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[RoyP]

I went ahead and purchased my first kit yesterday on the basis that as advertised it was suitable for the less experienced [me] and that the manual included lots of construction photos.

On opening the box I must admit that I am dismayed at what I have received, the manual includes a few photos but they are in shades of grey and it is impossible to recognise any of the component parts and therefore they are totally useless.

As for the manual the manual said trim the hull [plastic] but you don't have to be exactly on the line as final sanding will take care of this,then on the next line it says make a jig to score a line 40mm from the top,but if you have not trimmed hull to proper size this would  make the line uneven.that is just one mistake I have found and I am only on the first page of the build, how many other confusing areas are there?

The quality of the die cut plastic and wooden parts has left each sheet very much bent and twisted, not sure they will be flat when removed from the sheet.

As for the extra fittings kits the scale fittings seem ok, but the wooden set is a joke at £26,99 for a piece of cloth, net and strips for the deck and a few plastic bits plus string.

I did ask in the shop if I could look at the instructions and was told NO as the kit was sealed by the manufacturer.

It all goes back Monday and hopefully I will get my money back, and there will end my boat modelling career.

I admire what you guys all build here, especially if many of the kits are like this one, goodness knows what a kit for the experienced is like!!

Roy.

[nhp651]

Don't give up, Roy, on what is a wonderfully absorbing and creative hobby.
There ARE sadly some kits like that, but then again there are plenty more out there that are superb and are greatly satisfying to build.
However if you are going into the hobby with a blinkered outlook that they are ALL like Airfix kits, of glue a to b and c to d then you will be dissallusioned.
There is a certain amount of thinking to do with most kits, and there are pit falls, but that is half the fun of the learning process, and there are plenty of experienced modellers on this and other forums that WILL HELP.
You only have to ask.

[SteamboatPhil]

I agree with nhp651 RoyP, don't let this put off building a boat. Although I scratch build I have built a couple of kits over the years, and sometimes you do have to sit back and do a bit of lateral thinking, but I can assure you, it is really worth it when you finaly get the boat on the water.
And as nhp651 has said, you will find all the help you need on this forum, my advice would be to persevere (maybe with another kit) but do have a go--even if you ask questions on the forum everyday someone will always be able to help   

[wideawake]

Don't give up, Roy, on what is a wonderfully absorbing and creative hobby.
There ARE sadly some kits like that, but then again there are plenty more out there that are superb and are greatly satisfying to build.
However if you are going into the hobby with a blinkered outlook that they are ALL like Airfix kits, of glue a to b and c to d then you will be dissallusioned.
There is a certain amount of thinking to do with most kits, and there are pit falls, but that is half the fun of the learning process, and there are plenty of experienced modellers on this and other forums that WILL HELP.
You only have to ask.

I agree.  I'm no expert and take my hat off to the standards some people achieve.  However there are kits out there which do have relatively comprehensive instructions and/or small manufacturers who will help and support you during a build.   As has also beeb said, there's an amazing amount of experience on this forum.  Post some ideas on thetype of boat and size you have in mind and I'll guarantee you that suggestions for good kits will come along.   It is true to say however that most kits assume that you'll be able take measurements of a plan and sometimes interpret drawings rather than needing a step by step "glue tab A into slot B" style instruction book.

My other suggestion is, assuming you can make the time to get there, that you attend the Model Boat Show at The Fosse near Leamington Spa - see the thread in the events section.   There I'm sure you will be able to see inside the box and discuss the level of instructions with the manufacturer/supplier.

Anyway please don't give up. I came back to building models after a gap of well over 20 years and am loving it!  BTW for a classic case of "instructions - what instructions" try Billings kits :-(   I'm on my second one (Colin Archer) and can imagine it would be a nightmare for anyone without some experience.

Cheers

Guy

[andygh]

Don't give in, try again and if the shop won't let you see what you're paying for go elsewhere, I've never heard anything so ridiculous.
Sadly I'm a victim of the closure of local model shops but if that's the attitude of yours I wouldn't be surprised if it goes the same way.

[polobeer]

I went ahead and purchased my first kit yesterday on the basis that as advertised it was suitable for the less experienced [me] and that the manual included lots of construction photos.

On opening the box I must admit that I am dismayed at what I have received, the manual includes a few photos but they are in shades of grey and it is impossible to recognise any of the component parts and therefore they are totally useless.

As for the manual the manual said trim the hull [plastic] but you don't have to be exactly on the line as final sanding will take care of this,then on the next line it says make a jig to score a line 40mm from the top,but if you have not trimmed hull to proper size this would  make the line uneven.that is just one mistake I have found and I am only on the first page of the build, how many other confusing areas are there?

The quality of the die cut plastic and wooden parts has left each sheet very much bent and twisted, not sure they will be flat when removed from the sheet.

