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pavel nikitin oseberg 3

Y

yancovitch

Joined
Jul 9, 2018
Messages
97
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103

not an actual build log, but rather my take on this kit, and in a nutshell, what i'm doing with it....
first issue is a prayer for ukraine...god help them find their way through this insanity....
when i put the hull together, something didn't feel right, so i looked online at photos of the original in the olso museum, and was impressed with the narrow refined bow and stern.....soooooo....i cut off the bow and stern of the model ends, tapered down the planking, so they will mate with the thickness of the two ornate end pieces glued together......
obviously a messy job and i had much sanding and filling to make it look acceptable......it would be easy if modified a new kit from scratch.......you can see from the comparison photos included compared to the kit version, of course which still looks nice...but i got picky....
of course, to cover up the mess, i had to paint the krylon hull dark brown satin, and flattened it with krylon crystal clear flat spray...great stuff.....actually, if i rebuilt the kit, i would make the bow even a tiny bit thinner....

oseberg-ship-excavated-burial-archeological-site-exhibited-viking-museum-bygdoy-peninsula-osl...webp

IMG_20250923_100837.jpg

OIP.jpg
 
I don’t know about this ship in particular, but the Vikings’ building process did not include fastening planks to a narrow stem like later wooden vessels. Instead they used a large tapered stem with outlines of planking carved into it. The actual planking of the hull butted against these carved planks well aft of the stem. I have not seen this feature duplicated in a kit.

Roger
 
i decided to color the shields, but i didn't want them to look to bright as there would be too much contrast with the dark hull, so i used felt pens......oh, this version is with the new mast step.....and for the deck i used my ''favorite'' covering.....orange shellac, flattened with the krylon crystal flat...by the way, the stand is temporary ...

IMG_20251012_081854_01.JPG
 
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Roger Pellett said:
I don’t know about this ship in particular, but the Vikings’ building process did not include fastening planks to a narrow stem like later wooden vessels. Instead they used a large tapered stem with outlines of planking carved into it. The actual planking of the hull butted against these carved planks well aft of the stem. I have not seen this feature duplicated in a kit.

Roger
Click to expand...
thanks for that .......amazing these people who do extensive research....but sadly, i'm just a romantic modeler...i just look for the lines, balance and form which is pleasing to me....i rely on people like you for guidance, and i understand what you expressed....
oh, do you have any idea what those grated walkways are called?.....i'll be making intuitive changes there too....
 
this is a temporary configuration i'm considering....i shortened the oars a half inch....and moved the chairs back to move the fulcrum to a viable rowing position.....yep...i missed a strap on the barrels....
this is pure intuition, and i welcome anyone to offer a better solution...no idea where the walkways goes, but they seem comfortable here.......

IMG_20251012_173952_01.JPG
 
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Roger Pellett said:
I don’t know about this ship in particular, but the Vikings’ building process did not include fastening planks to a narrow stem like later wooden vessels. Instead they used a large tapered stem with outlines of planking carved into it. The actual planking of the hull butted against these carved planks well aft of the stem. I have not seen this feature duplicated in a kit.

Roger
Click to expand...
It’s unfortunately impossible to reproduce the full architecture of ancient Scandinavian ships in a model kit. And the issue is not only with the keel — the hull planks were fastened to the frames in a completely different way, and the frames themselves had a different shape. If you’re interested, this information can easily be found online.


Such details can’t be recreated in a kit for both technical and economic reasons. Any model kit is only a foundation upon which the modeler can build a ship with the level of historical accuracy that satisfies them personally.
 
yancovitch said:
i decided to color the shields, but i didn't want them to look to bright as there would be too much contrast with the dark hull, so i used felt pens......oh, this version is with the new mast step.....and for the deck i used my ''favorite'' covering.....orange shellac, flattened with the krylon crystal flat...by the way, the stand is temporary ...

View attachment 549841
Click to expand...
 
yancovitch said:
this is a temporary configuration i'm considering....i shortened the oars a half inch....and moved the chairs back to move the fulcrum to a viable rowing position.....yep...i missed a strap on the barrels....
this is pure intuition, and i welcome anyone to offer a better solution...no idea where the walkways goes, but they seem comfortable here.......

