Snug Harbor Johnny

'Seems the Wasa has had several 'periods' of scholarship. In the early days after she was raised, Billings put out a kit where they made a stab at 'filling in the blanks' (and there were many then) - perhaps influenced by another Wasa built a century later and their own version of the second Norske Love (also 18thc.) ... there very one I'm trying to rectify now (which makes me glad I didn't do more work on it since th e70s). As more pieces were recovered, preserve and fit together in a giant 'jigsaw' puzzle, more correct versions came out and a common opinion was that the original Wasa had a blue stern and gilded carvings ... and there is a lot of artwork and also models built that way. Curent scholarship favors wide use of red pigment (apparently blue was hard to make and costly) and the carvings were polychrome. There is a 1/10 scale model (with red paint) on display with the original ship in Stockholm, and as it would probably be a good idea to take their lead.

As Kirill4 noted, the lines are different - but that is how the 'old' (first issue) Billings kit was, and as teen in the 70s I didn't know any better than to try and follow the plans provided with the kit. (My Dad gave it as a gift, presumably to keep my busy - which it did for some time.) In the intervening decades Billings radically changed and upgraded their Wasa kit as a wealth of information became available. I have a 'legacy' situation and will try to cobble things to be more like the original, ... 'warts and all'. There was indeed another 'Wasa' launched a century later, and a model of that likely influenced the kit manufacturer more than the ivory model of the Norske Love shown above - at least looking at the side view of the original BB drawing. The present aim is to make the best of what I have, since starting over is not an option.

Ahoy Popeye! Thanks for the reply. I opened the box on the Fair American and conclude that it was likely under the water damaged BB Vikingskibbe box. All the plywood for the hull is Really warped ... of course, the pieces can be copied on new stock, as well as increasing the number of bulkheads. However, there is insufficient drop in the keep going aft, per drawing of a nearly identical ship Andrea Doria of the same period . It seems that they were built on the ways so the keel drops at the angle of the ways fro launching but the deck (and waterline) are level. There may be some improvement in the lines as well, so that will essentially mean customizing the hull design - as scratch build. The masts and spars are that of an 18th c. clipper (like the Agilis kit), in that they have royals. Not so with the brigs of the Revolutionary war. The mast/spar stock can be used, but I'll have to research the correct mast architecture (sizes and all), and since the tops are way simplified in the kit that means scratch built. The directions in the kit are scant and the rigging is over simplified - so R.C. Anderson's book will have to provide the details. Hmmmm, since the deadeyes and blocks in the kit are plastic, I'll have to get wood ones elsewhere. Gosh, this turns out to be a scratch build if I want to be close to accurate for that particular ship (captured on the Delaware by the British and re-named), so I won't do that until A.) I'm happy with the Wasa and B.) I've looked into Thermopylae. I've lucked out to get a Revell kit (mostly complete, yet unbuilt) from someone in the forum who passed it on just for the shipping. (The box is damaged, but the components appear to be there.) What I'm considering is to do a wooden hull of the same scale but matching her lines correctly, then using parts from the Revels kit (like the figurehead, pump, wench and the mast/yard components that were steel on the original. The Hulmes model is a guide for how to do the correct deck configuration, and I've ordered a couple books on rigging. Now I have two other kits to compare/contrast. I picked up an Artesania Latina 'San Juan' Spanish galleon not long ago on sale at a local shop (supposedly 1:30, but its more likely to be 1:60 in actuality). I knew that it was a 'simplified' galleon type, but I wanted more materials to use on the Wasa (since a lot of stuff went missing decades ago from what was left of the original box) ... wooden blocks and deadeyes, tiny brass nails, rope, parts that assemble for grating/ladders - and plenty of wood. I'm impressed with the quality of the drawings and instructions (that include some high quality color photos), and can say that it would be a great kit as a first build PRIOR to taking on a Wasa (or Victory for that matter). The hull components are laser cut and appear precise with no fuss. But my Dad left me one other kit that I've just examined closely - an old Mamoli Milano Golden Hind (stated 1:53) kit. Now the materials in the kit are impressive - several sizes an types of deadeyes (round and triangular), single and double blocks - plus all sorts of fittings and a wonderful selection of wood of several species and thicknesses. The hull components are fully separate (not just laser cut but carefully packaged - fully cut out and accurate - ready for assembly. There is attractive painting for the sides of the stern printed by some dort of lithography (very precisely I might add) on a large, wide piece of veneer. The instructions show it being trimmed and applied to the stern above the second planking (this is a double planked kit) in the stern area - probably what should be done by someone learning how to model), but these pieces can also be carefully trimmed (by many successive light cuts with a SHARP ex-acto) into planks to match the thickness of the second planking - so the appearance on the stern can look even better. There are SIX large sheets of drawings (five of them printed on both sides), and aside from some simplifications on this intermediate model, with a little research the kit can be 'mildly' busted into a very nice work indeed. I have forgotten entirely the idea of scrounging material from this fine kit, but fully intend on building the Golden Hind in future (I hope to have at least 20 years of retirement ahead of me) and do it justice. The Artesania kit excels in rigging instructions and pictures, but the Mamoli has better materials and draftsmanship. Both kits, I fear, put the old Steingraber kits to shame ... plastic deadeyes and blocks, hard to cut components, excessive simplification, too much borrowing of design elements from other kits in the line and too few instructions or drawings. I'm learning a lot by viewing build logs on the forum, and will proceed with care - I've delayed this long, so there is no need to rush and certainly no FOMO. Fair sailing ! Johnny

