Wasa by fmodajr - FINISHED - Corel - 1:75

[fmodajr]

Thanks again everyone for the likes!

 

Karl and Michael,

Thanks you for your comments! It is appreciated.

 

I finished up the last steps to the platform and mounted them to the masts.

I am glad this step is over!

 

I used 28 gage black wire and twisted them around the deadeyes

 

Then I drill the correct size holes thru the platforms and inserted the deadeyes.

 

From underneath the platform, I cut the excess wire and formed a loop. (I will later pass the rigging for the shrouds thru the eyes)

 

Now I fitted and glued the platforms to the 3 lower masts

 

Test fitted the masts onto the ship

 

Now I will be moving onto the mid and upper mast pieces.

 

Thanks,

Frank

 

[fmodajr]

Hello,

Thanks again for all the likes! I know I am repeating myself, but I really appreciate it. Thanks for visiting.

 

I am now working on the mid section of the 3 masts.

 

I don't have a lathe, so here is how I tapered the mast sections, using my drill press.

 

Shaped mid section pieces, ready for staining.

 

I decided to remake the mast caps from scratch. I did not like the ones that came with the kit. Also, I wanted to keep the wood consistent by using walnut.

 

I squared up some walnut and drilled and squared the middle to fit the lower mast tops.

 

Now I glued a second piece on top of the lower piece above.

 

The next step was to measure the mid section mast dia's at the point where they would meet the mast caps. Then I drilled the holes thru both sections of the mast caps.

 

Now I cut the mast caps thru the center of the holes drilled above

 

Photos of finish mast caps shaped, rounded, stained and with metal fittings applied.

[fmodajr]

Photos of the mast caps mounted on the tops of the lower masts.

 

Photos of the mid sections mounted onto the lower sections and mast caps.

 

Metal brace attached to the mast and mast caps.

 

I almost forgot!

I drilled a hole thru the top of the mid section masts for the future rigging of the yards.

 

Now onto the upper sections of the masts. I did not realize that they would end up this tall!

 

Thanks,

Frank

 

[md1400cs]

Frank,

 

Your masts are looking very excellent. Very nice work (;-)

 

Michael

[edmay]

Hello Frank, platforms .masts and caps are brilliant,but I cannot find the order desk number to put my order in,You set the bar so high with your ultra fine workmanship, how are the poor people (without fancy tools)going to achieve this fine standard of craftsmanship . Joking aside,well done. Edwin.

[fmodajr]

 

 

Hello Frank, platforms .masts and caps are brilliant,but I cannot find the order desk number to put my order in,You set the bar so high with your ultra fine workmanship, how are the poor people (without fancy tools)going to achieve this fine standard of craftsmanship . Joking aside,well done. Edwin.

Hello Edwin,

 

Too Funny!!

Thanks for your comments  

I started model ship building back in 1998 (after a 15 year hiatus in order to raise a couple of kids). I have slowly built up my collection of tools over the last 17 years. Yes, it can get expensive! I try to treat myself with something new once a year.

Hey, I could be spending my money on Golf Club memberships instead! 

This hobby is more fun!

 

Thanks,

Frank

[GLakie]

A truly beautiful job you're doing Frank! I've always loved the intricacy involved in this ship. Hope you don't mind if I follow along.

 

Cheers

[ABrouwer]

Frank,

 

I just started reading and following your build of the Wasa. I will start building the Wasa as soon as I haven finished the Prins Willem (a Dutch East Indiaman ),

your build report will be very helpful in correcting the Wasa model.

 

 

Andy

 

 

 

 

[fmodajr]

 

A truly beautiful job you're doing Frank! I've always loved the intricacy involved in this ship. Hope you don't mind if I follow along.

 

Cheers

Hi George,

Thanks for your kind comments. Your more than welcome to follow along.

There are a few other fantastic active Vasa logs at this site to give you a different perspective!

 

Thanks,

Frank

[fmodajr]

 

Frank,

 

I just started reading and following your build of the Wasa. I will start building the Wasa as soon as I haven finished the Prins Willem (a Dutch East Indiaman ),

your build report will be very helpful in correcting the Wasa model.

 

Hi Andy,

 

Welcome!

 

Do you have any more picts of your ship? The couple I see are very nice! Is it a kit model your building?

 

Frank

[fmodajr]

Hello!

Thanks for all the "Like" clicks!

