BLACK VIKING

This plastic model set made in Japan is out of print. This is what I did when I made it 15 years ago.
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Evening all,   the Tirailleurs  are done  and I have built the Drummer.
 
OC.

Thank you Sirs 🙂
 
Once you take a look at the whole thing manned, you immediately see how tight it is inside and out.
 

 

 
Seen from above, it's clear that even the diving away under the swifter and running back that some people assume will be somewhat difficult here, and could quickly throw the others out of rhythm. If, while the bars are being inserted, the rest of the crew is heaving the guns over, a smooth work flow is guaranteed while turning. I'm not talking about work safety here but of a smooth rotating flow 🙂
 

 
The Swifter was led by a notch at the end of the bars. Whether there was only ever a knot in front and behind the bar or whether it was secured for example by a half hitch I will still find out.
 
Interesting also in the lower perspective. Jumping over the guns wasn't possible there either, the deck beams were only a few centimeters above the
heads, and the outer sailors probably have to watch out with the hanging knees anyway ...
 

 

 
Here you can see it nicely what I mean, at 0:15 - This action combined with deck beams one would then hear a rhythmic "Klock" when hard wood (sailor's thick head) hits hard wood (deck beams) ... 
 
Jumping the gun
 
Simply delightful to see. 
 
And for the naval officers in the boats finally a possibility to look unpunished under skirts, as the girls up there come along on the spar ...
 
It remains exciting 🙂
 
XXXDAn
 

Well that’s the main deck planked apart from the edges waiting for a power? saw to do the curved pieces. Not sure why a couple of planks appear darker after applying Danish oil, never mind it’ll be covered by the quarter deck if  another coat of oil doesn’t reduce contrast.
 
Next up two additional gun ports towards the bow and holes for the oars

With 99% of the PE railing completed, I am ready to move on to the final details including the ship's boats, the aircraft, life rafts, flag staffs, and rigging. A few other odds and ends as well. Almost there.
 

It's one of the things I've done in the last 20 years. Inside is a miniature music box made in Japan. Shake the handle, tighten the inner spring and make a wonderful singing sound. In the Internet search of the same picture, I calculated the approximate size of the production.
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Kevin: Yes indeed very nice bits from Amati as well as vintage Sergal  – and regarding Doris – beyond genius work – I’ve called her the Michelangelo of this hobby. Oh and thanks so much for following this log as well – you were more than kind with your comments on my Vasa log back in the day….
 
Robp125: So encouraging – thanks so much – Indeed a beautiful ship in its first iteration. SO appreciate your interest
 
Ulises: The complete Amati kit can be purchased as a set or piece by piece. Got mine from:
 
https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=amati seas sovereign&PN=1831-Sovereign-of-the-Seas-Cast-Decoration-Set-A1831.html#SID=353
 
You can also buy the Amati plan sheets as well as the Flag sheet (their flag sheet is excellent) Ok Ulises you asked lol – for the 144 individual pieces by their part numbers I will send you a PM –
 
If other members are interested let me know I will just copy and paste the item numbers on this log…… It will just be a sea of Amati part numbers with no reference to what the bits actually are - once the part # is copied and pasted to Cornwall (or other Amati retail provider) it with return with an image as well. PS: I tried ordering several fittings directly from Amati in Italy -the purchase was rejected in the USA - I needed to order from a retailer.
 
Here is one last image of Amati bits FYI
 

 
Here are images of Amati and Sergal flag sheets FYI:
 
Amati - double adhesive sided  
 

 
Sergal 
 

 
Vintage Sergal after so many years in box looks perfect on both sides
 

The chain were completed.  I finished the crank handles on the aft side of the pumps.  They were done exactly the same way as the forward crank handles.

Then those two remaining qdeck beams were permanently glued in position along with the lodging knees.  It feels good to get those done.
 
 

 
All that remains in this chapter is to make and add the two elm tree pumps.  I may start on those tomorrow.
 
