BLACK VIKING

Hi all got this for Christmas. I will be doing a build log soon so watch this space 
See you later 
Martyn 

Thanks for the likes guys. 
The cockpit is now complete.  Lots of fiddly parts and decals. 
On to the wings 
Martyn 

Hi all a little update on the build.  Just started the cockpit. 
The part's fit very well and it definitely shows how tight the cockpit is for the pilot. 
Next job putting the other side together 
Martyn 

Thanks for the likes guys. 
The cockpit is now complete.  Lots of fiddly parts and decals. 
On to the wings 
Martyn 

Hello, my name is Bob M and I go by Knocklouder here on MSW.  This is my adventure in the world of modeling for this kit.
Today January 10, 2026 I am starting  a new log , it is for the Swedish war ship Wasa.  I am not feeling well so was told to take it easy and rest, do research,  study the build. I am in agreement. 
Before I get into this build here are two Wasa's one is the Billings Boat 490 Lazer cut  that a fellow modeler  gave me a great deal on. Which  is great because I was down to My last kit and have seem to have run into a bit of a financial problem ,  but that's life, one door shut another opens.
My late friend Rodney  left me this wasa on the bottom  , this one you have to cut everything out  on a saw it is not lazer cut.
 it is missing all the stern with  parts. With this kit I will make a cross section,  my luck  another member is doing the same but for his entire ship, I asked for just the middle.  He did all the figures on a cad program. Print them out and paste them on the bulk heads.  Then cut out with a scroll saw,  and make the cross section.

This are the copy I made on my printer. When the time come these will be very useful.


This is Kurt Builder ⚒️ he came ahead of me to do the research. I told him good, we got lots of time .lol . He says we can start building  right away.  Wasa buildt 1628, sailed out of the harbor and cap sized .  It is in a museum  now so they are peiceing to gether what it looks like. 

This is falling together fast, I just happened  to have this Billing Boat building slip, and can tell it will be a great asset to have.
 I have not glued anything yet,  Still just kinda puttering around sorting things,  putting things away for later.
I plan to go all out for this kit, full sails, made from Modelspan. Lol love shipping,  four sheets 5 buck, 15 for shipping. 
But it it beautiful paper
Worth every penny.  
Which  is about all I have lol. On the bright side I  have years of Wasa ahead.
Now after some days off I will continue with my build. If you want follow  along
The more I look and learn about this ship the more I like it. It is a good size ship and one I want to deck out fully, because I may not have time to deck out to many more 😅 
Well hope I got the title right 😁.
 
Here we go.
Knocklouder 
Kurt ⚒️ 
 
Bob  M.😁

Thanks for the likes guys. 
The cockpit is now complete.  Lots of fiddly parts and decals. 
On to the wings 
Martyn 

Thanks for the likes guys. 
The cockpit is now complete.  Lots of fiddly parts and decals. 
On to the wings 
Martyn 

Down small fore rail :

So I have finished with the pictorial instructions, with page M being the final page. This included the attachment of the side davits, whale boats and the anchors. The anchors and whale boats I am holding off until after the rigging, but I did glue the side davits on and added the guy lines and tackles for one of the whale boats. I had also made a new display stand early in the build, which I switched out with the working stand. So now it is onto the masts, spars, and rigging.
 

 
I started with the bow sprit as the instructions show. I cut out and tapered the dowels for the bow sprit, jib boom and flying jib boom . There is a lot of room for improvement in the supplied fittings and instructions, which I will describe as I go along. The first is the bow sprit cap, which connects the bow sprit and the jib boom. The supplied laser cut cap has holes that go straight through, since it's laser cut. But the bow sprit is at around a 16 degree angle to horizontal. If used as is the cap would be at the 16 degree angle when it should be straight up and down. If you try filing the holes at the angle they get elongated and do not look right. Plus the top and bottom of the cap should be angled the same as the bow sprit. So after a few attempts I was able to make a new cap with angled holes from boxwood. I also made it a little wider than the supplied cap so I could attach the flying jib boom offset from the jib boom instead of directly on top of it, as it should be. The instructions also say to make the jib boom cap, which connects the other end of the jib boom with the flying jib boom, from supplied round brass rod. Instead I used flat brass stock which I worked into two rings that I soldered together and blackened, which looks more authentic. I'll have pictures of these and the rest of the bow sprit pieces in a future post.
 
I have also been working on a procedure for stropping the hearts and deadeyes that go around the bow sprit. Speaking of hearts, the kit supplies all closed hearts, but the hearts on top of the bow sprit should be open hearts. I made two open hearts from boxwood which will be stropped in a loop of line. I want to strop the closed hearts and deadeyes with a loop that fits tightly onto the bow sprit. I came up with this method using the server machine which worked well. I had modified a couple of alligator clips to fit into the gears that normally the line to be served goes through. I use these when I need to serve short lengths of line. But I can also use them to hold other alligator clips as shown here. I start by making a loop of the stropping line by using a needle and poking the line through itself to make a splice. I then put this loop around the heart or deadeye with the splice just at the point of the heart and adjust the size of the loop so the resultant loop is the right size. This took a few trial and errors to get right but once I had the size I could easily repeat it. I then used a needle to thread the serving line through both sides of the loop at the point of the heart. I tie a slip knot in the serving line and pull it tight to close the loop, and fix it with some shellac (which I use to fix all my knots). This is how things look at this point.
 

