Norske Love by Dan Vadas - Billing Boats - RESTORATION

[dgbot]

To me one of the hardest things is to match up paint so that it blends well.

I hope I can look over your shoulder for this bit of family history.

David B

Edited August 18, 2015 by dgbot

[Dan Vadas]

Welcome to the build Matt.

 

Can't wait to see the progression as I've not seen a restoration before

 

 

Check out the two in my Signature .

 

 Danny

[baskerbosse]

Hi Danny,

 

That's some interesting rigging sequence you have there..

I suspect for the novice looking at a ships rig, it might make sense to work outwards.
Shrouds may look like they would be very much in the way for belaying (-well, honestly .. aren't they? ;-) )

I like the idea of finishing like the original builder would have.
I have a couple of old plastic models I built as a child to renovate. The first one (Revell USS Constitution) I did some time ago and is now on display.
I adjusted the rigging, adding missing lines, moving misplaced lines etc. I also fixed up some sloppy paint job at the quarter galleries.
Relatively minor changes, but it somewhat changes the model so it's not quite the model I built as a child..

For the next two (Sovereign of the Seas and Victory), I've done some minor fixes, but I'm stopping at that, see how it goes.
If it doesn't have any of the knots I tied, the paint I put on and the bad glue joints, I may just as well buy a new kit and assemble it from scratch much easier for not much money and the same result.. It's really hard to do the appropriate balance, because leaving them as is is not an option, they have all been dismasted through several moves and can't really be displayed like that.

Much admiration to you for doing this. It seems a very difficult task to me.

 

/Peter
 

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks very much Peter, and a welcome to you too. 

 

 I may just as well buy a new kit and assemble it from scratch much easier for not much money

 

 

Ain't that the truth .

 

Well, I've made my first decision - all the rigging has come off, as well as some of the masts. I'll most likely remove the remaining ones, as it's a lot easier to detail them on the bench :

 

 

 

 Danny

[baskerbosse]

Looking better already.

Will you be needing any additional Billings plastic blocks?

I might have some spare..

 

Cheers,

 

/Peter

[Dan Vadas]

Peter, I was just about to send out a plea for help in that regard. I don't have ANY of the larger Deadeyes. Scaling off the plan they are about 8mm diameter. I have more than enough of the smaller ones.

 

Any help here would be appreciated, as they are going to be one of the first jobs.

 

 Danny

[AON]

Of all the challenges this ship will toss your way I just can't seem to see past the dust!     

 

I'd say good luck but you're in a group that doesn't need it!    

So happy refit!

 

Alan 

[baskerbosse]

The Billings Cutty I'm fixing up at the moment only has one size deadeyes, approximately 6mm across.

Unfortunately, deadeyes are almost used up, only 13 left..

I also found 5 more very large Billings deadeyes, about 8mm diameter. I have no idea where I got them from, there not from the Cutty.

 

(I have more of blocks and double blocks)

[NMBROOK]

As you may know Danny,I broke up a model of this vessel and salvaged most of the fittings.I intended to finish her,but found her hull to be 50% plaster.If you let me know what you need,I will put them in the post for you.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[popeye the sailor]

you don't waste any time......no rest for the wicked,  as they say          this is quite an undertaking........but you'll do a wonderful job of her.   having build so many Billing's kits.......I wish I could help.    surprisingly,  most of the kits I've built have come with the wood dead eyes........it's the blocks that made me nutz     {most were fishing vessels - not many to worry about}.   I can certainly sympathize with you of the rigging diagrams  though.......like someone went nutz with a straight edge   

 

happy to pull up a seat and watch......a friend of mine has been wanting me to do a build of this magnitude.  I'll get to see what I've been missing out on 

[Dan Vadas]

Alan, Peter, Nigel and Popeye - thanks for the replies .

 

I'm OK for the Deadeyes now. There's a shipment of wooden ones coming from Captain Steve - thanks heaps mate . If I need anything else I'll post it when I find out, but I think I'll be OK from here on.

 

Back to work - did I say it would take me about 6 weeks to do the Restoration? Not by a LONG shot   . I took a closer look and found that "old mate" had used CA to glue on all the deck fittings, and also to finish off all the rigging.

 

EVERYTHING I touched broke off on the glue joint. As well, all the brass fittings that had been near the CA had a green deposit on them. Yet another reason NOT to use CA for anything permanent   .

 

I had to strip nearly every part off the model. Here is the state of play at the moment - I've blown all the sawdust, cobwebs and years of accumulated dust off using a large compressor. Next job will be to wash everything :

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the way all the blocks were attached. It goes without saying that they've all been stripped off as well :

 

 

 Danny

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

G'day Danny

I pressed the LIKE BUTTON, but there should be an UGLY BUTTON to press instead. OMG was the model in the water for years? With all the green slim on the decking it looked like it was! Do you think you can still do it in 6 weeks? Good luck mate.

Havagooday anyway

Greg

[GuntherMT]

Remind me to never say 'yes' to a request to restore some old wooden boat.  Haha.. what a mess.  I'm sure you'll end up with a masterpiece, but man, that looks like quite the chore.

[Dan Vadas]

Hi Greg and Brian,

 

Do you think you can still do it in 6 weeks?

 

 

Not even in 6 MONTHS Greg  .

 

that looks like quite the chore

 

 

I've finished off worse for others Brian .