Ahoy Popeye! 'Glad to see your work on this build. I inherited the SAME kit from my father, and I remember quite a few years ago that he had the hull planked and ready for the deck strips to go over the false deck, but somehow in the 'cleanup' some well-meaning people did in his workshop after he passed, the hull was never found and may have been discarded. So I have the box with mast/spar materials, fittings and stuff ... That's just as well since I don't want to make a 'slaver' - or at least a kit that has been identified as such for a long time. I DO have an intact Steingraeber kit for the Fair American, and THAT is one I intend to build. My friend John F. Millar of Williamsburg (an expert in things Colonial and Nautical) said that the model of the Fair American in the Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis has some 'inaccuracies' and he has provided some drawings for me to refer to. Before I take on that, I MUST finish, or at least bring to a greater degree of completion - perhaps as an 'Admiralty' model - the original 70s issue of the BB Wasa my Dad started me building as a teen back then. I have started a build log and would greatly appreciate you taking a look at it and perhaps to give any feedback you care to offer. 'Guess its under build logs of the 1600s (or whatever date range that falls into), but by typing Wasa in the search field, my log should be near the top since I'm not seeing any other current Wasa logs going on right now. There are sure plenty of past logs, and I'm pouring over then like crazy ... I have 40 years of catching-up to do. I sure enjoyed your Thermopylae build, and that is another project I'd like to do sometime - just not at the same scale (1:124). I procured the lines and have scaled them in my computer to produce them in three scales: 1:124 (a tad small), 1:110 and 1:100. I'm leaning to 1:110, but if built in 1:100 it would be comparable to the Revels size. Plenty of time to think on that choice... Fair Sailing! Johnny

