Matchbox Corvette

Only people who lived in Hew Jersey - like I did - can talk like that.  Capiche?  Believe it or not, I have started on the HMCS Drumheller in her 1940 configuration.  Talk about a glutton for punishment.  I have already finished the minesweeping winch and am going to do the photoetch this weekend.  The hull is also together, fo'c'scle shortened, railing cap added, and I squared off the stern.  When they take me off in the white coat with the reversing arms, you will know why.

HEY! KEVIN,youse made me an offer I can,t refuse , da you know dat ? Why would youse does a ting like dat? I now have to clean up my CORVETTE,no not da car , but da boat! I built mine about ten years ago and ran it inda  real world waters in the SAN JOQIUN/SACRAMENTO river delta.She got da dents and greeblies on da waterline ta prove it too.I know what youse was up against doin the job. Let,s say , I yam impressed dat youse did it so well. You make me envious !Anyway ,I have to say sir,you have done a Damn(can I say that?) fine job on a darned hard kit.Hard,Yes, because you can go either way with it on detail , but as with other large plastic models where do you draw the line? Well , I guess you drew it.I ain,t crossing it neither.I like mine with all its brass replacements and real world dirt and weathering.The areas that are wood ,are wood on her too. Again ,a VERY good model , well done!!! Enjoyed the article and the ship .Do another,how about the 1/35 VOSPER that ITALERI just came out with? HE HE                 TANKERbuilder

Oh, I understand that.  I have not finished a model since I completed the Fennel.  Absolute burn-out.  I keep accumulating kits in my stash, but not building any.  I am, however, getting the itch and need to do something soon.

Winks: Your ship in FSM is absolutely stunning. I would love to use the PE set, but I can't make that time commitment again. I like getting done models in 2-3 months, not 1+ years. My sub is getting onto a year, and the kits keep piling up. I'll probably make mine OOB, but will use the metal  staunchions(?) and barrels for the guns, if I can get them.

Rob

Thanks.  Actually, building her took 3 1/2 months.  That amazes some people who think it should have been years.  A couple things - I work fast.  I also set up almost an assembly line for multiple parts.  When I model I put on the most boring TV show I can find - in this case it was American Idol - as then I concentrate on the modeling.  I also work late into the night - wife is asleep, cats are asleep, dog is asleep, I am awake.  Amazing how much you can get done with a dedicated hour to three every night.  One thing that helps that is every morniing I would set up a check list of exactly what I wanted to get done that night, I would set out the materials and tools on my desk for that evening, and I would stick to it.  In the past my modeling would take a lot longer because it was scattered and much time was wasted with the thought of what do I do next.

Naval Jelly will clean that nasty rust off real quick.

Great build. How long did it take?  My stash is too big to take on another potential project. THey're fun to think about, but when it's time to build them, they take forever...unless youre retired and can still see pretty well. 

Yes, that's mine.  Thank you. The rust was a lot of fun to do.

Kevin

I built the Matchbox kit 25 years ago. I used Sirmar resin parts at the time which made a huge difference, especially in the armamants. Unfortunately Sirmar is no longer in business.

It is an easy kit to convert to remote control, my has been sailing for 25 years and this year I have decided to do a major refit to repairs the damage done over the years by Canada Geese (they didn't like my corvette in their pond hunter killer rotweilers (the dog jumped off a dock too get my boat, fortunately I had over powered it so it managed to make a get away....how I wished for dome RC depth charges then)

You can build a nice kit straight out of the box but with after markey parts you can have a great model instead.

One major in accuract in the kit is the thickness of the bar stem it should only be 4 scale inches thick not 18" as molded on the model. Also the corvettes did not have a bar keel. So take the hull put it on a flat sirface and any part of the bar keel/stem the touched the surface should be removed. The entire deck was not wooden sheathed (planked) Only the bridge deck, a sectionof the fo'c'sle around the 4" gun andf then a small section around the aft depth charge launchers.

I have heard rumours that Revell is releasing the kit again possibily with the David Parkins after market parts included. Has anyone else heard of this rumour?

