Metcalf Mouldings

[Eddy Matthews]

Metcalf Mouldings have added a new paddler hull to their range, the PS Albion at 1:48 scale, giving a model of 51" length, 6.5" beam, and a width over the paddleboxes of 13.5"

It's always nice to see a company adding more paddler stuff to their range, so if your interested, full details can be found on their website: http://freespace.virgin.net/metcalf.mouldings/catalogue.htm

[mjt60a]

I bought the plan for that...

[lner]

I want to buy Metcalfs Talisman hull but I am unable to get a response to my emails.

One of the addresses on the website no longer exists and gives an error message, but no response as yet from the other one.

[Daryl]

Alas that is normal service from Metcalf Mouldings. I have tried to contact him and gave up.

Regards
Daryl

[Barrie]

He is a one man operation, and not really into electronic communications I think. (So why put his e-mail in his ads!!)

Suggest you write to him using snail mail.

Barrie

[Daryl]

I gave up and popped down the M5 and got a hull from Mike Meyhew. I agree why put a e-mail address in a advert and not reply?

Regards
Daryl

[Eddy Matthews]

Sadly lack of response to emails is true for a lot of small traders. Mike Mayhew is another example - try emailing him, you won't get an answer either!

It seems that these people create a website, and because it doesn't bring immediate results they forget about it, if only they would realise it takes a bit of time for the site to get known. It will only be used by customers if it's easy to use, contains the required information, and allows a direct method of contact.

The really annoying fact is that most of these traders produce good quality stuff! Again Mike Mayhew is a prime example - Take the time to phone or send a letter and generally they could not be more helpful.

[Daryl]

I totally agrre with Eddy, Mike is very helpful but don't like computers. As I live not to far away it's easy to pop around to his workshop for an hour or two.

Daryl

[kiwimodeller]

Daryl, I would be interested to hear about the hull you got from Mike Mayhew, dimensions, style and age of boat, how good the plans are etc. I have dealt with Mike before with the same difficulties others have had but if the boat is good enough I will try again. I attempted to deal with Mr Metcalf but got no replies yet when I gave up emailing and rang him he acknowledged getting the emails which really annoyed me! I taklked today to a local modeller who has recently been to England and talked to him. Apparently the paperwork and costs of exporting anything bigger than about a metre long he considers to be more trouble than the sale is worth so he ignores us "foreigners" and hopes we will stop pestering him. It would only take a moment to reply and say he cannot help but for some reason he chooses not to. I guess it must be nice to have more business than you can handle! Cheers, Ian.

[Daryl]

Hi Kiwimodeller,

Yes I agree it would have been nice to reply, the impression I got was, he is not to bothered about his bisness turnover as long as he earns enough to get by then the rest is irrelevent.

The hull my son and I got from Mike we think is excellent, the plans are 1/48 scale and the hull is 61 inches long 7 1/2 inches wide( not including the paddle boxes) and 5 inches deep. The hull is 1 inch deeper than scale to make it easier for stability. It may be possible to cut it down but we will leave ours as it is. The hull is plated to just below the waterline with rivit detail, this needs to be lightly sanded so that it is just aboout desernable when painted. I would have included pictures but the hull is covered in masking tape so Sam (Son) can mark out the windows. The thickness of the grp is 2-3mm and is of heavy guage matting making a very strong hull. The top of the hull needs sanding down as the one we had just came out of the mould as was slightly uneven. The rise of the hull at the bow needs to be fabricated as the hull as a streight top. Sorry a bad description but I hope you get the jist of it. Around the top of the hull is amolded on rubbing strip which sticks 2mm proud of the hull plates and is about 5mm deep.

Mike can supply any plans from the time she was built until the 1996 mini re-fit. We choose the 1996 mini refit as a start on her current configuration, we had two sheets on 1/96 scale which depicted the interior lay out as wella s the deck layout and a 1/48 scale plan which shows the side and plan profile. The first thing sam has done is to take a large bottle of tipex ( correction fluid) and amend the details for the configeration she is in now. We could not find any fault with the plans after studing photos found on the net and the two books we got about her history when we took a trip on her in June this year. One thing we did notice was the 1//48 scale plan is 2 1/4 inches shorter than the hull so a slight correction needs to be when measuring horizontal details. the vertical details seem correct to scale bearing in mind in 1996 she had shorter masts than now and the hull on our version is deeper than scale.

Mike has been trying to obtain the builders plans for the last re-fit which took place in 2003 but so far his requests has fell on deaf ears. The standard of drawing we thought was quiet good and all the information is there especially if you consult pictures found on the internet and the books published by the waverley trust.

The only other Waverly hull I know about is from a chap in Scotland Gib Duthie but I know nothing about the quality of the hull or plans, I can e-mail his list of hulls and contact details if you let me know.

The cost of Mike meyhews hull and plans is £80, which we thought was resonable consdiering the size of it and the plans.

Overall my son is looking forward to building her and is glad he got Mikes hull. Does anyone know anything about Dave metcalfs hull as we have heard its the wrong shape for Waverley and does anyone know anything about Gib Duthie's hull and plans?

Hope this helps
Daryl

[kiwimodeller]

Thanks for that, easy enough to understand. The size is about what I was after but I was hoping to find a much older style of boat than Waverly. I am not yet ready to get started so will just keep a good watch here on the forum for news of any other hulls. Thanks again, Ian.

[mjt60a]

....I was hoping to find a much older style of boat than Waverly....

I don't know if this is any help but here's a picture of the Albion plans from model boats magazine website, The plan is in 1/48th scale and comes out to about 51inches. If it looks old enough for your needs it could be worth following up the Albion hull mentioned at the start of this thread (and I'm sure the plan is still available, even though the website isn't....)

*edit - Oh by the way, the plan is probably copyright so, even though the picture of it is worse than useless and I do suggest buying the full size one (wasn't too expensive as I remember...), feel free to delete it if you think it shouldn't be shown here (or tell me and I will)

[Walter Snowdon]

Hi Daryl. The reason mike was unable to get plans of waverleys last major refit is because NONE WERE MADE> Al, the design work was done by computer, so no plans were necessary. This information came to me from her chief engineer. regards, walter.

[Daryl]

Hi Walter,
That explains why Mike has not got an answer to his enquiries. After my son and I had a very enjoyable day sialing along the Welsh coast we sent Mike a CD with a few hundred images on Sam took so he could build his hull as Waverley is now. Hopefully when Mike as recovered from his Knee operation he can draw some plans of her.

Many thanks for the info
regards
Daryl