Ahoy ! ... I've been doing more homework the past couple weeks, and I've gained more insights (and some 'aha' moments) concerning how to proceed on my 70s version Billings Wasa (original issue) previously pictured. The planking is mahogany, a wood often used by BB back them - and is harder to get these days. An inherited BB kit of a Vikings Skibbe (same vintage, and an improved version is now called the Roar Edge) also uses mahogany for the strakes - but the outlines are merely printed on veneer, as are all the other parts on plywood ... everything would have to be carefully cut out individually and the thin flitch-cut hardwood veneer (1/64" thick) splits like crazy. The kit suffered water damage anyway, so I salvaged materials for other projects from the box. I now have the current Oseberg kit - a well planned laser-cut version - and will glue very thin black walnut veneer to the plywood strakes on the outside so I won't have to apply stain, just a little 'boiled' linseed oil thinned with turpentine - something I've used on furniture and scratch built firelocks many times. The mahogany strakes on my Wasa look just fine and won't need staining. I'm surprised how well the planking turned out (done 45 years ago as a teen). Before putting on any decking, my idea of 'lining' the gun ports (balsa was used and tined darker), putting in strips of 'false gun decks' and making ersatz wood gun carriages to accept the brass 'half cannons' in the kit worked out also. I'd be inclined today to have double planked for better fairing, and would cut gun ports after the first planking slightly smaller than the port to be cut in the second planking, but still employ false deck strips and simplified carriages. That was the good news. I still have to do major surgery to make the stern right, but have a plan which I won't try and describe here - but will show pictures as the process goes forward (slowly, I'd say). Now for the forecastle deck. R.C. Anderson has a lot to say about the ORIGINAL Norske Love launched in 1634 in his book 'The Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast 1600 - 1720'. Another source indicated that Captain Henrik Span commanded her in the battle of Koge Bay on July 1st, 1677. She was named for the Norwegian/Danish Coat of Arms and translates as 'Norwegian Law'. A magnificent ivory and silver model of her was made between 1651 and 1654 (while she was extant) by Jacob Jensen Nordmark for Fredrick III, and is still on display in Rosenberg Castle in Copenhagen. An photo in the public domain (from the book) is pasted below. NOW it should be clear why I've studied this near contemporary of the Wasa. The two ships appears almost like twins, although the Danish model (a rare survivor from the 17th c.) shows a single gun deck, with a smattering of lighter guns above ... hence more sea worthiness than the over gunned Wasa. Note the forecastle deck on the Love - something that every period drawing/painting of large warships before and after also have forecastle decks. Whether the piece of ivory 'bridging' the middle of the ship represents canvass shade cloth or some sort of walkway is unclear. Another view of the same model is shown below. BTW, the cost was no object in the commissioning of this model, and the ivory with silver rigging and guns has survived without deterioration that other materials have been subject to. Note also that the OTHER Norske Love built in the 18th c. is a very different ship indeed, with models and model kits made of the later vessel. Now the present conservations of the original Wasa in Stockholm does not have a forecastle deck but one may have been intended, due to the hight of the bulwarks in the forward area. The way the first issue of the BB Wasa is put together internally (not just bulkheads but with fore-and-aft plywood interlocked), the sort of surgery needed to try and cut away the forecastle deck (a logical presumption at the time, considering the 1654 model, contemporary artwork and drawings) and everything already well glued-in (including solid wood to drill the fore mast hole) will be more difficult and messy than what I propose for increasing the height of the stern (which is mostly adding material to build it up). My thoughts are now to leave it and bring everything else into reasonable conformity. After all, building in any particular scale involves at least some compromises (for most builders), and my result should still not be confused with other ships - given the specific heraldry and other features of the stern, plus other distinctive aspects. So far my build site has had a few observers, but no comments as of yet. Perhaps the above arguments might promote a few comments or suggestions. 'Almost forget ... the out-of-scale guns on the forecastle deck already pictured there don't belong - just put there on a whim. The railing to be installed wouldn't take serious gun recoil anyway, so there won't be any.

Crikey, you're taking the 'kit' to a whole new level. What was in the box were resources to make a model as good as 'scratch built'. Makes sense - why re-invent the wheel?

I have crafted several 'heirloom' pieces of furniture made of Honduran mahogany, and the only finish I considered was a traditional French Polish with shellac - and I dissolved my own dry orange shellac flakes in Ethanol, but if you can find Zinnzer orange shellac in an unopened can not more than a year old it will do (they use methanol as the solvent). It takes weeks to slowly build and level enough layers (with a lint-free cloth bag containing absorbent material, then abrading with rottenstone or 600 grit paper when each application has had a day or two to cure) to gain what is known as chatoyancy - a jewel-like luster not unlike cloisonné enamel work. Once finished I applied only a very small amount of paste wax. No 'maintenance' is required - unless someone leaves an alcoholic beverage glass on a horizontal surface that leaves a 'ring'. Then it is a case of a repair to blend out. My 25 year old pieces look as good as the day they were finished, except that the underlying mahogany has darkened naturally with age. BTW, fine furniture should not be exposed to habitual UV radiation (sunlight).

My mom used to say to me, "All things in moderation." ... good words to live by. As with any hobby, do what you're interested in for your own satisfaction - and don't get so carried away that you neglect the other commitments in your life. It was said, "Do not compare yourself to others, for there will always be those greater or lesser than yourself."

