Vasa by BLACK VIKING - De Agostini - 1/64 scale

[BLACK VIKING]

This is my build of the Deag Vasa . Having built the Corel offering I vowed never to build one again until I saw this one. The main thing that persuaded me as it has been designed with the help of the Vasa museum and Fred Hocker the museum director. It's not 100% accurate but as close as you can get with the restrictions of a commercial kit and a lot more historical accurate than anything out there 

 I have downloaded the instructions from the build site and looking at them it's really impressive with hundreds of cast carvings and good quality wood. I have the first 6 issues and the quality looks first class with very crisp castings with very little mold lines and no flash. I have built two of the cannons and painted some of the decorations. I will be changeing a few things but really impressed.

Martyn

[md1400cs]

Martyn,

 

 

16 hours ago, BLACK VIKING said:

Having built the Corel offering I vowed never to build one again until I saw this one

 NICE - will, of course, follow along as well. I also share your exact thoughts 

 

Cheers,

[marktiedens]

I think I will follow along also - love this ship!  I swore also to not build this ship again after building the Corel & Mantua/Sergal versions. On the other hand,it`s a good thing this kit is not available in the US - I would be very tempted...................................

 

Mark

[md1400cs]

Oh Oh Mark - It is available in the US now. !!

 

https://www.model-space.com/us/build-the-vasa-ship.html

[BLACK VIKING]

 I thought it was available in the USA . The quality is very impressed very little laser char on the frames and they slide together with a snug fit . Here's a few pictures of the first issue 

Martyn 

[marktiedens]

8 hours ago, md1400cs said:

Oh Oh Mark - It is available in the US now. !!

 

https://www.model-space.com/us/build-the-vasa-ship.html

Well,it`s a little beyond what my budget will allow,so I will just sit back & watch this build. Too bad they don`t offer it as a complete kit instead of by subscription - might make the price a bit lower.

 

Mark

[BLACK VIKING]

Hopefully this kit will be offered as a full kit but they usually run for a year before that  

Martyn

[BLACK VIKING]

Thanks for the likes and comments 

I have started fitting the bulkheads to the kell and wow she is a beast as the bow section is huge and there is another section to go. The bulkheads slide into the slots snugly I had to adjust only one as it was a bit tight but a little clean up with a file it slide in with out a fuss. 

Next step the stern section.

Till next time.

Martyn

[BLACK VIKING]

Oops made a bit of a bobo just looked at the instructions and there are another two sections a centre one and a smaller stern section. I think I will be making a bigger kell stand  

Martyn

[md1400cs]

Martyn,

 

FYI: There has been some criticism regarding your kit’s instructions on how to overlay keel timbers from stern to bow.

 Surprising that they got it wrong – you're probably aware of this as well.

In any case I enclose drawings of how it should look from the Landström's book, as well as a profile from the Vasa Museum in case that you are interested in going that route with that bit of the build.

 Mine is wrong – was not aware of how keel timbers should actually be assembled way back when.....

 

Regards,

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by md1400cs

[BLACK VIKING]

Thanks for the likes and comments guys 

Hi Michael and cheers for the pictures of the keel.There is going to be a lot of modifying on the false keel once it gets glued on to include all the joints. Hi YT I can see where you are coming from but I think she is lucky ship as it would have been a lot worse if she had a full complement of crew when she went down plus she was very near the shore. Also I love this ship as she has the most bonkers carvings I have ever seen.

Thanks all for following my build 

Martyn

[BLACK VIKING]

Hi all 

A bit more done on the Vasa .

The bulkheads have all been glued to the keel and the stern frames fitted.

Next job gluing the reinforcements to the inside the framework.

Till next time thanks for following 

Martyn

[EJ_L]

Good to see that I am not too far behind on the build! This one has caught my eye as well for a future build so i think I will pull up a chair and follow along. Off to a great start!

[md1400cs]

Noted,

 

Thanks just removed - apologies to MSW members.

 

NIrvana  you could delete your notations as well then all will just disappear.

Edited December 1, 2018 by md1400cs

[Nirvana]

Michael, Done!

I have been watching another D'Agustino build of Vasa.

Fascinating with a subscription build. Maybe it's a good build motivator too.

[BLACK VIKING]

Thanks for the comments and likes all

I have been slowly planking up the sides of the hull and I must say it has been a challenge as its such a weird shape more like a barge. Plus the dreaded four letter work getting in the way . Still off to do some more planking.

