Black Swan

[GIG1810]

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

would like to write a build report on the Black Swan. The kit is from OcCre, is called Black Swan, and is relatively new on the market. It is in 1:75 scale.It has a medium difficulty level and is supposedly ideal for beginners. It has already been presented here in the forum by Jim. I can, of course, do it again if you wish.I will be completely converting the Black Swan into a Royal Navy ship. She will be a proud ship of His Majesty and will strike fear into the hearts of pirates in the Caribbean.Since I will be converting the Black Swan, she will, of course, also be given a different name.

The name of the future ship is Athena!

The Athena is a fantasy ship that bears similarities to the Black Pearl, the Black Swan, the Flying Dutchman, and other vessels. There is no historical evidence for this ship. The design of this ship is not historically documented, but the shipbuilding influences of 17th and 18th-century sailing ships were taken into account during construction. The Athena's construction resembles a galleon.

The ship's design will therefore be modified to be more similar to historical ships of the 17th to early 18th centuries. As mentioned above, my intention is not to build a pirate ship, but rather to design an aesthetically pleasing and majestic Royal Navy ship.

I apologize for any difficulties I encounter as a novice in wooden shipbuilding. Therefore, I ask for your patience and support with this project.

I thank you for the helpful comments and support in this forum.

Sincerely, (the then Queen Mary II)

Best regards

Günther

 

[Namabiiru]

Lovely!

 

[GIG1810]

The Athena is a fantasy ship that bears similarities to the Black Pearl, the Black Swan, the Flying Dutchman, and other vessels. There is no historical evidence for this ship. The design of this ship is not historically documented, but the shipbuilding influences of 17th and 18th-century sailing ships were taken into account during construction
The Athena's construction resembles a galleon.
The ship's design will therefore be modified to be more similar to historical ships of the 17th to early 18th centuries. As mentioned above, my intention is not to build a pirate ship, but rather to design an aesthetically pleasing and majestic Royal Navy ship.
I apologize for any difficulties I encounter as a novice in wooden shipbuilding. Therefore, I ask for your patience and support with this project.
I thank you for the helpful comments and support in this forum.
Sincerely, (the then Queen Mary II)

Now for my first report. I already mentioned that I'm not building the Black Swan from OcCre, but the Athena. Of course, like a true model builder, I took a close look at the parts and must say that, since I have no experience with such kits, I was very surprised at how quickly something can break if you have too many fingers...

Inspecting the wood also showed me that it's a very delicate material. The quality is okay, not what I expected. It wobbles everywhere, parts (tensions) are incorrectly spaced. Too small or too large, and you have to rework them. But this has to be done with great care, otherwise something can break again. See the deck picture with Perry. I've posted a few pictures of what the Athena's frame looks like. I've already started work on the upper deck and extended an entrance and the grating support. Another extension to the bow is still to come. I've relocated the mast head for the fuel mast. I also ordered 0.06 mm x 3 mm x 300 mm veneer for the hull paneling. Also balsa wood for the filling (stability). There's still a lot going on here on the upper deck!

So far, I've cleaned the frames of any remaining connecting pieces and done some sawing on the upper deck. Please be considerate and don't stare too long, because Athena looks very, very naked right now, standing here in her Eve costume... Please have a little respect and look away quickly... 8)

Oh yes, how could I have forgotten? I'd like to introduce you to my master shipbuilder. His name is Percy Mcroudy. He's a Scot through and through. But highly sensitive and beyond creative. Unfortunately, he has a theatrical streak and always grabs his head when something doesn't work out. He will guide me and Athena through the stormy seas of model building and provide many a laugh . He's a bit of a goofball, a bit silvery. But otherwise, he's doing well and looking forward to learning from you. :Ok:

So here my first pictures:

Best regards
Günther


.

 

[GIG1810]

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Here's a quick status report. What's happening?

I've decided to equip the lower deck not with cannon racks, but with full-fledged cannons on carriages. I won't extend the lower deck or mark the cannons, as they can't be seen. But from the outside, it certainly looks fantastic.
I've drawn the lower deck on the frames so I can see it. It serves as a guide for the approximate height at which I need to position the cannons (height of the carriage and the cannon). (I know the frames are much rounder and curved, but as I said, nothing is being done inside the ship. So it's not that important.)
I've taken a look at the frame. The quality isn't that good. I still have to do some work to get the frame into shape.
But take a look at the pictures. I hope it works...
In the last picture, you can see how I'm going to rebuild the deck.
Old is old and new is new. So the old deck will be converted into the new deck.
Enjoy looking at the pictures.

