Torbogdan

The castings are generally "almost acceptable". They are not good considering this is year 2016. Some parts are ok but many, especially, engine parts are not good. In quality I would compare them to a metal wargaming figure cast in the -80 so to speak. some parts have quite a lot of flash and metal studs (where the metal was poured) that needs to be removed. Some parts for example the cooling jacket for the MG:s could have been made in photo etch instead of cast. Overall I´m not impressed. They will do but I would have preferred better, and expected it.
 
But as with you I had read that the castings was not so good so I was prepared for what I got. So the grade for me on a scale from 1-5 with 5 being top notch and 3 ok this is a weak 3.
 
Lower wing is done by the way! No picture as it basically is two wings from the post above. I´ve started with the middle wing.

No picture update. I´ve mounted the veneer leading edge and glued it in place. Looks good so far. This will take some time to dry so in the mean time I have started to clean up some of the metal parts. There is some flash and and such that needs to be removed.
 
I like this model but it is difficult, I would not recommend it to someone without quite a lot of previous knowledge and skill. 
 
Working slowly and carefully is the way to go. I hope

Thanks a lot! Good advice, I did not think of that. That´s why I like this site, there is always someone who has experience and willing to share it and give friendly advice.
 
I couldn´t agree more with that it will be time consuming but like Reklein, thats the whole reason I want to build it! Also to learn new techniques and working with new/different materials.

Save one line/thread and snipping off some excess, DONE! So remaining working time approx 4 minutes.
 
I´m pretty proud, It ended up quite nice. I´m satisfied with it as it is my first wooden model ship. Planking was difficult and there was a few snags but in the end it went ok.
 
As this is my first model I have no comparison but I´m very very satisfied with this Dusek kit. "advanced beginner" was a very correct description. I consider myself a veteran plastic model builder but a beginner with wood so "advanced beginner" would suit me well I thought and it was right.
 
Instructions was clear and easy to follow. Taking some time and reading and understanding the instructions was easy and there was basically nothing to worry about. One major thing I was worried about before starting out was that the instructions would be unclear or ambiguous. But that was not the case.
 
On tuesday I start on my new project. Duseks "Hansa Kogge". I picked this on purpose as it is "clinker style" hull. I want to learn that technique. Well not "learn" after one model but at least have some knowledge about it.
 
I know this sounds like I´m paid by Dusek (which I´m most certainly not.) But having such a good experience with this model I found no reason to not buy a Dusek as my second project.
 
One thing that could be improved is the flags. With the printers available the detailing on the flags could be a bit better and more "crisp".
 
In the end I want to build a huge ship (like everyone else I believe…
 

 

 

 
 
Here is a "building log" for the model with a few advice (maybe) or things I noticed.
After a while I stopped updating this as it was not really needed. The instructions was so good I don´t think I can really add something. Read the instructions, understand them and you are good to go.
 
Building log the pinta
 
Punched out all hull parts and sanded all the edges where the laser had cut.
 
I read that you do not get a good glue bond if you do not sand as some. Also not that lasers do not cut a precise 90 degree angle.  This has to be corrected with some sanding.
 
Also punched out and sanded the keel parts. Same here, sand away the ”burnt” and black from the wood. Using an engineers square you will notice that the laser does not cut at 90 degrees.
 
It is close to 90 degrees but not perfect, putting several pieces together and you will get a warped look.
 
I glued pieces 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in place. Try to avoid laying the hull on the table and just glue the piceces in place. These five pieces are slightly wider than piece 0 so if you lay all the pieces flat on the table all the excess will be on one side. Try to get an equal amount of wood on each side of piece 0 when viewed from the front.
 
 
Then I glued pieces 6-12 in place. Note that these pieces can ”slide back and forth” a bit as the cuts in piece 0 is slightly wider than the thickness of piece 6-12. ”Dry fit” ( using no glue) pieces 17 and 18 so that these two pieces can be put in place without unnecessary tension. I had to make a few of the cuts in pieces 17 and 18 wider as the cuts and the ”horns” on pieces 6-12 did not match up perfectly.
 
