Wasa 1628 by Snug Harbor Johnny - Billing Boats - 1:100 - old kit c. 1970

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Ahoy!  from Snug Harbor Johnny, this is my first build log but not my first build.  All (but one) of the models I constructed  (ships, planes, rockets in wood, paper or plastic) growing up in the 60s & 70s did not (alas) survive transitioning to adulthood, and my adult non-work activities ranged through a wide variety of Colonial crafts demoed in public with my wife - who got me into 're-enacting' time periods ranging from Renaissance to Edwardian ... but mostly of the 18th & 19th century.  Now in semi-retirement, I want to more-or-less finish the old first-issue Billings Wasa that works out (as best as I can compare the model to the original) to about 1:105 scale.  The information on the newly-raised warship was in the early stages in those days, so I don't fault the kit for making some assumptions to 'fill in blanks' (which there were a few then) - perhaps influenced by a contemporary model of another Wasa built in the late 18th c.  (A 17th c ivory model of the Norwegian Lion - a near contemporary warship to the first Wasa comes much closer to the mark, and could be a 'twin' ... but that's another story.)

 

 

  Here is the aging plan (separated down the middle and slightly misaligned) from Billings, which shows the ship having an 18th c windowed stern cupola, the stern not as high as now known, a forecastle deck and a figure head not as jutting as later restored to the original in a Stockholm museum.  In fact, the state of restoration and knowledge of the original (and pictures available on line and in books) is astounding - so I'd like to do at least some 'surgery' to make my model come reasonably close to the original.  It will by no means by 'museum quality' or 'dead-on' accurate, but still should be recognized by knowledgable modelers as the Wasa.  I anticipate that the effort to undo the forecastle deck (forced by the internal bulkheads in the kit at that time) may not be worth the effort.  Or I could be wrong about this and with a little guidance I might chance to undertake it.  Ah yes, note the hank of full-sized jute rope in the upper left of the picture, which I made myself on a real rope walk that is one of the crafts I demonstrate at historic houses and fairs. (Other crafts have included book binding, candle dipping /molding, colonial gun making, harpsichord playing - on one of three I built myself - and dancing, of all things ... I was strongly encouraged by my wife to help her start an historic dance group.)  So I mat yet build a mini-rope walk for making my own scale rope for ship models.

 

 

  Well, there's the hull - untouched for decades - that was single-planked, and has a slight 'bulge' from the middle bulkhead being just a tad fat as supplied (and can be seen on other vintage build of this kit not corrected by fairing) ... and I did not appreciate the finer points of fairing in those days.  I drilled little holes and filled then with round toothpicks to simulate wood pegging (tree nails ?).  The modeled rings around the gun ports of the weather deck were done as follows:  I modeled one in clay on a piece of glass, then painted successive layers of latex gunk (drying thoroughly between coats) to produce a one-sided rubber mold, which I peeled off the glass and cleaned out.  Modeling plaster over the back of the latex mold to support the flimsy latex and then multiple 'copies' of the gunport rings could be made from hard dental plastering the mold - taken out when cured.  I did the same for little lion's head for the inside of the gun ports (yet to be made.) More on those gunport later.

 

 

  Here's the stern, and the 'carvings' were modeled as described above - except that due to the complexity, I just slathered wood putty into the mold and slapped it onto the back to set.  After all, it will all be painted anyway.  But the arrangement of the carvings and size of the stern were what was thought by Billings around 1970.  I plan to cut of the top below the feet of the lions and move that piece upward to raise the stern to where it needs to be - as well as correct the relationship to the pair of cupids below ... and many more figures need to be added - another challenge.

 

  Now for those gun ports.  After cutting them (many are not quite square) I glued false 'decking' below each line of ports to support gun carriages and pieces of wooden dowel I drilled-out so that the 'half-cannons' supplied in the kit would fit into them.  I also 'lined' the gun ports with small pieces of wood for a better look.  Yeah, I know now that the plank widths are out of scale - they should be half the width - and the pegs are way out of scale ... they are what they are, and they really look OK on the model to the casual observer.

 

 

  Now you can see the 'stanchions' (extensions of the kit bulkheads are fat, but they can be trimmed and additional false stations added.  There needs to be a third level in the stern, and raining the stern will provide space for that - but it will won't be exactly like to original ... just closer.  I'll have to make the 'coffin-like' doored companionways as well.

 

  And there's the darned forecastle deck - most warships (at least drawings of them) before and after do have it this way, and perhaps I'll leave it but add a bulwark plus railing.  There would be a lot of nasty cutting to get rid of it, and the deck would definitely show a surgical 'scar'.  Under where each mast is to go I've already glued a large block of wood to drill a hole into for the mast.  Do I try and mess with it, or just leave it alone?

 

  Here are some of the kit fittings.  The full cannons leave much to be desired, but the ports on the weather deck already align to the carriages as-is.  I can carefully belt sand some off the underside and glue 'wheels' on the outside so there will appear to be a little space underneath the carriage.  Yeah, the blocks an deadeyes are plastic - but I bought a bunch of wooden ones to use instead.  I'll have to make triangular deadeyes for the shrouds.  Those bits in the plastic box are little lion heads cast from a latex mold - a few are flipped over to the flat reverse.

