06/24 Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 Elvekonger (Norwegian: River Kings) It’s widely thought that the shallow draught of Viking ships enabled them to travel inland on Britain’s rivers. This seems logical, and given the evidence of Viking use of rivers in Eastern Europe, it’s reasonable to think they would have done the same here. I’ve started work on a pair of Revell longships, taking a brave pill and waterlining one of them. Untitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr Untitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr Untitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr Untitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr The kits are nice, and conveniently scale similar to 28mm miniatures which will hopefully help provide a crew. Untitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr Rigging on modern reproductions is largely conjectural, so I’m not going to fret too much! As an aside I’m curious, but ignorant, of what made Viking ships “better” than Saxon ones, the Sutton Hoo burial ship for example, which seems to have been a similar clinker built vessel. The title comes from Dr Cat Jarman’s book of the same name, a great read. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adm Lord De Univers Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 Definitely following this/these builds and brave move waterlining one of them, seems to have worked a treat! I'm also a lay person here, but I'd imagine the Vikings were simply much more skilled than other builders of their time due to the sheer length of time they'd been constructing these boats and that upgrades / improvements took time to filter through to other builders giving them an advantage at any one time, or in missing imperceptible details or combining shipbuilding techniques iin copying their construction that gave the originals an advantage. Same logic applies to actually using the boats, in that knowledge had built up over centuries, unparalleled by others. Might also be due to something like the trees used though, I know British naval policy had a preference for Baltic trees when buying overseas. The Sutton Hoo ship though was a bit different from your average longship, as the wiki article on them describes. That said I can recall a couple of Anglo-Saxon victories over Viking naval forces, 851 Battle of Sandwich and a few under King Alfred. David 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 10, 2022 Author Share Posted June 10, 2022 The waterlining wasn’t wholly successful. I should have dipped the hull in paint to get a line, but tried to do it by eye with masking tape, mostly ok but I misjudged the prow/stern, I tried to compensate for the complex compound curves but I should have gone further, hence the added planking and melted spruce gunk, once that hardens I’ll be able to sand flat (fingers crossed!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adm Lord De Univers Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 46 minutes ago, 06/24 said: hence the added planking and melted spruce gunk, once that hardens I’ll be able to sand flat (fingers crossed!) That would have been a David special in this neck of the woods: making the diorama cover up the error! Fingerprints? No problem, I give you a wave washing up on deck... Sausage fingers damage the masts? Battle damage...sometimes a combination, sometimes just a sailor covering it up. David Ps prob best not to take tips from me... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 10, 2022 Author Share Posted June 10, 2022 Oh such thoughts definitely occurred to me too, and may yet be deployed. I’m thinking a small bow wave and dunnage in the missing forward well, for example Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 Looks and interesting build, so I'll tag along. As for marking a waterline, put your hull on something Blu tack and mark your waterline. Get yourself a Sharpie, a bit of wood, adjust your height and travel round the hull. If you're going to make seascape with a few waves, lower your cut line so you can make waves. Just my worth. Stuart 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 18 hours ago, Courageous said: Get yourself a Sharpie, a bit of wood, adjust your height and travel round the hull. Kicking myself for not thinking of this, so obvious now you say it. Good excuse for another karvi kit 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 Separately, I couldn’t resist seeing if the full hull version floats. To my surprise, not only does it float, but it seems to float at or close to the real waterline. So I’ve bought some bamboo knitting needles and squares of cotton, with a view to possibly making a working version! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 A bit of inspiration at Dumbarton Castle today Vikings! by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr Vikings! by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 I think those guys and their boat would have trouble getting up the Brox Burn Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 They would 😂 I’ve forgotten to update my details, I’ve recently moved to Dùn Èideann (close to Granton Harbour/Wardie Bay) but thankfully out of bowshot of the Forth… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted June 12, 2022 Share Posted June 12, 2022 My ancestors on my father's hail from West Lothian, spent many a summer with my uncle living in Sighthill, lovely place . Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 14, 2022 Author Share Posted June 14, 2022 Untitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr Masts are 6mm Bamboo knitting needles, yards will be wooden skewers. The cocktail stick oars are just placeholders - as the model scales at 1/64 not the 1/50 its marketed as, I shall be using every other oar hole to give room for actual 28mm Vikings to swing a cat/row a boat. Sails by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr Sails are from a sheet of cotton, treated with "fray stop" glue, I may well paint stripes on a couple to see how it looks. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman 3:16 Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 How fascinating! I will be following this with interest - especially as I am from the far North. In my home town, Thurso, we are very proud of our Viking heritage. What do mean by "fray stop' glue? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 14, 2022 Author Share Posted June 14, 2022 I suspect it’s little more than tacky glue really, but it’s sold as a way of stopping fabric fraying. It certainly seems to remain flexible, and hasn’t stopped the fabric paint for the stripes from taking, so I’m reasonably happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 Nice looking boats, and an interesting thread. I believe Revell has made a mistake by including a deck though. On 6/10/2022 at 8:05 PM, Adm Lord De Univers said: I can recall a couple of Anglo-Saxon victories over Viking naval forces, 851 Battle of Sandwich and a few under King Alfred. My Lord Admiral, you are older that I realised. 1 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 15, 2022 Author Share Posted June 15, 2022 Today I have been plugging the unwanted oar holes - made easier by the convenient fact that the holes are a tight push fit for 2mm plastic rod: Plugging away by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr Plugging away by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr Meanwhile the sails continue to progress, the "white" ones coloured with tea to give an aged/homespun feel: Sails by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 On 6/14/2022 at 11:01 AM, 06/24 said: as the model scales at 1/64 not the 1/50 its marketed as, I shall be using every other oar hole to give room for actual 28mm Vikings So 28mm figures are 1/64 or thereabouts? That's brilliant. I can crew my ships! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 15, 2022 Author Share Posted June 15, 2022 28mm figures vary from close to 1/48 to 1/64. As an average, somewhere in the 1/50 to 1/56 range is about normal. Perry and Rubicon are more or less true scale at the 1/56 end, whereas the more caricature figures from Warlord etc have approximately 1/56 height but closer to 1/48 heads, hands and feet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 15, 2022 Author Share Posted June 15, 2022 4 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said: I believe Revell has made a mistake by including a deck though. I’ve looked at a lot of books and pictures and there seems to be a mixture of interior styles on reproduction ships & boats, so I’m happy enough that there is room for reasonable doubt. For example: https://pin.it/ZJWcJ1X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 3 minutes ago, 06/24 said: I’ve looked at a lot of books and pictures and there seems to be a mixture of interior styles on reproduction ships & boats, so I’m happy enough that there is room for reasonable doubt. For example: https://pin.it/ZJWcJ1X That looks like he one they copied! Spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 15, 2022 Author Share Posted June 15, 2022 I may have got slightly carried away… Fleet by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr from left to right, full hull, beached, and then two waterline versions 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted June 16, 2022 Share Posted June 16, 2022 10 hours ago, 06/24 said: I may have got slightly carried away… Gidday, I beg to differ. One can never have too many ships. 🙂 I've done five Airfix Ajax kits to represent different ships, four Hotspur kits, three Manxman, Campbeltown and Z28 kits for the same reason. And still more to come. 🙂 No, I definitely think you didn't get carried away. Did the kits come in two colours each or did you switch decks? Regards, Jeff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted June 16, 2022 Author Share Posted June 16, 2022 I switched - the black ones are the “ghost” boxing and my eyesight struggles when gluing black on black, so I adopted the “contrast” approach (plus it gave me an excuse to buy more 😉) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted June 16, 2022 Share Posted June 16, 2022 1 hour ago, 06/24 said: my eyesight struggles when gluing black on black Me too. A few years ago I made a 1/72 Northrop P-61 Black Widow. The kit plastic was black so it saved me painting but I struggled a bit at times, seeing what I was supposed to do. Regards, Jeff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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