"Best 1/3000 scale manufacturer?" Topic

I'm mulling over getting back into this. When last I did 1/3000 I bought Navwar stuff but they were quite erratic. I was sent two completely different models in separate orders for Queen Elizabeth battleships, and a lot had very pronounced impossible to correct errors. What are they like now?

The Rolls-Royce in this general area of scale appears to be GHQ but their website is a pain and I don't know if I can justify paying the prices.

I have both Navwar and War Times Journal. I like navwar as gaming pieces because they are rugged and easy to paint. The WTJ have some insane detail with their 3D printing. The problem with all of that detail is that you have to paint it to make it look good. Because of how fine the details are it can be difficult to find places to drill holes and insert masts. I guess it depends on what you want.

I made an online database of naval miniatures suppliers which might help: link

Your main choices for WWI 1/3000 naval miniatures are Navwar, WTJ, and Davco (now sold by Navy Models and Books).

GHQ is not one of your options. All GHQ 20th C. naval miniatures are in 1/2400; they don't make anything at all in 1/3000 scale. If you're considering 1/2400 scale, you have a lot of manufacturers to choose from (look through the database).

I've never had a wrong item in a Navwar package, but I always stipulate "no substituions" on my order forms. (I don't understand why anyone collecting military miniatures would accept a substitution in the first place, but for some reason that's a thing Navwar suggests it will do, right on the order form. <shrug>). My experience with Navwar has been quite the opposite – except for an ordering system stuck in 1995, Navwar has the best customer service I've ever encountered from a miniatures manufacturer. Even better: Navwar appears to make a 1/3000 model of literally every warship launched from 1890 to 1945 (and some others besides), which is not a feat repeatable in any other scale.

All that said, I don't like the Navwar miniatures very much. There are some Navwar ranges I've bought in droves, but usually because there were no other options or the price:value ratio was unbeatable. This year I started dumping my huge 1/3000 pre-dreadnought collection because I can get much better models in the scale I really want (1/2400), but I have actually been shopping the 1/1200 ancient galleys because they look good enough when painted and make great wargaming pieces. YMMV.

I love the War Times Journal models, but I am starting to dislike 3D printed plastics, and that's all WTJ has anymore.

- Ix

Yellow Admiral,

What is wrong with 3D printed plastic? I have a ton of WTJ metal but they have many more models I am interested in. Have never bought their printed items. I may be stuck with continuing with WTJ as a result.

Al

I'm not sure there's anything "wrong" with it, I just have some personal issues with it. The 3D print tech is advancing quickly, so I expect to change my mind about it over time.

Some issues I have so far:

• The plastic good for details is a bit brittle, the plastic that's robust is grainy and bad for details. The plastic used by WTJ seems to be superior to others in the arena of small scale ships (yet more kudos to WTJ!), but WTJ isn't the only source, and will still crack and break from excessive angular force instead of bending like lead.
  
• Cleaning off the wax is a bit tricky. Physical washing can't get in the minute crannies, chemicals easily damage the plastic and are probably unhealthy. It's possible to clean them nicely, it's just extra work, and a frustrating process.
  
• The printing process leaves ripples across what should be smooth surfaces. I expect this to get fixed over time, but it's still a problem, and is most apparent (and hardest to hide) in the smaller scales.
  
• The plastic is too light. I've started filling my WTJ ships with lead dust (solidified with superglue and overcoated with putty) to give them some weight so fleets aren't disordered by a sneeze during battle.
  
• The plastic tends to warp, especially ships with a high legnth:beam ratio (BCs, DDs, etc.). My HMS Queen Mary literally has her back up.
  
• The delicate gunbarrels and upperworks are a bit fragile. This is not unique to plastic (GHQ military masts and C-in-C gunbarrels are notorious), but it is something to be mindful of.
  
• Plastic can be damaged by heat, UV, chemical pollutants, and possibly cold. My lead and pewter ships will still be playable in a couple centuries, but I'm not sure the plastic ones will even last as long as I do.
  

Some of these problems are obviated by basing the ships (weight, warping), but I don't base my 1/2400 ships, and I don't want to have to start.

I also have a few of these problems with Panzerschiffe models (especially warping, weight, chemical and heat damage), but that never seemed such a big deal because I always tried to get lead ships from better manufacturers first. WTJ makes nice looking stuff, so it's much harder to justify paying GHQ double or triple for the same thing (often with worse proportions).

- Ix

I've had funnels break off easily with the 3D prints.

Navwar has a huge range and superb customer service. Personally I like the models, although they are slightly cartoon-y, some are better than others and I've noticed a few rather tired moulds recently. Overall I prefer them to Davco for quality; some individual Davco models are better, but I picked up a bunch when the range was being sold and some of them have terrible amounts of excess metal. And Navwar is generally cheaper.

I'm thinking of getting some WWI Jutland or Dogger Bank models just to move around on a table on my own.
Any suggestions on a good scale and manufacturer.
I would prefer metal and a manufacturer with a good range.

I can't believe how outdated many of the warship manufacturers websites look.
One has not been updated since 2006 and one does not have an email adress, and they even say that they don't.
Don't they want any business from outside of their local city?

Do you mean Navwar? I refer to my previous answer!

"Do you mean Navwar? I refer to my previous answer!"

Yes it seems that the owner is getting on a bit and probably does not want to spend any money improving their website.
I am here in new Zealand and they want me to fax them an order.
Who has a fax machine or a landline even, these days.

@Yellow Admiral
I just checked out you database of warship manufacturers.
It was very helpful.

I found that list really useful too YA. I pasted it into Excel and applied filters, etc…so thank you much…

I just received about 10 Navwar WW1I models and 10 Davco WWI models.
I am too inexperienced in this field to tell which is the best.
My plan is to paint them up and see which looks the best.