Titebond (or any yellow 'carpenter's glue) is time proven, but there is a cure time - and parts that don't stay by themselves need to be clamped or otherwise secured (like tying). CA (the 'medium' viscosity type) is quick, but it can stick to fingers like crazy, and still penetrates wood and 'seals' it - leading to the staining and surface appearance problems noted by many in the forum. For holding down planking (pre-conditioned for a place on a hull) with the 'finger clamp' method, I have used 1-minute (or 3-minute) epoxy successfully. Just a wee dab of part A and part B from their respective tubes are placed near the end of a wooden door shim (available in packs at hardware stores) and mixed by finger tip. (It wipes right off on a rag or the lower part of the wood shim.) Applied to the wood to be secured (either by finger, dental tool or matchstick), I held it in place until set (1 to 3 minutes, and that is a 'soft' set), and the piece would stay put. Any getting onto the surface by accident or 'squeeze out' came off (after setting or curing) with a x-acto knife or a light sanding - and there was no significant penetration or staining of the wood the way CA can do.

Talk to the hand ...

Zinc based alloys (sometimes called 'pot metal') can be first painted with zinc chromate wash primer before applying a regular metal primer. Die cast (1950s and earlier) model locomotive (Lionel, Marx, etc.) were of zinc. Lead or (currently) tin based alloys are soft and easily bendable - a 'scratch test' in an inconspicuous place can be an indicator. Zinc alloys are 'tougher' and less bendy, with a higher melting point than the former types.

We who are about to die, salute you !

Superb work! Yes, we do sometimes have to 'suffer' for our art - for ship modeling is an art form as legitimate as any other, and one that goes back to the time of the Pharos (if not beyond).

The British considered Colonists (Americans) who revolted to be traitors, and treated them accordingly ... and often appallingly. (ref; the Paoli massacre, where Redcoats surprised and encampment of U.S. soldiers in the pre-dawn hours and bayonetted them rather than take prisoners.) The fight between France and England, on the other hand, was not a revolution (revolt against divinely ordained authority) - but a 'civilized' war (England and France had many wars over the centuries over a variety of political squabbles) between established (recognized) 'Nations'. Tut-tut, cheerio ... mum's the word.

Other Wasa builders may have comments, and seeing other builds already helps me formulate the direction and methods to go forward and complete my build - however ambitious it may be.

