Ben Buckle Kits

[Colin Buckle]

Don't spose I can interest you in a Bushwhacker kit then?   Maybe bill will have one ?

[Andrew Thomson]

Dear Adam ,

                   You say your new project is a DB kit . You should have no problems there . I recently built their Tiger Moth and what a joy ! My Father in law has built their Auster , lovely ! Given the model sizes , the kit quality and their completeness , they are really well priced too ! Great range of kits and plans. Customer service if you ring them is first class . Well worth supporting. We do not hear enough about them or their good quality - I hope it is because they are too busy.

                   It is a great shame when uk firms don't do a good job , aren't interested in solving the problems and overprice to boot ! 

[The real Ron Truth]

Not by a long shot Colin,

 You may not apprecaite this thread, but I am trying to encourage you to produce a better quality kit. I adore vintage models and cant stop building them. My first ever recollection of model aircraft was watching a free flight Scorpion float round the skies at Chobham Common, all cream with blue scallops. It inspired me then and still does now to build vintage. Sadly we have to compete now with a wave of artf models that are so damn cheap that building a model is considered a form of social lepresy.

 I hope to organise a vintage themed flying event at my local flying field in Beaulieu next year and would welcome as many vintage models as possible to fill the skies. Now that would be a sight!

Andrew, your not wrong about db. Lovely kits. I rang to advise about a few bits missing and they promptly sent replacements in the post... guarranteed custom from me. Ill post some pics of my 1/4 scale db pup in gallery section...

[Tom Ruut]

  I built a Simplex from a Buckle kit about 15 tears ago,it was a challenging experience and it flew like a dog!!

[Peter Miller]

Build from the plan. Copy the parts with a photocopier, transfer them to the wood by placing the copy face down over the wood and rubbing with solvent such as thinners or, even better, acetone. You have instant print wood. 

 Cut the parts out and you have an accurate kit, well, assuming that the plan is accurate.

Saves so much money too as most vintage models are 90 percent strip wood. Also opens up a vast range of models that are not kitted.

[Andrew Thomson]

Even better than Peters idea ( this avoids messy / smelly / dangerous chemicals ) - use your all in one scanner/fax/photocopier that most of us have on our pc's to copy the parts from the plan . Cut them out individually and place on copier to produce the minimum number of A4 sheets for all the parts . Then take a trip to Staples or similar and get yourself some A4 size full sheet removeable laser labels by Avery (pack of 25 sheets) Avery ref L4735REV - around £8-9.00. Now copy your "refined" parts sheets direct onto the labels , cut out , peel the backing off and stick onto your balsa . The "sticky" level is just right for the job.

Using this method you have a master set of parts templates to file with the plan that you can reproduce ready to stick on the wood in short order . Ideal for repairs or for group building .

[Peter Miller]

Just remember to get the grain direction right but that applies to any method.

[Aslan]

Just had a quick browse through this thread.Fancied a winter project.Is this guy Colin Buckle for real?People making complaints about his product and he makes a joke of the whole thing.A bit of a smart arse if ye ask me.Would love to tell ye which one of my lists you're on my friend.Disgraceful......and why was nothing  done about the blatant way he used thread to advertise???????

[David Ashby - Moderator]

I saw that Aslan but as it was old news assumed everyone would see it for what it was and draw their own conclusions.

David.

[Doug Ireland]

Never heard of this Buckle fella before today, I think I'll just a quickly forget him again!

A few years ago I built a Great Planes Easy Sport 40 for a friend who is all thumbs when it comes to using hand tools. I was so pleased with the completeness of the kit and how well it flew that I had to buy one for myself!

[Andrew Thomson]

What Peter says about getting the grain direction right is spot on . There are usually clues on the plan or it is a standard direction.

Re A4 template sets - I have a set for the Blo**dy Mary that I did for my father in law if anyone would like a set e-mailing ? Watch out on the plan - it needs an experienced builder to sort out the errors and unexplained difficulties !

[colin borthwick]

I built a Ben Buckle "Red Zephyr" a couple of years ago, and had quite a lot of bother with it.........missing balsa,wrongly cut parts,etc etc, but I thought I had just been unlucky, with a Monday morning kit. However it put me off ever getting another Ben Buckle kit. After reading Colin Buckle's response to forum complaints I'm absolutly flabbergasted at the audacity of the guy. I dont know the mans history but its quite obvious to me that he is not the person who built the company up originally.It's also obvious to me that if he is the guy presently in charge, then that company is heading for a fall.The man is a fool to respond like that.  Goodbye  BEN BUCKLE.