As for the extra fittings kits the scale fittings seem ok, but the wooden set is a joke at £26,99 for a piece of cloth, net and strips for the deck and a few plastic bits plus string.

I did ask in the shop if I could look at the instructions and was told NO as the kit was sealed by the manufacturer.

It all goes back Monday and hopefully I will get my money back, and there will end my boat modelling career.

I admire what you guys all build here, especially if many of the kits are like this one, goodness knows what a kit for the experienced is like!!

Roy.

Hello Roy!

I feel responsible for your bad experience with this model because it was me who suggested it as a beginner's kit (as stated by the makers). I am sorry that you feel put off by your brief introduction into the world of RC boating, but like the others above say, don't give up. It is possible to make a lovely model from this kit (I've seen some examples); it will just take you longer to get into it than you'd hoped and with perseverance you will find ways around the obstacles. Just ask on the forum for advice whenever you need it, or search out relevant information in the construction pages here. I presume that some beginners have successfully completed this kit otherwise the makers would not have indicated that it was for novices.

All the best
Simon 

[craftysod]

Dont give up
I am on my first build,no instuctions,but good plans,and lots of brilliant info from the people on here,
you will be satisfied when you see it coming together.
As others have said just ask or search forum someone knows something

Mark

[Bryan Young]

All these respondents are totally innocent dupes, made so by unscrupulous "manufacturers" who can afford to have a nice looking box produced. I am NOT "banging a drum". There are some superb kit manufacturers out there. But how many does it take to ruin the entire barrel? Who sells them to model shops? How savvy are the shop owners? Or is this just another way of making money. Sadly, I think it is the latter. An experienced modeller can spot a dud from a mile away...so why can't the vendors.

[banjo]

 

With you there Bryan.
Perhaps the Forum could set out a list of "kits" with a star rating.
Then we could all share the blame when a novice came unstuck!

 ::)

[polobeer]

All these respondents are totally innocent dupes, made so by unscrupulous "manufacturers" who can afford to have a nice looking box produced. I am NOT "banging a drum". There are some superb kit manufacturers out there. But how many does it take to ruin the entire barrel? Who sells them to model shops? How savvy are the shop owners? Or is this just another way of making money. Sadly, I think it is the latter. An experienced modeller can spot a dud from a mile away...so why can't the vendors.

Where is the evidence to support your claim? If the situation was as bad as you would have us believe why haven't certain contemporary kit manufacturers gone out of business (taking with them their specialist range of kits) for good? There has to be a reasonable demand for these products to make their production financially viable, and a kit manufacturer relies on the response and good will of their customers to assess whether or not a kit is acceptable or not. If the kits were assessed to be so bad (because of sustained negative response from customers) they would be removed from sale. Further, the production costs of producing the tooling for a kit are huge, as I'm sure you are aware; from this perspective most kits are extremely good value for money.
 

[Proteus]

follow on from Banjo's post


or even ability

can pay for box

can open box

can put batteries in with help

can do unaided

etc

the problem is that these  are kits, and unless you want the model supplier to spend millions on die cutting parts and have them snap together this will keep comming up,
i think people need to realise when they see a nice model sailing on a lake it is due to hard long hours of work, making mistakes and fixing them till you come up with a boat that will sail ,

then you build another one better , and so on
its about improving your skills

it not like a video game you can put on the lowest level and say I won.

modeling started of by people getting whatever materials they could and utilising them , then came kits.and RTR

sorry rant over


Proteus

[polobeer]

All these respondents are totally innocent dupes, made so by unscrupulous "manufacturers" who can afford to have a nice looking box produced. I am NOT "banging a drum". There are some superb kit manufacturers out there. But how many does it take to ruin the entire barrel? Who sells them to model shops? How savvy are the shop owners? Or is this just another way of making money. Sadly, I think it is the latter. An experienced modeller can spot a dud from a mile away...so why can't the vendors.

I forgot to add; your opening statement is extremely patronising to a number of forum members and without proof. Once you can supply irrefutable evidence to the contrary of my argument, then it is impossible to take what you say seriously.

[nhp651]

totally agree with you , polobeer.
i do believe that brians comments are just another way  of kit bashing but in a covert manner.
THERE IS A GREAT DEAL TO BE THANKFUL FOR to kit manufacturers, which enables a great number of modellers to get into the hobby that otherwise wouldn't bother if scratch building was the only way forward.

[Proteus]

Just so people don't think I am kit bashing , I build kits and I think in the main they are passable some good and some are excellent , I think people comming in the hobby think they should just fall togethere, I think if they did  a lot of us would not bother.


Proteus,

[RantandRave]

Not being funny but £26.99 is right at the bottom end of the price market for a kit... even an airfix type.
If you can afford to keep the kit, build it and treat it as a practice piece.