Ahoy! from Snug Harbor Johnny, this is my first build log but not my first build. All (but one) of the models I constructed (ships, planes, rockets in wood, paper or plastic) growing up in the 60s & 70s did not (alas) survive transitioning to adulthood, and my adult non-work activities ranged through a wide variety of Colonial crafts demoed in public with my wife - who got me into 're-enacting' time periods ranging from Renaissance to Edwardian ... but mostly of the 18th & 19th century. Now in semi-retirement, I want to more-or-less finish the old first-issue Billings Wasa that works out (as best as I can compare the model to the original) to about 1:105 scale. The information on the newly-raised warship was in the early stages in those days, so I don't fault the kit for making some assumptions to 'fill in blanks' (which there were a few then) - perhaps influenced by a contemporary model of another Wasa built in the late 18th c. (A 17th c ivory model of the Norwegian Lion - a near contemporary warship to the first Wasa comes much closer to the mark, and could be a 'twin' ... but that's another story.) Here is the aging plan (separated down the middle and slightly misaligned) from Billings, which shows the ship having an 18th c windowed stern cupola, the stern not as high as now known, a forecastle deck and a figure head not as jutting as later restored to the original in a Stockholm museum. In fact, the state of restoration and knowledge of the original (and pictures available on line and in books) is astounding - so I'd like to do at least some 'surgery' to make my model come reasonably close to the original. It will by no means by 'museum quality' or 'dead-on' accurate, but still should be recognized by knowledgable modelers as the Wasa. I anticipate that the effort to undo the forecastle deck (forced by the internal bulkheads in the kit at that time) may not be worth the effort. Or I could be wrong about this and with a little guidance I might chance to undertake it. Ah yes, note the hank of full-sized jute rope in the upper left of the picture, which I made myself on a real rope walk that is one of the crafts I demonstrate at historic houses and fairs. (Other crafts have included book binding, candle dipping /molding, colonial gun making, harpsichord playing - on one of three I built myself - and dancing, of all things ... I was strongly encouraged by my wife to help her start an historic dance group.) So I mat yet build a mini-rope walk for making my own scale rope for ship models. Well, there's the hull - untouched for decades - that was single-planked, and has a slight 'bulge' from the middle bulkhead being just a tad fat as supplied (and can be seen on other vintage build of this kit not corrected by fairing) ... and I did not appreciate the finer points of fairing in those days. I drilled little holes and filled then with round toothpicks to simulate wood pegging (tree nails ?). The modeled rings around the gun ports of the weather deck were done as follows: I modeled one in clay on a piece of glass, then painted successive layers of latex gunk (drying thoroughly between coats) to produce a one-sided rubber mold, which I peeled off the glass and cleaned out. Modeling plaster over the back of the latex mold to support the flimsy latex and then multiple 'copies' of the gunport rings could be made from hard dental plastering the mold - taken out when cured. I did the same for little lion's head for the inside of the gun ports (yet to be made.) More on those gunport later. Here's the stern, and the 'carvings' were modeled as described above - except that due to the complexity, I just slathered wood putty into the mold and slapped it onto the back to set. After all, it will all be painted anyway. But the arrangement of the carvings and size of the stern were what was thought by Billings around 1970. I plan to cut of the top below the feet of the lions and move that piece upward to raise the stern to where it needs to be - as well as correct the relationship to the pair of cupids below ... and many more figures need to be added - another challenge. Now for those gun ports. After cutting them (many are not quite square) I glued false 'decking' below each line of ports to support gun carriages and pieces of wooden dowel I drilled-out so that the 'half-cannons' supplied in the kit would fit into them. I also 'lined' the gun ports with small pieces of wood for a better look. Yeah, I know now that the plank widths are out of scale - they should be half the width - and the pegs are way out of scale ... they are what they are, and they really look OK on the model to the casual observer. Now you can see the 'stanchions' (extensions of the kit bulkheads are fat, but they can be trimmed and additional false stations added. There needs to be a third level in the stern, and raining the stern will provide space for that - but it will won't be exactly like to original ... just closer. I'll have to make the 'coffin-like' doored companionways as well. And there's the darned forecastle deck - most warships (at least drawings of them) before and after do have it this way, and perhaps I'll leave it but add a bulwark plus railing. There would be a lot of nasty cutting to get rid of it, and the deck would definitely show a surgical 'scar'. Under where each mast is to go I've already glued a large block of wood to drill a hole into for the mast. Do I try and mess with it, or just leave it alone? Here are some of the kit fittings. The full cannons leave much to be desired, but the ports on the weather deck already align to the carriages as-is. I can carefully belt sand some off the underside and glue 'wheels' on the outside so there will appear to be a little space underneath the carriage. Yeah, the blocks an deadeyes are plastic - but I bought a bunch of wooden ones to use instead. I'll have to make triangular deadeyes for the shrouds. Those bits in the plastic box are little lion heads cast from a latex mold - a few are flipped over to the flat reverse. Now here's a view with the 'half-cannons' installed, and they look OK - a whole lot better than just painting a black square and drilling a small hole to stick the half-barrels in as the kit suggested. Decals were provided for the lion heads for the open gun ports, and the ones I make with 3-D gold painted lion heads will be a definite improvement ... but I might glue the lids open against the hull. I'm trying to imagine the trouble of trying to fashion hinges that will be covered-up anyway, since almost all will be open. Plenty of guns, yeah, I'm all for that ... maybe its a 'guy' thing to build a warship bristling with cannon (a compensation or wishful thinking?) Here's a close-up of the guns, and they have a natural patina from just sitting around for so long. I know I have a great 'head start' (after a long hiatus) to build on what I have and end-up with a pretty good model. I'm NOT aiming for 'perfection' - 'good enough' is good enough for me. I don't want to put sails on - in fact, I'm considering to build it to the restored state of the original in Stockholm that has the first sections of the masts in place and shrouds/ratlines on them. That would be like some sort of Admiralty or dockyard model - plus the lower masts instead of cut-off (or serrated) 'stubs'. Or I could just do the masts and yards complete with standing rigging. That way the sails and scads of running rigging won't be needed. The third option would be to have just the few sails set that were actually used on the disastrous 'maiden voyage' ... most of the sails were found still in storage when the ship was salvaged. Your comments/suggestions are welcome. Fair sailing! Johnny

