Greek Bireme by Robin Lous - FINISHED - Dusek - Scale 1:72 - First wooden ship build

[WackoWolf]

I agree excellent work and beautiful detail. Taking your time pays off.

[Robin Lous]

Thanks EJ and Joe!

 

Some things I planned way ahead, like the longer rail posts (annex extra deck support posts). 

Other stuff I come up with later or even on the spot...like the planks running along the side of the deck and the cap rail.

 

Yesterday I remembered these ships had tensioning cables running from stem to stern. From one to four cables.

So I'll get some nice quality 0,8 or 1 mm rope and I'll make 2 tensioning cables underneath the lower rower seats...one each side of the ship.

 

Still making up my mind about making extra frames in between the existing frames. I now have a scroll saw, so it can't be too difficult. To be decided.

 

Other things I'll scratch build or modify:

 

-The ram. I'll make it from copper sheet. I have ideas, but exact shape and construction...to be decided.

-The rigging and attachment points. Different. I figured this out already. Must make 16 one eyed deadeyes and some pin rails.

-The oars. the 2mm wide blades are too narrow. Will add 1 x 2 mm strips where the blades will be.

-Top rower seat beams...still not finished. Modified like the lower seats.

-Ropes to limit the oar movement.

-oar loops

-leather bags around the lower oars where they stick out of the hull.

-Mast and yard. some modifications needed.

-The rudders. I'll make new ones. A different style and with more detail.

-Beams and a pin rail on the inside of the forecastle.

-Painting the ship's eyes. I must get this right. It's a major eyecatcher (typical!) so it must be good.

-8 spare oars. attached to the centre railing 2 x 2 each side.

-The ladder. Typical for these and other greek ships.

-A wind vane (annex flag). The tube / bag type. something like the ones you see near airstrips. Painted. Above the stern.

-Sail. Probably tied up. Undecided.

 

What I still need to do following the manual: 

-The stern railing.

 

And that's about the complete to do list.

 

Oh...and a stand and case I guess.

 

So it will take a while before the trireme will appear on the shipyard, but already thinking about what I'll do different with that one.

 

btw...I change things, but that doesn't mean it's a bad kit. I think it's great and when someone build it straight from the box it will look as good. 

I didn't change the look of the ship whatsoever. Just different bits and bobs.

This said...I have another bireme...and that one will look different! But that's after the trireme, so...far, far away.

 

Okey...bedtime for me now.

 

Robin

Edited October 11, 2016 by Robin Lous

[EJ_L]

Whew! You still have a hefty list of things to do and I can't wait to see them! That is going to be a top notch ship for sure when you get her done.

 

Well said about kit modifications. There is nothing wrong with building them straight from the box as many kits will make great models and are often excellent backbones for even better models. I think manufacturers know this and I would imagine that while they are proud of what they produce, to see it taken those extra steps and turned into something even more incredible while still maintaining the essence of their design, that has to make them prouder still.

[mtaylor]

 

but...I finish the bireme before I start.

 

Robin

 

I'm with the others.... I got a dollar says it's started before Christmas..  "Maybe just seeing how the parts go together" is common reason around here.

[cog]

A whole dollar, Mark. You are going wild  , I put an entire Euro down he starts before St Nicholas (5th December)  If he does, I give him an emptied bottle of Napoleon to put on the worktop

[donrobinson]

Looking real good Robin, you have a lot of real good ideas that should look fantastic. It is a very long list, though, and I could use a drink......so please include bottle in next post.

[Robin Lous]

lol! you guys are funny!

 

Of course I'll start with the trieres before Christmas, because this one will be ready before Christmas. 

 

Because of work..."No news from the Hellenic front", but I found some time to work on the other side railing.

Nothing worth showing, but I used a very handy tool to make the recesses in the posts now.

I did this with an X-acto blade on the other side...and it worked, but was a lot of work.

 

I now use the dead cheap (Chinese) model saw from Master Tools.

And it's a gem! Normally not a big fan of China made stuff, but this is really nice!

4 super fine (photo etched) saw blades with handles for 6 euros.

I did the whole lot (14 posts) in 30 minutes...the other side with the X-acto took me a whole day!

 

Very easy to saw sharp, crazy thin cuts with this cheapo!

 

Stained and ready to go on...I can do that tomorrow evening.

 

More soon,

 

Robin

Edited September 19, 2017 by Robin Lous

[Old Collingwood]

This is looking really nice well done

 

OC.

[cog]

Well done Chinaman! So this means you are even ready before December!!! (Mark pay up time ) Robin, did you get the little cheapo gem from Ebay, or sometwhere local? Is the saw still as sharp as when you started ... ?

Edited October 13, 2016 by cog

[AntonyUK]

Hi Robin.

I like the modified parts that you have added.

And it will show very nicely when the ship is finished.

I know what you are saying about far East tools. Some are just rubbish But some are brilliant.

 

Watching with great interest on this build.

Regards Antony.

[Robin Lous]

Thanks guys!

 

Well done Chinaman! So this means you are even ready before December!!! (Mark pay up time ) Robin, did you get the little cheapo gem from Ebay, or sometwhere local? Is the saw still as sharp as when you started ... ?

I got them from a local shop (Houtloods in The Hague or Wapstad in Rijswijk). Pretty sure I also seen the in the Aviation Megastore in Amstelveen.

It's still sharp. Since the sawblade itself is razor thin, it will stay sharp as long as it has teeth. I only cut linden wood with it so far.

 

Robin

[foxy]

That's usefull  Info Robin thanks.

 

Looking foreword to more up dates.

 

Frank 

[Robin Lous]

With some unexpected extra shipyard time and the help of the thin saw...finished the railing.