Rob,

I used all the Parkins pieces.  The problem with mixing and matching is that the kit pieces look terrible next to the Parkins lot - just no comparison.  So, as I saw it, either use them all or none.

Kevin

i just finished a 1/72 TVII c41. A lot of PE, but I kept the plastic deck. Took forever to drill out  all the holes, vents and spillways.  

Winks: I bought the Snowberry off EBay just before Christmas. I'm neck deep in detailing my 1/72 VIIc, and will not probably start the ship until the fall. What David Parkins kits did you use? As great as they look, I am reluctant to get involved in another year long project, like my sub. However, there are some details that I think would be better suited to using the PE than the stock parts. The deck, for one, would be a start. Would it be a hassle to add kit parts to the PE deck?

Thanks

Rob

No, I use the Micro-Mark set.  Exposure is not really a problem living out here in Phoenix.

Winks

Another source of detailing is to do your own photoetch.  It is not that hard and provides a customized look to particular ships in a class.  And, if that is not on the agenda, it is amazing how refined a model such as the corvette can look simply by using thin brass or plastic/styrene to replace bulkheads and railings or add detail to items such as the guns and then doing a good paint job.

Kevin

I have the Micro Mark set, and found it a lot of work, and a bit difficult.  Exposure is somewhat critical, and at best it is a lengthy process. I try to avoid it as much as possible. Kevin, do you use a different method- maybe one a bit easier than the Micro Mark thing?

On the Flower Class corvette that I did, I used David Parkins items as has been mentioned for a lot of it.  But, I also scratchbuilt a significant portion of the upgrades using brass tubing and wire and plastic/styrene parts.  I haunt model railroad hobby shops and use a lot of what is produced there for detailing. 

Another source of detailing is to do your own photoetch.  It is not that hard and provides a customized look to particular ships in a class.  And, if that is not on the agenda, it is amazing how refined a model such as the corvette can look simply by using thin brass or plastic/styrene to replace bulkheads and railings or add detail to items such as the guns and then doing a good paint job.

I happen to really enjoy detailing and re-working older models with photoetch.  I will buy the parts gradually and when I have sufficient, start the model.  Such detailing is not everyone's cup of tea.  The main thing is to have fun and satisfy yourself.

Kevin

Bocks Suv

What's a good site/source for a selection of PE etc that can augment the Revell Corvette?  I dont care about the decking, more about the details that make the soft sections look more hardcore and authentic.  Thx 

See DJ Parkins Great Little Ships website http://www.djparkins.com/acatalog/Great_Little_Ships.html for his complete listing of resin, white metal, and PE replacement items for the Revell/Matchbox Flower

What's a good site/source for a selection of PE etc that can augment the Revell Corvette?  I dont care about the decking, more about the details that make the soft sections look more hardcore and authentic.  Thx 

As EdGrune said, much of the molding is soft, and cries out for aftermarket stuff.  However, some of that aftermarket stuff is pretty pricey.  But many of the details that need fixing have scale drawings available on line (guns and stuff).  I intend to scratch, for instance, the main gun, and only buy the AA weapons.  In that scale scratchbuilding many of the details should not be super hard.

Bocks Suv

Just wondering if anyone knows if the Revell Snowberry Flower Class Corvette looks as good as it does inb the online pics? Seems like buidlers are adding a lot of PE, resin and extra parts to make it look as cool and dense as it does in some of the built pics.  Like the OOB build would look pretty boring. The Revell kit is affordable on ebay, but the Matchbox is outta range.   Thanks for any help.

Revell obtained the Matchbox molds when Matchbox went out of business.    The Matchbox boxing of the kit is more collectible, thus the price difference.   The difference between the kits is the plastic.  Matchbox molded their kits in multiple colors to lessen the amount of painting which must be done.

Out of the box, both kits are rather bland.   Detail is soft or lacking.   Extensive reworking and/or aftermarket help is required to produce a model which approaches the level of the one which won at this year's IPMS Nationals