Martyn

[Thunder]

On ‎10‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 1:20 AM, Y.T. said:

I am sorry to say this but story of this ship makes me sad. This ship was made beautiful but sank right out of dock. I would not build the model of this ship as to me and to me only it is a bad luck. Sorry if I had discouraged someone.

yes, but if you look at it differently, if she hadn't of sank we wouldn't have her at all. She would of been broken up or rotted away.

[BLACK VIKING]

Looking at the shape of the hull I am not surprised she fell over as their doesn't seem to be enough depth to the hull for their to be enough ballast to counter the forces of the sails  😕

[Nirvana]

Those Dutch designers, there was also confusion regarding the measurements, at this time, early 1600 century, one foot or inch wasn't standardized.  According to late found plans her rigging should had been shorter. Again the designers wanted to impress the Swedish King and made her taller than needed.

[md1400cs]

My understanding is that also the king demanded a third gun deck. This resulted in the lower gun deck being much closer to the waterline, and of course made the ship top heavy. For the launch it was determined that just enough ballast would be added for the royal review, and later she would be more accurately ballasted.

The wind did the rest when lower gun deck openings ingested too much water.

Also according to my conversation with Dr. Fred Hocker when I visited the Museum in Feb 018 - he said that the hodgepodge of guns was because the navy had a very low inventory of available guns and used whatever sort armaments happened to be available at the time. 

 

Dr. Hocker was kind enough to spend about an hour with me, as well as taking me back into the research department - Amazing indeed. They are still excavating in the area of the wreck, and are still finding many items that have not yet been displayed for viewing. I had initially visited the museum in the mid 90s - found this resent visit to have greatly added to my visits' experience.

[Old Collingwood]

2 hours ago, md1400cs said:

My understanding is that also the king demanded a third gun deck. This resulted in the lower gun deck being much closer to the waterline, and of course made the ship top heavy. For the launch it was determined that just enough ballast would be added for the royal review, and later she would be more accurately ballasted.

The wind did the rest when lower gun deck openings ingested too much water.

Also according to my conversation with Dr. Fred Hocker when I visited the Museum in Feb 018 - he said that the hodgepodge of guns was because the navy had a very low inventory of available guns and used whatever sort armaments happened to be available at the time. 

 

Dr. Hocker was kind enough to spend about an hour with me, as well as taking me back into the research department - Amazing indeed. They are still excavating in the area of the wreck, and are still finding many items that have not yet been displayed for viewing. I had initially visited the museum in the mid 90s - found this resent visit to have greatly added to my visits' experience.

On my bucket list  also including the mary rose.

 

OC.

[BLACK VIKING]

Thanks for all the comments and likes guys 

A bit more done on the Vasa .

The decks have been fitted and rubbed down then the planks glued over the top. Once dry the random size of the planks were marked with a sharp pencil quite difficult to do as I wanted to get them all the same. The planks were given a coat of mid oak stain. Next job finishing the hull.

Thanks for looking 

Martyn

[BLACK VIKING]

Hi all and I hope you have had a great xmas.

The hull is now finished with the first planking and the gunports marked out and cut . The gunports where slightly tilted to follow the whales as on the real ship.

The stern was the next job . It was planked as per instructions and the stern chasers marked out ready for cutting. 

And its now for a mammoth sanding job. 

Martyn

[Nirvana]

Very nice planking!

[BLACK VIKING]

Thanks for the comments and the likes 

A bit more done on the Vasa . The second planking has now been started and after a conversation with Fred Hocker from the Vasa museum the planks have scarf joints and not butted up so after a lot of head scratching I came up with a little tool . The wood of the second planking is quite soft and the tools sharp edge marks the wood quite well and it gives a uniform joint . All I've got to do is plank the rest of the ship 

Thanks for looking 

Martyn

[Nirvana]

That planking looks great! What kind of tool did you come up with?

[Baker]

Great planking.👍 

[BLACK VIKING]

Hi Nirvana.The tool I have made is very simple. I had some thin brass strip which I bent into shape of the scarf joint and glued it to some left over planking from the first layer with some CA glue and then fitted a handle from a cut down paint brush. The edge of the strip was sharpened with a file so it leaves a impression in the wood when pressed into it . I will take some more pics tomorrow in some better light.

Thanks for the comments 

Martyn

[BLACK VIKING]

Hi as promised a few pictures of the tool I made 

Martyn

[fmodajr]

Great idea for that tool!

 

I will definitely keep it in mind for me in a future build.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Frank