Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Navy - Military - Battleships: => Topic started by: kpnuts on October 02, 2015, 09:05:38 pm

Title: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 02, 2015, 09:05:38 pm

My new one commissioned by my boss, the Airfix Wasa, I bought it off ebay and I've no idea how it was stored but its warped to hell, its been a real pig to get it together, didn't do it as per instructions as i could not get the deck atattched and level so glued the hull front together then when the glue set glued the rear the glued the deck a bit at a time using loads of masking tape to hold it till dry.
(http://i.imgur.com/S13STb2.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/RdlriFR.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/BbQH5eg.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/tKbJsGu.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/72QUoIF.jpg)
Broke lots of these bits on the top rails (whatever they are) so will have to make some new ones.
(http://i.imgur.com/1JQ81wj.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/3rIdtYm.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/vl5WkIy.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/VxaDPGG.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: essex2visuvesi on October 02, 2015, 09:36:47 pm
I think they're all warped.... my stepson bought the same kit and the hull halves were like bananas.
We took it back to the shop and swapped it for a model tank lol
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: warspite on October 03, 2015, 12:22:18 am
I remember this one when I was a lad at 16 maybe 17, I think even that was warped, didn't like it but out of the victory and this, it was bigger and look better on the shelf when completed, has lion heads on the inside of the gun ports if my memory serves me badly, again on youtube there is a vid of someone who built it and put a few euro coins in the bottom and sailed it on his houses outdoor test tank - think it was spain, they all seem to have those gradual bottom test tanks, nicely tiled and very blue water  %).
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on October 03, 2015, 07:05:54 pm
My giddy aunt, that is warpage! Still, you have got it sorted out, so onwards and upwards Ken!

Is this comission from the chap who bought your Sovereign?
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 03, 2015, 07:07:31 pm
Nope its from his wife, my boss.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on October 03, 2015, 07:11:00 pm
There's nothing like healthy competition to generate work.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 03, 2015, 07:22:08 pm
To be honest I think that's what's happening he didn't want the La Reale till she said the Greenwich maritime museum wanted it, then he suddenly wanted it, let's face it, it's not my modeling skills, I mean the Royal Sovriegn was sh'+ but hey it bought me some more models, and if they're stupid enough to buy them I'm not going to argue.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 03, 2015, 07:56:44 pm

Hi all I've decided to display it on the turn with the gun ports open and water just starting to enter, I think that's a fitting setting.
(http://i.imgur.com/K2A1WCd.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/WJieK74.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/3x98nJq.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Pk92vJd.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/LeoVkGR.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on October 03, 2015, 07:58:36 pm
Well long may it last if it gets you money for your hobby:O)

The layout looks good. Are you going to cut it down to waterline or build the water up?? The latter does allow for a good solid looking wooden frame.

Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 03, 2015, 08:35:47 pm
Probably cut it down.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 06, 2015, 09:07:55 pm

Hi all well this is going to be a challenge to paint, to say the least, but I've made a start.
(http://i.imgur.com/Hv3QMTd.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Mltl91W.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/6dcDzVd.jpg?1)
(http://i.imgur.com/tXZ0vnH.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on October 06, 2015, 09:42:11 pm
Keep the faith Ken. The stern already looks the business.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 07, 2015, 09:49:15 am
Hi all here's a question I've been pondering since I started this build. If you were and experienced old sea dog(never sailed a ship in my life, don't know one end of a spar from the other)  and you could see what was about to happen, let's say the ship is listing to port, would you jump onto the sea off the port side or hang off the starboard side and wait for it to sink.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: dreadnought72 on October 07, 2015, 03:55:44 pm
I wonder how many of her sailors could swim?  {:-{


The natural reaction (I know this: I've capsized small boats enough times) is to move "uphill". I suppose on a vessel like this, that'd also be the best way to avoid getting tangled up in the cordage as she rolled over.


Which reminds me of the time I fell out of my boat, with the mainsheet wrapped around my foot, and was dragged a hundred yards along the lake, water rammed up my nose, thinking of the likely newspaper headlines: "Man drowns in absurd sailing accident..."


Andy
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: Netleyned on October 07, 2015, 06:39:08 pm
On that sort of ship capsizes were few as the lower
Gunports would let in enough water to bring her upright and
sink in a seamanlike manner O0

Ned
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: deadbeat on October 07, 2015, 06:58:39 pm
Have you seen the after market parts available for this kit?
http://scalewarship.com/news/airfix-mary-rose-details-sets/

Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 07, 2015, 07:07:57 pm
If they were for the Wasa and not the Mary Rose I might have got excited.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: deadbeat on October 07, 2015, 07:30:13 pm
My mistake sorry.

Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: JimG on October 07, 2015, 08:29:58 pm
Have you seen the reconstructed colour scheme for the stern? Mostly painted with only a little gold.