[Peter Miller]

The last BB kit I built, or rather attempted to build, was a Quaker Flash about 25 years ago. The strip wood was like Elderberry pith. (No I am not lisping) I gave up.

I did build a Super Scorpion and that was sensational. Did I say I built it from the plan, not the kit?

[Aslan]

Wasn't getting at anyone in paticular David,the guy just peeved me off big time.The saddest part is,and I'm just guessing here,the company was probably started of by his father and now HE's gonna run it into the ground with his foolishness and ignorance.

[The real Ron Truth]

Steady on guys this is not a personal attack on Colin but his business and customer service. Keep this thread decent......

 Ive now recut all the crap bits and got on with building the great news.

Colin, I too built a red zephyr and learnt the hard way about these kits. Appaling cutting , nothing matched the plan. The wing has eliptical tips and they took 3 goes to make as the ribs provided were short in length....I again, recut the lot.

The end result is the best flying model I have ever owned!!!I think the trick is that if you want a square design with no curves, buckle kits will be OK given that any 'amendments' are not too difficult. I would however steer well clear of any eliptical wing, curved fuselage design.

 Im going to build from plans from now on. Between about 10 vintage builders we have the plans for nearly all bb models worth building. We get a retired cad designner to scan and redo the plans and build from there.

[Colin Buckle]

Good morning all !

First off I was up early this morning doing some more work on my Bushwhacker and have added some more piccys to my Bushwhacker build album.

Secondly, and in reply to some of the points raised on this thread I will just take a few moments to becoming some rather too personal attacks on both myself and my late father. In order:

1 Ben Buckle kits has never made a kit of the Simplex. We publish two plan versions, the Mike Whittard redraw and the new Electric version, also by Mike.

2 As for myself having 'nothing to do' with the development of Ben Buckle kits this is complete and utter rubbish. Ben Buckle (my dad) began redrawing and publishing vintage plans way back in the mid to late seventies. He and my mum had a good few years taking the 'Ben Buckle Old Time Plans Service' around many of the old show venues but it wasn't until about 1981 or 2 that we began making kits. As it happened in 1982 there was a very heavy snowfall which left me unable to get to my job and I began to help dad make the early kits. The very first kit we made was a Junior 60 kit which was actually made for Dudley Patterson's (he of Flair products fame) brother Clive. Being able to stay home and work in the relative warmth and dryness of our long garage at home was much more appealing than lugging concrete blocks around a muddy field and I settled into helping dad with both the kits and other work he had as a contract draughtsman. I still have very fond memories of those early days starting out with dad and doing the shows with he and mum and various modellers that would come to the shows and fly for us and help out generally.

3 Quite why then I would choose to ever run my business (as it now is) 'into the ground' is a complete mystery and also quite untrue. Dad died suddenly in 1987 and I found myself having to run the whole show as well as look after my mum and my sister and all his mates who were very upset by his untimely passing. 20 years later I am still making kits and enjoying both building and flying and I still enjoy doing the shows and meeting modellers. I have absolutely no intention of running my business 'into the ground'

I think it is fair to say that the above 3 points illustrate quite well why I much prefer people to contact me by phone. With a phone call it is far easier to sort things out and get to the nub of the matter. Having answered questions quickly we can then get back to building or flying or tiling the bathroom !

In the meantime I am getting on with the Bushwhacker and hope to get some more piccys in the album today. I am a bit puzzled with the album tho' because the piccys don't end up in quite the right order. Is there a way of editing them I wonder?

Cheers for now  !  Colin Buckle  

[The real Ron Truth]

Colin,

 I never intended this thread to become personal and Im sorry some have decided to do that. I do not wish to associate myself with any of those comments. Lets keep things professional and courteous folks. No other forums allow baseless degrading of people, especially  when hiding behind some kind of fake forum name.

Im a little concerned why you wish me to call you. What cant you say here that you want to say on the phone? Its fair to say you have lost a few customers as the result of this thread and this isnt helping.

[Colin Buckle]

Hello again adam 

This seems to be turning into a fine example which illustrates clearly why I prefer people to contact me directly by phone or in person either with a visit to my home or at one of the shows etc.