 

I had a few minutes (in-between shoveling out from 2 large snow storms) to finish up the upper sections of the 3 masts.

 

 

So now I will set them aside and begin work on the bowsprit assembly. 

After I am finished the bowsprit, I have to figure out and install the blocks on the masts and bowsprit before I mount them.

 

Thanks,

Frank

[GLakie]

Gonna look awesome with the masts in place Frank! 

 

Cheers

[fmodajr]

 

Gonna look awesome with the masts in place Frank! 

 

Cheers

George,

 

Thanks for your kind comments!

Working on the bowsprit now!

 

Frank

[marktiedens]

Masts are looking good. Did you use walnut stain on them or another shade?

 

/Mark

Edited February 5, 2015 by marktiedens

[popeye2sea]

Beautiful work.

 

There is something though, that I have seen with each model of Vasa.  Why does the main top cant forward so much?  I would think that it would be set so that it ended up level fore and aft.  Every model I have seen has the top down by the bow, so to speak.  Seems like it would make for some hazardous conditions aloft.

 

Regards,

[fmodajr]

 

Masts are looking good. Did you use walnut stain on them or another shade?

 

/Mark

Hi Mark,

 

Nice to hear from you! 

I used a walnut stain and then put a coat of a satin polyurethane on afterwards.

 

Quick question for you:

The Corel plans show the lower platform of the mizzenmast slightly higher than the lower platform for the mainmast. On the Vasa museum plans (Fred Hocker's plan's from the 1980's) shows the mizzenmast platform slightly lower than the mainmast. 

Any thoughts? Right now my mizzen mast is slightly higher, but would be easy to lower.

 

Thanks,

Frank

[fmodajr]

 

Frank

beautiful job!

Just a question: could you recommend a good book about Wasa which shows good pictures of the carved decorations? I would like to carve a few of them  but I haven't got good pictures as yet. I have seen her last summer and took some photos and also searched the Internet for those. I found lots of pictures but not the real 'normal' ones which would show the decorations (first of all the tafferel) 'normal' ie. without too much distortion.

Janos

Hi Janos,

I hope all is well.

The only book I have is "Vasa I: The Archaeology of a Swedish Warship of 1628".   It has about 7 or 8 black and white pictures of some of the figurines up close, but I don't know if this is enough for you.

Hopefully some other Vasa builders will have some other book suggestions for you.

 

Thanks,

 

Frank

[fmodajr]

 

Beautiful work.

 

There is something though, that I have seen with each model of Vasa.  Why does the main top cant forward so much?  I would think that it would be set so that it ended up level fore and aft.  Every model I have seen has the top down by the bow, so to speak.  Seems like it would make for some hazardous conditions aloft.

 

Regards,

 

 

Hello Henry,

 

When I was making the tops, I wondered the same thing. The plans show about a 15 degree angle between the mainmast and top. However, the mainmast itself is raked back somewhat. Still, I agree, it does not seem "safe".

I found this statement from Landstrom's book on the Vasa:

"No detail of the Vasa, not even her rich embellishment, has caused so much surprise among ship historians as the after rake of her mainmast and the angle formed between her mainmast top and the mast itself. But these are well founded, for the mast-holes in all the decks and the mast-steps have been well preserved."

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

Frank

[marktiedens]

Hi Frank - I never really paid that much attention to the level of the tops. After looking at the museum pictures,& pictures of  Clayton`s fabulous scratch build it appears that the mizzen top probably should be a little lower. It also appears that way on most of the Billing kit pictures. It is also lower on my Sergal model. It should be an easy fix - just cut the bottom of the mast shorter so it fits lower in the keel former. It seems that the Corel plans are the most inaccurate of all the Vasa kits. I should have bought the Billings kit - I would probably be finished with it by now. You could also go to the Vasa forum & ask Fred Hocker - he is the the main researcher at the museum. This link should get you there.

 

http://warshipvasa.freeforums.net/

 

/Mark

[Lin Feng]

Frank

beautiful job!

Just a question: could you recommend a good book about Wasa which shows good pictures of the carved decorations? I would like to carve a few of them  but I haven't got good pictures as yet. I have seen her last summer and took some photos and also searched the Internet for those. I found lots of pictures but not the real 'normal' ones which would show the decorations (first of all the tafferel) 'normal' ie. without too much distortion.

