md1400cs

Bob,
 
Hi welcome to MSW (I'm a newbie as well). Your CS looks to be astonishing. Your attention to factual details is super impressive. I look forward to following your progress. Congrats...nice choice for a build. 
 
The new rebuilt museum for this ship looks awesome. I need to get there one of these days (:-)
 
Regards    Michael

Matti,
 
Great pics. These will also help me. Especially the Large drain on the side of the hull,  rope pulley frame just above the chainplate brace for the poop deck mast. I see the deck drain hole. It is a bit above the deck edge side trim (:-)
 
I'm happy that you are feeling better.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

JP,
 
No No No Don't paint. It will make many of us go into mourning. Your hull, planking, treenails are all so stunning.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

Congrats Buck,
 
Good luck. You're not going into the new farming business are you? (:-)
 
Regards,
Michael

I asked my nephew this question about the copper tape. He works for a company in Japan (he speaks very fluent Japanese) that deals with adhesives and coatings, matching buyers with sellers of these various products. In other words they match the problem with a solution. He does all their technical translations into English as well as maintain their website. He is NOT a model builder however. He responded:
 
Good question. I've actually never come across copper tape before, but I'll look into it. It's something we don't cover specifically, and if I haven't come across it, that probably means we've never covered it. That said, I can tell you all kinds of things you never knew (or wanted to know) about copper tape.   You are correct in assuming that no tape lasts forever. Under specific conditions (mostly sealed conditions) it can last years, even decades. They use all sorts of tapes in construction now, but that is usually for temporarily holding things together until something more permanent is used (screws, etc.). But in a sealed environment, such as that inside an aluminum window frame, it will last as long as your house is standing. In fact, those tapes are often used for waterproofing and not as a structural element, so must be virtually immune to water and moisture.   But the big problem with adhesive tapes is two fold. The first is that most are pressure-sensitive, which means they don't even try to be permanent. The second is that it really depends on what you are taping (the adherent). I am assuming you will be working with wood, and very porous wood at that. This means that oxygen will reach the adhesive layer relatively easily, and quickly. This will oxidize the adhesive (not to mention the copper itself), and cause it to become gooey or dry out, depending on the adhesive agent. The difficulty is in finding a copper tape that uses the right adhesive agent for the adherent. Most stick to wood pretty well because wood is rough, but before applying the tape, make sure there is as little dust as possible. This will increase the life of the tape.   You could also put a transparent sealant over the tape to increase it's life. I assume you would add a sealant to the ship anyway, so you would want to do this after applying the tape (granted, the solvent in the sealant could dissolve the adhesive, just as the solvent in the adhesive could dissolve the paint it is on and cause delamination). In the Tiffany lamps, the solder is basically used to seal the tape so that oxygen does not reach the adhesive agent. Copper tape is used because copper is heat resistant and conductive and can thus withstand the soldering temperature and bond well with the solder itself. I doubt you could solder copper tape on a wood surface, though. Not that you would want to anyway for the application you are considering.   From my understanding of how adhesive tape works and knowing that you would not be working in a nice environmentally controlled area with pressure gradients to whisk away dust as you worked, I would find an alternative. Tape is what is usually called a PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) and is thus always in a moist state. So I would use a true adhesive that dries completely and copper foil strips. I know that would be more difficult, but if you want it to last years, or decades, to me that seems like the better option.   I'll see if I can find anything on existing tapes in terms of durability, but I have a feeling that copper tape is not designed to be applied to wood or organic surfaces (paint, etc), so I would recommend against it.   I don't know if I have opened a can of worms, muddied the waters, and befuddled everyone. Let's see if he can come up with a more definitive answer.I would hate to have to glue individual strips with CA glue to get long lasting results. 

Hi Buck,
Could you tell me; this Optivisor, how many diopters has it?
And could you build a new Morgan's Whaleboat (2nd build) of which the lenght will be as equal as the lenght of your scratch tap?!

JP,
 
No No No Don't paint. It will make many of us go into mourning. Your hull, planking, treenails are all so stunning.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

Ferit,
 
Thanks. I think that the Corel supplied chainmail looks really excellent. I would have used them as well. Your idea is good. i need to think about hoe to do mine.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

Ferit,
 
As usual superlative work. Did you make those?. I'm sure you did. And if you did, would you have a few pics that you could post?
I'm close to also installing the chainplates, but I don't like those that came with the ship. Your artistry is always so helpful.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

Theo,
 
Your canon carriages are in one word STUNNING. 
 