Jim
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 07, 2015, 08:58:12 pm
Thanks for the pic a great help

well the transom will have to be done in small pieces, the ornamentation is making me crosseyed
(http://i.imgur.com/pkZwXAh.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/oKP3Hv6.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/ttc75s1.jpg)
I have only one set of ref pics and they are from a 1/60 scale so at this scale 1/144 it takes some painting I can tell you.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on October 07, 2015, 10:12:19 pm
You are more than up to the task Ken. Look at the last two wonders you created! Regarding the capsixing ship question, I would make for uphill, though, if she had anti boarding nets like the Mary Rose then the question would be academic:O/
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 13, 2015, 07:46:04 pm

Hi all a little update, well after exhaustive research(20 mins on google pooped for the rest of the day now) the Airfix kit is a little wrong the little sticky up thing on the top of the rails do not exist(thats great as I thought I would have to make some of those as I broke some whists struggling to get the warped hull together, also there should be another gun port on the second tier down sternwards of the last on on the model, roughly where the little slot is on the kit, I may add it when I find out what purpose the slot is for also the ornamentation above the top rail dose not exist neither does the ornamentation between the rails. not tremendous problems so should be able to sort them.


These are the little sticky up things which I've now removed.
(http://i.imgur.com/ypFK4IV.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/gnD8IT5.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Tk25mIb.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/oELyzFZ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/kC9JWAc.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/877DNnT.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/SQEshJ7.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on October 13, 2015, 07:54:17 pm
Keep up the good work. I wonder where Airfix's researchers get these innacuracies from? Perhaps they worked from both the real thing and engravings from the Seventeenth century where the artist had been a little overeager to embellish.

Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on October 29, 2015, 06:07:14 pm

Hi all Airfix missed a gun port on this so I've been racking my brains trying to think of a way of making one and I think I've got it.
first I covered on of them with bathroom sealant to make a mould then I tried to make a resin casting but it was so thin they kept breaking when I tried to get them out, so I thought I need something more flexible so being as how it was so thin I thought just acrylic paint, but that was too flexible and wouldnt come out of the mould so then I thought How can I stiffen it up a bit so I put a thin smear of superglue over it, hey presto it came out, here is the result, I may make another mould and try again as this is a bit chunky probably because of the number of times ive tried using it but at least I know it works.
(http://i.imgur.com/eIbLLth.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Y3KXVLJ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/zBMOrmx.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/r23AAH2.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: warspite on October 29, 2015, 11:28:40 pm
HMS Victory has a lot going for it with the black and ocre, with the red it looks like its steel waiting to be top coated
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on October 30, 2015, 12:51:31 pm
The building restoration fraternity do something similar for restoring plaster work to what you've done ken, by making a mould of an existing piece and reproducing it.  Great initiative Ken:O)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: Brian60 on October 30, 2015, 02:52:49 pm
In post 21. I can see on the starboard view low down toward the stern is what appears to be a gunport. Surely this would be well below the waterline? I'm wondering what it would be for.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on February 04, 2018, 09:29:42 pm


Hi all well here's one I shelved back in 2015 (can't remember why) Airfix goth the colour totally wrong they would have you paint it blue and gold (other than the transom theres very little gold on her, although she is very colourful mainly red though and vert little blue) ( actually i love the airfix colour scheme but that was not right) other than a few few small things it's a great little kit. it's been resurrected I've redone the woodwork, I figure if the Hermann Marwede is going to be in a seascape i may as well tag this one in with it.

(http://i67.tinypic.com/2ikci08.jpg)

(http://i65.tinypic.com/n3tfkl.jpg)

(http://i63.tinypic.com/53nxfo.jpg)

Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on February 05, 2018, 08:26:32 pm
That is good news, and a great example of why leaing a project be for a while can be a good idea especially if it survives the bin in the first place.

I recall you painting the goldwork on this one.

Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on February 11, 2018, 07:24:04 pm
Hi all here is the next update
(http://i64.tinypic.com/263a902.jpg)

(http://i68.tinypic.com/ayvnn9.jpg)

(http://i64.tinypic.com/2rh8t2b.jpg)

(http://i66.tinypic.com/2vlun8n.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on February 15, 2018, 07:09:37 pm
Hi all here's the next bit
(http://i64.tinypic.com/iyq3y9.jpg)

As an aside look what I won on eBay (last one went for 163 quid I got this for 40 quid)
(http://i65.tinypic.com/200truq.jpg)

(http://i68.tinypic.com/24muyio.jpg)

(http://i64.tinypic.com/531hud.jpg)

And my ten min wood effect
(http://i64.tinypic.com/2i0yl1f.jpg)

(http://i68.tinypic.com/2qtjurt.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on February 22, 2018, 08:45:24 pm
Hi all well all the detail painting on the hull is done.

