Hello and Mastercaster question ....

[xtal_01]

Hello everyone!

I am 62 (born and raised in Canada ... 1962 ... now living in VT) and after a 40 break from building models, want to start back in.

I am a machinist by trade.  My wife is paralyzed from the shoulders down as the result of a diving accident when she was 12.  I work out of the house ... a kind of Mr Fix It.  I do a bit of this and a bit of that ... build electrical control panels ... fix tractors .... what ever pays the bills.  Plus I like to "play" ... I rebuilt a Jukebox a few years back (still have my old tube tester) ... build crystal radios ... rebuild phones ... rebuild an old Victrola (got it for free or it was going to the dump).

For the past couple years I have been pretending to be a carpenter, building a new workshop (4500 sq ft ... put every nail in by my self) ...

You can see some of my projects on my facebook pages:  Facebook - Michael Csele   Facebook - Vermont Country Workshop

Anyway, I have been collecting models for the past few years ... and have my eyes on a few more.  As soon as this shop is done, I plan to get back into the hobby.

One model that always interested me (as I was from Canada) was the Avro Arrow.  A few years back, I finally found one ... un-opened from the 1987 release.

When I did some research, I found there where 3 detail kits available for this model from Mastcasters.

I searched and searched ... I guessed they went out of business but could not find a trace of them.  And they found a post from April 1, 2023 on this forum (that is what brought me here) saying the owner (Jay Laverty) as going to jail for 5 years!

Does anyone know if someone picked up his molds or old inventory or continued the business or ????

I have also been trying to find an internal detail kit for a Revell Gemini Capsule (1/24) from LVM Studios ... seems they have gone out of business.  I found the external kit and the decals but not the photo etched interior parts.

I have my eyes on a few more "large" kits ... I sure I will have many many questions as I go along.

Thanks!  Mike

 

[mark31]

Welcome to the forums.

Mark

[ScottsGT]

Mike, welcome to the forums.  I did a search over on Scalemates and came up with this info on the Avro. 
https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION[]=All&q=Avro+Arrow*

It looks like there is another set of AM parts for this kit as well.  But I have not heard of anyone picking up the product line.  Also looks like even before he got himself into trouble he was not honoring orders placed, but putting items up on eBay and fetching higher prices.   I did see some vendors with MasterCaster inventory, but not what you are looking for. 
 

I also did a quick search on the LVM stuff.  Looks like a lot of people are still looking for these sets. Good luck!  
 

I’ve said it many time before, and since you’re new here, I’ll say it again.  If you see any AM you think you might want, buy it now. Not when you decide to build the model.  Aftermarket industry comes and goes very quickly within the timeline of the hobby.  
 I’ve seen quite a few come and go over the years due to various reasons.  Cutting Edge, Fisher Model and Pattern, DMold, AMS (now continued by B&B resin) Zotz went away for a while due to health but is back now, Chris at Zacto Models had to throw in the towel due to health issues. Almost forgot about G-Factor brass landing gear too.  Even Eduard will make a run of products to only be out of production and no longer available once sold out.    
Stock up now if you think you may want to build it one day. If you change your mind later, you can probably double your money! 

[xtal_01]

1 hour ago, ScottsGT said:

Mike, welcome to the forums.  I did a search over on Scalemates and came up with this info on the Avro. 
https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION[]=All&q=Avro+Arrow*

It looks like there is another set of AM parts for this kit as well.  But I have not heard of anyone picking up the product line.  Also looks like even before he got himself into trouble he was not honoring orders placed, but putting items up on eBay and fetching higher prices.   I did see some vendors with MasterCaster inventory, but not what you are looking for. 
 

I also did a quick search on the LVM stuff.  Looks like a lot of people are still looking for these sets. Good luck!  
 

I’ve said it many time before, and since you’re new here, I’ll say it again.  If you see any AM you think you might want, buy it now. Not when you decide to build the model.  Aftermarket industry comes and goes very quickly within the timeline of the hobby.  
 I’ve seen quite a few come and go over the years due to various reasons.  Cutting Edge, Fisher Model and Pattern, DMold, AMS (now continued by B&B resin) Zotz went away for a while due to health but is back now, Chris at Zacto Models had to throw in the towel due to health issues. Almost forgot about G-Factor brass landing gear too.  Even Eduard will make a run of products to only be out of production and no longer available once sold out.    
Stock up now if you think you may want to build it one day. If you change your mind later, you can probably double your money! 