It just 'hit' me how challenging a 1:200 scale warship can be (e.g. the small size of the deadeyes) ! Many have noted the challenges with the Mantua/Sergal 1:124 Thermopylae having a lot of tiny details, which explains the popularity of busting a 1:96 Revell kit or making one of the better wood kits of slightly larger size. I have a book obtained in 1971 (when printed) titled 'The World of Model Ships and Boats' that I'm re-reading as a valuable resource. More 'Aha' moments, since they show a contemporary model of a 'Wasa' built in 1787 (60 gun) that Billings must have seen to 'fill in some blanks' (thought not correctly e.g. the foredeck and some other details) in their ORIGINAL issue of their kit (which I have half built, and now need to do some 'surgery' on - given the happy state of correct information available today on the original ship). There is also a model of the Norwegian Lion (Norske Loewe - the model was built of ivory with silver guns and ropes in 1654, and the ship was a near contemporary of the 1628 Wasa), and that model is VERY much like how the first Wasa was built. I've made careful measurements of my 1970 issue hull, and it appears to be just about 1:105 scale - the plans do not have a scale printed on them. This inspires me to choose about that scale (say 1:100) for a future clipper build. I also have another idea for making triangular deadeyes - inspired by the post that used a triangular shaped stick where the triangles are merely 'cut off' from the end of the stick (clever). First make a triangular stick as noted (rounding the corners by sanding while it is convenient to do so), but cut off triangles that are a little bit more than 2/3 the thickness of the deadeyes desired. Then make a similar triangular (as seen from the end) stick, with the size of the triangle (end view) a little smaller than the first stick made. Cut off triangles from the smaller sized stick that are 1/3 the thickness of the deadeyes desired. (The plot thickens.) Now glue these triangles back together to make-up a new 'stick' of stock, being sure to alternate thick and thin triangles, and also use short lengths of thin metal rod to space the smaller triangles so that they are recessed equidistantly inside the larger triangles. Do this on a piece of waxed paper to prevent sticking to the work surface, be sparing on the wood glue, and pull out the bits of metal once the glue has 'tacked' sufficiently - but not cured. Once cured, drill the holes in the deadeye stock from the end a little way, then cut off a deadeye from the stock. Cutting through a thicker triangle will accomplish this because the thicker sub-triangles are slightly more than 2/3 the deadeye thickness (allowing for saw kerf). You end up with a nice triangular deadeye that has the channel for the rope or fastening wire all around nice and neat, without having to fuss with a Dremel to grind it (and holding a tiny piece to do that is tricky). OMGosh, I just realized I've simplified the above scheme. Just make the triangle stock (with sanded corners) and grind a series of spaced rope channels around the stock with a Dremel or even just use a triangular file ! One can hold on the the stick stock to do this - how easy. Then after the rope holes are drilled a little in to the end of the stock, saw the deadeyes off. 'Sorry for the length of this post, but it represents how I think things through 'on the fly'.

Years ago, I used my Dad's obsolete belt-driven (motorized with a foot controller) dental drill to make holes for putting toothpicks in model ship planking to resemble the ends of treenails. My brother has that now, so I found a cool alternative sold at Harbor Freight (a national chain?), made by 'Chicago Tool' (Taiwanese, no doubt) that has a motor that hangs from a hook put into any vertical surface - and there is a flexible shaft going from the motor to a metal cylinder (an oversized pencil holder) with a chuck in the end. There is a sensitive foot control and anything a Dremel will accept it will accept. The Dremel was always too fast and touchy to control. I really like the new tool and have used it for a number of projects - there is no noticeable run-out.

They look good enough for me. In this life you only need to be 'good enough' ... I remember the movie 'Cool Runnings' (about the Jamaica Olympic bobsled team), and the coach told them, "Winning a medal is a wonderful thing, but if you're not good enough without the medal - you won't be good enough with it." I've tried a lot of craft-related hobbies - like making a piecework quilt (my wife has made many) ... just one to show I can do it, but I might try another in future. I 'kit busted' the Ugears (laser-cut wood model company) Hurdy-Gurdy kit (which makes a 'scratchy' toy if built as-supplied). It took a lot of doing, but I ended up with a limited range mini-instrument that does play 'half-good' compared to the real thing. My ultimate kit (half-busted) was the Hubbard, English bent side spinet kit (harpsichord), that took three years, but I ended up with a keyboard instrument that not only looked like a museum piece, but it sounds beautiful ... and I've appeared occasionally in historic houses to play for special tours as a musician (yes, in costume). The book thing I was able to do after taking a couple of classes from a former bookbinder from Historic Williamsburg Virginia (he was attending William and Mary Law School at the time, and he now lives not far from me by chance), and pouring over a book on the subject I'd been hanging onto for 25 years. Life's funny that way (if you live long enough), you can actually 'get to' a lot of things you've meant to do by and by.

