My next model will be Betexas St. Vitus Cathedral. The scale is rather small (1/350) but the number of parts (439) is commendable. Perhaps not so good is the colour difference between similar parts on different pages. Anyway, for my first Betexa kit, I think the choice was good. Lets start with a lo-resolution (for obvious reasons) picture of the kit.
St. Vitus Cathedral. 1/350. Betexa
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Hi Ricardo,
It will be most interesting to follow your observations since this is your first Betexa. You're right. The colour change will be quite noticeable in areas.
The 'top down' approach to the construction will be quite different for you if you choose to build the cathedral in that manner.
It's a beautiful building. Good challenge in good hands.
Cheers...John
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The kit has the option to leave the walls flat or to use recessed windows. In this last case, some care is needed when cutting the holes because they are not always properly marked on the walls
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In the first picture, you can see a good example of what I said before. Can you spot the cut line in the large window? Me either! This is not a problem and Betexa's choice is understandable. It is just a warning sign
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Lovely work Ricardo. You will be very glad that you took the time to get all those folds fitting just right. (You always do!) The minor adjustments you made to the inside corners will really pay off when the 'upper storey' mates with the 'first floor' later.
Cheers...John -
@ John - I'm wondering if the first floor walls have exactly the same shape as the roof. Apparently, the walls are a couple of millimetres inside. That would make things much easier...
The tower is a nice piece of architecture and very fun to build
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Yes, Ricardo, there will be an overhang above all the buttresses below (quite a bit in some areas). But because you have taken such care with the balustrades, this overhang will be equidistant.
Wasn't that tower a delight? I knew you would love it.
Cheers...John
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Hi Ricardo,
excellent build !!
Why you have to start with the surroundings and not with the wall parts?
greetings from Vienna, Herbert
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Hi Herbert,
The surroundings have tabs that are to be glued below the roof of the first floor. They will be partially hidden by the walls top tabs. I guess there is no choice here. And no problem, either
Well, moving up to the buttresses... -
Hi Ricardo,
QuoteI guess there is no choice here. And no problem, either
Sometimes this not the same issue
In this case it was not a warning from my side.
I never ever build this model.
I just looks a little bit strange to start with the surroundings.
cheers, Herbert
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@ John - you're right, the tower was a joy to build
There is something strange, there: one of the four pinnacles has a smaller base than the other three. However, the base emplacements have the same size! You can spot the faulty one on the picture. I managed to centre the pinnacle on the base and the extra line looks almost part of the scenery Did you experience the same problem?
@ Micro - the detail you mentioned is one of the kit's amusing oddities. The main one being the top-down construction sequence
The frontal towers are made of several floors, with add-ons on each one. As usual, I made some card templates to shape the walls before gluing. They are very helpful on the octagonal sections. -
Hi Ricardo,
Yes, the black octagonal line reveals itself all around only one of the four pinnacles. Odd.
Odder still is the peculiar colour rendering of the buttresses. Mossy green and muddy brown contrasting yellow lower regions. A Betexa quirk I think Ricardo...
Beautiful job done with those tricky buttresses!
Cheers...John
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Hello Ricardo,
very nice!
I have started this model too, already a few month ago with low capacity.
Now I learn from your report, that I have made already a lot of mistakes and that I should to overthink a new start. The problem is, the kit is not available in the moment, so I will try some rescue operations.Your report is a great help!
Hans-Jürgen
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Good morning Ricardo,
Despite the dramatic colour shifts, this model is one of Betexa's best. You did a marvellous job of keeping those buttresses from twisting. The little rectangular openings in their centers adds a little twist to their construction. (no pun intended...)
Beautiful build.
John
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@ Hans - I am very glad that you find my report useful
Betexa sometimes reissues kits and I'm sure this will be one of them. However, if you feel that rescue operations can work, go ahead! Don't forget that I seldom follow the instructions and proposed construction sequence. That's to say that there are usually many paths to reach the same point @ I agree with you John, this model is really worthwhile. Betexa's design of the buttresses is ambitious and very rightly so
I'm sure you'll like today's pictures - they show one of our favourite tricks: card templates. They are definitely very useful here! -
Hallo Ricleite, ich kannmich leider nicht Englisch ausdrücken, aber ich möchte Dir sagen dass es mich freut dieses wunderschöne Modell bei Dir zu sehen. Der Bogen ist sehr detailliert und Du baust es hervorragend sauber. =)
Werde ein treuer Zuschauer sein, didl -
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The cathedral is complete
Let's go to the pictures... -
And a top view, to finish with. This kit was a very pleasant surprise.
The only drawback (not serious) is the colour variation from sheet to sheet. It is very noticeable on the buttresses.
On all other counts, I'd put a :super: Including the kit's cost! Worthwhile indeed -
Congratulations Ricardo.
A beautiful model to add to the collection.Cheers...John
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Hello Ricardo,
a beautiful model, but also shown with perfekt photographs.
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Absolutely beautiful =D> =D> Borsig?????
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Hi Ricleite, Topp - Super - Perfect - Congratulations, :super: didl
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Hi Ricleite,
A beautiful model perfectly built.
I followed your report carefully because I'm currently test-building
another gothic church. When the kit is released I'll post a building report
of that. Might perhaps be of interest not only for you. -
Hello Ricardo,
great work! And fast!I like this cathedral. I've visited it several times, the interior and the big coloured windows are very impressive.
I've compared my kit with your pictures. In my kit I have also found colour variations, but on other places than yours, and may be (hopefully!) not so significant. Instead of this my kit has considerable shifts between the line drawing and the colouring.
Nevertheless, I nice model with an unbeatable price. I'll continue with my model when I will finish the Sagrada Familia.
Cheers
Hans-Jürgen
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Thank you all for the comments
@ Royaloakmin - well, not yet :rotwerd: It might be the following one. The next is another plane and I think that it will be a good one
@ Thomas - that's very exciting news =) I guess you can't go into details but gothic cathedral models are so few. I'll be eargerly wainting
@ Hans-J. Förster - that is surprising! I guess Betexa has reissued the kit several times and there are variations there as well. Not serious, as I said before... -
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