BLACK VIKING

Stunning looking pictures the Viking ship builders were masters of their art . Hopefully it will come to the UK near me so I can go and have a look
 
BV

Hello everyone, some pictures of 'Grandad's Santa Maria before cleaning started. Sails and most of the rigging removed before they fell off.
I am no ship builder and stand in awe of you guys - detail, planking, scale it's just WOW I am amazed reading your build logs.
This is a restoration project for my Grandson due next year, keeping it in the family, although how to get it to Norway in one piece without breaking the bank (or the ship) will be a problem to solve in a year or two.
Thanks for looking and your words of encouragement in my recent Introduction entry.
 
 

Hi, Bob. It's unlikely that your model was built from a kit. It looks very much like one of the decor models that were popular in the first half of the 20th century. Many of them were made in Spain, and Columbus' ships were popular subjects. Good luck with your restoration!
 
Regards,

Stunning looking pictures the Viking ship builders were masters of their art . Hopefully it will come to the UK near me so I can go and have a look
 
BV

Stunning looking pictures the Viking ship builders were masters of their art . Hopefully it will come to the UK near me so I can go and have a look
 
BV

Squaring frames and fairing, only one frame needed minor adjustments, and adding support strips
 
 

 
Support strips added now planking frames and bulkheads
 

 
 The first of the changes of wood, here I am using cherry for the bottom. It is a flat bottomed boat. looks good and a real treat from the normal planking. I actually finished this and still wanted to do more, how often do you feel like that? Normally it is burn out and you are looking for a drink...........ok no burn out but I still had a drink .
 
 That's it for now I need to go outside to plant and cut grass. No the grass doesn't grow that fast, planting grass in garden area then it's cutting the existing 6 acres of grass. It's not that bad, I have a zero turn lawnmower that helps it go faster. The only problem is you need both hands to operate the lawnmower so no smoking or drinking, so for the next 4 hours I'll be health conscious.  
 More to come soon 

Glenn,
I have followed your build log off and on. I appreciate your Pegasus log and will refer to it as I stert my own ( don't know when). Thank you for sharing your experience with Vanguard as well as Pegasus. Even though some logs are followed more than others, I do appreciate your posts even though I don't reply. Trying to hit the like button more often. Enjoy building!
 
Regards,
Dave B

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Additional Photos
 
Note the intricate carvings
 

 
Raven

 
Ship's Rudder

 
Stern area
 

Mates,
 
Thanks for the likes on my "other" hobby (:-)
 
Peter, thanks. Yes, I have seen this in Hocker's Vasa book (p 57) Though this is a reference for the lower gun deck. Regarding weather deck gun positioning the same could certainly apply. 
 
Dave offered a good suggestion in offsetting the last two quarterdeck carriages (I will try that). I actually now also realize that I also "over-scaled" those two carriages. 
 
 
Regards,

Thanks for the explanation Jan I think when I get mine I will have to do a bit of kit bashing
 
Martyn

Thanks for the update Michael how has Corel got it so wrong as they can go and see the ship as it still exists? But still you are doing a fantastic job lovely work
 
Martyn

I don't think I have built a kit model of anything since I was a kid that I have not bashed either due to inaccuracies of the kit or my just my own personal demands. Some kits require more than others and some builders require more than others. A kit gives you the basic building blocks. It is up to the individual modeler to decide if that is good enough for them or to see how far they can take it.
 
Michael has by far taken a "basic" kit above and beyond to the point the kit is barely recognizable as a kit.

Thanks for the explanation Jan I think when I get mine I will have to do a bit of kit bashing
 
Martyn

Thanks for the update Michael how has Corel got it so wrong as they can go and see the ship as it still exists? But still you are doing a fantastic job lovely work
 
Martyn

Hi Martyn,
 
The Corel Kit has been developped in the early 70's just a few years after the recovery of the Vasa. there has not been any re-design from the kit.
As far as I understood Billing Boats re-designed their kit but no kit is really perfect, although the newest kit from DAgostini seams to be the most accurate kits, but this is just on the market this year, so we have to wait for this final result.