There are a further 2 untruths/mistakes call them what you will in your last message.

Firstly I am quite happy and much prefer to talk to people by phone as it is quicker and more effective than batting messages or emails across the ether. When I say this I do not mean to single out anyone in particular, sorry if this is how it comes across.

Secondly to quote your last message verbatim "It's fair to say you have lost a few customers as a result of this thread and this isnt helping."

As you have no access to our sales records please can you explain how you have arrived to this assumption?

The truth of the matter is that Clare and I will be busy all day tommorrow packing up parcels and orders as orders from our website, Ebay and phone orders have been coming in well over this week end. As soon as I have finished helping Clare with the (usual) monday rush I shall be back on kit production as we are low on stock on one or two lines. And when I am not doing kit production I will be doing bits to my Bushwhacker. And when I am not doing any of the above I will either be having my tea or be asleep.

Cheers for now!   Colin Buckle 

[Aslan]

"No other forums allow baseless degrading of people, especially  when hiding behind some kind of fake forum name".Absolute rubbish.It was an attack on the way a complaint was dealt with by a member of the company producing the product.The chap is probably the nicest person in the world,doesn't matter,Colin was wrong to answer in such a way.......... on a thread.......And annoyed some people.Colin,your defence is  so so sad,nobody made a personal attack on your late father at all.Why are you saying this?Your posts leave me speechless.

[The real Ron Truth]

Colin,

'As you have no access to our sales records please can you explain how you have arrived to this assumption?'

 A link to his thread has been posted on other r/c website, all with people responding to the events and adding comments. I think it very unlikely that you will not have lost existing custom as a result or missed an opportunity to gain new customers. Me included sadly.

 OK it wont cause you to collapse but it will undoubtably influence peoples mind as to whether to buy a kit. Im a bit suprised you dont think this is important. Several contributors to this thread experienced similar faults with there kits.I also spoke last night to several vintage stalwart friends who found it all amusing and said it was nothing new. They all admitted they stopped buying the kits years ago for the same reasons as mine.

 Remember these threads are read by tens of thousands but few actually contribute to them. Dont assume its a few folk chatting on the net.

 I always seek comments in writing so to give me a record of events. Phone calls are alright in some circumstances, just not all.

 I raised this thread as you have ignore my email and letter asking for help. It was nice of you to join the thread but you use the opportunity to sell more kits and promote the bushwacker. All you had to say was " Thanks for the feedback, Ill look at the kits and check things are correct and proper". Instead  you have come accross ( in my opinion)  as being dismissive of customer complaints which I am sure you are not...

Im going to ask the editor to close this thread as its served its purpose ( of sorts) and want to avoid it becoming personal.

[Aslan]

Yep......second that Adam......close the thread.A lesson has been learned all around.We as consumers can decide ourselves to buy,or not to buy the product,and Colin will be a little more careful with his words when dealing with existing and future customers on an open thread.

[colin borthwick]

I do apologise to Colin Buckle for my over reaction to his forum words,it does seem like a personal attack on him I'm sure. But it still gets my dander up when I re-read his responses to what would seem to be genuine customer complaints. Aslan, Adam, I agree that its time to close this thread.

[Colin Buckle]

Hello all !  Old Col' here once again!   Yes I do agree this thread seems to have run it's course and if it is to be snipped I would just like to say a few things:

1 Any comments I have made on here were not meant to be offensive and if they were or were seen to be or taken out of context or whatever then I do apologise.

2 The various things I have said about regarding good old Ben Buckle kits were said in response to one or two things on here that were, shall we say 'not actually quite right'

3 As regards problems with kits and any parts etc I do take on board what people have built them say about them and I do whenever possible make improvements or changes. Time is always our oldest enemy though so some mods do take a while to get done.

4 I think it's fair to say that comments made on threads of many types of forums can be misconstrued and it is easy to get in a tangle and I agree with Adam about keeping it light hearted and polite.

Cheers for now !   Colin Buckle  

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Thanks all and handled very well, My thread lock is faulty at the moment but further posts will be deleted...

[Kelly]

Hi Colin

Your Bushwacker build is bringing back lots of memories,might solve the picture problem by posting in the forum 'Build Blog' section.

Regards

Kelvin