Best regards and ahoy

Günther

 

[GIG1810]

Hello friends,

I apologize for my text being in German. Unfortunately, I realized this too late. I've now tried translating it into English.

Hopefully it worked.

Best regards,
Günter

 

[GIG1810]

Hello friends,

I've included a few pictures comparing the gun barrel of an OcCre 12-pounder with my homemade gun for HMS Victory 12 years ago. The scale of the OcCre gun barrel is also incorrect.

The comparison between the two gun barrels is a disaster if you really want to build based on a historical model.
As I said, this is a medium-duty kit from OcCre. If you want to try this kit, just do it. That's what the Black Swan kit is for. It's not a demanding task.

But I want to get the most out of this kit, even if I still have to get extras (e.g., better guns, rams, walkways, additional planks, etc.).
Either I lean too far out of the window and reap ridicule and scorn, and get tarred and feathered, or I build a really great wooden model, entirely according to my wishes and ideas, with a bit of historical ship construction (deck structure, capstan, rigging).

Look at the pictures. As you can see, Mr. McCroudy isn't happy about OcCre's cannon. You can't win a war with that. But with Günter's cannons, you definitely can!

Best regards

Günter

 

[Larro145]

Where do you get those brass cannons?

 

[GIG1810]

Hi Laro,

I made the cannon in the first picture myself about 12 years ago. It was intended for the HMS Victory. The cannons in the second-to-last picture are from Krick Modelling in Germany. Here's the link:

Krick Modelltechnik - Onlineshop for model builders

Krick Modelltechnik, manufacturer and wholesaler, your competent partner no matter if you are looking for ship model building or aircraft model building.

www.krickshop.de

You can look on this side. They have a large selection of guns. They're not quite as good as mine, but they're pretty close.

Best regards
Günther

 

[Larro145]

Hi Laro,

I made the cannon in the first picture myself about 12 years ago. It was intended for the HMS Victory. The cannons in the second-to-last picture are from Krick Modelling in Germany. Here's the link:

Krick Modelltechnik - Onlineshop for model builders

Krick Modelltechnik, manufacturer and wholesaler, your competent partner no matter if you are looking for ship model building or aircraft model building.

www.krickshop.de

You can look on this side. They have a large selection of guns. They're not quite as good as mine, but they're pretty close.

Best regards
Günther

Thank you!

 

[GIG1810]

null problemo Larro, you welcome!!

Best Regards
Günter

 

[tball4217]

the stern castle is the issue... its too tall. Were essentially talking Roter Lowe with a Soveriegn of the Seas stern castle design.. the first bottom level of the stern castle with the wheel on it... judging by the rest of the ship.. would actualy be a double height deck.. makes no sense.

The stern lanters have to go, the highest part the lanterns are on should go as well.

 

[LucZoRama]

woooowww

GIG23​

I think it is coming out great. I like it and cannot wait to see the end result, love the level and the cannon so far. Please keep us posted.

 

[GIG1810]

Hello Tball,
yes, you are right. The ship does not correspond to the given historical dimensions of the 17th century. It's a Disney product for the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, which is why it's a fantasy ship. I want to build it in such a way that it is still an OcCre model, but still looks nicer than OcCre offered. The rigging, for example, is not correct. I would at least like to represent that historically.

Many thanks for your advice and I look forward to any comments.

Regards
Günter

 

[GIG1810]

Hello my friends,
The construction of His Majesty's Ship the Athena continues. Unfortunately, the construction of the Athena is becoming more and more of a grab bag. I notice more and more that I simply want too much and Mr. McRoudy is already very angry with me and has to reprimand me so that I stay within our time frame, as the Athena should be finished as quickly as possible so that the Athena can protect His Majesty's waters from the pirate pack that is increasingly infesting His Majesty's waters.
But enough chatter, let's get back to the honorable work done. Unfortunately, I had to recut the plywood for the campanile deck because the plywood was so warped that I could no longer stretch it. Every attempt was in vain. (Soaking, stressing, ironing, resting etc.) The exit to the bowsprit on the bow also had to be lowered, as the bow of this kit was raised like a ski jump to such an extent that it simply didn't look practicable.

