Thursday, February 26, 2015

Resin Kit Review: Resin Modeler 1:1400 Klingon Hunting Vessel (Gorath's ship)

NOTE:  You can click on most pictures to get a larger view of them.

[Editor's Note (April 2016): This will mark my second re-write of this article.  Consider this the REFIT version of the original article.]

For this next review, I'd like to focus on a small and simple little kit from Resin Modeller.  He produced a 1:1400 scale version of the Klingon Hunting Vessel that we saw in Star Trek: Enterprise.

Resin Modeller's Recommended Paint Scheme

This ship was used to help capture Captain Archer and take him back to the Klingon home world to face criminal charges.  As of now, there isn't a lot of other information on the ship other than what we saw in the TV series.

The Model

Resin Modeller's version of this ship measures in at around 6cm and is a one piece kit meaning that you don't have to mess around with any super glue.  When I interviewed Adam about this kit, he said that once he got the basic shape right, it only took him about 3 to 4 days to design it in his 3D modeling software .  Once Adam gets the 3D model done, he then sends it off to a professional 3D printing company to have his master made up.  You can always tell this when you hold and look at most of kits as they have a very clean and crisp look and feel to them.

You can read up more on this ship as well as purchase it from HERE.

 
 
 
 
DeepSpace Pat's Paint Scheme

NOTE: The eye hook is NOT part of the kit.  I added that because a majority of my models are hung up on a book shelf to conserve space.

This model predates my Work In Progress picture taking days, but even so, there really wasn't a lot of work involved.  It was very clean as far as excess resin was concerned.  I had a tiny bit of trimming to do.  Painting it was also a breeze.  There aren't any hard to reach spots on it.

Conclusion

Really, there is not much to say other than it's a very nice and simple little kit.  It's perfect for first time model builders as well as first time resin kit builders.

I hope you found this article as useful and informative as I did while writing it.  Please feel free to leave any comments, questions or suggestions below.

So for now, "Live Long And Prosper!"

Additional Links To Photos Of My Collection:
Resin Modeller



Helpful Hint Articles
Washing     Warped Parts     Gluing     Filling The Gaps     Making Stands     Decals



NOTE: If you are new to my reviews, then please read on.  This section talks about the garage kit maker that made this kit as well as a little about why I'm writing this review.  If you are one of my regular readers, then feel free to skip the rest of this article as it is a word for word repeat of stuff from previous articles.

Kit Maker Information

Adam who owns and operates Resin Modeller does most of his business through his website.  He will also occasionally sell his kits through eBay, however, it is always recommended to go to his website for orders.  Although he does not maintain a FaceBook page for his business, he does post his work in progress stuff over at the All Scale Trek forums.

R.M.'s Website: CLICK HERE
R.M.'s eBay Seller Profile: CLICK HERE

A majority of all of Adam's kits are produced via 3D design software and then professionally 3D printed.  He then uses these as his masters in the mold making process.  In my opinion, this produces a very crisp model.

In my dealings with Adam, I find him to be a very nice guy to chat with.  He will usually answer inquiries within a day or two of being emailed.  Like most garage kit makers, he has a regular day job, and the kit building business is his way of funding his love of building models.  He has shared that he has found a lack of 1:1400 scale ships and since that is his preferred size to build in, he just makes the ships he wants for his collection.  

DISCLAIMER SECTION

I consider myself an intermediate model maker.  I'm pretty good with assembling kits these days  and OK on the painting side of things.  I ultimately end up with ships that look good enough to me to display in my collection.  I've found that there are all sorts of neat ships out there that no one has made a pre-built or pre-painted model of, so, in an effort to expand my ship collection I've turned to building them myself, either by kitbashing or purchasing ready made resin model kits.

There are several smaller garage kit makers out there that produce some very good kits.  I've actually developed a good relationship with a couple of them and volunteered some of my time to write up reviews about the kits I've purchased from them.  I have already warned them that I intend to be pretty objective, not pull any punches, and these reviews are going to be written from the point of view of an intermediate model builder.  If this means that I warn away a first time builder from a particular kit, then they will need to be OK with that approach.

Lastly, due to the nature of resin casting, not every kit is going to be the same.  Excess resin and air pockets are a part of the game when you get into this sort of model building.  The kit that I got and built may be slightly different than your kit as far as minor quality issues.  I will still point out flaws with my kit as those flaws could lead into a lesson of some sort for either you the reader or the kit maker themselves.

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