vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Just wondering what some of you have experienced with the kits you have purchased from any kit cutter you have used? This seems like it will be a growing aspect of our hobby, especially for scale modelers.

abufletcher

With WWI models, "kits" are pretty minimal, just some ribs and maybe a few turtledeck formers. But with models of those later metal skinned "things" ( ) kits have to be more elaborate and the fit of the parts is more critical. Just about any kit-cutter with a half-way decent rep should be able to due a set of ribs. But, I'd want to go with someone with a very good rep and a record of outstanding customer service for a fuller kit.

I think you can also probably make a distinction between kit cutters who digitize plans (or have the digitized files at hand, like Mazano) and then laser cut part sets and guys who do it the old fashioned way and cut out all the parts by hand...which to my mind is sort of like hiring someone else to build your model for you, while you sip ice tea on the veranda. Ordering laser cut parts sets (for example, from Flying Scale Models) will almost certainly grow, but the guys cutting kits by hand are a dying breed.

Hydro Junkie

To take the last post a little further, builders in general are getting fewer in number almost daily. With all of the ARF planes and boats available, anyone can be flying/floating after a day or two of assembly.
One thing to consider is that IF you decide to make changes in mid-build, building from a precut kit will mean you have to buy the parts twice unless it's possible to modify the parts to make them work in the new configuration. I recently built a boat using a kit as templates, something you might consider as well. Have one of each part cut form 1/8" ply and use that as a pattern to cut out you parts going into the final project. My reasoning for this suggestion is you will be able to make virtually identical replacement parts easily as needed or build a completely new plane in half the time needed since you won't have to wait for a new kit. This would also mean a lower cost to build new planes as well as giving you, the builder, the ability to choose the materials you want to use in the construction of your new masterpiece

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Well, this latest project of mine is an all metal covered beast from WW2. The Kit that I received for my $475, has been absolutely pathetic.
Initial inventory had around 20 parts missing. 1/4th of the wing ribs! 3 fuselage formers. Many parts were cut terribly and as I get deeper into the build it gets worse. Many items are of the wrong thickness. I will have to cut those myself and I am finding over half of the sheet stock to heavy and stiff to use. I did get replacement parts, but one of them had a bad program for the laser and the replacement was as deformed as the original I wanted replaced. One thing is for sure, I wish I would have gone the short kit route. With this company, I would have been better off just cutting out the whole thing myself. I did not appreciate the unapologetic tone when I called either. Overall, a very bad experience....so here you go, it was PCK.

abufletcher

Sad to hear, but not surprising. I've read quite a few similar experiences on RCU. Was this a company/individual who claimed to have cut this kit before...or was this a case of sending someone a plan and having them make a one-off set of parts? Having a kit "cut" sounds like a simple thing, but when you really think about what's involved in turning a plan into a set of usable parts, it's really almost as much work as designing a kit.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Abu, these guys are the primary distributor for this design. Plus it was laser cut, so they already had it programmed. I do not think it is that tough really if they can scan the plans and remove the part file from that. Not only that, my kit was in stock. It arrived in a week and a half. My replacement parts took over a month. They sell enough of these to cut them in advance. Also, another modeler on RCU had mentioned how perfect his kit was. I think I may have a different opinion of what perfect means. I am pretty confident that his is not much better, as he has not started building his. There is a lot to be discovered when the parts start to relate to one another.
Also, I really think the only real difference between building a WW2 model and a WW1 model is that the WW 2 gets sheeted. The WW1 just gets covered over the open structure. Obviously there are other differences, but this is the primary one.
Unless like you Abu, comletely miniturizing the real aircraft!

abufletcher

That's really inexcusable! What you describe isn't just "cutting a kit" it's producing and selling a kit and if you had bought a kit from a "kit maker" and it was like this you'd be right in requesting your money back. That's the problem with this term "kit cutting." It can mean anything from some guy cutting parts by hand in his garage to a company producing (and stocking) laser cut kits from someone else's design.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

I am serious Abu, I have been doing this a long time and this "kit" is just like an old Sterling kit! The laser does not like thick wood. So all of my thick parts were very poorly cut. The smart thing to do here is make 2 parts out of thinner material and face glue them. Plus, all the parts, ribs, formers, etc. , were removed from the sheets before packaging, so nothing could protect them in shipping. Half of my parts were broken because of this. I had to puzzle them all together before I could even start. The funny thing is, I have duplicates of some parts, and others were/are just missing. Very poor inventory control.
I have accepted the fact that I got burned on this one, but I have learned my lesson. Interesting in I have contacted a brand new kit cutter that was mentioned in the AMA magazine. I have been discussing these issues with them and they understand fully and garuntee these issues would not exist with them. This is a business that will be expanding I believe with the disappearance of our typical kit manufacturers. Balsa USA right now is really the only one doing well, thankfully. I love their designs.

abufletcher

"Fool me once, shame on you..."