 

 

  Now here's a view with the 'half-cannons' installed, and they look OK - a whole lot better than just painting a black square and drilling a small hole to stick the half-barrels in as the kit suggested.  Decals were provided for the lion heads for the open gun ports, and the ones I make with 3-D gold painted lion heads will be a definite improvement ... but I might glue the lids open against the hull.  I'm trying to imagine the trouble of trying to fashion hinges that will be covered-up anyway, since almost all will be open.   Plenty of guns, yeah, I'm all for that ... maybe its a 'guy' thing to build a warship bristling with cannon (a compensation or wishful thinking?)

 

 

  Here's a close-up of the guns, and they have a natural patina from just sitting around for so long.  I know I have a great 'head start' (after a long hiatus) to build on what I have and end-up with a pretty good model.  I'm NOT aiming for 'perfection' - 'good enough' is good enough for me.  I don't want to put sails on - in fact, I'm considering to build it to the restored state of the original in Stockholm that has the first sections of the masts in place and shrouds/ratlines on them.  That would be like some sort of Admiralty or dockyard model - plus the lower masts instead of cut-off (or serrated) 'stubs'.  Or I could just do the masts and yards complete with standing rigging.  That way the sails and scads of running rigging won't be needed.  The third option would be to have just the few sails set that were actually used on the disastrous 'maiden voyage' ...  most of the sails were found still in storage when the ship was salvaged.  Your comments/suggestions are welcome.

 

Fair sailing!   Johnny

 

Edited February 21, 2021 by Snug Harbor Johnny

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

Other Wasa builders may have comments, and seeing other builds already helps me formulate the direction and methods to go forward and complete my build - however ambitious it may be.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

    Ahoy !  ... I've been doing more homework the past couple weeks, and I've gained more insights (and some 'aha' moments) concerning how to proceed on my 70s version Billings Wasa (original issue) previously pictured.  The planking is mahogany, a wood often used by BB back them - and is harder to get these days.  An inherited BB kit of a Vikings Skibbe (same vintage, and an improved version is now called the Roar Edge) also uses mahogany for the strakes - but the outlines are merely printed on veneer, as are all the other parts on plywood ... everything would have to be carefully cut out individually and the thin flitch-cut hardwood veneer (1/64" thick) splits like crazy.  The kit suffered water damage anyway, so I salvaged materials for other projects from the box.  I now have the current Oseberg kit - a well planned laser-cut version - and will glue very thin black walnut veneer to the plywood strakes on the outside so I won't have to apply stain, just a little 'boiled' linseed oil thinned with turpentine - something I've used on furniture and scratch built firelocks many times.

 

  The mahogany strakes on my Wasa look just fine and won't need staining.  I'm surprised how well the planking turned out (done 45 years ago as a teen).  Before putting on any decking, my idea of 'lining' the gun ports (balsa was used and tined darker), putting in strips of 'false gun decks' and making ersatz wood gun carriages to accept the brass 'half cannons' in the kit worked out also.  I'd be inclined today to have double planked for better fairing, and would cut gun ports after the first planking slightly smaller than the port to be cut in the second planking, but still employ false deck strips and simplified carriages.  That was the good news.

 

 I still have to do major surgery to make the stern right, but have a plan which I won't try and describe here - but will show pictures as the process goes forward (slowly, I'd say).  Now for the forecastle deck.  R.C. Anderson has a lot to say about the ORIGINAL Norske Love launched in 1634  in his book 'The Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast 1600 - 1720'.  Another source indicated that Captain Henrik Span commanded her in the battle of Koge Bay on July 1st, 1677.  She was named for the Norwegian/Danish Coat of Arms and translates as 'Norwegian Law'.  A magnificent ivory and silver model of her was made between 1651 and 1654 (while she was extant) by Jacob Jensen Nordmark for Fredrick III, and is still on display in Rosenberg Castle in Copenhagen.  An photo in the public domain (from the book) is pasted below.

 

 

  NOW it should be clear why I've studied this near contemporary of the Wasa.  The two ships appears almost like twins, although the Danish model (a rare survivor from the 17th c.) shows a single gun deck, with a smattering of lighter guns above ... hence more sea worthiness than the over gunned Wasa.  Note the forecastle deck on the Love - something that every period drawing/painting of large warships before and after also have forecastle decks.  Whether the piece of ivory 'bridging' the middle of the ship represents canvass shade cloth or some sort of walkway is unclear.  Another view of the same model is shown below.

 

 

  BTW, the cost was no object in the commissioning of this model, and the ivory with silver rigging and guns has survived without deterioration that other materials have been subject to.    Note also that the OTHER Norske Love built in the 18th c. is a very different ship indeed, with models and model kits made of the later vessel.  Now the present conservations of the original Wasa in Stockholm does not have a forecastle deck but one may have been intended, due to the hight of the bulwarks in the forward area.

 

  The way the first issue of the BB Wasa is put together internally (not just bulkheads but with fore-and-aft plywood interlocked), the sort of surgery needed to try and cut away the forecastle deck (a logical presumption at the time, considering the 1654 model, contemporary artwork and drawings) and everything already well glued-in (including solid wood to drill the fore mast hole) will be more difficult and messy than what I propose for increasing the height of the stern (which is mostly adding material to build it up).  My thoughts are now to leave it and bring everything else into reasonable conformity.  After all, building in any particular scale involves at least some compromises (for most builders), and my result should still not be confused with other ships - given the specific heraldry and other features of the stern, plus other distinctive aspects.