 

Before I do any more on this I've just been handed ANOTHER Restoration job. This one WILL only take a couple of days. I'll keep you posted.

 

 Danny

[S.Coleman]

I have to say you love it!!! Otherwise you would not take on an overhaul like this. Best of luck! I will watch from a safe distance

[baskerbosse]

Oh, that looks horrible! Does CA really do that to brass? Wow!

The foredeck doesn't exactly look clean either.

Has the model been sitting in a shed or an attic?

Ship restoration is a bit like old cars it seems. What seems pretty ok can quickly deteriorate as you start checking closer..

 

It sure looks like you have a lot of work to do!

 

/Peter

[AON]

holy sh......ishkabob

now I see it

if I hadn't seen what you can do I'd say you were crazy

 

this is going to be a treat to watch

Edited August 25, 2015 by AON

[UpstateNY]

Hi Danny,

 

I think your photos convincingly show why putting a finished model in a case is a good idea!  I can't even see the deck in your second shot!

 

I've a soft spot for the Norske Love as it was my dream build while I was floundering along doing my very 1st build (a Billings Krabbencutter - never finished) way back when as a teenager. That build may now be in even worse shape somewhere in my parents loft back home in London!

 

Will follow along as know you will be doing a fantastic job as you restore her. 

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

 

PS.  Note to self...no CA! 

Edited August 25, 2015 by UpstateNY

[Jeff-E]

Hi Danny,

 

She is looking a lot better now with all that rigging gone. It's a pity about the CA glue as it has added a lot of extra work for you.   At least you now have a clean slate to work with

 

I hope the decks clean up OK

[GLakie]

Wow Danny!  Definitely not a job for the "faint of heart", but I know you'll work miracles with her. "Miracle Worker" -- Perhaps a new overhead handle above your avatar?  

[CaptainSteve]

Geez Danny,

I had no idea the damage was that bad !!

 

Whilst I'm absolutely certain that no-one here questions whether you have the capabilities to restore this ship, well, I just gotta ask ...

Would you ever consider doing a wreck diorama ??

(Maybe using one of my earlier builds ...)

 

PS: Have those dead-eyes arrived yet ??

Edited August 25, 2015 by CaptainSteve

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

Geez Danny,

I had no idea the damage was that bad !!

 

Whilst I'm absolutely certain that no-one here questions whether you have the capabilities to restore this ship, well, I just gotta ask ...

Would you ever consider doing a wreck diorama ??

(Maybe using one of my earlier builds ...)

 

PS: Have those dead-eyes arrived yet ??

What a great idea Steve. There would be much work to do on her to get to "that" stage.

Greg

[donrobinson]

Lots of work but worth it. Looks as though it was fairly well built and would have looked not bad at one time. I am really looking forward to this restoration, but what I would really like to see is the look in their eyes when you deliver the final product.

[molset]

Hello

Ive been doing the Norske Löve for some years now. I actually are about to begin on the rigging. The hull is 99% complete and I was just browsing for some ideas on the Rigging for Norske - Would it be out of stile to have the mast tops square rather than round - After all the Norske was built in 1765? 

Regards from Iceland

SveinnE

Edited August 28, 2015 by molset

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks for the comments guys. Yes Steve, the deadeyes arrived safe and sound .

 

Would it be out of stile to have the mast tops square rather than round - After all the Norske was built in 1765?

 

 

Hi molset,

 

I'm no authority on Danish ships of the period, I know more about the English ships of around the Napoleonic era. However, I'd stay with the round tops for this particular model - the English and French were quite a way ahead of the other nations in warship building design and introduced the "square" tops in about 1700. The Danish may have taken a lot longer to start copying them, if indeed they did at all.

 

Besides, the round tops have more "character", in my eyes anyway .

 

  Danny

[src]

Danny,

Squeezing in here, crowded room. I missed out on most of your Vulture build, what I did watch taught me a lot as well as left drool on my shirt from envy of your skills. The comment abour the CA and brass was good to know, I didnt realize CA would cause brass to corrode.

 

Sam

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks Crackers and Sam.

 

For the bad news - I'm not going ahead with this project. On closer inspection there was far too much shoddy work done by the previous builder to make a half-decent job of restoring this model. By me anyway - I have better, more enjoyable things to do. I've given it back to the owner, who is going to have a go at fixing it himself.

 

The good news - my next major project (apart from some fun "Object in a Bottle" gifts for my and my partner's various grandsons) will be a Cross-section of the midships of Vulture. Link can be found in my Signature.

 

  Danny

[Bill Morrison]

Greetings!  I just tripped into this log.  Have you finished restoring the poor girl?

 

Bill

[Dan Vadas]

Bill, read the post just before yours - I didn't go ahead with this one.

 

  Danny

[barnhart4dsn]

Hi Dan

I'm new to the site and was contemplating some re-work on my 1974-1979 build of a Billings Norske Love.  I never fitted the parrells nor finished the carving on the stern.  As I looked around this site I saw may examples of the square tops and was considering that change.  R.C. Anderson admits he has no insight into what would be proper.  That was no help.  It wasn't until I read your partial log that I decided not to make the change.  I'll simply say thank you.

warren barnhart

 

I have two other builds.  A 1966 "Cutty Sark" and a 1947 "Privateer" which was started in 1947 and finally finished in 1985