Thanks!  I actually found a lead to the previous owner of LVM but it does not look like he will make any more kits and he did not respond to my question of selling me the files to I could try getting one made.  Not a deal breaker as it is the interior kit.  I did order the exterior kit and a decal kit before these two vendors go out of business.

I completely agree on ordering everything I can if I am going to commit to doing a model .... I am having that exact discussion with myself right now.

Long story but I was 8 when my dad took me to see Tora Tora Tora (1970).  On the way home we walked by a local hobby shop.  There in the window was the Seaview.  About 3 ft (33" or 39" depending on the version ... movie or tv) long.  Since then I have wanted that model.  For the past month or so I have been looking at this model ... about $100.  But as you noted, there are a lot of extras I am now looking to buy at the same time.  Interior photo etched kits ... decals ... lighting ....  If I pull the trigger on it, I will get it all at the same time so 5 years from now, I am not search for parts.

Just out of interest, in the back of my mind I am thinking do people use 3d printers to make detail parts for themselves?  I have not looked into it much but I see entire models made with these printers.  If I can find some drawings of the Arrow, could I  just print these parts?

Thanks ... Mike

 

[ScottsGT]

Did someone say Seaview? 
 

It was one I built in our group build here.  Tena lighting kit. 

[HubertB]

15 hours ago, xtal_01 said:

[…]

Just out of interest, in the back of my mind I am thinking do people use 3d printers to make detail parts for themselves?  I have not looked into it much but I see entire models made with these printers.  If I can find some drawings of the Arrow, could I  just print these parts?

Thanks ... Mike

 

Welcome to LSM. Mike

As for Mastercasters, besides the dubious business practice described by Scott, the reasons he is in jail are far more horrible, and he deserves to be where he is, and not to get any business from anyone when he comes out of the said jail …

IMHO, 3D-printing is the way forward for AM, whether you design it yourself or buy it from a company having done the research and design work. But beware, designing 3D parts is not a « snap-fingers » exercise. However, once you master the trade, it is VERY satisfying. I have used this to design some conversion parts for my last build, and enjoyed it greatly. But I also buy some 3D-printed AM stuff when it is there, and it spares me some significant time in front of the computer.

Good luck with the Avro Arrow. It was a fascinating machine.

Hubert

[Bomber_County]

On 2/9/2025 at 3:18 AM, xtal_01 said:

Hello everyone!

I am 62 (born and raised in Canada ... 1962 ... now living in VT) and after a 40 break from building models, want to start back in.

I am a machinist by trade.  My wife is paralyzed from the shoulders down as the result of a diving accident when she was 12.  I work out of the house ... a kind of Mr Fix It.  I do a bit of this and a bit of that ... build electrical control panels ... fix tractors .... what ever pays the bills.  Plus I like to "play" ... I rebuilt a Jukebox a few years back (still have my old tube tester) ... build crystal radios ... rebuild phones ... rebuild an old Victrola (got it for free or it was going to the dump).

For the past couple years I have been pretending to be a carpenter, building a new workshop (4500 sq ft ... put every nail in by my self) ...

You can see some of my projects on my facebook pages:  Facebook - Michael Csele   Facebook - Vermont Country Workshop

Anyway, I have been collecting models for the past few years ... and have my eyes on a few more.  As soon as this shop is done, I plan to get back into the hobby.

One model that always interested me (as I was from Canada) was the Avro Arrow.  A few years back, I finally found one ... un-opened from the 1987 release.

When I did some research, I found there where 3 detail kits available for this model from Mastcasters.

I searched and searched ... I guessed they went out of business but could not find a trace of them.  And they found a post from April 1, 2023 on this forum (that is what brought me here) saying the owner (Jay Laverty) as going to jail for 5 years!

Does anyone know if someone picked up his molds or old inventory or continued the business or ????

I have also been trying to find an internal detail kit for a Revell Gemini Capsule (1/24) from LVM Studios ... seems they have gone out of business.  I found the external kit and the decals but not the photo etched interior parts.

I have my eyes on a few more "large" kits ... I sure I will have many many questions as I go along.

Thanks!  Mike

 

Welcome Mike to LSM, lots of very good modellers here to answer all your questions so feel free and dive in……