 

 

And here are two pictures that show a so-called Galley Festival (Fête de Galeres). That was certainly not an amusement for the poor galley convicts, but partys for an aristocratic audience. In fact, around 1700 the galleys were less of an effective weapon and more of a kind of royal yacht fleet, which is especially true for the "Real" as their flagship, whose ornaments were designed by a famous sculpturer. From these illustrations and further research I have drawn some suggestions that I would now like to implement.
Schmidt
 

Hi,
 
Minor update – still working on forward keel, beakshead and stem areas; adding details that have taken some time, and of course some areas don’t come out right on first attempt, or areas also have to be redone  😬  ---  Thanks for dropping by, likes and any comments or suggestions…
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My vote goes to the vintage one - the newer one looks like a cross between a horse & lion.  You would think a newer design would be better, not worse!
 
Mark

The cant frames are just glued onto the keel. But their position and tilt differ from frame 1 to 3. I thought about using different scrap wood parts to ensure correct alignment but the better solution turned out to be another jig. So I used the frames plan, scanned the segment and drew a jig with Corel. Printed that on adhesive paper and made a jig out of 1,5mm plywood.
 

 
Test fit for frames - passed. For better view and handling I removed the side door and the side panel, they‘re only fixed by screws.
 

 

 
Hope that will secure equal position of all frames when they are glued in ... in the next hour.
 
 

Finally, I've gotten into doing some gun rigging. Between some hospital time, and a reluctance to do the work, it's been awhile. In any event, I've done three guns with breech ropes and side tackles. I came up with the line and block sizes using the tables in Lees (The Masting and Rigging Of English Ships Of War). I will continue to do the remaining guns, with the exception of those that have their eyebolts or ring bolts set in knees. Those will have to wait until deck beams and knees are in place. 
 
Bob

Evening all, I managed a couple of hours on the build this evening, I couldn't do more as I am in the middle of a house paint and its taking up all my time and energy  "boy do my limbs ache after  so long of none use"       so  straight on with  painting the back packs, I had already painted the Great Coats  next was the Brown of the actual  packs - after drying these I worked on the  straps  then a bit of touch up, still a fair bit more to do.
 
OC.

Thank you O.C. and Popeye for the nice comments - I appreciate it.   And thanks to all for looking in and for the likes.
 
 
That's nothing Keith, look at their coveralls.  A little honest dirt never hurt anyone. 
 

 
 
 
 
Thank you Mark and Egilman.  More eyes and constructive criticism is always appreciated and welcomed as it invariably results in a better model.  Yes you right, it is too light and clean looking and needs additional attention.  I'll wait until I get the lighting in to see how much darker it needs to go.  
 
 
 
Hello Lou, thanks for the comment.  I agree that service pits were commonplace and even iconic in repair shops of yesteryear, but as you say they have been mostly replaced with lifts.  Which is good because today, many jurisdictions have banned pits altogether citing fume accumulation (one of several concerns) as a danger to workers health and the potential for ignition.  In fact, the National Electrical Code considers them a hazardous location requiring an explosionproof wiring system (to prevent ignition) for light and ventilation.
 
Something I've found curious looking through old photos is the scarcity of pits and instead this method of working the underside.  Based on the abundance of images like this, it must have been a very common way to work on these old rather light vehicles.
 
But it is timely that you mentioned service pits - please read on. . .
 

 

 
 
Backtracking  -  Adding a Service Pit
 
One of the things I like best about modeling these small dioramas is that there is no specific prototype - only what's in my head.  So there is no set design that I must adhere to or elements that I must include.  Starting out, I always think I know how it will end, but rarely do my initial plans go unchanged.
 
I had intended to have several vehicles all pointing forward, side by side with one vehicle displayed in profile in front of the work bench.  Shop equipment would be placed around the wall perimeter.  It occurred to me that this arrangement is rather dull, visually uninteresting and there is something about it I just don't like.  I believe dioramas need to have a central focus, something prominent that your eye is drawn to - something my model doesn't have.
 
Looking through my collection of old photos, I found this one of a wheel alignment/service pit and decided this element could be a great main focus for my dio.  The image is from one of the collections at the Library of Congress, but I don't remember which one.
 