 

  So far my build site has had a few observers, but no comments as of yet.  Perhaps the above arguments might promote a few comments or suggestions.  'Almost forget ... the out-of-scale guns on the forecastle deck already pictured there don't belong - just put there on a whim.    The railing to be installed wouldn't take serious gun recoil anyway, so there won't be any.

 

[kirill4]

Good day,

Dear Sir,

This model doesn't look like as Vasa at all, look at  the hull shape which is complitely different from Vasa lines ! ...

in the begining I even didn't understand that this model would represents  famous Vasa 🤔

 I 've thought this is the model of some another ship named  Vasa... :)))

But if this is the Vasa model ,than  It will be very interesting to see what You could do with it , how it could be transformed into the Vasa model? ...

I can't imagine now what could be done with complitely finished hull at this stage? 

Wish You all the best !

Just for the case , there is Vasa forum  https://warshipvasa.freeforums.net/ 

where a lot of information about Vasa ship could be found ...

[Ian_Grant]

Hello!  I think you have your work cut out for you!  Extending the beakhead, building up the stern, making all the figures we now know she was adorned with, etc. It looks like you planked your deck; I just left it with the inked planking as supplied 😞 .

 

I will enjoy watching your progress. Now to figure out how to "follow" you!

 

I too tried to build this model as a teen in the 70's but didn't get as far as adding wales or cutting gunports. I do remember the lump in the hull; I didn't know about fairing either. Your planking is much better than mine was.

 

I painted some blue on it, as far as I recall. But when I read in the instructions that I was to carve two lions out of the supplied balsa blocks I decided that this model was beyond me. I switched to the Revell 1:96 Cutty Sark and Constitution kits instead.

 

My Wasa hull is long gone, but I still have the fittings kit if anyone is interested.........

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  As Kirill4 noted, the lines are different - but that is how the 'old' (first issue) Billings kit was, and as teen in the 70s I didn't know any better than to try and follow the plans provided with the kit.  (My Dad gave it as a gift, presumably to keep my busy - which it did for some time.)  In the intervening decades Billings radically changed and upgraded their Wasa kit as a wealth of information became available.

 

 I have a 'legacy' situation and will try to cobble things to be more like the original, ... 'warts and all'.   There was indeed another 'Wasa' launched a century later, and a model of that likely influenced the kit manufacturer more than the ivory model of the Norske Love shown above - at least looking at the  side view of the original BB drawing.  The present aim is to make the best of what I have, since starting over is not an option.  

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

Ahoy, mates!   Well I've had the benefit of some feedback, and I've decided to take the plunge (walk the plank?) and try to cobble my old (and 'dated') BB kit to more closely resemble the 1628 Wasa known today, thanks to the amazing amount of original material recovered and preserved (95% of what is on display in Stockholm) and the unsurpassed conservatorship of marine scholars.  That means, yes, taking the route of cutting away the forecastle deck on the model.  As mentioned before, I don't fault the manufacturer since the ca. 1970 kit was based on very limited data compared to what is known today.  Anyonecoming by any earlier version of a Wasa  kit can see the superb level of craftsmanship exhibited on Model Ship World, and use that as a basis for making appropriate corrections.

 

  So first I pried off that deck to remind myself of what lay underneath 

 

 

  Yup - bulkheads, stringers and a (too small) piece of balsa meant to be drilled into for the fore mast.

 

  You can see the toothpick ends (representing treenails from the outside) and the wee bit of false decking to supper wooden mounts for the turned brass half-cannons that will be seen from the outside ... that seemed to be a good enough arrangement.

 

  Then I took metal cutting wheel on an equivalent to a variable speed Dremel to slice away what needed to be sliced away.  I also cut down the bulwark amidships to resemble how the original ship has been reconstructed.  There's plenty more to do, but I have to be careful how and what that should be ... more pics will follow in time.  BTW  the model hull measures 19" in length, compared to an approximate hull length of 166' on the prototype (226' "sparred" length that includes the jutting beak and bowsprit on the original).

 

 

  I state again that whatever I do will be a 'compromise', as there are a number of inaccuracies permanently 'built into' what I have already ... a "legacy" form myself as a well-meaning teenager.  Nevertheless, I hope that whatever finished state I can manage will be 'recognizable' as the 1628 Wasa.  It is perhaps fortunate that higher education interrupted the work (such as it was), or it would've been finished per the original ca. 1970 drawing (thus 'unmodifiable').  In the above view, one can see a distinctive "bulge" amidships caused by the middle bulkhead being a little too wide in relation to its neighbors (greater tumblehome in that spot?), and this is typical of that kit version.  I cannot hope to come close to the level of craftsmanship and accuracy of many models seen on this forum, and I'm not blaming poorer vision and unsteady hands these days either.  We shall see ...

 

Fair Sailing!     Johny

 

 

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Ahoy!  So I found the broken part meant to hold the brass half-cannon down in the hold, so now its glued with epoxy back onto the false carriage as seen in the picture below. 

 

 

Sloppy, yes, but won't show from the outside - as seen in the next picture.