Regards,
 
Michael

Andy,
 
Just went through your build for the second time. So impressive. Beautiful. Your copper, canons, masts all are so well articulated in miniature. Really special. The Pegasus requires a lot of precise talent, you certainly fit that bill. Congrats...
 
PS: Lov the drill/lathe. You win the Rudd Goldberg Award for that one.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

Matti,
 
Thanks..Yes it is rather dark at the museum. When I visited there in the 90's, had I known that I was going to build this kit, I would have taken so many more photos. I flew to Stockholm just to see the Vasa (I was working in London at the time)  What an astonishing experience. Its as though one could time travel..
 
PS: Loved the Steig Larson books, what a story (:-) What a sad ending for him.
 
Regards,    Michael

Hi everyone,
 
It's so nice to be back to my "peaceful" life. I have missed many updates from those whom I follow, as well as some new builds that I have just discovered (One of which is Victorian Steam Launch 1/26 by Mario OH my) What a pleasure to spend time at MSW.
 
So here is a minor update with the Wasa. But this small update has caused me some frustration, as you have noted above. Firstly thank you Jan and Joachim for offering help.
 
The issue is with the last photo of this update below. I made a pencil mark along the deck. This is where I need to drill the holes on each side of the weather deck. These holes would connect to the exit holes in pic. 5. So how should I shape the exit on the deck? Should the sides of the holes be wide? Should the deck planking be cut into as well?
 
At the end of the day, of course, it's a stupid place to be puzzled, and probably borders on minor obsession. I hope that you enjoy looking at this minor move forward. As always,
 
Regards   Michael
 
 
 
 
 

Hi everyone,
 
It's so nice to be back to my "peaceful" life. I have missed many updates from those whom I follow, as well as some new builds that I have just discovered (One of which is Victorian Steam Launch 1/26 by Mario OH my) What a pleasure to spend time at MSW.
 
So here is a minor update with the Wasa. But this small update has caused me some frustration, as you have noted above. Firstly thank you Jan and Joachim for offering help.
 
The issue is with the last photo of this update below. I made a pencil mark along the deck. This is where I need to drill the holes on each side of the weather deck. These holes would connect to the exit holes in pic. 5. So how should I shape the exit on the deck? Should the sides of the holes be wide? Should the deck planking be cut into as well?
 
At the end of the day, of course, it's a stupid place to be puzzled, and probably borders on minor obsession. I hope that you enjoy looking at this minor move forward. As always,
 
Regards   Michael
 
 
 
 
 

Santa Monica Michael Thank you very much for your kind words. I hope the pacific is keeping you guys with some nice temps. Up here in the high desert we be hitting 114 degress today....
 
 
Hi Michael thanks for stopping by and your kindness my friend...

Hello fellow hobbyists,
 
I would like to, firstly, thank all of you who have been so kind in taking the time to post comments, letting me know how much you appreciate my version of this Wasa build.
 
Your kind words have continued to be a real source of encouragement. I also thank those of you who were also kind enough to add a "thumbs up" to certain posts or jpg's. There is so much art to appreciate on MSW, that I am touched that you have found the interest, and the time to look at, and respond to my efforts.....Again thank you......OK.. An update.
 
 
 
 It's hard for me to believe, but the stern, and galleries in their entirety, are actually almost completed. This part of the build was very labor intensive. In retrospect, I would have done some things differently but as we say here "put a fork in it - it's cooked" and so it is. Oh what is missing are the two wood trim timbers that appear on each side of the flag and lantern spar, just above the upper gilded curved carving on the stern. I will try my first attempt at sculpturing those two pieces of wood.
 
Speaking of doing things differently; I SO regret not indenting the hull canon port framings as I was framing those. I tried to initially indent the four small pieces of wood in each port, but I didn't have enough of a lip, if you will, and nothing was aligning correctly. So I flushed them all flat along the hull. This work was done before joining the MSW community. I have since learned of a great technique. Always hindsight isn't it? So, that detail failure just glares at me now.  It will be an issue when adding canon doors. Hmmm. On the plus side only hobbyists such as us would even notice such a glaring error. I thought of pulling them all out. But I think that I would make a mess of things.
 