 
 
There are a number of things that drew me to it.  One is that the pit itself is irregular in shape and there is working room around the vehicle, not just a narrow pit down the center.  The pit has two depth levels; the outer shallower level and a deeper drivetrain pit, so it will add dimension to the model.  Also, the iron structure of the platform is an eye draw and I think it will nicely display the vehicle standing on it in profile – or so I hope.  And I have just enough room in the shadow box case to drop it down through the floor.
 
So I drew up a pit that will fit the space I have.  The general dimensions and depths were taken from modern truck wheel alignment pits.   One of the wheel rails is movable in or out to accommodate vehicles of different widths.

 
As you can see below, the pit eats up a lot of real estate, but I think the scene will feel less crowded because of it.
 

 
It is made from sheet styrene; .040” for the floor and .020” for the walls. 1-2-3 blocks were used to keeps things square and true in its assembly.
 

 

 
 
Modifications to the existing model were necessary to accommodate the pit.  First, the electrical piping was removed and then the mezzanine was shortened because the new side door is quite wide and would run into it.  Also, the ladder for the mezzanine will be pushed back to the rear wall whereas originally it was going to be free standing up front.  Three feet were cut from from the structure and the free hanging end was braced.  The mezzanine will also have support from hanging ceiling tie rods when the time comes.
 
The side window was removed and the opening enlarged to a height of 12 feet by 10 feet wide for the doorway.
 
The floor was cut out and the pit was test fit.
 

 
 
The double door is wood and opens outward, so the hinges and locking hardware would be on the outside.  A drew up a door and used it as a construction template.  The basswood strips were colored beforehand with India ink/alcohol and topped with a green acrylic mixture, some of which was pulled off with cellophane tape.  The boards are glued directly to the template with PVA and the frame work is glued on top of that – then trimmed with a straight edge and scalpel.
 

 
 
Using the drawing tick marks as a guide, holes for the exterior strap hinge bolts are drilled clear through the material and injection molded washer/bolts are inserted.  The bolt shanks are trimmed flush on the back side of the template.  A touch of thin CA is applied to the ends of the trimmed shanks where capillary action draws it into the hole leaving the front side clean of glue.
 

 
 
A security bar is added.  The brackets are made from aluminum beverage can sidewall.  I drilled small shallow divots into the brackets to mimic attachment screw heads, but they're barely visible.  Also, I ran a black permanent marker down the back side of the template where the two door sections meet so that the white paper doesn't show through.
 

 
 
The door header is a styrene “I” beam with one side sanded off and it scales to about 9” wide by 12.5' long.  Flat black enamel was applied with a cosmetic sponge to add a little texture followed by pigment powder to add a hint of rust.  Styrene bolt heads were placed and pencil graphite was rubbed on to highlight beam edges.
 

 
 
Basswood door jambs and side casings were glued into the opening.  The header was glued on and the wall opening was backed with a piece of sheet wood as a place to land the door itself. 
 

 
 
The ladder for the mezzanine is basswood with brass rungs.  The brass is .014” dia. and the rails are scale 2” x 4”.  
 

 
 
The two rails are taped together and the rung holes are drilled through both at the same time.  Short pieces (about 1”) of the pre-blackened brass are inserted through the holes and the rails are then pulled apart until the desired width of ladder is reached.  This leaves all the brass rungs jaggedly sticking out both rails which are now trimmed flush and end glued with thin CA.  The rails are stained and styrene stand-off brackets attached.
 

 
 
The styrene pit was primed with an air brush followed by a couple of shades of gray acrylic on top.  This is not the final coloring, just a base.  The pit was glued into place and styrene angle fitted around the perimeter.
 

 

 
Enough with backtracking - it's time to move forward again.
 
Thanks for taking a look.
 
Gary

I will start posting photos of my build. Lets start with a short tour of my workshop. Shall we?
 
This table is for all the electric equipment:
 

 
This is the drawing board table for all the plans instructions and paperwork:

 
An improvised painting booth, very seldom used...

 
Main assembly table, where all the small parts are worked on:

 
Ship assembly table, where work on the actual ship is done... that black platform goes down...

