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Greek Bireme by Robin Lous - FINISHED - Dusek - Scale 1:72 - First wooden ship build


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Lovely weather today, so I moved outside with my build, a file, a sanding stick and an americano cocktail.  :rolleyes:

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Finished the lower oar-holes and started with the top holes.

Insert: For Bob...a better Hennessy wood stain photo.

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The top oar-holes are actually half round cups. I'll make horizontal beams underneath the oar-holes with tholepins (wooden pegs).

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Checking the oar-hole placement with cocktail sticks. 

 

More soon,

 

Robin :)

Edited by Robin Lous

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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Thanks Bob and Steven!

 

Quote
...and the holes are beautifully exact

 

I was just thinking about this myself and I came to the conclusion...the wood of the hull planks is just amazing....really fantastic wood.

And again...no idea what kind of wood it is...I'll ask Daniel Dusek, because I'm curious about it.

 

It's so easy to sand it smooth and file sharp looking holes. The wood is kinda hard...not soft whatsoever.

When you sand or file...it takes effort to get it done, but no fuzzy rough edges, no splinters or chipping.

Still fairly easy to bend when wet.

 

I was a bit scared about the oar-holes, because there's no glue between the planks. They're only glued to the frames.

Perhaps the files I use have some magic in them....they're almost 40 years old, but they never let me down. Good old pre-rubbish files :D

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A bit more about the oar attachment and why I made the holes larger...

oars.png.c14410e3902bfc90fa18561d52b78746.png

The oar-holes are just that...holes...and they must be large enough to allow the oars to move freely.

The oars are not even supposed to touch the wood around the holes. The holes don't support the oars.

 

Behind the holes runs a beam with a copper sliding plate (to reduce friction) on it. That's the spot where the oars find their support.

They're attached to a tholepin with a leather strap or piece of rope (the tholepin should be right next to the copper plate...me bad :( )

 

So I still have a lot of work to do on the inside :ph34r:

 

More soon,

 

Robin :)

Edited by Robin Lous

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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Made some progress.  B)

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Varnished the deck and made planks on top of the forecastle.

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Working on the wales now.

 

More soon,

 

Robin :)

Edited by Robin Lous

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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Thanks guys!

 

Finished the wales and rudder attachment point on one side.

When the other side is done, I'll stain the hull...inside and outside.

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I'm eager to do the staining, because that will make the model much more attractive. I think...hope...well, we'll see.  :D

Also found a solution to paint the ship's eyes neatly. Looking forward to that also.

 

Will be a challenge to keep the wale extending at the stern from breaking off :huh:

 

More soon,

 

Robin :)

Edited by Robin Lous

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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...the wood of the hull planks is just amazing....really fantastic wood.
And again...no idea what kind of wood it is...I'll ask Daniel Dusek, because I'm curious about it.

 

 

Hello Robin,

I follow your build and I like it  ;).I produce the kit from differend kinds of wood,  your version is from alder wood  ;)

Best regards

Daniel 

 

 

Good to know...I love it!

 

Robin :)

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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Today I finished the other side (wales and rudder attachment), cleaned and lightly sanded the hull...and did the first layer of Hennessy and ebony staining.

59c194b41591b_biremebuild053.jpg.206f3d9e745849148e8a545e327ee448.jpg

Well...don't expect wonders after just one layer, but it gives an idea of what's happening.  :unsure:

 

Tomorrow (well that's today, after some sleep :D ) I'll sand again and do the 2nd and 3rd layers.

That will be enough for the Hennessy, but the ebony might need some more. We'll see.

 

More soon,

 

Robin :)

Edited by Robin Lous

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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That's a very attractive colour for a very attractive vessel.

 

How many of those wales does it have sticking out the back?

 

Steven

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Thanks!

 

That's a very attractive colour for a very attractive vessel.

 

How many of those wales does it have sticking out the back?

 

Steven

2 right now...both top wales...there will be some more when the railing goes on.

 

Since I can watch paint dry most of the day, I'll tidy my workspace a bit today.

It's a mess right now and I need space to use my airbrush for the ships eye soon.  :blink:

 

Apart from staining, I'll make the copper oar beam plates. Furthermore...a lazy day.

 

More soon,

 

Robin

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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After 3 layers of wood stain. It's a slow process, but I think it's nicer to stain than to paint.

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Also started staining the front of the bow. Painting with wood stain isn't easy, but with a small flat brush, it's doable.

 

I think 2 more layers of Hennessy and 3 or 4 layers of ebony are needed to get the desired result.

 

Working on this for 6 weeks now. I think I need 4 or 5 weeks more to finish it, but that's just a wild guess...no clue really.  :D

 

More soon,

 

Robin :)

Edited by Robin Lous

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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Beautiful coloring you are achieving on her Robin. I agree with you in that the staining looks better than paint. She is turning out to be a fine vessel.

"A Smooth Sea NEVER made a Skilled Sailor"
- John George Hermanson 

-E.J.

 

Current Builds - Royal Louis - Mamoli

                    Royal Caroline - Panart

Completed - Wood - Le Soleil Royal - Sergal - Build Log & Gallery

                                           La Couronne - Corel - Build Log & Gallery

                                           Rattlesnake - Model Shipways, HMS Bounty - Constructo

                           Plastic - USS Constitution - Revel (twice), Cutty Sark.