Janos

Power and the Glory: The Sculpture of the Warship Wasa

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Glory-Sculpture-Warship-Wasa/dp/9174022369

[fmodajr]

Hello!

 

I finished up some work on the bowsprit.

 

I notched out the top of the bowsprit dowel and attached the posts.

 

After staining, I added the metal strip and cleats. I will add the steps on both sides of the bowsprit and the wood support for the lashings after the bowsprit is glued and the lashing rigging completed.

 

 

The platform and cap mounted onto the bowsprit.

 

Adding the upper mast sections.

 

Metal straps added to the mast and caps

 

My next step is to add all the blocks and eyelets to the masts and bowsprit and then glue the masts to the ship.

 

Thanks,

 

Frank

 

[GLakie]

Very nice Frank! Very nice!

 

Cheers

[fmodajr]

 

Very nice Frank! Very nice!

 

Cheers 

• Like This

GEORGE

Thanks George and thanks for visiting my log!

 

Frank

[fmodajr]

Hello,

 

Thanks for all the likes and comments!

 

So, another snowstorm in Boston tonight! I am hunkering down and I thought it would be a good time to post some more picts before we lose power!

 

I continued work on the bowsprit by adding blocks and eyelets for future rigging. I am using the Corel plans, but modifying it with the plans from the Vasa Museum (along with visuals from Karl's great log on his Vasa). The museum plans and Karl's work show the rigging with the sails. Since I plan to use a combination of furled sails and a couple of sails fully open, I added more blocks onto the bowsprit than what the Corel plans show.

 

 

I now positioned and glued the bowsprit to the ship.

 

Then I added the rigging to tie down the bowsprit.

I previously added the cleats to the bowsprit and I mistakenly added them a little too close to where the lashings are suppose to be, but I think they will be fine and I will be able to work around them!

 

Then I added the supports for the lashings and the stairs.

 

My next step is to add the blocks and eyelets to the 3 masts and fit the masts to the ship.

 

Thanks

 

Frank

 

[fmodajr]

I forgot to mention in my last post, that I am not using the blocks that came with the Corel kit. I am using blocks made by Warner Woods. I really like them a lot and when I received them, I just applied a little stain to darken them up a little.

 

Thanks,

 

Frank

[GLakie]

Nice job Frank! Love the detail.

 

Cheers

[Karleop]

Hola Frank:

 

You're doing an excellent job and your Vasa is comming great.

 

On the other hand, I am pleased that my photos serve you as an additional guide to include some blowing sails.  By the way, I almost finish my Vasa and I must to say that I feel pretty sad, so I am trying to delay as much as possible the last steps.

 

Saludos, Karl

[ABrouwer]

Hi Andy,

 

Welcome!

 

Do you have any more picts of your ship? The couple I see are very nice! Is it a kit model your building?

 

Frank

 

Its a kit by Corel named Prins Willem (a Dutch east Indiaman 1651) I painted it in its original coulors and corrected some of to the rigging

You can find the bull log on (I am sorry its in Dutch): 

http://www.modelbouwforum.nl/forums/bouwverslagen-historische-schepen/148350-prins-willem-17de-eeuws-voc-schip-95.html

(I am sorry its in Dutch), and all pictures on: 

http://www.modelbouwforum.nl/forums/members/abrouwer-albums-prins-willem-1649-voc.html

 

You are right in not using the Corel blocks they are to rough and full of splinters. I had to use them on the Prins Willem for I could not find 4mm blocks in the stores.

 

Andy

I have ordered the Wasa 

 

Edited February 15, 2015 by ABrouwer

[fmodajr]

 

Nice job Frank! Love the detail. 

 

Cheers

• Like This

GEORGE

Thanks George!

It is appreciated!

Frank

[fmodajr]

 

Hola Frank:

 

You're doing an excellent job and your Vasa is comming great.

 

On the other hand, I am pleased that my photos serve you as an additional guide to include some blowing sails.  By the way, I almost finish my Vasa and I must to say that I feel pretty sad, so I am trying to delay as much as possible the last steps.

 

Saludos, Karl

Hi Karl,

 

Yes! I keep using your picts as a guide! Thanks!

I know what you mean about nearing the end! 

Fortunately for me, I have a ways to go and rigging is always my favorite part of a model build!

I hope you can find a case and a nice spot for your Vasa to be viewed!

 

Frank