Thanks  Michael for the explanation. I see what you mean. I am wrestling with the deck fit on my build from Revell and have to compromise for sake of sanity too. At any rate and no matter what you rig - your build is beautiful and will always be admired for its excellence.
 
Dave

Hi Mates,
 
Thanks for dropping by -always;
 
EJ_L  Yes, my thoughts as well – but needed to make the changes. They would have indeed bugged me J
 
Edwin-  always a pleasure when you drop by and comment –thanks !
 
Buck, see my notes below regarding wheel sizes as well as carriage framing. Thanks so much for your thoughts.
 
Mark, see last pic lol
 
JanV, yes a bit of a headache trying to add arguably a bit too much detail. But I am mostly enjoying the challenges.
 
Dave & Patrick Thanks for your suggestions and photos.  Good idea on the angling. Dave point well taken indeed,,,
 
Some thoughts –strictly for edification, not as complaints.
 
Mentioned before; Vasa was mounted with many diff. size artillery. I chose the two that are circled as my guides for the main weather deck, and the two falconets for the quarterdeck. Chose to replicate the looks of the carriages and their wheel sizes.
 
Even so the actual artilleries are all wrong. (Casting is way above my skill set – forever!!) So after-market examples were good enough; actually very nice indeed. Huge improvement over Corel included examples (as with most kits)
 
Note Clayton Johnson’s amazing work in these two photos.
 

 
In regard to carriage spacing, note the actual carriage length beyond back of cannon. I had originally built all carriages in this correct way, but subsequently realized that I needed to trim the entire overhang away in order to have the carriages fit more properly onto the too narrow weather deck. Again Corel!!.
 

 
Main deck (no forecastle) seems better scaled. Though I still needed to cut carriage overhangs. Also - I know that I need to re-paint my knighthead figures (PS; weak quality castings)

 
For the dummy carriages in the upper and lower gun decks, well that was a gift ha ha.

 
So working on the fix for the quarterdeck falconets. Smaller blocks are the first step, scaling also looks better.

Chuck and his Syren Comp.  We are very good acquaintances. In fact all rigging are also from his company, excellent quality products indeed; well deserved plug Chuck…

 
 
 

Thanks for notice Ulises Victoria, these big models will follow later. I think there will be more models like the Royal Luis which will need some adjustments.
 
Bill-I know that some of the Mamoli models are not historicaly accurate but some people like it so until there will be interest I will produce them (just economy). Today everyone have enought information too choose models after their own opinion and preference, someone like historical accuracy, someone like models more like decoration. 

Stunning work yet again. Very nicely done on those falconets.
 
BV

Stunning work yet again. Very nicely done on those falconets.
 
BV

Stunning work yet again. Very nicely done on those falconets.
 
BV

Hi Mates,
 
Thanks for the “likes” much appreciated, as well as for your visiting this shipyard. 
 
Finished up the falconets. Install will be easy compared to the busy work that these little pieces required, but I am pleased with the results. Pics are self-explanatory so keeping this brief.
 
PS: I simulated the axle braces and the metal framings attaching cleats by using a small drill bit and barely indenting those surfaces. The illusion works well enough to look as if these parts are in fact properly attached to the carriages, I think J
 
The washers that became wheel caps were sourced from a model railroad hobby company. The washers are a bit too large, but I did not want to increase the size of the wheels. Close enough hmmm.
 
Cheers,

 
 
 
 

Hi Sjors, thanks for the advice. As you can see I have drawn my lines and gun ports. It took me two tries before it was correct. The very upper ports do not look right to me. I will do as you suggest and fit my cannons first and see how they line up. Then I will proceed. My dad came over yesterday to checkout my ships. It's nice to se his amazement at my work.

A stunning looking pirate ship. Well done and thanks for sharing
 
BV