Unfinished - Plastic - HMS Victory - Heller, Sea Witch.

Member : Nautical Research Guild

 

 

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Thanks again for the likes and nice comments!

 

So with the staining done...

59c195445eea7_biremebuild055.jpg.be490e75d446e25b9fd39a532e488043.jpg

....It's time for the next chapter.

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The beams with the tholepins and the copper sliding plates.

2x2mm beams with dowels made from cocktail sticks...reduced to 0,8mm thickness and the copper plates made from burnished 0,15mm thick copper plate...cut into 4mm wide strips.

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2 beams done...26 to go  :blink:

 

The amount of fiddly repetitive jobs is stacking now. This, the top rower seats and the 50 (+8 spares) oars. It's a bullet to bite....a whole box  :(

I'll squeeze in some nice in between jobs somewhere...like making the rudders.

 

More soon,

 

Robin :)

Edited by Robin Lous

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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Looks promising, what a tooth pick can be used for ...

 

 

The amount of fiddly repetitive jobs is stacking now. This, the top rower seats and the 50 (+8 spares) oars. It's a bullet to bite....a whole box  :(

I'll squeeze in some nice in between jobs somewhere...like making the rudders

You could make soft cushions for the rowers, embroidered ... as a change in the monotonous tasks .. ;)

Carl

"Desperate affairs require desperate measures." Lord Nelson
Search and you might find a log ...

 

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On 3-10-2016 at 11:28 PM, cog said:

Looks promising, what a tooth pick can be used for ...

 

You could make soft cushions for the rowers, embroidered ... as a change in the monotonous tasks .. ;)

No kidding...that crossed my mind...sheepskin cushions, but since the cushions were not part of the ship (the oarsmen brought their own cushions with them)...I won't  :D

 

I must be half crazy, because yesterday I ordered a trireme. This one has 50 oars...the trireme 170!

 

By the way...Daniel Dusek is a great guy to deal with. The bireme has alder wood hull planks and I like them a lot, so I asked Daniel about the trireme hull planks.... they're walnut. I get a "custom *Stratocaster trireme kit" with alder wood planks from him now.

 

*Fender makes great guitars from alder wood....

59c195c8d3479_alderstratocaster.jpg.e354be42ebf5d839ab86056a4d46425e.jpg

 

Well...when my builds won't look good...they still sound good!  :P

 

Robin :)

Edited by Robin Lous

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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Robin

 

Man, I love this model. So clean and neat. The finish is just phenomenal! 

Oh...there are flaws and mistakes here and there :unsure:

 

But, I'm pleased with it so far...completely to my own amazement.

I never worked with wood before, but I'm used to work with small plastic, resin and photo etched parts....and I can handle a brush (and airbrush).

 

What I like about wood...it's forgiving and it doesn't matter when you mess up a plank...just pick another and start again.

With plastic it can be a drama when you mess up a single part.

 

So...I have loads of fun now :)

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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Robin, your ship is looking fantastic! There may be flaws but the good quality and craftsmanship you are showing far outdo any flaws.

 

I had to do a double take on your first picture as I thought your ship was flying! I'm no history major but I was fairly certain that the ancient Greeks, nor the modern ones for that matter learned to make a ship fly. Maybe I'm more tired after today than I thought.  :P 

"A Smooth Sea NEVER made a Skilled Sailor"
- John George Hermanson 

-E.J.

 

Current Builds - Royal Louis - Mamoli

                    Royal Caroline - Panart

Completed - Wood - Le Soleil Royal - Sergal - Build Log & Gallery

                                           La Couronne - Corel - Build Log & Gallery

                                           Rattlesnake - Model Shipways, HMS Bounty - Constructo

                           Plastic - USS Constitution - Revel (twice), Cutty Sark.

Unfinished - Plastic - HMS Victory - Heller, Sea Witch.

Member : Nautical Research Guild

 

 

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I must be half crazy, because yesterday I ordered a trireme. This one has 50 oars...the trireme 170!

 

 

Robin :)

 

 

That's for sure. And I was feeling bad because I have to make 100. You are a glutton for punishment, Robin. :)

 

Steven

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One side done....that wasn't too time consuming after all.

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Not to lose momentum...I'll do the other side also now, so no "in between" job needed. 

 

It's good to have those beams there. 2 stays on each side need to go there.

 

A near-death experience today, when my magnifying lamp crashed down on top of my poor bireme  :blink:

Luckily only some minor damage. 2 broken tholepins and a piece of top wale snapped off.

I repaired the damage already, but I'll be more careful from now on. It's a sturdy ship, but not immortal :unsure:

 

Edit: forgot to mention...I stained the lower inside of the hull "dark smoked oak"....the cherry looked wrong there.

 

More soon!

 

Robin :)

Edited by Robin Lous

WIP: No ships atm...sorry!🙄

Completed: Greek bireme - Dusek - scale 1:72

 Louie da fly: "I think it requires a special kind of insanity to choose a galley to build a model of."

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