 

 

  Smalls steps, but what's the rush.  BTW, a friend sent me a couple of pictures I haven't seen in decades.  Back in College (I think I was 20 at the time) I built a 12' long three-man Viking dinghy,  Two could row while one manned the steerboard (on the starboard side, of course).  It also had a mast and square sail  when the wind was favorable.  The strakes were white pine bent over plywood frames, and it was carvel built.  I painted it black on the outside and red inside.  It had slow leaks, but nothing that couldn't be handled by a trusty bilge pump.  The first shot is on display at the library of the University of Maryland with repro. Viking gear in the cases.

 The Herjan (the boat's name) was used in conjunction with the See Earn (Sea Eagle) - a converted surplus Navy Whaleboat that our Ship's Company turned into a Viking ship (28' ?) - perhaps more like a small knarr than a raider - that plied the Severn River from the Valentine Creek down to Annapolis, MD.  Since the Herjan (aka 'short ship') was used for shore relief, some called it the 'John Boat' or alternatively the 'Half Moon'.

 

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Snug Harbor Johnny
removed duplicate image

[bolin]

An interesting challenge you have put for yourself. I have recently started to read up on Vasa and have just today received a couple of used books, and a folder with modeling plans from the early eighties. I will follow your work with some interest and hopefully learn something more. Good luck!

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

Ahoy!  After a couple days thinking of the next step, putting in a block of wood to drill (after decking) a hole for the fore mast would be good.  Also, to re-mount the decking that used to be a forecastle deck onto the weather deck (upper gun deck), I'd have to glue support strips on the sides, and a couple of small pieces of fill elsewhere.  Below is a pic, and the glue is drying now.  I'm using Titebond (aliphatic resin) since it has a reasonable work time to allow for re-positioning, yet 'tacks' readily after 5 - 10 minutes.  I have a bottle where the glue has lost water through evaporation, producing a much thicker glue that 'tacks' in about 3 minutes.

 

 

   The planking wood Billings used for this kit is indeed mahogany, as many of their 'old' kits had.  Mahogany does not bend as readily as other types of wood, but it has natural coloring and does not need staining.  Actually, I've seen a few model ships where the stain was overdone, at least some seemed too dark.  Wood like mahogany, some oaks and exotics or black walnut (my favorite) they can be left 'natural' or, if desired, given a SPARING rub with boiled linseed oil thinned with turpentine - both natural products available for many centuries.

 

  I'm surprised how well I was able to plank the hull all those years ago.  As I recall the wood was soaked a little in boiling water and I used my teeth as a 'bending jig'.  The 'mouth feel' and sensitivity is such that I could sense when small fibers were starting to break, so I could avoid over-stressing.  If one avoids outright breaks and minimizes gaps (regardless whether one is single-planking or planking over an underlayment), the model will look well enough to please.  

 

  Once I got over my trepidation about tearing-out the forecastle deck, I dove right in (with care).  The tools used so far have been simple:  an X-Acto knife, a model train track saw, tweezers, straight and curved files, a variable speed Dremel-like tool (and attachment set) with a foot control (found at Harbor freight ... how appropriate) and sandpaper.  The work is not that hard, as long as one has thought out the steps to take beforehand.  THAT is where the new modeler is at a disadvantage.  Without much prior experience, it is hard to plan out the needed steps in sequence.  One often has to learn by mistakes, hopefully most of those can be corrected.  Patience is a virtue in this hobby.  Yet studying the same or similar builds in this Forum can help make-up for lack of first hand experience.

 

  I suspect that the biggest challenge further down the road will be the carvings.  There are no available ones for the Wasa in 1:100 scale, and even so they would be expensive.  I may try to find about the right size figures made for small dioramas that old-school war gamers use, since many of the Wasa carvings represent men-at-arms, roman emperors and kings.  Otherwise, I'll have to try my hand at chip carving on a small scale.  I'm using a piece of headgear with a light and drop-down magnifiers of varying strength to compensate for 'senior vision' ... and I've had prior cataract surgery to replace the lenses in both eyes, so I no longer have 'adaptive' vision.

 

  BTW, I found the mast pieces and spars, and Billings provided them properly tapered in the kit ... a pleasant realization.

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Now that the glue has set I have to fit (trim) the old forecastle deck pieces to fit inside the bulwark.  The first pic show this material.

 

 

  The pieces were damaged somewhat by prying them off so I've glues some reinforcement.  I realize now that this sort of planking is meant to be glued to a false deck beneath ... I've got to play the hand I'm dealt with this model.  The next pic show the installed decking (with some patching done), and it didn't come out all that bad. ... 'Good enough' for me on this project, which is more of a 'salvage'.

 

 

  I remember the movie 'Cool Runnings' about the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team.  The coach told them, "Winning a medal is a wonderful thing.  But if you're not good enough without the medal, then you won't be good enough with it."  What Island you from, man?

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  A big 'Ah-hah' moment ... I found a small folded paper from my Billings kit WITH a stated scale - 1:100 by gosh.  So my 'calculated' scale of 1:105 was off by 5% (not too bad), and I have edited my title to reflect the manufacturer's stated scale seen in the picture below.

 

 

I have also found some small figures at attention in a local hobby store that can be modified for use on my build ... carving the tiny ones would be quite difficult.  The larger model kits at 1:65 have molded sets of figures to work with, and they are big models indeed.

 

  I'll try to focus on fixing the bow as the next phase.

