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Craftsman detailing kits


Mr chapman
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  • RMweb Gold

It's now approaching two years since the business was acquired which, in spite of the difficulties, would normally seem sufficient to have developed some form of action plan for sorting the problems. Lack of acumen in sorting the problems could make continuing in future difficult.

 

The lack of action on the Web site is puzzling as there was obviously access at one time in order to change phone and email details but, since then, nothing. It cannot be that difficult surely to find someone to assist in changing the Web site and put some sort of explanation on it. The fact that people can still place orders but get nothing (including responses) just continues to damage confidence if the intent is to resurrect the business.

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Web sites do seem to be a dark art to some; completely unrelated but I questioned a bus operator as to why their web site referred to towns they no longer served and why the timetables list was completely muddled. They made some crazy remark that their web hosting service would not let them change it whilst so changing it to no longer refer to the non served towns. Timetable list still all over the place (geographically as well as numerically) and it is a simple HTML coding, no fancy script.

Edited by Butler Henderson
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  • 1 month later...
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A small update...

 

Ordered a few detailing kits via the website back in august, nothing ever delivered and no response via phone or email, so in the end I had to get paypal to refund the money. Refund received last week.

 

So it seems the situation remains unchanged.

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I do an occassional check to see if anything new is happening but could not get on the Craftsman Models web page today. Not sure when it became unavailable but it looks like the site may have finally been removed. Not before time.

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I do an occassional check to see if anything new is happening but could not get on the Craftsman Models web page today. Not sure when it became unavailable but it looks like the site may have finally been removed. Not before time.

The rest of the world has long forgotten the website address.  And Google throws up nothing.  Gone and forgotten.

 

There were some good kits but maybe the market had moved away from superdetailing to buing RTR with decent detail in the first place.

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The rest of the world has long forgotten the website address.  And Google throws up nothing.  Gone and forgotten.

 

 

Unfortunately not quite true as people were still trying to place orders (which the site appeared to accept) until quite recently. At least that time wasting exercise is now blocked.

 

A great shame to lose the product but at least out of it's misery now.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 1 month later...

I just came upon a shop/website that lists quite a lot of the Craftsman kits. I haven't ordered, but if their stock list is up to date, they might be worth trying.

http://www.normanwisenden.co.uk/sitemap.asp - has all their stock in huge list, but if you word search Craftsman there are quite a few of the detailing parts and some of conversion kits listed.

I am just working on a Class 129 DMU detailing kit, but with lots of other parts added(Comet, DC Kits, Replica Railways). Still a nice kit, one of two I bought from Ebay a little while ago.

Jamie

Edited by Jamiel
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Interesting but I would call them and check what they really have in stock, if anything.

 

They may possibly have some stock left from a long time back. If they have got it and you want it, then buy it but I don't think there will be any more available once that's gone.

 

Edit: The site says items are in stock but I would recommend you confirm that by phone.

Edited by highpeakman
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Thanks Highpeakman.

I fully agree, good advice. I have been excited by a find before only to find that a small company don't have the resources to update their website as much as larger providers. I should have put my 'if their stock list is up to date' in bold.

I do miss their DMU detailing kit as well, which is what I was looking for, when I found the website, but they don't list those.

Jamie

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If anybody wants a midland Gloucester parcels car conversion kit let me know. I realise it is, post Heljan,  of no use to anybody now. That is why I never used it, but it is here non the less.

                      Chris.

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The rest of the world has long forgotten the website address.  And Google throws up nothing.  Gone and forgotten.

 

There were some good kits but maybe the market had moved away from superdetailing to buing RTR with decent detail in the first place.

I can assure you the market hasn't moved away from superdetwiling. As usual, a sad case of new company owner not making the effort and letting things go to pot.

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If at any point someone has a Class 104 conversion kit, id want one, Ebay always seems to fetch silly prices, last one on there went for nearly £20!

 

NL

 

me to. or if someone could cast the cab roof bit.

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me to. or if someone could cast the cab roof bit.

Not gloating but I started work on one last night. Glued the etched front on. Looks as though it could be as easy to form the roof with filler. Careful work on the windows could deliver a 104 without the etches as well?

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I just came upon a shop/website that lists quite a lot of the Craftsman kits. I haven't ordered, but if their stock list is up to date, they might be worth trying.

 

http://www.normanwisenden.co.uk/sitemap.asp - has all their stock in huge list, but if you word search Craftsman there are quite a few of the detailing parts and some of conversion kits listed.

 

I am just working on a Class 129 DMU detailing kit, but with lots of other parts added(Comet, DC Kits, Replica Railways). Still a nice kit, one of two I bought from Ebay a little while ago.

 

Jamie

 

I am pleased to say that, having just spoken to the proprietor of Norman Wisendens, ALL ITEMS listed in the Craftsman section, together with all other items listed in the extensive stocklist; (including many that I've not seen available for a good many years); ARE IN STOCK AND AVAILABLE TO ORDER - (with the possible exception of four items that I just ordered).

 

Happy hunting !!!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

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Thanks for confirming that John, that is great news.

I have had both positive and negative experiences when trawling the web for odd kits and components. I don't hold it against small sellers not having time and resources to constantly update their website stock lists, doing it yourself is time consuming (I know how out of date my own website for film work and collecting music is), and if you don't know web authoring then it is costly to pay someone to do it. Obviously big suppliers have everything automated, but setting up a website like that is very expensive.

Occasionally I come across odd shops that don't have a website at shows (model rail and otherwise), and the stock they have is often full of little gems.

I hope you enjoy the kits you have ordered.

Jamie

PS. I'm still working through the 20 plus sets of Presflo transfers I ordered from you a coupe of years ago. I realised each wagon has around 26 separate tiny transfers, mainly due to them being set into the boxed off sides of the hopper, on over 20 wagons that is a lot of fiddly work.

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