liteflight

We have here a bad case of Byzantine rowercarvers arm, Janet! We must administer the antidote! a pair of boxing gloves and a Lego speedboat Daftness apart I have appreciated your approach to the unknowable, discussion and sensible resolution of each issue as it appears andrew

First model ship kit build: First build log on MSW. Be still my beating heart! The Kit: Billings large model of the Oseberg Ship (1/25). This turned out to be Billings part number 720 and has plywood laser-cut shields, and laser-scored scrollwork in ply (More on the laser and ply later as the build commences) The kit was a Christmas present (2018) from my lovely Admiral, and was ordered and obtained from our local model boat shop Float-a-Boat. It took about 6 months to arrive but this was not a worry, as we both had plenty to do since we had just moved house. By the way, "Oseberg" in Australia is pronounced "Osssburg" I'm sure I could have obtained it cheaper and faster, but the end cost would be huge, as real model shops will not be there unless we use them I failed to take the ceremonial unboxing and layout on the carpet pictures. Sorry Not much in the box, as longships do a LOT with a little material. Some dowels, stripwood - all obechi as far as I can see, sail material, build instructions (which make IKEA instructions look encyclopaedic by comparison) and a double sided full size plan, which includes (some) dimensions for the build Jig Why a Longship? I love them! I went to see the Sutton Hoo museum in Suffolk, UK and was smockraffled by the model of the reconstructed boat in the entrance. It's about 1.5m long and I remember seeing it's bow from water level and realising that I want to make one of them. So since that I have been reading about the construction - actual and model. I have learned of the wide range of boats in this style of construction then and now. I can remember walking round Stavanger harbour in the 1980s and seeing small boats whose construction and fastenings are clearly cousins of the Oseberg ship Confession. I have Previous Form In the early part of this century I raced Footy Radio-control (sometimes) yachts and progressed from state-of-the-art carbon masterpieces designed by Angus Richardson (he designed the 507 Footy still sold by Melbourne's RadioSailingShop) to satisfying scale gaff-riggers such as Presto (https://www.woodenboat.com/boat-plans-kits/presto-footy) I was asked by Angus to make him a Drakkar to the Footy rules to act as his Admiral's barge on ceremonial occasions, so I made one, learned a LOT and made him the requested Drakkar called Rodolm with an Angus-designed pattern on the sail (photos follow if anyone is interested) The lower hull was carved blue foam (to the sections of the Gokstad ship) with about 3 strakes above the foam to make the hull. The keel allowed a removable polycarbonate keel with lead ballast to be inserted. Mast was exactly in the centre of everything and sail was fixed to the mast. Both rotated up to 180 degrees to allow close-hauled sailing on either tack. Now regrettably Angus had poor sight, and Rodolm had low and symmetrical prow and stern (as it had to comply with the Footy rules) and sailing her turned out to be a challenge for him. I added a staff and mylar streamer to the stern to help him with orientation and wind direction. Info: "Footy" yachts have to fit in a Box 12 inches long x 6 inches wide x 12 inches deep. (Rodolm did) I am aware of venturing into a huge forum of skilled experts with diverse knowledge. Please feel entirely free to dive in and comment, help, suggest solutions and/or request more (or less) information To come in next post: The build so far Mine is a Friday Kit Decisions about Floor levels There will be no Ply edge visible! The Giants on whose shoulders I an planning to stand andrew

Many thanks, Ryland Craze That's a good thing to know, Now I will not fear falling at the first hurdle andrew

Thanks, Steven for the welcome and practical advice. i confess I have been an avid lurker on your Dromon and reconstruction logs I aim to comply with the naming requirements by cutting and pasting ( with appropriate alterations) but as I do that the formatting of the title is not visible on the screen. I would go right ahead if I knew that I could edit the title page Strength to your carving arm! andrew

Possibly Antipodean Antique Navarchs? or Parsupial ShipRights?

Thank you all for the welcome. The “trial” picture appears to have posted ok, and I believe that it tends to demonstrate one of my qualifications to participate in a shipbuilding forum: vast quantities of assorted clamps ;-} Build log will exist as soon as I can get to my laptop andrew

Time to modestly make my number with you all. I have been lurking , awestruck, for several years; but feel a build log coming on A little about myself: retired Mech. Engineer living in the (locked-down) edges of Melbourne lifetime aeromodeller and boat modeller main boat interests are scale sailing, so even when building a scale model ship my mind (for want of a better term) will be wondering about ballast and sail control veritably I have a lot to learn, not least about the practical details of posting of this forum I have read large numbers of build Logs on the forum, and notice the helpfulness, patience and darn good advice offered, so I want to get my toe in the water I need to learn How to size and post pictures, how to caption them, if this is possible. Andrew

Beautiful Boat, Keith. Reminds me of Hoshi, the schooner I learned offshore sailing on. The keel slots I would cut undersize with a a fine backsaw, and gently file out to width, but I shall watch your progress with interest and quiet cheering from the sidelines. andrew