[Bunkerbarge]

Let's try to get back to the original concern and try to avoid the usual bickering about kit and scratch and maybe offer something a bit more useful to Roy.

Also Propshaft the 26.99 was for a fittings kit not the whole model from what I can see so it's obviously difficult to judge value for money based on that alone.

Roy, Model kits come in a huge variety of flavours, requiring equally varied levels of experience to build them.  Some manufacturers produce easy to assemble products whereas some produce kits that require a lot more input from the modeller and without a bit of guidance it is not always apparent for the beginner to know what to expect when he opens the box.  My first gripe would be with the model shop who would not let you look inside the box.  I think that is unreasonable and, as long as you were supervised, there is no risk to him and no loss of revenue if the box is repackaged carefully again.  That to me would be a warning and I may tend to look for a more accomodating supplier.

The other concern is that if the vendor does not allow you to open the box then he should be able to clearly describe the contents including the required level of skill needed to assemble the model and the quality of the contents.  If he cannot do this he shouldn't be selling kits.  The vendor should be able to match your skill level to a suitable kit and guide your purchase accordingly.

On the other side of the coin there is your own responsibility and all too often model shops are on the recieving end of ridiculous expectations from customers who are looking for a plastic kit standard or construction in a kit put together by a manufacturer who has a very limited market and high setting up costs to cover.  It is also your own responsibility to do a bit of research and find out just what is involved with some of these kits so you are better prepared when you do open the box.  Undoubtedly there are always going to be some quality issues which should be addressed by the vendor when brought to his attention but you also have to remember that you are buying a kit that is aimed at modellers who do not want to simply slot it together.  They want a lot more of a challenge without going the whole hog and scratchbuilding thier model so they don't want a construction set.

I think if you are prepared to give up on model boating based on what you have seen in the box of your first kit you may well not be cut out for this hobby anyway because no matter what level of kit you go for you are going to have to put a lot into it yourself, it is only the amount that varies.  My advise would be to go for a kit from a large mass production manufacturer such as Robbe or Graupner who have kits in thier range that are that bit easier to assemble but even those will require a bit of head scratching and working things out for yourself.   If you don't want to do that then I think you are heading for dissapointment and possibly wasted money.  Don't forget that all the boats you see on the pond be they scratch built, kits, semi kits or even modified kits they have all had many hundreds of hours put into them and they have all given the builders hard times and frustrations that have had to be overcome to complete the model.

I don't want to put you off but I do think you need to be aware of what you are letting yourself in for and be of a positive mind to be able to take on the challenges you are going to encounter.  There again that's what we all do and after all the highs and lows of our building we love doing it so it must have something going for it!!

[bigford]

i'm into my happy hunter for at least $ 1000.00 u.s.
and found the same thing as roy, die cut parts that were stamped
with a 20 year old dull die.
 results warped parts. directions what were ment for a mind reader
step 1,2,3,4 then at step 5 you get before step 3 do this
this is from robbe maybe the german instructions
are better. 
 i feel for you roy but stick with it you will be happy in the end

[RoyP]

Thanks for all the positive replies, personal messages received and offers of help, after consideration I will NOT be returning the kit and will with lots of help persevere, and who knows one day a photo may appear of my creation.

Regarding the discussion on manufacturers I did not wish to have a go at any particular [that is why I never mentioned any name] or the majority of companies, many I am sure are one man bands and do a fine job, all I was doing is drawing attention to what I found in my particular kit.

Thanks again, many questions to follow.

Roy

[Colin Bishop]

A problem is only a problem because you don't know the solution.

There are more solutions on Mayhem than there are problems so you will be spoilt for choice.

Keep at it.

Colin

[Seaspray]

Hi
As Colin says, theres lots of experience on this forum. With help always available. 

Ask your questions supported by your pics and you'll get all the help you need. 

As somebody said earlier. The only silly question is the one not asked.


Martin

[Bunkerbarge]

I'm glad you've decided to go for it Roy and as has already been said don't be shy in asking the questions but don't forget try to ask them before something goes wrong!!

Good luck.

[rem2007]

don't give up Roy. I was in a similiar spot last year, but thanks to the support of the blokes on here and SWMBO I have had many enjoyable Sunday mornings at the pond. Stay with it and keep the faith.
Robert

[Stavros]

I am so glad that you have decided to carry on with this moderated


Stavros

[Martin (Admin)]

Good on you Roy..... don't worry, there is no such thing as a perfect kit, you should see the one I'm working on at the moment....
.....but that may be due to my lack of building skills, patients, disability to read instructions
or plans and over confidence!

[FullLeatherJacket]

Good on you Roy..... don't worry, there is no such thing as a perfect kit, you should see the one I'm working on at the moment....
.....but that may be due to my lack of building skills, patients, disability to read instructions
or plans and over confidence!

Wassup, Martin? Doesn't it say Robbe on the lid this time??
FLJ