Also be very careful that all pieces are in 90 degree angles towards each other! Make very sure pieces 6-12 are not at crooked angles.
 
Pieces 13-16 are easy to fit.
 
Make sure that before you fit pieces 17-18 the area which these pieces will cover is flat, no bumps, glue blobs or such.
 
As you fit pieces 17 and 18 (and testfit see above) make sure the oval opening is to the right on the ship model. This opening must match with the opening in piece 20.
 
Planking the stern. Nothing to mention, work carefully. I made each plank slightly too long to be sanded to perfect shape later. Maybe 2 mm extra on each side.
 
Starting to plank the hull. I followed instructions and have seen and read quite a few planking tutorials. This is not a tutorial for planking so read and watch other tutorials.
 
Finished the planking, it went fairly well.
 
I glued the deck in step IVb in place. Had a little trouble with it curling up at the edges. So I hade to keep it pressed down until the glue had dried. The hatches went together fine. Anchors and rudder presented no problem, just followed the instructions.
 
Drilling the holes for the gunbarrels were straightforward but check carefully where the holes are drilled so that the gunports are not behind  wires for the dead eye blocks. So check step Ve before drilling the gunholes/ports in step Vd.
 
Also I had a slight problem with the drilling the holes in bulkhead no 15 to fix the end of the gunbarrels. I do not know if I drilled in the wrong position or so but the bulkhead nr 15 was too ”deep” into the ship for the gunbarrels to stick out. So what I did wa sto cut of a about 15mm long piece of round wood and drilll a hole in it and put the gunbarrel in that piece of wood. This wood piece was the glued to bulkhead no 15. Make sure the piece of wood is of a smaller diameter than the gunport hole…
 
Glueing piece 41 and making the dead eye blocks went without a hitch. Same with everything else in step Ve and Vf.
 
So far so good.

Mounted to the base. Except a green or maroon piece of cloth at the bottom of the base it is done!
 

 
So what will my next project be?
 
Well it will be an airplane actually. I have bought the Model airways 1:16 Fokker Dr1Triplane!
 
I hope I won´t get keel hauled for this
 
I won´t have a log about it here on building logs for model ships but maybe I can have one under the "shore leave" heading?
 
But after the Fokker I have OcCres Cazador lined up! So then it is back to wooden ships!
 
My building philosophy is to build what I´m interested (unfortunately way too many different eras and machines…) And also to build more or less "straight from the box". I´m not much for scratch building or improving or changing model kits. I just like to build them as they come. If they are not 100% historically correct I´m not bothered by it. In other words, others build much more accurate models or better looking models or more correct models, that is fine by me. We all like different things and have different approaches to the hobby. But I love to follow builders who modify and scratch build their models!
 
Also  when the model is done, I tend to loose interest in it. I usually just put it on a shelf and forget about it. When it is done, it´s just done. Can´t really explain it but the model becomes irrelevant. I like the building process, creating things. I´m also very unsentimental, if some one wants to buy models I build, I sell them in a heartbeat. If I would, in a few years, "want it back" I would just rebuild it.
 
Well time for a toast and christen the ship in champagne (before it is retired to a shelf )
 

I have added a few wrinkles in the flags to make them less stiff looking, that was very good advice! Also many thanks for all nice comments and such!
 
Here are a few more pictures, I have not had much time to fix all the little things (actually not that many but a few) but hopefully I´ll do that this weekend.
 
I did cut out and start on a base plate for the model. It is a ordinary bit of fir wood. I stained it in the same color as the ship. I have a little fear that base and ship will "blend into each other" and think of replacing the oak mountings with brass ones. I will have to pre mount it and see how it looks.
 
I really liked this model kit. I think that the level "advanced beginner" was an accurate description of it. The instructions was very clear and easy to follow. A New comer would have no trouble finishing this kit. This is only my second wooden ship but I think that Dusek produces very good models with good instructions. Granted I have not built any models from other manufactures but with that limit in my experience I can recommend Dusek as good models!
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So close to done it is basically done!  
 
