I have several solid hull kits from Model Shipways. I would rate all of them Very good. Wanting to do a plank on bulkhead when Model Shipways came out with their Prince I scooped an order in the mail Poste Haste. What a disappointment. I'm on my third set of bulkheads and they still don't fit well and the false keel slots are also too big. The rigging plans are certainly not up to those they have produced for other kits. All in all it's soured me on P.O.B. models. Now after all this moaning and groaning I think that I found the answer to the less than perfect kit I have come to expect from them.
While searching on e-bay I came across a Kit of Prince de Neufchatel put out by a firm "Modellbau" And from the pictures Included I'd swear it was the same kit as the Model Shipways but in a different box (Although the box size and shape looked the same)
My question is, Has anyone heard of this firm "Modellbau" and could it be that they sold their stuff to Model Shipways???
Fred

 

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Hello Fred, I'm sorry to hear of your problems with the Prince de Neufchatel, but I'm not sure of what your exact problem is. It could very well be a lemon kit and thanks for the heads up, I've considered buying it. Also saw the 'Modellbau' on ebay, looked risky, or at least could have been presented better. Before you get too discouraged, consider another kit as your first P.O.B. project, say a schooner or a clipper that does not have a bluff pointed bow that requires a lot of alignment and plank bending, just set down the 'Prince' for now, that's my best advice for now. Perhaps if you could give me some more examples of specific problems, I'm sure somebody will help you through it. thanks, Lee.

 

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Lee,
I haven't given up on POB quite yet. I have A.L Bluenose II and Model Shipways Benj. Latham.
As far as Prince goes It just doesn't seem to have the quality that I'd expect from M.S. First off when I got the model The bulkheads and false keel had slots that were extremely loose. I wrote to M.S. for suggestions as to how to proceed. I got no verbal response other than they sent me a new set of bulkheads. They were not much better and the new ones were bass wood not the plywood like the originals. (Something was going on at M.S.) I then decided to shelf the kit and think about how to proceed. A short while ago I contacted M.S. again telling them of the problem. Once more they sent me a new set of bulkheads. This set fit better but the keel slot were too wide and again a sloppy fit. Some of the keel slots were wide enough so that shims could be inserted to snug thing up but for the most part I just made sure that bulkheads were glued to the the fronts of all keel slots. Next I dry fit the sub deck and when I do that twists the hull out of shape and the edge hanks over the hull by quite a bit. This will take some fitting. I haven't got beyond that so I don't know whats in store for me in the future.
I have looked at the rigging plan and I must say that's the worst one I've encountered. Rigging plans by M.S. are usually super I don't know what happened on this one.
Regarding the Prince that showed up on e bay it looks like a pretty infantile kit and the deck furniture doesn't look anything like that on M.S.'s version.
Between you and I, I wouldn't touch it.
That all for now when I get back to it I'll keep you posted

 

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I know I'm a little late on this thread, but I'm new here....

In any case, the MS Prince is without doubt a somewhat flawed kit but not irredeemable. The kit and it's plans seem dated and overlay schematic, but the bones of a decent product are there.

I finished one a few years ago and you can find images of it posted here.
http://gallery.drydockmodels.com/album375 

I'm not new to modeling, but this was my first wooden ship.

The nice thing about the kit was that the vessel is well documented elsewhere, especially in several of Chapelle's books. I'd recommend having The Search for Speed Under Sail on your lap while working on this kit.

If further discussion is merited, I'd be happy to follow up with my experiences but don't want to beat a dead horse if not.

Regards

Jim

 

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I didn't have any significant problems with the Prince's hull. I always block bulkheads to keep them stable. I'm presently rigging the carronades and cannons, which seems to be taking forever. I agree about the poor rigging plans; if anyone has a good reference that covers brigantines in that time period, I'd sure like to hear.

 

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Chapelle's "The Search for Speed Under Sail" has a decent set of plans of the Prince de Neufchatel produced by M Edison Jr. for a Smithsonian model. In addition to a hull plan, they include a side rigging / sail elevation and elevations of both masts plus a belaying pin diagram. They are small (being book plates) but are fairly detailed. The book is fairly easy to find on the used book market, my hard cover copy having cost $30. The plans are also available full size from the Smithsonian but my suspicion is at a price and with some wait time for reproduction.

You might want to look for Harland's "Seamanship in the Age of Sail" as a supplement as it adds considerable information about rigging and the operation of sailing ships. I used both in preparing my version of the Prince.

There are of course many other books that deal with rigging in general which can be usefully consulted. In any case, enjoy the model. Even with its flaws it can still produce a fairly nice end result.

The link to a post of my model is in a posting above, should you wish to see how mine came out.

Regards

Jim

 

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A quick follow up to my previous post....

Another handy source is: "Rigging the Period Fore-and-Aft Craft" by Lennarth Peterson which has a nice section on "The American Schooner." A smaller ship but one quite like the Prince in rig and time period. The book is quite beautifully illustrated but may be difficult to find used. I bought mine new for about $42. (when I popped out of this post, there was an Amazon ad for this book for $28 - really, I don't feel like I've been had.)

Jim

 

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I'm working on a Prince. It took me two sets of bulkheads and hours of work to build an accurate frame. It has become clear to me that alignment of the frame and bulkheads is extremely important. You can't just slide them together and add some glue. It is a very exacting process. I will build another and I will spend hours on aligning the bulkheads and frams. I think any POB project will be just as difficult.

 

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I'd like your thoughts on the deadeyes and chainplates. The plans are confusing. Sounds like we are about the same place. I just mounted the belaying pin racks and chainplates. I'm going to have to put the

 

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I have the prince and I am just about to start the masts and spars. There are a number of problems with the kit that I have had to work around. I had trouble with bulkheads, but I think it was self inflicted. I was suprised at how much care you have to take when you align them. If you wan't a good set of rigging plans, you can get them from the Smithsonian for $5.00. I've got an extra set of Smithsonian plans and I can forward them for the price of the postage.

 

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