Segwaying forward with this posting, I enclose "full body shots" (pardon the pun) to offer a better perspective of the project as it looks so far. I also include a few other pics. as partial updates on side tasks that have been completed to date; for example deck, and hull figures were (some removed) painted and attached.
 
I'm will be taking a break for a while. I have to do some traveling again. Hmmm, and I thought that I was finally retired. I'll tune in, from wherever I happen to be, and continue to admire builds that I very much enjoy following.
 
When I find myself back on my side of the world again, I will continue with deck details that need to be added. I also plan on removing the existing ladders. (Not correct). I will also re-work the front bow cross railing that leads to the bowsprit. That is also not correct. And I removed the most stern ladders. Those will be replaced with a "bench" type looking thing with a wooden sculpture on each side above the "benches" So it goes. And then onto the masts....
Again thanks for your kind words...Always, always appreciated.
 
Regards,
 
Michael
 
 

Buck,
 
Just catching up on your project. Whoa your miniature detail work is spectacular. I remember loving the axe, well you've outdone yourself again. Supper cool. Your gorgeous super sweet little whale skiff will be so full of amazing supplies that it might not float (:-)
 
Lov it...cheers
 
PS: Thanks for the reviews on the Optivisor lights. On my list...to order from Amazon
 
Michael

ZyXus, Eddie and Robbyn- Thanks for the great comments- much appreciated. Eddie- the OptiVisor with lights is really handy with the little bits and when working with thin threads. Amazon seems to have good deals on them or you can get it with lights as a package deal from Stewart McDonald (a luthery supply house):
 
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Inspection/OptiVISOR_Headband_Magnifier.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=781

This site is the coolest. I keep learning new things and find inspiration in builds and techniques others have done. Lately I have been working on the water barrel and have adopted ideas from my friends Ferit and JPett. Ferit's barrels in his Berlin build are things of beauty  (well actually his whole build is!) and JPett showed the coolest technique for running toothpicks chucked in a Dremel through a drawplate.
http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/1799-frigate-berlin-by-ferit-kutlu-corel-scale-140-year-1674/page-3#entry41545
 
http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/45-rattlesnake-by-jpett-model-shipways-ms2028-scale-164th/page-8#entry34842
 
The water barrel on the whaleboat had to hold enough water for 5 people and I'm guessing it was somewhere about a pony keg size, maybe 7-1/2 to 10 gallons. The oak barrel itself probably weighed 15 to 20 lbs and filled with water that would be from 77.6 lbs to 103.5 lbs depending on capacity and barrel weight. It wouldn't seem likely that the crew would pull a cork from the barrel, hoist it up and chug a lug from it like a canteen. As heavy as it was it would also need to be well secured since a barrel rolling around loose in even small swells could easily break an ankle or leg or damage the boat. The plans show the barrel stowed in the rear compartment. It seems like it would be very awkward to unlash the barrel and drag it out whenever you wanted a drink. Ferit's build gave me the idea of mounting the barrel on a cradle and sticking a tap in it. Seemed like a practical solution so I decided that's how this whaleboat's water barel would be set up. I found pictures of wooden barrel taps online and did my best to copy one.
 
A real tap

 
My scratch made tap

 
Scale check!

The pieces for the tap were fashioned from a white birch toothpick. Small holes were drilled for the handle and the cross spigot. I was surprised how small you can turn the toothpicks down. The base of the handle has a very small round tenon that was glued into an equally tiny hole in the cross spigot!
 
The cradle in progress. The stretchers have little dovetailed lap joints just because I'm a geek!

 
The assembled cradle

 
The barrel lashed to the cradle with its tap installed

 
Of course the crew needs something to drink the water with!

 
My wife got me an Optivisor with a Quasar led light kit on my last birthday and it was a real help while making this stuff. I had an Acuvisor before, but it has plastic lenses while the Optivisor uses optical glass lenses and are much nicer. The lights are always shining where you look. Highly reccomended!

 
Edited to add missing pictures back - thanks for the heads up Keith!

Thanks for the encouragement Matti! It gives me a needed boost while I'm venturing into this new territory of rigging. 
 
