posted on the ModelShipWorld forum was back in 2013, but that doesn’t take away from the great presentation he made of his model.

We reached out to him and asked him if we could share his photos and news about his build on our blog. So, here’s his beautiful Drakkar build, presented here with his permission.

Continue reading →