A few pieces of rope is left to secure some cargo and a last "going over and check for details" before it is 100% done. My second ship model and I´m pretty proud of it. I learned a lot and did a few mistakes here and there but nothing much I think.
 
So what will I try to improve specifically next time? Learn how to take better pictures… Get the rigging "tighter", when I try to tighten one rope something goes slightly askew or another rope becomes slack, or a cleat snaps. So I will read up on how to get nice tight rigging. 
 
Now it is off to work but I will make one last post after this one with a few better pictures and some more text. So far a great day!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seat piece, blue, I guess rests on the beam, black part. Are the purple parts, support pieces really necessary to shore up the green part, footrests?
 
Could the foot rests only rest against the black beam? that way you cut down quite a lot of the extra number of scratch built parts.

Well, drum roll... It is done!
 
I´m pleased with it. It was a fun kit to build. Some processes were difficult, I would not recommend this kit unless you have some experience in model building and working with different materials. I remember that I did not find the instructions clear in the beginning. I take that statement back. the instructions were very good. Read the carefully and follow the exactly and things will go fine. 
 
A very tricky part was adding the rudder wires through the rollers. Take care when you build the rollers and maybe install the wires before adding the roller wheels. This is the only deviation from the instructions which I would recommend. So instead of finishing the wings with the roller wheels and everything and adding the wiring in the end, install the wiring and then add the wheels. This way you have more space to work with when you install the wiring. So installing the rollers would be the last part you do before the model is finished.
 
The map as I used as a base is from the Imperial war museum. It is a bit "offset" to the frame as I use an old diorama rule that states "nothing parallell to the edge". Technically this is not a diorama but anyway.
 
The medal I put there to make it look a bit more interesting. Also the Red Baron got it, so I thought it would be nice to include it.
 
I will try go get a friend, who is a much better photographer than me take a few pictures of better quality than the ones below.
 
"What ever" you say, we want pictures!  Well here are a few!
 

It is close now! The map has been glued to the picture frame. The propeller isn't finished, it needs more sanding and then varnishing. I also need to strengthen the pro-shaft to avoid it "drooping". I might leave the engine cowl off to show off the engine. I have also ordered a replica Pour le Merite model to add to the base.
 
There is also the last metal cowling to add to the right of the MG:s. 
 
Hopefully it will be 100% finished next week. I started building 3rd of december last year so it has taken slightly more than a year to build. But it has been a very leisurely pace. I could have built it much faster but it is hobby 

Very nice. Great build. Im very impressed. 

We didn't unload the loader to drop the Breech to remove a barrel. Cleaning this one, the water jacket is clearly seen, a close look will reveal the hose connections on the right gun, that fitting recoiled with the barrel through the slot clearly seen on the top of the left guns housing. This gun was manned 24/7 and did most of the shooting, we seldom went to GQ to provide fire support or transit the river, to much to do and not enough men so this gun took up the slack, we re gunned this one because of barrel wear, quick change, half hour per barrrel would do it.


 

Very interesting thread to follow. Did the guns have some kind of cooling system for the barrels? 

Very nice. Great build. Im very impressed. 

Very nice. Great build. Im very impressed. 

Very nice. Great build. Im very impressed. 

Great build. Very nice. What are the leading edges made of? it looks like thin brass or some kind of metal foil?

The covering so far just to give an idea
 
 

Great build. Very nice. What are the leading edges made of? it looks like thin brass or some kind of metal foil?

Great build. Very nice. What are the leading edges made of? it looks like thin brass or some kind of metal foil?

Great build. Very nice. What are the leading edges made of? it looks like thin brass or some kind of metal foil?

Great build. Very nice. What are the leading edges made of? it looks like thin brass or some kind of metal foil?

I've cut the same piece three times and it's STILL too short .
 
Danny

The trick was to soak them first and then put them on and work around the bend very slowly. The result, 18 capped ribs and no breakages !
 
 

Now look folks, maybe you don't understand what I am trying to decide about, but, for those who haven't sen the Sopwith - this is what I mean.