View attachment 549983
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, on this ship the chests (sea chests) could not have been placed on the deck in that position. The Scandinavians sometimes rowed for days, and in such an arrangement it would be impossible to row even for a few minutes.
The reason is simple: effective rowing requires a foot brace — arm strength alone isn’t enough.
When the chest is placed across the deck, there’s no way to push with your feet, since the point of support lies directly under the rower and lacks longitudinal stability. It’s basic geometry of force distribution.
In fact, anyone who has ever rowed in a small boat would easily confirm this.
 
Pavel Nikitin said:
Unfortunately, on this ship the chests (sea chests) could not have been placed on the deck in that position. The Scandinavians sometimes rowed for days, and in such an arrangement it would be impossible to row even for a few minutes.
The reason is simple: effective rowing requires a foot brace — arm strength alone isn’t enough.
When the chest is placed across the deck, there’s no way to push with your feet, since the point of support lies directly under the rower and lacks longitudinal stability. It’s basic geometry of force distribution.
In fact, anyone who has ever rowed in a small boat would easily confirm this.
Click to expand...
aha.....thank you for that....in other words, the chests could tip over backwards?......and there's probably no evidence of foot braces......will change positions відразу....oh....i wonder if they would sit at the ends of the chests, or in the center?....is this what you mean?

MVIMG_20251015_064540_01.JPG
 
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Pavel, Your kits appear to be better than many offerings. The Oseberg kit in particular builds a handsome model. The comment was made in respect to yankovitch’s efforts to modify the kit to improve the appearance of the planking at the stem.

Roger
 
yancovitch said:
aha.....thank you for that....in other words, the chests could tip over backwards?......and there's probably no evidence of foot braces......will change positions відразу....oh....i wonder if they would sit at the ends of the chests, or in the center?....is this what you mean?

View attachment 550423
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If you place the chest across the deck, it won’t give the rower any more space
But in that position, it could easily tip over.


Closer to the New Year, there might be a crew figure set for the “Oseberg” released, but I can’t confidently promise that it will include rowers — since the ship is shown under sail, rowers wouldn’t be needed in that configuration.
 
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Hello Roger,


Thank you very much for your kind words — I truly appreciate it.
You’re absolutely right — Yankovitch did an excellent job trying to improve the appearance of the planking near the stem. His approach was very careful and showed how attentive a modeler can be to fine details.


I’m always glad when our kits inspire builders to make their own improvements and creative touches — that’s where the real individuality of a model comes to life.


Best regards,
Pavel
 
Pavel Nikitin said:
If you place the chest across the deck, it won’t give the rower any more space
But in that position, it could easily tip over.


Closer to the New Year, there might be a crew figure set for the “Oseberg” released, but I can’t confidently promise that it will include rowers — since the ship is shown under sail, rowers wouldn’t be needed in that configuration.
Click to expand...
hmmmmmm,,,,,,sorry, i don't quite understand why the image i posted with the stick figure wouldn't work...
 
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oh goodie.....thanks pavel, oh, i did add the rims to the shields....seemed too thick scale wise, but nice for the esthetic appeal.....gee.....your laser cutter must penetrate one atom at a time, the tolerances are so fine....
and how you have the time to respond to all the messaging you receive under the present circumstances, is beyond me.....to prevail with so much creativity in the midst of so much chaos, brings tears...
 
yancovitch said:
oh goodie.....thanks pavel, oh, i did add the rims to the shields....seemed too thick scale wise, but nice for the esthetic appeal.....gee.....your laser cutter must penetrate one atom at a time, the tolerances are so fine....
and how you have the time to respond to all the messaging you receive under the present circumstances, is beyond me.....to prevail with so much creativity in the midst of so much chaos, brings tears...
Click to expand...
I’m very glad you added the rims to the shields! You’re absolutely right — they may seem a bit thick for precise scale, but visually they look excellent and give the model a special character. Sometimes it’s these small artistic choices that make a ship truly come alive.

Thank you as well for your kind words about precision — I do many test assemblies, and in tiny details like the shield’s metal rim, I sometimes make twenty revisions before achieving the perfect result. I’m really happy you noticed that!

Your words of support are truly invaluable. They give me strength to keep working despite everything that’s happening. Honestly, the work itself often helps me take my mind off the things going on around. I went through war when I was young, so I’m holding on — but it’s harder for my wife, she barely sleeps…

With deep respect and gratitude,
Pavel Nikitin
 
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