Vasa By 72Nova - FINISHED - Airfix - PLASTIC

[72Nova]

I've been wanting to build this one for quite a while and now it's time to roll up the sleeves. I'm taking different approach on this build, I'm building her as she looks in the Vasa Museum except fully masted and rigged as if they found the complete ship, there will be no guns, paint etc. My first course of action is to introduce more graining into the ship to give it a more weathered look, this process will take a few months. Thanks for looking.

 

Michael D.

 

[Baker]

Good luck  👍

[72Nova]

I'll need Baker that's for sure. Doing some modifications to the beakhead and bow using reference info in Landstrom's book and what I can make out from the pictures on the Vasa Museum site, the biggest struggle is trying to acclimate myself to this small scale.

Michael D.

[Baker]

A lot of info can be found on this site 

http://www.wasadream.com/Index/indexenglish.html

 

[amateur]

You can also find a lot of info here:

https://warshipvasa.freeforums.net/
 

It used to be a rather small, active group of vasa-researchers and builders (including Fred Hocker of the vasa-museum). Over the last two years activity died down vompletely, and the last post dates 6 months back.

Still: lots of detailed info hidden over there.

 

Jan

[72Nova]

Thank you, Patrick and Jan, just what I need👍. While still in the rough in stage the modifications to the beakhead are complete at this stage until the hull is glued up.  Thanks for looking.

 

Michael D.

Edited October 1, 2022 by 72Nova

[Nirvana]

Michael, I like that you are approaching Vasa as she was seen in Stockholm when coming out of the water.
I have walked her deck back in the early 70's and at that time she was still very much without any paint.

Last time I saw was in 2012, at the new museum (there is a new museum to be built for her) and a lot had changed.

Best of luck with your model, I never finished my Airfix model.

[harlequin]

i havent done a plastic kit in years....I have a realle which i will never get around to making if anyone wants it it is yours for the postage... 

[72Nova]

Nirvana, I'll try my best to produce something close to resembling her as she appears, but at this scale any modification seems out of scale a bit. harlquin that is tempting.

As I continue to open up the port side gun ports I decided to perform the necessary mods to the galleries, removing the molded scalloping on the roof, scribbling the planking on the underside, opening up the galleries and clinking the roof.

 

Michael D.

[72Nova]

The gallery roof just did not fit tight enough up against the domed sections, I've extended the forward section of the roof and you can see how much the rear section needs to be extended, once that's done I can finish the roof, using printer paper for this process.

 

Michael D.

[72Nova]

The Sulpey clay fresh out of the oven.

    

Pieces attached to the aft dome and roof modification completed.

   

A base coat of Desert Yellow to check the effect, I still have a few more mods yet to do to the lower Qtr gallery before I move to the upper. While not perfect it looks acceptable at this scale, thanks for looking.

 

Michael D.

 

 

 

[72Nova]

As I ponder the idea of modifying the stern bulwarks to simulate clinker-built construction, I focused my attention to check the dry fit of the stern and in this case not too bad! I've started the mods to the stern which will be many for sure, but one area was bugging me and that is the space between the gallery and the side, so I mocked up a figure to fill the space and while this individual doesn't represent anybody in particular, I think it fills the void nicely although maybe a tad over scale.

 

Michael D.

 

 

[72Nova]

Modifications to the stern are complete, I decided not to open up the gun chaser ports, but gave them a bit more definition. The starboard Qtr galleries are just about completed.

 

Michael D.

Edited October 8, 2022 by 72Nova

[72Nova]

The starboard Qtr galleries completed vs out of box port galleries...now I get to do it all over again, oh joy! I will note that none of the modifications are permanently fixed yet as they will be removed during paining process and reattached. Thanks for looking.

Michael D.

[72Nova]

Channels and chain plates, this is something I needed to take into consideration since I will not be using the kit supplied ones and that is chain plate bolt locations in the wales. I made the new channels out .040" styrene sheet and used 24g copper wire as dowels to pin them to ship, the chain plates are the same gauge copper wire hammered flat and bent to the necessary angle, I stropped the 1/8" heart dead eye with thread that is run through a hole in the chain plate and glued and the chain plate is pinned to the wale with 24g copper wire. Obviously the objective here is to get all the channels/chain plates built and fitted prior to painting the hull although the channels will remain in place for that phase.