 
I then serve the line over the loop for about 10 turns which catches the two loose ends of the loop. I finally use a needle to push the serving line back through both sides of the loop and tie it off, then fix the whole serving with more shellac. At this point I can take it off the serving machine and let it dry.
 

 
You will see the finished products on the bow sprit soon. One thing with this method is that I had to leave the gammoning seat off the bow sprit for now so I can slide these loops onto the bow sprit. Alternately I could have left the bees off the front of the bow sprit.
 
Another improvement I made are the spreaders. The instructions show eyebolts in the inner ends of these that are somehow attached to other eye bolts in the side of the bow sprit. I guess you are supposed to link the two together, but that is never shown anywhere. But the spreaders shown in the AOS Beagle book have jaws that are tied around the bow sprit with parrels. So I made jaws from boxwood and glued them to the sides of the spreaders.
 
I have given all the wood bow sprit pieces a coat of walnut stain so I can start assembling as soon as they dry.

The last to pieces have been placed in the Orlop deck and it is now officially finished. The sailors have a long way behind them, all the way from  Kiev and enjoy first some fun before they go to work.
 

 

And just to add.....
 
I agree and will be doing just that.   BUT, this is also already available.   Plans for the Cheerful are available to buy on my store and the monograph chapters are also there as a FREE download.  I just sold a set and it reminded me of our recent discussions.
 
AND...even for larger projects like the Winnie, You can pay just $15 and gain access to all of the plans and monograph chapters along with any templates etc as a download.   So at least these two projects are available still for a small fee.   Almost free in fact.  And should you need to buy any parts that are difficult for you to make like the cannon or carvings....those are actually available too.   So you have the best of both worlds.   
 
Just check out my website for the Cheerful or join the Winnie group project here.   
 
Chuck

Hi all,
 
It's been so long since I've updated this log. --- She's finished - as a hull model...
I will fill in a few blank spots to wrap this off as "completed"..
 
Decided to also include a ship's boat mounted on deck. So images below. To be followed by scratch built deck framing for this pinnace.
 
Regards,
 
MJD
 
 
 

Thanks for the likes guys. 
The cockpit is now complete.  Lots of fiddly parts and decals. 
On to the wings 
Martyn 

Thanks for the likes guys. 
The cockpit is now complete.  Lots of fiddly parts and decals. 
On to the wings 
Martyn 

I managed to install another half a dozen of pipes. Making slow progress using length, size, appearance and connector diameters. It is not easy and the existing pictures of the original design are helping a lot.
 
I also poured some acrylic resin with a couple of drops of green dye. I do not want to pour too much as it may leak between the main feet of the Hangar.
 

 

 
The benefit of that resin is also to secure all the pipes and hoses to the base. No more wiggling.
 
Below are close-ups on a few new hoses that I installed: 
 

 

 
I still have another 12 to 15 to place between the creature/robe and the various components of the hangar.
 
Yves

Thanks for the likes guys. 
The cockpit is now complete.  Lots of fiddly parts and decals. 
On to the wings 
Martyn 

Hi all a little update on the build.  Just started the cockpit. 
The part's fit very well and it definitely shows how tight the cockpit is for the pilot. 
Next job putting the other side together 
Martyn 

Hi all a little update on the build.  Just started the cockpit. 
The part's fit very well and it definitely shows how tight the cockpit is for the pilot. 
Next job putting the other side together 
Martyn 

Hi all a little update on the build.  Just started the cockpit. 
The part's fit very well and it definitely shows how tight the cockpit is for the pilot. 
Next job putting the other side together 
Martyn 

Hi,
 
Leaving shields for a bit - a few more details need to be added ---no rush.....
 
For now, initially working on framings, and to think about how to add details to some of the inner cross timber bits as I plan on leaving several of the deck’s planks off to the sides to view mast stem, rocks for ballast, ropes, and other types of supplies that were certainly stored below the deck.
 
As prefect as Pavel’s framings are for this kit - when deck planks totally cover - I’m hoping to replicate a better look as how those hull floor cross members looked per images of the ship, and from that 3D image taken as well (below).
 
I need to receive the mast step bits for center mid ship area first. I checked my order  and apparently it should ship mid month, January. In any case hull planking is on the short “to do” list, and most deck planks will actually be laid across the deck - but for those few that are not - want to add better details..TBD
 
Having fun learning about something that is totally new for me. My other three ships were 15th-16th century examples. The Santisima cross section was also a new and interesting learning project project that dealt with building from the insides as historically accurately as I could. It was also my first attempt at adding lighting.
 
Thanks for your likes much appreciated indeed. As well as just dropping by for a look. 
 
As always regards,
 
 

Hi all a little update on the build.  Just started the cockpit. 
The part's fit very well and it definitely shows how tight the cockpit is for the pilot. 
Next job putting the other side together 
Martyn 

Hi all a little update on the build.  Just started the cockpit. 
The part's fit very well and it definitely shows how tight the cockpit is for the pilot. 
Next job putting the other side together 
Martyn 

Hi all a little update on the build.  Just started the cockpit. 
The part's fit very well and it definitely shows how tight the cockpit is for the pilot. 
Next job putting the other side together 
Martyn 

Thanks again for the likes guys
The engine is now complete just a little weathering. 
Next job the cockpit which is just as detailed. Really looking forward to starting it 
Thanks again 
Martyn 

Hi all a little update on the build.  Just started the cockpit. 
The part's fit very well and it definitely shows how tight the cockpit is for the pilot. 
Next job putting the other side together 
Martyn