Siren's Silence

Of late i have been playing around with techniques for building balsa wood ships for a dock section of mordheim.
Having finished a small vessle a few days ago, as a test for idea's i had intented on building one after the other slowly getting large and more detailed as i went... Well that having gon out the window went my current project grew to large I have taken to builing a modular ship of fairly large proportions.

and way my first atempt was at a cargo barge.


now for the to be gun deck of my new ship (sirens silence)
was made by cutting strips of 2mm balsta wood the same size, then marking and bending/cracking them along there lenght to create the curve of the hull. once i had enough of them made i simpaly overlapped them and glued them in place pinning them with small fabric pins to add effect. once two side of the hull where completei added support strips on the inside of the bends and pinned them to add some strenght. then i joined them at the bow with a squre section of basla wood, and added a rear piece to join them at the stern using the same techniques.

then i had the basic hull i traced out a floor out of some 5mm sheet cutting it to shape and test fitting it as i went.

i build a lip on the in side of the hull usint the same strips that make it to allow another deck to sit on top.
will post more progress soon.

Holy....................

That is quite amazing so far!

I mean; YAAARR! That be a fine ship matey!!!!

Wow!!!

That is amazing! The first ship looks great already! And the new is huuge. Shame the photos are so low quality, I'll keep watching your progress nonetheless.

Shiver me Timb...er Balsas!

VERY NICE! The first one is an ELEGANT LOOKING craft with just enough rigging to make her look right, but not too much for gaming. The lanterns, running light, & all the rest of the little details make her into an EXCEPTIONALLY attractive/appealing model. If the second one approaches the first it will be a TRULY IMPRESSIVE piece...the potential is there. VERY WELL DONE! Keep up the FINE WORK!

I demand more photos of the first finished ship!!!

Aye, the big ship is impressive and all but give us some more of that sweet little number ye call a 'barge'.

Looks like a proper pirate's ship to me. Small and quick. Cram her with men and guns and give her fair winds and a safe harbor! Lovely work.

I appolajise for the poor pics, photos are nor my strong point but i dont know if its the uploader that is making them more pixelated.
If there are ant pics you want to see in particualar just request them.
Any way here are some more of the barge. it origanly started out life meant to be asloop but i scaled it wrong and it was only about 2/3 of the size it need to be. overall im fairly happy with it i had to swap to cotton twine.. for the mast rigging because i ran out of brickies strig line, not intirely happy with the result but it gives a more derilict ship look... the twine is painful to paint absorbs alot.

The anker and lamps were made from sheet stirine. and the sail is just a squre cut from a rag and bunched up.

As for the progress now i am up to date on the main ship.
having just built the basic hull and now main deck and cabin I have started work on the last of the basic shape the top deck.

It all sit together quite well and is easly lifted off to reveil any one level with the one acception that when i build the cross beems in the hull to give some more stability i will need to have them hold the hull about 2mm wider in 2 points.

The trim for the cabin was made using 10mm curver corner trim not sure what it acualy called.

Beautifully detailed work! I wish I ever had an opportunity to play a naval battle with such vessels!

That's one huge ship! Looking great so far. I would also like to make a dock section for Mordheim but that will not happen in a near future

Thanks for the extra pics of the barge! It looks ship-shape and Bristol fashion to me!


I shall be following this thread with pleasure.

Very very cool!
Thanks for the photos!

VERY IMPRESSIVE! AND not just due to the size. Watching the latest ship develop will be very enjoyable. Keep up the WONDERFUL WORK!

Shipshape and Bristol fashion. Thanks for the photos of the smaller ship. Excellent work there.
Amazing work on the larger vessel as well. Have a pint on me mate!

The little ship is gorgeous. And the large one is coming along quite nicely. It is a great size for playing out some serious boarding action scenarios. Thanks for the pictures, and keep them coming!

that's some mightily fine ships you've got there! wicked!

only bit if critique I've got for your first ship would be the rigging, on such a rigging as you've got going, the sail would be on the boom, not on the top one (don't know the english word for it, in dutch it would be the gaffel)

but an awesome project to be sure! and one to be closely followed!

