AG Smith/Usborne castle models

**rockpaperscissor** · #1 06-24-2014, 03:45 PM

Was wondering if anyone is familiar with, or better yet has built any of the castle models by either A.G. Smith or Usborne Publishing (Medieval Castle, Wizard's Castle, Crusader Castle, Caernarvon Castle). They can be bought for next to nothing on Amazon or ABE books, but I don't know much about them: Are they die cut, or do it yourself? How are the graphics? Cartoony or realistic finished product? Just trying to get some of your impressions before I decide whether or not to purchase. After all, "next to nothing" is still something.

**SCEtoAUX** · #2 06-24-2014, 04:29 PM

I have A.G Smith's Caernarvon and Crusader castle (Krak des Chevaliers in Syria) books. They have been sitting in the to-do pile for years.

They are not cartoony. The graphics are OK. Printed on 9.25" x 12.25" glossy stock that is around 0.20mm thick. The crenelations are blackened which gives you the choice of leaving them like that or cutting them out. The castle grounds are spit between pages so you have to join them. The stairs for the Crusader castle are flat ramps with stair graphics printed on them.

**rockpaperscissor** · #3 06-25-2014, 05:35 AM

Thanks for the info, Doug. I may order a few of them. They can be purchased for just a few bucks each, so it's very tempting. Maybe I'll treat myself.

**cjwalas** · #4 06-25-2014, 07:05 AM

I've built the Crusader (Krak des Chevaliers), Caernarvon and Wizard's castles. I enjoyed the builds, the fit was very good and being printed on heavier stock, the models were quite sturdy. While not the most detailed, I think the finished models look quite good.
Chris

**Seascape** · #5 06-25-2014, 07:07 AM

Don,

I also have the Crusader Castle as well as the medieval port, city, village, cathedral and castle. Plan to put the last 5 all together one day. Don't like the glossy look so will copy on my regular 65 lb white cover stock I use for most projects. The artwork looks good and like all the extras that come with the models (people, carts etc.)

Fred

**rockpaperscissor** · #6 06-25-2014, 07:11 AM

Thanks for the further input, Chris and Fred. I'm not crazy about the glossy paper for this subject, either (who ever heard of a shiny castle). Perhaps I could treat the pages with a few light coats of Krylon flat clear before building. I'm becoming more encouraged to buy the models.

**Wyvern** · #7 06-25-2014, 07:33 AM

I have a number of them (Wizard's Castle, Lost Temple, Egyptian Temple, Roman Fort, Roman Villa from Usborne, a number of others designed by A.G. Smith and Edmund Gillion published by Dover). I like the graphic quality except that fold lines are printed on the main graphic as dashed lines and don't always "blend" into the background graphic very well. The stock used for the model pages is thick and has to be worked with carefully to get clean, crisp folds. I recommend scoring on the reverse of the fold and relying on a good straight edge to get a good hard fold that doesn't crack the printed surface of the cardstock.

They are affordable, well-designed models. The Dover models designed by Edmund Gillion (an architectural historian) are especially fine in terms of printed detail and authenticity to the subject.

**rockpaperscissor** · #8 06-26-2014, 07:37 AM

I just placed my order with ABE Books: Wizards Castle, Crusader Castle, Caernarvon Castle, and Castles of Scotland (...) which includes models of Duone and Caelervock castles. Thanks again to everyone for their input. I'll review the model books when they arrive in case anyone else might want to purchase.

**Wyvern** · #9 06-26-2014, 08:05 AM

Enjoy your castles! The Wizard's Castle (Usbourne) is a fun one with it's hidden features and revealing sections. Whoever designed it (Iian Ashman, I think) obviously had fun doing so.

Wyvern

**SCEtoAUX** · #10 06-26-2014, 08:15 AM

If that Castles of Scotland book is the one published by Bellerophon Books you might be a bit dissapointed.

I have that Bellerophon book with the Duone and Caerlaverock castles. The castles are printed black and white on plain paper not much thicker than 24 lb bond. Many of the parts are spread across two pages so there is a fold across the graphics and some staple holes in them. Kind of irritating.