 
...and up... and can be fixed at any height in between...

 
The indispensable coffee station

 
Construction photos:
 
Assembling the bulkheads and making sure they are perfectly perpendicular...

 
All bulkheads glued and two first false decks nailed and glued...

 

 
I substituted the kit's blocks with Chuck's.... no comparison whatsoever... Splendid work, Chuck!!!

 
These may have been overkill, as the ones with the kit are pretty good, and a simple bath in black ink would get the same results... oh well...
 

 
That's it for today folks. See you soon!!!
 
 

Hi all,
 
Very minor -- almost back-to-back “fix” update
 
As I was reworking the fix for the forecastle deck knightheads, grating and staircase framing, I came to the realization that my main deck gratings were so wrong – In retrospect I should have done the same type  of framing as for the forecastle, and main deck near mainmast openings. 
Removed and attempted to “fix” main deck gratings - still not 100% but better.....here are some images.
Thanks for looking in.....
 
Cheers, 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Michael. I am in awe at your build so far. I don't think I will go with that much bashing in my SotS build, but I might take one or two ideas from you.
Best regards, mi amigo. Best wishes!!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Good job with those gratings. I completely missed that you had set them flush with the decking originally rather than raised. Good catch before getting too deep in the build. The grates themselves look beautiful, crisp and clean. I struggle with them on every build, still working on a replacement for the ones of R.L.. 

Ulises: big thanks so kind of you - you are a master builder it will be fun following your log. PS: the kit has "fit" issues with initial framing parts when locating pre-formed  decks - also when adding the hull walles I did a lot of custom strengthening inside hull - did not post any of these issues in log - PM me at any time will be happy to assist 
 
E.J: as always thanks as well - Also when you get around to the SotS - any issues please don't be shy - We all learn and get better by sharing techniques with each other....

It's looking good, Patrick. Unfortunately, the further back you go, the harder it is to be sure of how things were done. But then, who's going to tell you you're wrong? 
 
Steven

Completing the  fore stays
The forestay from the mizzen mast is replaced by a served  one (looks better)
 
Mizzen

main

fore

Mast top

 
Next item the shrouds of the top masts. As always, think first, then act. And maybe redo them...😉
 
???? difficult choices...

My  example (Vasa) may not be that reliable in this rigging area after all
Since few or no iron objects were found, they also had to search and guess.
 

Great info about  17th century rigging (free  download)
https://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Corder-MA2007.pdf
 
Thanks for following
 
 

Patrick,
 
Your stays look really good 👍

I've been planking off 'n on today.........need to take breaks to give my fingers some rest.   this stuff is hard to cut.......I've been using razor blades to trim it to proper lengths and the shapes I need to obtain.  it's no longer mahogany.........it's Ironwood!   the chopper is random at best,  in giving me a square cut.   I have made more progress.......I wanted to wait till I got both sides to the first torpedo mount.  but out of habit,  I did some light sanding to the bow area......for some reason,  I always feel the need to sand as I plank.....can never wait till I'm done.  

if I didn't wipe her down......you'd see the sanding dust.  later,  I will set up a small wood block with some sand paper,  and go over it some more......but it looks pretty good with what I've done so far.....

there's still a few high spots........the block will help in leveling it out    my thoughts that there would be some gaps around the structure.....I put too much concern into it.......it didn't come out too bad.  I don't have any dry fits.......I'll have to take a few to show you all.  working around the structure has been interesting at best........cutting and sanding the rounded edges

along the edges at the margins was another concern,  with this wood being harder to work with.   cutting the filler planks,  since they aren't a complete plank width....I'll have to come up with a way to rip them down.  just for chuckles,  I took a full strip and guided it freehand through the scroll saw.  it worked reasonably well........I'll have to make some form of fence to better guide them through.  I was able to fill in the port side and along the starboard side of the helm structure.

well....that's all I have for now.........back to the table I go.   

OK, as it is now two years since the first kit release, I decided to have a sale to celebrate! (Feels like it's been much longer)!
 
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