 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Snug Harbor Johnny

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  I though to marry a bow extension to the existing wood, and cut basswood stock with a dremel-type jig saw into three pieces.  So I'm adding said saw, plus a jeweler's saw, small files and miniature carving tools (for duck decoys?) to the previously mentioned list of tools - as well as whatever clamps are handy.  

 

  I decided to try and carve the mermaid (from the original), plus a second one to make a pair (my idea - hey, the old kit as it is has a number of differences with the state of knowledge today - so the whole thing is a learning experience.)  As it turns out, basswood is harder to carve tiny things out of, since it is relatively soft (but not so much as balsa).  Fruitwood would be better, or even maple, so sharp tools are a must.  Below is a closer shot of my 'mermaids', and small wood fibers are also a problem.  I used a sealer to help quell fibers, and will paint the figures before proceeding.

 

[Baker]

A challenging project. 

Good luck

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  The mermaids were painted and the prow assembled.  Then I had to carve a lion - once again, the basswood is not suited to fine carving, and I'm no Michaelangelo ... but he come out 'good enough' for my purposes.  The prow is trial fitted, and hold on by a friction fit on the keel stub.  This might be wise because there is a lot more to construct in this area, and it could be prone to breakage in the process.  My photos don't have quite the focus, but it is an inexpensive, borrowed camera and I'm an amateur when it comes to photography.

 

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

I've done a little work on the prow, and (temporarily) put the first mast sections in.  Now it's looking a little more 'Wasa-like'.

 

 

[GrandpaPhil]

Looking good!  Nice job on the carvings!

 

How goes the model?

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

   Model work has been suspended for the summer (2021) since the Admiral tasked me with a couple 'good weather' projects for her ;  1.)  Build a raised flower bed in back of the house, bring in quality garden soil and plant with manuals and perennials for color through the summer,  2.)  Get a permit and have a hot tub installed on a concrete slab and have an electrician do the wiring,  3.)  Get a permit for a pavilion over the spa, do proper footings and have the pavilion built;  4.)  Keep the yard in order (naturally) all summer, lawn cut and weeded and get a power washer to clean the exterior of the house.  I also have many 'per diem' work days at a local hospital as a Pharmacy Technician - as well as some piece work for a supplier of Rev War re-enacting accoutrements.

 

  Add basic chores like food shopping, cooking, cleaning (yup, I've been well-trained since the Admiral has some mobility issues) and my plate has been full at present.  This coming winter will bring some time to get back to the Wasa ... so I hope build log seekers will understand.  I DO want to get to a 'compromise' state of finish - partly because I'd like to build the OcOce Endurance kit I've obtained (plus some enhancements to bring that model closer to the original - better sails, better rails, corrected lines, circular pin rails near the mast bases instead of deck-mounted eyes ... among other details). I've some some preliminary planning that can be seen in the 'kit review' of the Endurance by OcCre (its own log).    Johnny

[Bjørn Ivar Antonsen]

Very impressive work. I am not a model builder at all but I do have this kit from the early 1970s. I got it for xmas but even if I was pretty good at building plastic kits from Revell and Airfix and such, this was way beyond my skills at 8-9 years old and the building soon became too dificult and I put it away. Permanently. I still got the kit though. All the parts /wood if I'm not mistaken and the drawing and booklet but not the box. Jus wanted to mention it since I found this site while trying to identyfy the kit. Best of luck with your project. It looks really great.

                                               

[Wintergreen]

Hi, your renovation triggered my curiosity.

I have the next issue of Wasa standing in our living room. Started it when I was 15 or 16 and it took 4 years to complete during junior high (gymnasium in Sweden). I managed to not do a pigs ear out of it, but close. Recently a thought has been growing in my mind and that is to strip it down to bare hull and start over. The rigging is slack and back then it was plastic blocks and dead eyes. It is out of scale and then there is the issue with colouring. It was thought to be blue and gold. Later it turned out that in fact it was much more colourful.

 

I hope you take up on your restoration Johnny.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Ahoy mates ! (there's been a long hiatus on this build)  After thinking a lot (yea - the Admiral said, "You've been thinking?  I thought I smelled wood burning.") I've finally decided where I want to go with it.  First off, a review of whats was 'wrong' with the first-issue Billings kit (actually a lack of all the information we have now following decades of recovery and restoration) that are likely not correctible.  Billings is a good company and they have improve kits where needed.  Which this old version, the lines are off, gun port placement off, the plank scale much too large, the cannons approximate but all of the same type, deck layout conjectural ... I'll stop there.  

 

  So why go to great lengths to try and make masting/rigging kosher when the hull (with some corrections) will still be 'standoff scale' ? That is - something that will be recognized as the Wasa at first glance - but still not up to snuff when closely compared to the prototype in Sweden.  Another option would be to be liberal with the masting/rigging (shortcuts and approximations, I mean) ... to go with the hull.  There is a lot of work already invested in the hull, and it doesn't look half bad as is.  Hmmm, but I'm taking option 3, which is to install the first section of masts and adding shrouds/ratlines like one can see on exhibit at the Wasa museum.  This would represent the ship still under construction.  I note that she was never under 'full sail' - just three on her disastrous 'maiden voyage'.  To keep dust to a minimum, a display case has been recommended - plexiglass to lessen the risk of breaking window glass, so therefore the case size will bess daunting as well as more portable - so a greater chance that a relative might want to have it when I'm gone.