By lowering the bow, I naturally also change the course of the ship. Mr. McRoudy was very pleased with the change and I was even able to elicit a smile from him, which is quite rare. I was happy with that. Then I came up with the idea of using a small piece of wood for the bow end (which is of course almost twice as thick in real life and prevents water from penetrating the planks and serves to stabilize the hull) as in the real construction method. Just needs to be sanded properly. Sounds easy, but it is a bit tricky. I also had to reinforce certain frames at the bow and stern/midships. The stern has now been completed. Everything still needs to be dried, sanded and cleaned. There is still a lot to do.

Best regards
Günter

 

[GIG1810]

Hey my freinds,
And now I'm going a little further again. What have I done so far but just think about the Athena? Mr. McProudy was angry with me because I was dawdling. He's always pushing the accelerator to make sure we keep to the schedule. I picked up all the parts for the sanding drum (for the blocks) during the week and still have to assemble it so that I can sand my blocks nicely. Let's see how that works for me.
Unfortunately, I had to redo the poop deck because the poop deck supplied by OcCre had warped so badly that it was no longer possible to fit it. More work again! The main deck amidships looks similar, but I'll wait and see. I don't feel like sawing and sanding again right now.
Then there was still some sanding to do. The stern and the planks had to be sanded flat so that I can start planking soon. I also have to burnish the cannons and put them on the mounts. Oh yes, I still have to make the gun carriages too ...
Since that was a bit too monotonous for me (I hope Mr. McRoudy doesn't hear that), I started cutting out and shaping the bulkhead for the entrance to the captain's cabin. To do this, I created a photo mask of how I envisioned my deck entrance. The following work was associated with this.
Print out photo
-Measure the frame, stick on the photo,
- cut out everything according to the photo,
- Create window
- Create the window frame (this was the first time I worked with a plank bender). It can get pretty hot!
- Create the door (the first draft was not so good). So let's go at it again ...
- sand everything down
- filling
-Carry out the paintwork
Phew, there's a lot to do ...
Did I already tell you that the Athena is supposed to be in 1:75 scale? I have to be honest and say that the scale is something. But it's definitely not 1:75 scale - a lot of things are too big and then too small again.

Here are a few more pictures .

 

[Namabiiru]

Pictures aren’t loading.

 

[LucZoRama]

Hello friends,

I've included a few pictures comparing the gun barrel of an OcCre 12-pounder with my homemade gun for HMS Victory 12 years ago. The scale of the OcCre gun barrel is also incorrect.

The comparison between the two gun barrels is a disaster if you really want to build based on a historical model.
As I said, this is a medium-duty kit from OcCre. If you want to try this kit, just do it. That's what the Black Swan kit is for. It's not a demanding task.

But I want to get the most out of this kit, even if I still have to get extras (e.g., better guns, rams, walkways, additional planks, etc.).
Either I lean too far out of the window and reap ridicule and scorn, and get tarred and feathered, or I build a really great wooden model, entirely according to my wishes and ideas, with a bit of historical ship construction (deck structure, capstan, rigging).

Look at the pictures. As you can see, Mr. McCroudy isn't happy about OcCre's cannon. You can't win a war with that. But with Günter's cannons, you definitely can!

Best regards

Günter

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I agree we won't win wars with those cannons, we have to admit Günter's are great. it is a wonderful thing to be able to modify the build. it gets hard but it is worth it.

 

[GIG1810]

Good morning guys,

quick question! Can you see my pictures or can't you see the pictures? I would appreciate an answer. Apparently the pictures are not transferring properly. Hence my question.

Best regards
Günter

 

[GIG1810]

Pictures aren’t loading.

Hello my friend,
can you see the pictures now? That would make me very happy. You are also welcome to comment on them.

Best regards
Günter

 

[AllanKP69]

The comparison between the two gun barrels is a disaster if you really want to build based on a historical model.

Regarding the gun patterns, the one you made looks better than the kit gun in the photo you posted. Understandably kit makers are limited to how many patterns and sizes they can make due to the cost but that is easy for us to get around. The patterns varied with era, nation, and caliber. With your fantasy ship you get to pick a time period and nation so you can come up with something that would look right. You mention building it like ships of the 17th century and 18th century but the ships themselves changed a LOT over these two centuries. For arguments sake, the ship appears to be 17th century. That being the case, if she were English, Pitt or Browne pattern guns (circa 1625-1649) or Commonwealth pattern (circa1650-1715) might be closest to what would be appropriate. I paid less than US$1 each for them, including shipping when I sent my 3D drawing to a 3D printer for 1:64 scale. If you wish I can send you a drawing of most any English pattern from about 1625-1820. You can email these to any local 3D printer with the scale or length that you want and they can make them for you.
Allan