 

Michael D.

[72Nova]

The Starboard fore channel mock up is complete, overall fairly pleased with the result considering the scale.

 

Michael D.

 

[kljang]

Excellent work!  I love the true scale appearance you are achieving.

 

Cheers,

 

Kerry

[72Nova]

Thank you Kerry, it's putting what skills I have left to the test for sure.

 

Michael D.

[72Nova]

With 90% of the hull sanding complete I've focused my attention to the channels, with the fore channels completed I wanted to try out my new process to achieve the desired look I'm after.

Base coat is Tamiya flat desert yellow followed a thin wash of Tamiya flat white. up next is a thin wash of burnt umber followed by slightly thinned almost dry brushed raw umber then a thin wash of flat black on the middle gun deck ports, once I spray some dulcoat on it, it should give it a deeper tone. I'm quite pleased thus far with the results. The last picture is taken without flash.

Thanks for looking,

Michael D.

[Hubac's Historian]

Michael, this is a really fresh approach to an old, old kit!  I love the modifications, and you have really nailed the tone on the PEG-preserved timbers.  I'm really going to enjoy watching this one take shape!

[Baker]

Very beautiful.

The color on the hull looks great.

[72Nova]

Thank you gentlemen. With the hull sanding/detailing just about complete I decided to add a bit more mods to the outer bulwarks, specifically adding additional material at the base of the railings to give it more definition and some HO Scale  0.56mm x 0.56mm styrene worked perfect, while I'm not able to replicate every detail of the real ship to this build given the scale, this mod is rather easy. The main sheet blocks are fabricated and installed along with adding the poop deck cannon decorative trim.

For this I used sculpy clay and made an impression, baked it for 12 minutes to create a mold, then simply pressing more clay into the mold, removing it, baking it and then trim the excess this is the final result! not too bad. As you can see I'll be displaying her with some of the gun ports closed. Thanks for looking.

 

Michael D.

[Hubac's Historian]

I think it’s a solid move to upgrade the kit railings with extra styrene - it really helps to mitigate the plastic shell effect, by giving these details better scale.

 

I noticed that you cut away the vertical carvings above the poop cap railing.  Was this in consideration of installing the fighting-cloth rail that runs above the cap railings?

[72Nova]

Exactly Marc, I'll build these with a base wider then the existing railing so when installed will have a slight overhang on each side somewhat like the original. Another issue I face is fabricating and attaching  the necessary pin rails, belaying pins, cleats etc required to the bulwarks before gluing up hull.

 

Michael D.

[Hubac's Historian]

Yeah - at this scale, that will be a challenge.  Maybe wire and glue-sizing to make the bulbous heads of the pins?

[72Nova]

I was thinking along those same lines Marc. I redid all the scuppers as the supplied holes were much too big and completed the modifications to what gun ports I chose to open up using 0.26mm styrene. Up next the port side Qtr galleries and deck preparation for the wood deck which is something I do not normally do but this deck as cast is hideous.

 

Michael D.

 

 

[72Nova]

I started fabricating the pin rails and there are 6 total, at the Qtr deck and beakhead, the rest will be integrated into the new railings. I used .030"x.100" styrene and 24g copper wire, I dipped the end of the wire in medium ca glue and hung upside down a few minutes to form the bulbous end, It's looking pretty darn good to my eye. As always thanks for looking.

 

Michael D.

[Ian_Grant]

That Airfix hull looks pretty nicely molded to me. I thought it was looked upon as inferior to the newer Revell of Germany Wasa? Or has Airfix retooled it?

[Jeff T]

1 hour ago, 72Nova said:

I started fabricating the pin rails and there are 6 total, at the Qtr deck and beakhead, the rest will be integrated into the new railings. I used .030"x.100" styrene and 24g copper wire, I dipped the end of the wire in medium ca glue and hung upside down a few minutes to form the bulbous end, It's looking pretty darn good to my eye. As always thanks for looking.

 

Michael D.

Nice way to fabricate the pins in a small scale — Marc had a good idea — they should be sturdier than styrene (with the copper wire instead) when it comes time to rig to them.  If they bend, the pliable copper could likely be easily bent back straight again.

[Hubac's Historian]

Agreed - the pins are very convincing at this scale.