 

  I've always been a 'hammer and chisel' guy, and a jack of all trades - many projects (an outside deck, two kitchens plus several bathrooms over the years, a greenhouse, three scratch-built telescopes, sundry models, historic costumes, three harpsichords, bookbinding, candle making, several muzzle loaders - to name a few) have been useable, but the quality of work far less than 'craftsman' level.  No worries mate, I only have to please myself - and its the 'doing' (and preceding that the 'thinking out' stage) that is the interesting part - dare I say 'fun'?  

 

  The picture below shows a gun taken from an old Steingraeber 'Fair American' kit (harvested for parts, etc. since there are better more recent kits available) and the gun looks a little 'fat' for the carriage.  On the right is the gun from the Billing accessory kit (for the 1:100 scale model), where the barrel seems alright for my purposes - but the carriage is simple and would need more work to upgrade.

 

 

  So it hit me that I might put the Wasa gun on the better carriage and - shazam - look OK to me. 

 

 

  Now I'll have to tweak things a bit, add straps over the trunnions, wedge and whatnot - then change some of the gun port heights and they'll be serviceable.  Below are more of the guns to be seen on the weather deck.

 

 

  Now to some more 'surgery' on the hull.  It was with great trepidation that I sawed across the stern piece (glued-on many years ago).  I feared that the applied 'plastic wood' (pressed by a mold I made of the stern decoration) might come off, but it seems to have enough 'grab' to be stable.  Remember, all this gets painted in polychrome like the original.  I cut the glue around the periphery with an X-acto, then pried with a flat chisel from the top and ... POP ... off came the piece, revealing some balsa underneath put in as a spacer.  Thank goodness that balsa has far less strength than hardwoods.  I have to make the high stern decks into 3 tiers, rather than the two that were on the model.  Using a flex-shaft variable speed tool was very helpful in a number of areas.  The only thing better would be an old-fashioned dental drill with right angle head.

 

 

 

 

   Below is the piece I removed, and it is a close enough approximation of the upper part of the stern decoration.  Note that the old kit did not have ANY of the many sculpture carved on the original ship ... so the later kits are a real advantage to any modeler.

 

 

 

  To change the forecastle area of the ship, false ribs were cut from mahogany stock and glued into place (titebond), before additional planking was added to get the height desired.  I believe the original was designed to have a forecastle deck, but after unreasonable design changes were demanded from authorities many at the build site knew there would be stability problems - what, with 30 added feet of length and an additional gun deck!  So instead of adding the weight of framing and decking (plus additional armaments), the builders left that area open.  Look at pictures from before, during and after 1628 and you will see forecastle decks everywhere.  The absence of one (confirmed by the restoration of the original) shows the Wasa to be an exception to the 'norm'.

 

 

 

    I'll offer a view of part of my work area - disheveled as it is - to show some of the tools I use most often.  You can see the flex-shat rotary tool (yup, Harbor Freight) that is better than a stock Dremel due to the foot operated speed control.  I also have (not shown) the mini saw (another cheapie) for trimming stock.  I think a better mini table saw will be a better investment.  I use a model railroading 'track cutter' (so-called 'snap' saw) for cutting off.  Needle files of various shapes (including bent 'riffler' files) are invaluable, as is the 'good old' X-acto knife.

 

  Straight edge, pencils, titebond glue (aliphatic resin) augmented sometimes by fast cure epoxy (I have yet to make use of CA, but will try some in future) mini-clamps and, of course, sandpaper of various grits round-out the tool kit.

 

  

 

  When I have more to show, I'll add progress pics.    Fair sailing!     Johnny

 

 

 

 

[Wintergreen]

Thanks for the update Johnny!

You are brave man cutting in to you model like that. But I'm sure it will look splendid when done.

I have also pondered over the display option of models, No masts, lower masts like you plan or fully rigged. There are pleasing pros for every choice.

I'm glad those decisions a fair time off in my case.

 

Keep it up!

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  'Been a couple days, but there has been some progress.  The first pic shows additional side planking being added to the stern.  Before that, the 'three level' arrangement of decking was made - there middle level had a piece of balsa glued in and planked over ... not by individual planks, but by some scrap that was left of pre-scored birch (a guess) veneer from 40 years ago.  I wonder if something like this is still available, 'cause it sure makes decking a snap !  There are just too many things that 'aren't made anymore' these days.

 

  Just as with the additional bulwarking needed up front, false ribs of mahogany were glued to whatever planking showed above the deck - and the little clamps pictured (bought at a Woodcraft store) are dandy to hold them fast while the titebond cures.  I make them a little longer than needed, since they'll be trimmed later with a rotary tool.  I like working with mahogany - just orient the grain as needed for the use and cut with the grain or saw against.  Because it has natural color it doesn't need staining.  With ribs in place, a side plank is added and the same clamps are used to hold.

 

  The stern panel (just seen on the inside) was trimmed and pierced (rotary stool to make holes, and mini files used to shape and clean), a piece of basswood was a spacer.  There are no 'plans' per se at this stage - just photos from other builds to give me ideas.  As previously mentioned, I'm free to take a few liberties in converting this old kit version to something better resembling the original ship.  And I imagine that someone who had seen the ship being built (or sinking) back in the day might have desired to build a model after the fact (as was often the case) and had to rely on their memory.  Very old ship models have a certain charm, and I agree that in restoring an antique model the best policy is to stay with how the builder made it - as opposed to making a lot of augmentations.  Exception:  the build of 'My Father's Ship' (Cutty Sark) is a labor of love to finish what was started in a legacy situation.