I can see the splitting challenge, Louie. However, I will try an experiment that I think will have a good chance of success. i have a supply of thin black walnut veneer ( .020 thick x 4.5" wide x 4' long - from Woodworkers Supply, I think a national chain) that I will cut into 4.5" squares. I'll brush on a little thinned aliphatic resin carpenters glue (or PVA glue that I use for bookbinding - yes, that's another hobby of mine. See, I wrote this book and thought, "Why not take self-publishing 'literally'," then I learned how to make book 'signatures' by splitting the text and printing them as two-sided 'booklets. Each is sewn to book cords on a home-made sewing rig, and PVA is used for the remaining steps to make the spine, attach the cord ends to hardboard, glue a leather back and add home marbled paper - yet another craft - to cover the hardboard.) , where was I ... oh yes, put glue on the top side of three pieces of veneer - making SURE to rotate each 90 degrees to alternate the way the grain runs - , then plop a fourth on top, then either clamp between two boards to cure or simply weigh them down with books - using waxed paper below and above the stack in case of 'squeeze out'. Shazaam! I will have made hardwood plywood of material (when oiled) that will resemble lignum vitae. Then I'll cut strips as wide a the triangles I want to make on my mini table saw - or just cut through with multiple X-acto cuts to save on material and prevent sawdust, mark the strips for multiples like in your picture, drill the holes using wire drills and a special mini chuck on a drill press to hold the bits, cut much of the waste away with a scroll saw, then free the triangles with a model train track cutting saw (Atlas or comparable make). I could use a variable speed Dremel (actually the Chicago Tool variable speed flex-shaft tool I got from Harbor Freight is a dream to use, since the speed is controlled by a foot pedal - leaving both hand free to use) to cut a groove around the freed triangles for the scale rope to pass around - with the corners filed or sanded to round them.

Thanks so much for the pics on making triangles ... just the thing I need for the Wasa. I have apple wood and other stock, and will try using a wire drill to do the holes. Then the strip of stock looks like a 'short timers' stick in Vietnam. One would make a stick notched all around for how many days days left in the tour, then cut off one segment each day until only the nub was left. (I wasn't there but read about it in a book written by a Vet.)

Well said advice. I've admired my Wasa hull (planked in 1973) for decades, taking it off there shelf many time over the years, and now recent research has given me the ideas needed to do more on it - at least to the stage one can see the original in Stockholm. Building tips available on this site (with just a little searching) are invaluable, and an inspiration. I'll never reach the highest levels of craftsmanship in miniaturization some have shared online, but I don't need to. Have several hobbies and 'graze' among them as the spirit moves. Self-motivation and self-satisfaction are the reasons to do anything.

I have demoed full-sized rope making using a home-made spinner of three wooden gears driven by a central cranked gear (all mounted between two boards and held by a sturdy vertical saddle makers clamp. Kids love to crank the rig (with directions) as I make sure nothing goes awry on the other end or in-between. There is a free spinning hook on a wheeled come-along as the rope produced is shorter than the initial length of the set-up, and a weighted three-groove thing-a-ma-jig travels along letting the rope make itself in the process. 'Guess a mini rope maker for inside wouldn't be too hard to devise.

One idea ... on a piece of clear plastic that fills the window opening, one might take cut pieces of fine electronics solder (I have some old Radio Shack part number 64-005 that is 60/40 lead/tin solder .033" diameter - but there must be similar products offered today that are lead free 95/5 tin antimony), then flatten the solder slightly with a planishing hammer on a flat metal surface. These would be glued onto the plastic in, say, the vertical direction (or at an angle for 'diamond' panes that were sometimes used in those days), then use short lengths of planished solder to glue in the horizontal direction.