Hi Ferit. I found that glue here at the Michael's store. I think they have changed the packaging, but it appears to be the same glue. Does your actual tube of glue look like this? By the way, nice crow's nest with the bent wood! You have serious skills!!
 

 

Matti,
 
I like the look. good choice. She's really coming along very beautifully. 
 
Michael

Matti,
 
I like the look. good choice. She's really coming along very beautifully. 
 
Michael

Hello fellow hobbyists,
 
I would like to, firstly, thank all of you who have been so kind in taking the time to post comments, letting me know how much you appreciate my version of this Wasa build.
 
Your kind words have continued to be a real source of encouragement. I also thank those of you who were also kind enough to add a "thumbs up" to certain posts or jpg's. There is so much art to appreciate on MSW, that I am touched that you have found the interest, and the time to look at, and respond to my efforts.....Again thank you......OK.. An update.
 
 
 
 It's hard for me to believe, but the stern, and galleries in their entirety, are actually almost completed. This part of the build was very labor intensive. In retrospect, I would have done some things differently but as we say here "put a fork in it - it's cooked" and so it is. Oh what is missing are the two wood trim timbers that appear on each side of the flag and lantern spar, just above the upper gilded curved carving on the stern. I will try my first attempt at sculpturing those two pieces of wood.
 
Speaking of doing things differently; I SO regret not indenting the hull canon port framings as I was framing those. I tried to initially indent the four small pieces of wood in each port, but I didn't have enough of a lip, if you will, and nothing was aligning correctly. So I flushed them all flat along the hull. This work was done before joining the MSW community. I have since learned of a great technique. Always hindsight isn't it? So, that detail failure just glares at me now.  It will be an issue when adding canon doors. Hmmm. On the plus side only hobbyists such as us would even notice such a glaring error. I thought of pulling them all out. But I think that I would make a mess of things.
 
Segwaying forward with this posting, I enclose "full body shots" (pardon the pun) to offer a better perspective of the project as it looks so far. I also include a few other pics. as partial updates on side tasks that have been completed to date; for example deck, and hull figures were (some removed) painted and attached.
 
I'm will be taking a break for a while. I have to do some traveling again. Hmmm, and I thought that I was finally retired. I'll tune in, from wherever I happen to be, and continue to admire builds that I very much enjoy following.
 
When I find myself back on my side of the world again, I will continue with deck details that need to be added. I also plan on removing the existing ladders. (Not correct). I will also re-work the front bow cross railing that leads to the bowsprit. That is also not correct. And I removed the most stern ladders. Those will be replaced with a "bench" type looking thing with a wooden sculpture on each side above the "benches" So it goes. And then onto the masts....
Again thanks for your kind words...Always, always appreciated.
 
Regards,
 
Michael
 
 

Hello again, An update for the two upper gallery covers I decided to build  "pre-fab" housings. These upper gallery covers were less labor intensive, in that there is only one bobbinet per side. I should have done the same (pre-fab) for the lower ones as well... Hmmm, learning as I go along. I am finishing some last figure painting details. When it's all done I will post some pics. of the totally completed stern. In the meantime
built rough support frames for the bobbinets and the gallery covers
with a pencil I outlined the shape needed by placing the rough frame on top of the lower existing structure.
 
I cut the housing to match my pencil marks, and added edge trim piece. 
trimmed away the inside lip to better match the actual intended shape
then focused on covering the bobbinets. I wanted to, as best that I could, match the lumber cuts of the 1:1
marked where I should cut the stern ends to match the bobbinet shapes
glued on the trim pieces
glued on the bobbinets
I now shaped, and glued the cover dummies.
added the filler cover lumbers 
checked the shapes of the bobbinets lumbers to make sure that the gilded pieces would fit "ok" I flattened out corners as needed.
 
finally glued the housings in place, leaving spacers for the small support timbers.

Bender, thank you - coming from you, that is a huge compliment, much appreciated !
 
 
Some minor updates, but I think that they help to formally complete the look of stern.
 
One upper gallery is finished and needs to be attached. I have put together a log of how these were put together. I will post that build section soon. I hope that it will be useful to Wasa builders.
 
It sure made the process much easier for me. I wish I had thought of that with the lower galleries. Learning as I'm going on.....
 
Regards,
 
Michael D
 
where I left off last time
 
trim pieces with thin basswood highlights
positioning and making sure angles are correct