 

  I compare this 'free style' assembly perhaps to rock climbing.  I have to look at it and decide what the next move will be.  How do I get from 'point A to point B' - and what are the intermediate moves I have to make to get there.

 

 

 

  The next shot is of the re-mounted stern piece that I thought would be better if I painted it FIRST while still a separate piece.  I used good-old Testors model paint (enamel) that comes in the tiny square bottles.  I recall them seeming much bigger from when I was a kid, but my hands have grown to twice the size they were back then.  My dexterity is not near as good, but my hands are still fairly steady - and the magnifying headgear makes up for the lack of close focus on my replacement eye lenses (from cataract surgery).  I considered getting the close-up (reading) replacement lenses, but then I'd be dependent on glass for distance.  So I got fixed distant lenses put in so if my Varilux glasses are misplaced, I can still drive without glass since the distance is sharp.

 

  As noted before, I used modeling clay on a piece of glass to get something resembling the wood carvings at 1:100 scale, then layered on latex compound (I hope one can still get that somewhere) to cover the sculpture.  Dental plaster was used to make a back support of the latex mold before it was stripped away from the glass.  Using drying clay might make cleaning out the rubber mold easier. Then some plastic wood was slathered on the mold before applying to the wood for the back piece.

 

  Cutting into the model took some guts, but once decided upon was done in a surgical manner ... not unlike a ship's doctor having to do amputations after a sea battle, or saving what he could while stitching up, etc.  In this case the 'patient' (my model) was in no pain.  The red background was applied first (mixing two colors to get the shade I wanted), then the other colors added to the higher reliefs with very small plastic applicators found at the hobby store.  The polychrome effect is certainly nice - as we now know it to have been on the original.  Application of gold leaf was kept to a minimum on the Wasa, but I used gold paint for the crowns, and little dots of gold over the yellow painted bits.

 

  Painting eyes on the figures really brought them 'to life', and the whites were applied by the tip of a mini round tapered file.  The black pupils had to be dotted with a fine 'technical pen' (oo5 Micron pen bought at Michael's craft store).  But the cherubs and the King's eyes were small enough that the pupil had to be applied with the tip of a sewing pin.  Then I outlined the decorations in black with the technical pen - a technique used on illuminated manuscripts called 'limning' - which sets everything off nicely.  This close-up magnifies the imperfections, but the appearance when just looking at the piece is pleasing.

 

  If this project inspires me to do another Wasa at the scale presently offered (1:70 ?), I wonder what the opinions are of the kits presently offered in terms of pros and cons about the quality of fittings, accuracy of plans and quality of instructions ?  Any input would be appreciated - after all, this is a forum.  I can't say what a pleasure it has been to review so many great builds at all skill levels available.  Its like a primer, and one can find all kinds of helpful tips and tricks.  The latest one I saw was an example of deck planking where after a plank is laid, a piece of black thread is put against the plank before butting the next plank against it - sort of like imitating real caulking.

  

 

 

 

 

  Fair sailing,    Johnny

 

[Wintergreen]

I enjoy following along I must say.

The close up photos are a pain in almost every case. But for your build one must remember that the scale is 1:100, which by any standard is small. Therefore, as you say, you will get away with the imperfections. The clamps in the second photo really shows how small you Wasa is.

 

About sourcing stuff. I think you still can get anything you need, albeit not from the local crafts store (that closed some years ago due to failing customer visits...) but from the internet. The problem with sourcing from www is that you don't really know what quality it is until you receive the parcel and open it. Well, unless you buy tools from known vendors off course. They usually can't sell inferior things since it would harm their brand.

 

Edit: About currently available kits of the Royal Ship Vasa. (they changed from W to V some years ago).

Billings offer a 1:75 kit. This was my choice back in the day. Billings is on the less expensive end of the scale. My kit had plastic blocks and deadeyes, but I think they now offer wooden ones instead. All ornamentation is still plastic, which really is the only reasonable option. 

It appears that Mantua/Sergal offers a 1:60 more costly one with metal ornamentation. I found quite a lot of images of the kit online.

Corel also offers a kit, at the same scale as Bilings, 1:75. In cost it is between the other two. But still brass/metal ornamentation and wood fittings.

 

My perception is that Billings is closest to the original ship. But the other two looks like good choices also.

Hopefully, there will be others that can say yay or nay about what to go for.

 

Anyway, onwards and upwards!

Edited January 29, 2022 by Wintergreen

[Wintergreen]

And I forgot, if you haven't already, check out the Museum webpage. Quite a lot of photos of both the real deal as on the 1:10 model.

https://www.vasamuseet.se/

It will give you inspiration to continue 🙂 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  I understand that the name now is Vasa - but I'm not sure if I should change the title of this build.  Anyway, I realized I had to cut into the stern a little more, than start gluing some balsa to be a backer for planking the upper gallery and stern wrap-around.  Yes, balsa is not a great wood where it will show - and the relative softness of balsa stock can vary widely.  The 'firmer' sort can be used a filler, backer and in a variety of ways - yet it still cuts easily with hobby knives.  The image below shows step one.  Once shaped and planked, it should look a lot better.

