Reviewed by Martin J Quinn
May 2024
Tom’s Modelworks continues to expand their range of 3D printed accessories.  Among the new items is an upgrade set for the 1/350 Minicraft model of the ill-fated liner RMS Titanic, which some of you might have heard of previously.  There may have been a few books written about her cruise to nowhere, and maybe even a movie or two released, but I can't be sure. 

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1/350 TITANIC BOATS & DAVIT SET WITH DEPLOYED CUTTERS
This 3D printed set - which is designed for the Minicraft kit (isn't it time we had a new tooled Titanic?) - comes with lifeboats, cutters, collapsible boats, davits and pulleys. 

Included with the set are:

     
  • 2 uncovered, 25 foot Cutters
  • 4 covered collapsible boats with chocks
  • 14 covered, 30 foot lifeboats with accurate chocks
  • 20 Davits.  Included are both single and double "arm" davits, with the forward most pair swung out for the cutters
  • 36 suspension blocks/pulleys
  • 8 oars (4 for each cutter)
The Lifeboats are "clinker built" and have hand ropes included along each side.  The clinker planking and hand rope details on these really pops.  The 30' boats are printed with the chocks only on the inboard side of the boat, as it was on the real thing.  Be careful when putting the boats onto your model so that you are placing them in the correct location. 

The davits are very well done.  The most difficult thing about using these davits - other than getting them off the print rafts - will be filling the seams in the deck of the Minicraft kit, as the model portrays the davits as one large piece, that fits into a slot in the deck. 

What really stands out to me are the pulleys - the printing on them is first rate. 


INSTRUCTIONS
The instructions are excellent, and look easy to follow. 
CONCLUSIONS
As with the 700th scale set that was previously reviewed here, this 3D printed set of boats & davits for the 1/350 Titanic is very well done.  The printed davits are particularly well done, and the boats also have nice details on them - I really like the planking and rope detail - while the pulleys are really impressive.  This set of boats and davits, along with 3D printed Titanic parts already available from Model Monkey, will really dress up that old Minicraft 1/350 kit.  Tom's Modelworks also offers similar sets in 1/700, 1/400 and 1/200.  The smaller set gives you both stowed and deployed cutters.  The larger sets give you get either stowed or deployed davits.

This is Tom's Modelworks set 350-1 Titanic Boat and Davit Set with deployed Cutters.  The set lists for $55.00 USD, and is available directly from Tom's website.  Thanks to Tom's Modelworks for this review sample, which is highly recommended!


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