Showing posts with label shipbuilding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shipbuilding. Show all posts

Sunday, 19 April 2015

River boats


Here is a small squadron of newly-painted river boats for my Cremona game on Saturday, when the will be carrying a commando gladiator raiding party.  

Later on, I will add seating and some German style rowers on benches that I am sculpting, and I will hopefully be able to play some riverine games.  I have a nice cataphract liburnian from Thomas Foss that will provide suitable Roman opposition.

Wednesday, 9 April 2014

The "Vesta"


Here's a snap of my swan-necked trade ship, the "Vesta", and one of the four "landing barges" I've painted for the Salute game.  She is a big girl!  These are just quick snaps on my camera phone, I'll take proper pics, later on.


The model was laboriously converted from a plastic kogge.  I'm delighted with the railings; which the chaps at 4Ground very kindly produced as a special order.   

Do come and see the "Vesta", and the rest of the Roman navy (plus me in my new Bigredbat t-shirt, and the fine chaps at WS&S) at Salute on Saturday; stand GE02, just to the left as you come in the entrance.

Sunday, 6 April 2014

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Setting Sail

Legatus was asking me how I was planning to tackle the sails on my Swan-neck, so here we are!  Get them oars on, Legatus.  ;-)




The sails are attached to small rare-earth magnets, to help with storage, and give me options of furled or unfurled (I have plans to use her in-harbour).  I need to think about rigging; despite storage issues, I might manage a few ropes.  The steering oars are also attached with rare earth magnets, for storage purposes.  I still have a bit of snagging to do, but the build is essentially done (which is just as well as I am very tight for time!).  


Finally, a huge intercontinental thank you to Thomas Foss of Skull and Crown blog, who sent me the below resin cataphract liburnium.  This is exactly what I've been looking for as the basis for a scout ship, or Rhine patrol boat, and I've already been giving a deal of thought to how I'll convert/assemble it.


Thomas also sent me some of his lovely Napoleonic cut ply figures, which I look forward to painting in due course!

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Giraffe-necked trade ship

Here are a couple of snaps of the model I'm building for the Salute game I'm putting on with WS&S.




The model breaks down to fit into a Really Useful 7L box.  There's not a great deal more modelling to do; steering oars and sails, hopefully a single session of modelling.

Giraffe-necked, I hear you say?  I fear that I may have gone a little overboard with the swan...  ;-)

Friday, 7 March 2014

A new project

Whilst yesterday's celts continue their all-to-stately progress towards completion, I've started another project.


I needed some small Roman boats for several of this year's games. I couldn't find any custom-designed Roman boats*, and so decided to convert some existing models. I found some cheap pirate rowing boats for a modest £5 each, and bought 8. The irritating Celt is only present for size comparison purposes.

Unfortunately, the rowing boats have square sterns which are wrong for the period, so I sawed them all in half, glued the halves together, and disguised the joins, leaving me 4 boats around 20cm long. Later, I may add removable masts.  They'll do; their first outing will be Salute.

I have 8 pirate rowing boat sterns, going cheap, if anyone should need them!  ;-)

*at least ones that that I could afford

Friday, 20 December 2013

Cereal Killer


Deadlines require that I need to assemble and paint my Swan-necked trade ship, the "Ceres", over the Xmas/New Year period, whilst simultaneously writing another article, and stuffing the turkey.  I fear that there won't be much time left over for blogging...

The piece on the left is going to be the stern-castle.  I need to sculpt a swan on the wire frame, and add the characteristic Roman railings around the outside. I have a mate working on making the railings, and a plan "B" in case his technology can't cut them.

Later I will need to assemble the masts, build a deck-cabin with bridge on top, and scratchbuild steering oars.

The expensive but beautiful Grand Manner equivalent resin casting is looking more appealing by the moment!

Friday, 13 December 2013

Shipbuilding II


I've decided to revive an unfinished project from back in the summer, which is to convert the above Zvezda "Thomas" kit into a Roman trade ship. The hull is already assembled (and a fine hull it is, too; the quality is excellent), and next I need to start work on "Romanising" the the Medieval Superstructure. Watch this space...

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Please name my ship

I've more or less completed the first of 2 "Roman" ships for my Autumn display game (Thapsus).  This is the smaller of the two vessels, and is intended to be a small trade ship of the kind that might be found around the fringes of the Mediterranean sea, that might be pressed into use for transporting troops.
  
This is lightly converted from the 1/100 Zvezda "Nina" kit. Luckily, the Romans had lateen sails, so I was able to use the very nice one provided with the kit.  I cut away some renaissance features, and added steering oars.  I've given her some basic rigging, sufficient to pass muster on a  wargaes model, I hope.

I don't have a crew yet, so a couple of figures Andres painted for me are standing in, to give an idea about size. This pic shows the railings and stern-post I made for the stern, and the steering oars. I will later add a bow-wave and a wake.

Next time I will go with a lighter coloured wood for my vessel, but all-in all I'm cautiously pleased with my first venture into things naval, and Roman... 

I'm now looking for a suitable name for her; probably should be female, and likely of mythological origin; any contributions gratefully accepted! 

Monday, 29 July 2013

Shipbuilding IV

I've been busy working on another project, but last night managed to get the smaller trade ship base-coated. I will highlight and stain in due course.... it is at least looking somewhat Roman.


I was surprised how quickly one can paint a ship, compared to figures.  It looks like the ship will take less time to paint than its half dozen crew!

Note to self: hull was sprayed using Army Painter Leather Brown, and highlighted with a 50/50 mix of Vallejo flat earth and tan earth.

Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Shipbuilding III; the mothership!


Last night I laid the keel (metaphorically speaking, at it is a waterline model), of a larger vessel that will hopefully become a Roman merchantman.  The original "Nina" is on the deck for size comparison purposes.  The new kit is 42cm long, and will be rather longer once I've finished with it!

The new model will be based on the Zvezda St Thomas, a 1/72 medieval English warship kit.  I will use the hull and mast, as per the kit, discard the lovely castellated turrets, and add a bowsprit, cabin and a deck at the stern.  

This latest is a serious undertaking, and may not be ready in time for Partizan, but should be at Colours, hopefully alongside Legatus' Leviathan.  I may need to add more sea boards...  ;-)

Monday, 22 July 2013

Shipbiilding II


A brief update; I've added steering oars and the mast.   Could still do with some details, perhaps an awning over the stern.  

Next I need to think about painting her, I'd ideally like to find a wood-coloured spray primer, to save time.

Sunday, 21 July 2013

Shipbuilding

Last night I water-lined the Nina model and began to tinker with it, to give it an appearance closer to that of a small Roman trade ship.


So far, this has involved removing the rudder and replacing part of the stern, and adding a curving stern post.  I increased the size of the hold-openings as the kit is 1/100 scale and my minis, 1/48.


Later I'll add masts, steering oars, an awning and deck clutter which will help it to feel more in-scale.

Curiously, I have seen illustrations of Roman ships that aren't a million miles off this.  I think it'll pass... might even be OK for the Rhine.  Which gives me another idea for what I could use this for...