 

 

  I need to glue wedge-shaped side pieces for the lower part of the gallery, so I started to saw a suitable piece of basswood stock (better to use than balsa) with a Japanese dosuki saw.  This is a 'pull' saw with a thin blade and narrow kerf - it allows pretty good control as long as one does not let the blade 'wander'.  I tried a 'selfie' shot using a mirror, but the flash made a bright spot and I'm a rank beginner when it comes to Photoshop.  The saw in mid cut on the basswood stock shows OK.  Hmmm, it might be said here that the artist is no Botticelli - and the subject no Venus.

 

[Wintergreen]

The remark about the spelling of the name was not a value statement, just at fact. It is the moderators that can change the title but I see no reason for that. The kit was Wasa when you started it. Much later historians deemed it should be Vasa. 

Regardless of spelling, we know which boat it depicts.

 

Looking forward to the stern planking.

About photos, with good ambient light you can prevent the phone from using the flash. It will require a steady hand since the shutter time will be longer. (Shutter time - really? that is digital now noob! Yes, my bad).

 

Keep it up!

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Ahoy!  The angle-sliced basswood was saw trimmed (angled) as needed to glue on the sides as backers, then the 'blocky' balsa was sawed on the ends to match the angle of the new pieces.  Knife cuts trimmed the stern angle on the balsa since it was with the grain, then I glued on some of the Billings scrap deck veneer and ... things are starting to take shape with the upper 'Captains Walk' - which will need a small gunwale and supports for the canopy that will have to be built.

 

  My interest is indeed renewed since gaining new inspiration through our forum (a shout-out to all who contribute) and I understand better the words of Einar Billing provided with his kit: "... this kit is intended to be built, and not merely assembled, in consequence, you must not expect the parts to fit together perfectly ," (no exaggeration there !) "it will be necessary to exercise skill and imagination in the building of this kit ... after all, any child could put a puzzle together."  

 

  

  You may notice some black felt round hats piled on the table ... The Admiral is a costumer, and she also accepts orders from a purveyor of American Revolutionary War re-enactment goods for Colonial soldiers hats.  I am the unpaid hatter who has to craft the hats from materials provided by the retailer - which involves cutting and sewing and installing draw-string hat liners to felt hat blanks, sewing worsted wool trim around the edge, making tasseled hat cords plus cockades.  The retailer does the heat sizing and turns them into 'three cornered' hats.  This rush order for 25 hats slows down progress on the model ... its my job to say 'Aye aye' to orders.

 

  Below is an image of my trusty Wilcox and Gibbs hat band sewing machine (well over 100 years old), which took me over a year to find - and even then I had to rebuild the stand, rewire the motor and recondition/adjust the machine to get it to work (finding specialty needles and grinding to suit was a challenge), then figure out how not to keep breaking needles.  Once mastered, it took 90% of the work out of that part of the job ... and the old girl is quite solid and made entirely of durable alloy steel needing only a little oil now and then.  For trim work and accessories I use an old Kenmore that I modified, and the drive works happen to be all metal in a plastic shell.

 

 

   As Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1880) said, "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my own ship."

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  The next step was done on both sides - since someone looking closely (cringe) when the top part of the walkways are built will be able to see a little inside the 'gap' between the bottom and the top components, I decided to use a rotary tool to mill away some of the basswood/balsa underlayment where the walkway would be - as well as cut an access door in the side of the ship.  I'll pain the light wood black, so it didn't have to be routed out very deeply, as the viewing gap (for any aboard to see out of) is relatively small, thus it restricts the angle that a human observer of the model will be able to peer inside.

 

  Below is a top view.

 

 

  A view from the side shows the little doorway cut into the hull.

 

 

  The wood across the stern was given a little undulation as seen on many models.  There is a little improvising as each step is accomplished, since the alterations to the 'outdated' old kit have to be done without instructions ... but all the great builds and other museum information help in the process.  And indeed, there are differences from model to model - as the finesse and detail seen on the original ship in Stockholm are challenging indeed.

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  No picture in this post, mates - but comments on how I'm working with the mahogany - often found in older kits.  Different stocks behave according to how the grain ran when cut.  Thin veneers can spit, and planking stock can be weak in a certain direction where the grain runs.  Handling the various pieces can reveal which are better to bend.  The color van vary, but can be pretty closely matched.

 

  I'm talking about Honduran mahogany exclusively (there are other types like Philippine and African), and because of the present limitation on supply and high cost, one does not find find it much in new kits.  It is most attractive  for hulls that are mostly unpainted, since it does not need staining at all.  The color can darken slowly with age, presumably to additional surface oxidation.  It does not show glue from squeeze outs very much if aliphatic resin glues are used, and I find that excess can be scraped off in most cases.

 

  Because there will be no finish applied, the slight presence of dried glue is not an issue in my opinion.  But if lighter woods are used that need finishing, any area affected by glue (not sanded away) will not take the stain and really show-up.  I find that gaps or mistakes with mahogany can be remedied by fitting a suitable scrap and glueing for later re-cutting/sanding.  The repairs blend well for the most part.

 

  Walnut is another dark wood needing no finish, and the same principles apply - except that wayward glue can show more on the darker walnut.  Availability is good, for there are a number of species widely grown around the world.  Perhaps working with colored woods on furniture projects over the years have endeared them to me.