Very impressive!!

Ezekiel wrote:

that's some mightily fine ships you've got there! wicked!

only bit if critique I've got for your first ship would be the rigging, on such a rigging as you've got going, the sail would be on the boom, not on the top one (don't know the english word for it, in dutch it would be the gaffel)

but an awesome project to be sure! and one to be closely followed!

I didnt know that, as i have been building ships with a loose connection to real ones tring to keep their size. I've been building ships just for favorable characteristic not accurausy, however that sail coming of the gaffel is some thing i would like to do one the next ship i build with that particualur sail pattern, as i do like to keep the model close to the design of real ones.

Any way I have only had a small amout of progress on tthe ship as ive been preocuped Painfuly rebuilding an engine.
I have finaly finished the hull and cabin , managed to put the stairwells to the upper deck.

The supports in the cabin are just temperary until i can figure out the window design Ideas are welcome.

Looks great! The little one is nice too!

I have been trying to build my own ship for some time, but keep getting side tracked. I think watching this WIP will be just he medicine to get me inspired to build my ship again.

My problem was I started to big! I should consider making a smaller one like you did first and see how that goes.

Are you using any templates or pictures? Or are you just working on the fly?

I have been working off of pic's i googled of different vessals and there interiors. then a rought sketch of the favorable designs compiled in to the one ship design. It really did help building a smalled boat first as i need to work out some demtions , the decks need to be about half as wide again as the scale would suggest the reason for it being miniatures use up more space and need room to move. As for dementions Ive been just winging it every thing is done by eye not worring about presisce measurements just mocking each piece up before i glue first were nessesery.

the hull on the smaller ship is about 9" long and the larger is about 26".

EXCELLENT PROGRESS on a FINE LOOKING Ship! You could leave an open deck area in the aft section with access to the Captain's cabin...a couple of swivel guns for effect might add to the decor.

Greatings

Love how You constructed boats. Very simple design yet efective.
So I have some questions. Why did You decide to build a clinker design of
a hull planks? You see from 15th. century every ship was carvel built.
So constructively spiking planks of Your ships are "out of date".
Try this. Construct small ship entirely from thick cardboard. You can use this
link to assist Yourself :http://www.boatmodelling.com/component/option,com_remository/Itemid,51/func,select/id,2/lang,en/

Galleon Wodnik is fine piece of art.You have to download 2 pdf files.
They are derivative of galleon Rotter Love. The hull is same but with
less guns.You can cut a hull to waterline as You did with Your model.

Also visit this site : http://modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1144&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

It is mind blowing what guy was buit. I can not understand how did he has
a nerve to assemble that from schrach.

I forgot something
When the hull is finished just glue strips of wood to the sides of the hull.
Inside You can also glue some ribs for autentic look, but guns are tricky.
I made some ok guns from pop rivets. Here is how to do that.
Remove nail (or pin) from the rivet,than cut that in half,than return a half
of the nail with a bulb into the oposite end of rivet ( where it is wider )
You can construct a carriage for the gun from single piece of wood
or You cat shape 2 small pieces of thin plywood and glue that to the central
cubic piece.

Salute

Also

Visit these sites I think that You can find some ideas for the rear of
Your pirate ship. I mine for a great captain Hook cabin and balcony.

The sites:
http://santisima-trinidad.astillero.net/
http://www.shiftinglands.com/resin boats.htm
http://www.dlumberyard.com/index.html
http://minimi.co.uk/pirates/index.htm
http://www.john-tom.com/SailBoatPlans/SailBoatPlans.html
http://www.scale-modelers-handbook.com/index.html
http://www.all-model.com/
www.madponies.net/pub/FoundryShips/GARYSHIP.pdf
and also
6mm.wargaming.info/page1010.shtml

If I helped anyhow I am pliesed to do so.

Excellent job on the boats! I'm amazed at all the details you've managed to put on them.

I've been dying to do a boat of my own for some time... I just might have to use yours for some ideas and inspiration.