Best Kits

[Philip MitchellParticipant @philipmitchell70963]

Hi, I'm relatively new to kit building and intend to spend the rest of the winter building a kit of a Tug or Clyde Puffer. I don't feel I have the experience yet to scratch build! I will be installing Radio Control in the model. In your opinion which is the best kit supplier Mountfleet or Calder Craft or have you some other favourite supplier. Any advice will be gratefully received.

Phil

[Philip MitchellParticipant @philipmitchell70963]

Advice needed by new modeller

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

I've only heard good and read glowing reports about the kits from Model Slipway. Never built one but so this only what I've heard and would advise further research. I believe they are really helpful too.

Tony

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Which manufacturer is 'best' can be a matter of opinion depending on how much is done for you and the skills of the builder.

As Tony says, Model Slipway do have a reputation for very good quality control and are certainly worth checking out. Although they no longer have a Puffer in their range they do have a couple of traditional tugs which can be built in either civilian or naval variants.

**LINK**

The Mountfleet and Caldercraft offerings tend to be older kit designs which, whilst making up into excellent models, do sometimes need a bit more input from the builder depending on which kit you choose.

I would stress that the above comments are my personal views and not those of the magazine!

Colin

[Philip MitchellParticipant @philipmitchell70963]

Thanks for the prompt replies, good information, as I had never heard of Model Slipway until today. Looking at their website there is a number of models that fulfill my criteria so a bit more research required from me next week.

Phil

[Kev.WParticipant @kev-w]

May I also putt forward a firm local to me, called 'Mobile Marine Models', they have a range of tugs in either steam or motor type.

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Hello Philip,

As you may have seen if you've followed or browsed the forum, I am currently building a Clyde puffer based on the Mountfleet Models 1:24 "Highlander" kit. You'll find a forum build thread here**LINK** and the corresponding photo album here **LINK** .

This is as yet the only kit from Mountfleet that I've built (or seen in real life), while I have no experience at all of the Caldercraft Classic Kits series, so I am rather loath to make any comparisons.

If you were to look through my build thread, though, I think you might get an idea of both the strengths and the weaknesses of at least my particular kit. You would also find that I have decided to replace certain parts and structures with third party material and/or scratch built items. However, in my view it would have been absolutely feasible to build a perfectly valid and fine model with what came with the kit, so my tweaking has come about out of choice and not out of necessity.

The strongest points of this particular kit in my view are its scale (1:24 makes for a lovely level of detail), its general shape (I find it the prettiest puffer kit on the market) and the general quality of the parts and the kit construction.

The main weaknesses of the kit I bought were a not perfectly symmetrical GRP hull (although, as I mention in the build thread, this could be mitigated in the building process to a for me satisfactory level), uneven white metal casting quality (some were marvelous, most were fine, some required serious work and a few had to be replaced) and instructions that were partially incomplete (for example there is almost no guidance on how to rig the derrick) and in some instances less clear than I could have wished for.

I have, I should add, been fully satisfied with the after-sales service from Mountfleet: when on two occasions I needed a few more items of certain parts, and in the case of those (three or four) castings that had to be replaced, they each time sent me what I needed free of charge within about a week.

As mentioned, my experience of these kits is limited to this single one, so I have no idea whether mine was above, below or at the average level of Mountfleet kits, and thus cannot really say whether it was representative or make any general judgement about them.

However, I would say that I have not regretted for a second getting this kit. It was most certainly not of the add-glue-and-shake-the-box variety, but for my part I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge, including the additional research required and figuring out where I might want to deviate from the kit. It has taken me longer to build than a winter, though: I began work on July 1st 2013, would estimate that I've since put in on average 10 hours a week, and after 80 weeks and thus some 800 build hours am not yet quite finished (I hope to get there by spring, though).

/Mattias

Edited By Banjoman on 14/01/2015 12:30:36

Edited By Banjoman on 14/01/2015 12:51:37

Edited By Banjoman on 14/01/2015 12:53:01

[Armando LoniParticipant @armandoloni78860]

Consider the Model Slipway steam drifter, which is still produced – very similar kit design and good for a beginner. The quality is excellent and you only really need to supply the RC equipment (and maybe figures). I don't know how they do it for the price!

[CookieOldParticipant @cookieold]

Have a talk to Steve at Scale Hobbies in Skelmersdale he is the tug man and does loads of tug kits , There number is in the Model Boat Mag .

Dave

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