Next job will be the pin rail on the stern deck.

(*)

 

It will be wider, lower, devided and with 2x4 belaying pins. Placed more to the rear.

More or less a copy of the pin rail seen on a Greek trade ship reconstruction.

The 3 posts will be made of 3 x 3 mm rod, the rail of 2 x 2 mm rod, the pins I'll make of thinned down cocktail sticks.

 

I also bought the 0,8 mm rope needed for the tensioning cables and more wood. Can't have enough wood right? 

 

More soon,

 

Robin

 

*Note: All can download the bireme manual from the Dusek website (PDF file), so I don't see any harm in showing some of it.

Edited September 19, 2017 by Robin Lous

[donrobinson]

Ahhhh there's my vodka . Really nice job on the railings, that saw looks looks like it's doing a good job

[Robin Lous]

Instead of making the pin rail I made up my mind about making the extra frames.

I'll make them! 

 

Imho there's too much "nothing" in between the frames and I think there should be more frames.

I hesitated to make them, because they won't be that visible. Top oar bench and all the oars will hide much of the inside of the hull, but I know I will feel guilty when I let it go. 

 

Another...silly... reason. I got myself a Proxxon scroll saw table and the Admiral started to make funny comments about me not using it.

That's bad news for my Christmas wish list, so I better do something with it. 

 

So...here we go!

Used the frames of my other bireme kit to mark the lines. (old fashioned gravestone rubbing technique ).

Neat thing! Very handy indeed!

dry fitting the extra frames.

 

I'll stain them before I glue them in place.

 

When I finished this...I can do the tensioning cables and top seat beams....and the pin rail of course.

 

More soon,

 

Robin

Edited September 19, 2017 by Robin Lous

[EJ_L]

Very smart with the rubbings to get the curvature you need.

 

I had a similar conversation on spending money on tools I don't use and so my admiral now has a really nice jewelry box, pen holder, candy bowl, custom picture frames and a huge supply of pens and pencils. Now she buys me gift cards to places that sell the tools I want.

[cog]

Smooth move with the table saw, Robin. You must secure the old X-mas list!!! Lovely work too

[cobra1951]

Extra beams good decision :)

[Robin Lous]

I expected to need a long time to finish the extra frames. 14 ribs...each one made to measure individually, but it went fairly easy.

looks a bit like the rib cage of a dug up Neanderthaler. 

But the 14 extra ribs make the hull interior look more realistic.

I think it was worth the extra 2 days.

 

Tomorrow I'll do the tensioning cables and top rower seats....and perhaps the pin rail.

 

More soon,

 

Robin

Edited September 19, 2017 by Robin Lous

[cobra1951]

I agree

[cog]

Sturdy looking innards, Robin.

[Robin Lous]

Thanks guys,

 

A bit more about the "oar movement restriction ropes" (OMRR in the Hellenic ship builders and crew manuals...okey...I made that up  ).

I've seen them on the Olympias lower oars...

For some reason only on the lower oars, not on the centre and top oars.

Perhaps it's because the complete lack of situational awareness there, but I'm not sure.

During the sea trials the rowers there often mentioned they had no clue about what was going on, so it does make sense.

 

Perhaps these ropes were also used on other levels, but not on the Olympias.

 

Making these ropes isn't tough. I can tie them to the seat beams and a nice little loop goes over the oar handle bar.

Something like this...

but....

Whatever I do...they must go on before I place the top seat beam...or it will become a nightmare job.

It will still be daunting to get them on the oar handles when it's time to place them!

 

So...I do this on the side tomorrow.

 

More soon,

 

Robin

Edited September 19, 2017 by Robin Lous

[CDW]

It's a real pleasure seeing your progress updates, Robin. Fantastic work. You must be very conservative on your use of the libations as the model is turning out so nice. Not sure how well I could function if I tipped the bottle too long or too often, but a nip here and there might be exquisite. 

[Robin Lous]

Libations...I had to Google that word! Let's say I focus on enjoying the quality...not the quantity. 

Tonight was a relaxed shipyard evening....only some dry fitting, research and thinking about what, when and how to do things.

 

That does count as shipyard time also? 

 

And..with a nice espresso and a glass of Armagnac!

 

Robin

[CDW]

Excellent! I helped extend someone's vocabulary today, and it wasn't a curse word/words/phrase. Living proof that even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[EJ_L]

Those ribs are an excellent addition. It is always amazing at how something as simple as a frame can make the whole ship look even better.

 

I am with you on quality over quantity when it comes to what goes in my glass.

[Robin Lous]

Figuring out how to get the ropes on the beam caused me a headache.

 

The main issues.

How to get them tied neatly to a beam you can hardly reach and how to get the lenght right while doing that?

 

I tried, but I didn't manage to get it right. Was busy until dawn trying and thinking how to get it done.

Went to bed without finding a solution. 

 

Woke up and found the solution after my first cup of coffee!

Cheat! When you can't go round...go through!

 

The solution:

Drill a 0,5 mm hole through the beam where the rope (0,25 mm) must be.

Rope through the hole...secure with a tiny drop of glue to get the exact lenght right....wrap end of the rope around the beam to make the loop. Drop of CA glue on the underside...cut off remaining rope.

 

It's cheating, but that won't be visible, so it's allowed.

 

Robin

Edited October 16, 2016 by Robin Lous

[WackoWolf]

Nice come back. The word for today is "CHEAT" I love it.

[cog]

ERROR ... you just told us ... so everytime I look at that little bireme of yours ... I can't stop thinking, those ropes ... no with that he cheated ... no can do

[donrobinson]

Those extra beams look real good Robin, nice little extra