barryww Posted July 16, 2015 #1 Posted July 16, 2015 I am beginning a scratch build on a Viking longboat static model. I am fortunate to have about 150 board feet of nice 5/4 oak I've had for about 12 years, and I want to mill some to use for the build. I know it's perhaps not the best choice of wood to use from research, but it sure would look nice, and I have all the machinery. It will be around 35" or so in length, so it's not small. My questions are if I'm kidding myself trying to use it, and the grain direction to use for the ribs/frames. Although the rib is narrow in the picture, it actually is scaled smaller in this picture....the piece will be wider also, and I plan to cut and glue from several pieces to keep the grain running lengthwise on the frame, much like one would do on any plank-on-frame ship. I sure would like some honest opinions. Maybe a picture would help describe what I'm asking: mtaylor 1 The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.
wq3296 Posted July 16, 2015 #2 Posted July 16, 2015 Greetings Barry... In my opinion, oak is not a good wood to use for model building, especially is it's red oak. The grain and pores in the wood are too large for scale modelling purposes. Plus, it is more difficult to finish and work with than other typically used woods. With that said, you may be able to get away with using it to build a Viking longboat, since these vessels were probably very roughly finished. Hey, pick a horse and ride it. wq3296 mtaylor 1
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