VASA 490 Build Log - Billing Boats, 1:75 [Completed Build]

Thank you @Dean62 (Dean). I have some scallops in the works but am still considering shingles. I'm now wondering if those scallops should be parabolas chained together like fish scales??

Thank you @dockattner (Paul). I plan on investing in a stock pile of pearwood like you did so I can fab parts and just put linseed oil on em. Seems most other woods you have to stain them and I'm just not too pleased with staining. Is pearwood a hard or soft wood? Walnuts only draw back is its so hard ,dry, and brittle. I have to soak and heat it to bend it.

Hi @Alexander74 (Sasha), good to hear from you and thanks for the review.
 
Thank you @Dean62 (Dean). I have some scallops in the works but am still considering shingles. I'm now wondering if those scallops should be parabolas chained together like fish scales??

Thank you @dockattner (Paul). I plan on investing in a stock pile of pearwood like you did so I can fab parts and just put linseed oil on em. Seems most other woods you have to stain them and I'm just not too pleased with staining. Is pearwood a hard or soft wood? Walnuts only draw back is its so hard ,dry, and brittle. I have to soak and heat it to bend it.

Hi @Alexander74 (Sasha), good to hear from you and thanks for the review.
Yes. Pearwood is a hardwood. It is tightly grained and works really well at the scale of our models. The only downside is getting it. Pink pear is rare here in the US so it generally needs to be imported from europe or further east... My preferred provider is in Russia (@bibigon). I think his prices are very fair (they have gone up a bit recently as you would expect) but shipping is a slap in the face.
 
Hi all!
I couldn't resist this short update. Finished port side walnut veneer and whalers plus applied the wax finish. I even managed a few scarf joints in the whalers at the bow section . They enabled me to work around the severe bend. I know its a little rough looking upon zoom in but it will look good in our dining room. Another good week of planking and I'll have the starboard finished. I'm planning on placing a few faux scarf joints only in the whaler system.




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I hope you all enjoy
Happy modeling !
The walnut is perfectly complemented the red colour used great job.
 
The walnut is perfectly complemented the red colour used great job.
Thank you Tony. The red is growing me. Being red green color blind (which is a misnomer by the way) I wasn't too sure I cared for it. To me red belongs in the dark color family as does blue ,green, brown. I can see red but if you placed a strip of red cloth in a lush green lawn I would have a very hard time spotting it.
 
Thank you @Dean62 (Dean). I have some scallops in the works but am still considering shingles. I'm now wondering if those scallops should be parabolas chained together like fish scales??

Daniel,
You could cut a strip out of a piece of construction paper, and cut scallops in the edge, then use it as a template and paint along the edge.
Also you can use painters tape with scallops cut in the edge as a template to paint.
Many ways to do it… ;)
 
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Hello everyone.
This is a milestone update for my VASA. I finished the starboard side today and laid in the wiskey plank shortly after 8 am followed by the whalers. Considering recent events in Afghanistan, I am not in the mood to celebrate but am praying for our country. I'm looking forward to the next phase on this magnificent ship.

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On my rope making front I have discovered that at least to me right laid looks better than left lay. Not sure why there would be a difference but the left lay has a sheen that right doesn't which detracts from its appearance. What do ya'll think. I suspect it has to do with the lay direction of the "plies" which is right lay thus effecting the "strands" somehow. Right lay is more difficult to manage but worth it.


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I thank you all for looking in and as always Happy Modeling.
 
Looks fantastic great choice of colours. I can't really tell much difference between the left and right lay in the photos might be more apparent in the hand, I'm looking forward to starting my own rope making and building up my knowledge base.
 
Hi Daniel,

Question: how did you make right hand rope from right hand source threads? If I do that the whole thing unravels. Thanks.
Yes Paul the source threads have to unravel and wind in the opposite direction. It takes longer because of this and I really have to time and measure the length of shrinkage closely or the source threads do bunch up and break. I use a vertical Dominoff machine that has a weight I attach to it and the weight has to climb approx 10%. I hope that makes sense.
 
Looks fantastic great choice of colours. I can't really tell much difference between the left and right lay in the photos might be more apparent in the hand, I'm looking forward to starting my own rope making and building up my knowledge base.
Thanks Tony. I really enjoy rope making I think because of the challenge and these ropes really do make a ship look awesome. There is a surprising amount of research involved, at least for me and I've bought a lot of thread I'll never use because you cant just use any ol thread.
 
Thank you Dan
Yes Paul the source threads have to unravel and wind in the opposite direction. It takes longer because of this and I really have to time and measure the length of shrinkage closely or the source threads do bunch up and break. I use a vertical Dominoff machine that has a weight I attach to it and the weight has to climb approx 10%. I hope that makes sense.
Thank you Daniel. That makes sense. If I might ask a follow-up without being a bother. How did you 'force' the unravel? Did you spin it on the vertical ropewalk or unwind by hand?

And yes, I too have a growing collection of thread for practicing that will never make it into a ship.
 
Thank you Dan

Thank you Daniel. That makes sense. If I might ask a follow-up without being a bother. How did you 'force' the unravel? Did you spin it on the vertical ropewalk or unwind by hand?

And yes, I too have a growing collection of thread for practicing that will never make it into a ship.
Hi Paul, please never worry about bothering me. I'm always delighted to discuss and learn from you. I can spin the threads in either direction with a forward/reverse switch that was provided with the machine. So I just tie the threads tightly on the spindles and in this case spin the threads clockwise and they just come unwound and rewind in the opposite direction when they can no longer keep unwinding. I don't use a mara type thread which I believe you do and may be the source of confusion, the tera threads I use have 3 distinct sub threads or plies that make up the a single thread, they just readily come undone and rewind in the opposite direction. I actually don't watch the threads spinning but keep my eye on the weight load.
 
Hi Paul, please never worry about bothering me. I'm always delighted to discuss and learn from you. I can spin the threads in either direction with a forward/reverse switch that was provided with the machine. So I just tie the threads tightly on the spindles and in this case spin the threads clockwise and they just come unwound and rewind in the opposite direction when they can no longer keep unwinding. I don't use a mara type thread which I believe you do and may be the source of confusion, the tera threads I use have 3 distinct sub threads or plies that make up the a single thread, they just readily come undone and rewind in the opposite direction. I actually don't watch the threads spinning but keep my eye on the weight load.
Cool. I'll try it (I have tera threads as well - and serafil - and...). Thanks for taking the time to share - I agree the right lay looks more authentic.

Oh, and give 15% a try when you are using thinner source threads. 10% is good with thicker starters in my hands but I needed more 'spinning' the thinner the final product was going to be.
 
Cool. I'll try it (I have tera threads as well - and serafil - and...). Thanks for taking the time to share - I agree the right lay looks more authentic.

Oh, and give 15% a try when you are using thinner source threads. 10% is good with thicker starters in my hands but I needed more 'spinning' the thinner the final product was going to be.
Thanks Paul, I will do that. I also use two drill chucks, one lighter than the other for small and large dia threads.
So have you tried to sell the admiral your excess threads:p
 
Dave the hull color of your Vasa looks beautiful. In my opinion, the walnut offers much better ambience to the overall look of a period-ship than any other wood would have done. I know Pear is very popular - but then everything these days seems to be in Pear (my next build will also be Pear ... sigh ...). However, there is just something special about walnut. As to being brittle, I suppose there is walnut and then walnut. I have had no such problem on the Haarlem.
 
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