I've glued the cannons on the sinking side as when it's attached to the base I think it would be very difficult.
(http://i63.tinypic.com/20iwh90.jpg)

(http://i66.tinypic.com/fp2sdi.jpg)

Added to the base, need to get some more Poundland bathroom sealant now for the sea
(http://i68.tinypic.com/15wbhnr.jpg)

(http://i65.tinypic.com/2cosrbn.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on February 22, 2018, 09:15:56 pm

I see what you are doing now! I wondered why she was s low at the bow, but then of course she did take a bath for several hundred years  :(( 
If you are looking for a way to do waves without taking out a mortgage for texturing gels, there are a series of articles on maritime diorama making in Model Boats. He uses crumpled up aluminium foil in crumpled and then applied over a polyfiller sculpted sea. The filler creates the body of the waves and the foil creates the wavelets. He then painted the foil with coats of oil paint. I can check the latter bit.


I can't wait to see this dio completed either way  :-)) :-))
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on February 22, 2018, 10:06:26 pm
I will be using clear bathroom sealant for the sea mate.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: Bob K on February 22, 2018, 10:24:59 pm
I always find your builds fascinating.  Your latest thread had me looking up Wasa on Google and it certainly has an interesting history.  Sadly sinking on its maiden voyage due to instability in the design.  Nothing to do with weight of guns, it was a little too narrow and too heavily built high up.  Upper deck beams were over-heavy and spaced much closer than necessary.  Weirdest thing was that port and starboard sides were built to different measurements. One side using rulers of 12 inch "Swedish feet", the other to "Amsterdam feet" of 11 inches.  I really would like to visit her.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on February 22, 2018, 10:27:14 pm
The Mary Rose trust learnt a lot from the reserving of Wasa when they were working on their procedures. A lovely model comong along.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on February 23, 2018, 08:27:06 pm
Hi all made a start on the sea around her.
(http://i67.tinypic.com/16207pg.jpg)

(http://i68.tinypic.com/33ystbb.jpg)

(http://i63.tinypic.com/262np1u.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on February 23, 2018, 11:04:18 pm
The colour of the sea works well through the silicone, it has a grey stormy look.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: warspite on February 24, 2018, 07:09:15 pm
How long did it take for you to come down off the ceiling with the fumes from the silicone.  :}
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on February 24, 2018, 08:28:21 pm
Still up there mate I love dancing with the green unicorns
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on February 28, 2018, 08:43:38 pm
Hi all did some more work on the seascape
(http://i63.tinypic.com/av4dbc.jpg)

(http://i66.tinypic.com/m9li5d.jpg)

(http://i63.tinypic.com/2ij10f7.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: Bob K on February 28, 2018, 09:05:42 pm
You are getting quite expert at simulating turbulent waters  :-))
The visual effect is everything of course, even though the actual Wasa heeled over to port in a very light breeze.
However, I much prefer your rendition.  Much more dramatic.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on March 10, 2018, 06:21:14 pm
Did some more to this.
(http://i65.tinypic.com/2a01a3q.jpg)

(http://i63.tinypic.com/avls7p.jpg)

(http://i68.tinypic.com/207p152.jpg)

(http://i66.tinypic.com/2hi5iy9.jpg)

I would love to add some figures but can't find any to add to it.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on March 10, 2018, 07:04:07 pm

The nearest figures ranges I can think of that would give something reasonable would be 12mm wargames figures from Caliver books/ Minifigs. http://www.miniaturefigurines.co.uk/Home.aspx


Also, Kalistra https://www.kallistra.co.uk/?page=16 Do ranges of older historical figures that might be converted. In both cases, the gun crews are more animated and may provide potential?


As it is a static model, the pewter weight would be less of an issue  :-)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: warspite on March 11, 2018, 12:03:44 pm
Is 144 not N Gauge - still have trouble with crew though.
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on March 16, 2018, 08:45:28 pm
Thanks for the info guys.
Hi all next update
(http://i68.tinypic.com/33v2m50.jpg)

(http://i66.tinypic.com/2cdzz3d.jpg)

I was going to add some stays but Airfix would have you use the God awful plastic coated cotton ratline thingies so no hole through the crows nest
(http://i67.tinypic.com/2z55e06.jpg)

Wish I hadn't added the main stays now as drilling out the holes in the crows nest will probably slacken them all off
(http://i66.tinypic.com/2z8rx8k.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: kpnuts on March 18, 2018, 08:23:22 pm
Hi all got some of the stays done.
(http://i63.tinypic.com/egd8wj.jpg)

(http://i63.tinypic.com/2pb7s.jpg)

(http://i65.tinypic.com/24lvgap.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix 1/144 Wasa
Post by: ballastanksian on April 21, 2018, 06:51:06 pm
Those stays are looking right Ken. You will get to be a master at those with the fleet you are building  :-))