I hope you manage to somehow beat these parts into a nice looking model. What aircraft are you modeling?

abufletcher

But now you're talking about re-engineering model plans and that goes beyond "kit cutting." Also depending on the era of the original design, it just may not translate well into the world of laser-cut parts. Laser-cutting (and CNC milling, which can be every bit as good and without the burnt edges) is a great boon to the scale modeling hobby. But it's still a garbage-in, garbage-out situation both in terms of errors in the original plans (and almost every plan has at least a few) and errors in setting up the laser or milling files.

For the completely scale 1/32" ply ribs for my DrI (including each of the lightening holes and a scale cutout for the scale box spar), I sent a photoshop file and got back a perfect set of ribs. I don't think I'll ever cut another set of ribs ever!

joesigg

Had the same experience with this guy at PCK on a tripe kit. Many wrong parts, wrong woods, not following plans. Maybe enough people will be burned by him to put him out of business.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Yah, the plans are fine. I have been verifying them. I just wanted to mainly let people know so they do not get burned either.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Oh, Abu, it is a German TA 152 in 1/5th scale. 114" wing. The quality of my finished project will be fine. I just have to replace all the BS parts. That is the point of paying for the kit. I am perfectly capable of a full scratch build, but I wanted to save time. Kinda sucks when you pay the money, and then still have to remake the parts.

TomCrump

I built this Cessna 195 from a PCK kit. No problems were encountered.

I liked the kit so well, that I ordered a PCK kit for my Fairchild 24.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

A good rep is why I went with them. I only found a couple of minor complaints in here. This may be a "what have you done lately" Kind of thing. This kit which was ordered and received at the end of September was terrible. Maybe they just do not have the TA 152 figured out?

cwrr5

My Feedback: (32)

VG, Unfortunately, it's not as easy as scanning it in and cutting from that. Cutting a kit from a set of plans requires converting it from raster format (how it's scanned in) to a vector format that the laser or mill can use. There is software out there that will do the conversion, but I haven't seen anything yet thats worth anything (still looking!) It can take HOURS to translate and set the lines up for cutting, and lots of adjustment to get the parts to fit perfectly. You may as well just design the thing from scratch using CAD software, no conversion needed, and may possibly be faster anyway. The thickness and grade of the wood will affect each cut differently, have not figured out quite how to predict that just yet. Some cuts just don't work. (I cut kits as well part-time)

I'm not defending PCK in any way, just some observations based on my experience (so far) It's a whole lot of work for not much pay-off (IF done correctly). Too bad to hear about that one, they do have a good rep, and lots of kits/plans. Hope your project turns out well despite the parts.

tdstaf

My Feedback: (11)

When I design a plane its drawn in CAD and I send those files to the cutter to be sure all fits with the plans.. It is very difficult to scan and try to cut from plans I'm also in agreement with cwrr5 (basicly have to re draw it, and that takes alot of time..). My suggestion would be to see if that plane were drawn in CAD and that information was given to the cutters otherwise you will end up with parts miss match.

Tim

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

This is not a parts not matching the plans problem. In fact, I do not think I have any parts that are not to proper scale. I have one that is badly deformed from the laser program though. Even the replacement had the same distortion. It is a lack of quality in many aspects. Inventory, quality of material, wrong thicknesses of material. The plans are already in a DXF format. Not sure if that helped the programmer. I did not send my plans to him, this is a kit offered to plans that David Andersen released into public domain.

I am a professional woodworker and build kits all day long. Just not model airplanes. I meet specs, grade material, fill orders accurately, design and create tooling, and am under tremendous pressure with deadlines with short lead times. All I can say is if it is too much of a PIA, and not worth your time, then do not advertise that you can do it without doing it properly.

I have manufactured kits of my own design at one time as well, and no, I did not make any money. So I understand the business fully. I am just getting the word out, that I did not get my money's worth and am warning others.