Bruce Foxworthy Posted February 21, 2020 Report Share Posted February 21, 2020 Well after some input from you guys and also after thinking about the huge engineering issues I have to confront building a viking ship with oars in the water and with a sail up, I've decided to go for it. I just started with it today. I may very well fry and burn on this one but it will be here for all to see, good bad or ugly. I've decided to model my ship after a picture I found on Google. I'm not sure if it's a painting or an actual ship that once existed, but I like it's lines and I think I can pull it off. I did a tracing of that picture and am using it as well as other ship plans I've also gleaned off the internet to build this replica of what I am assuming is a raiding vessel. An interesting note to consider about Viking ships is that they build many kinds, all of different beams and lengths. They even build ships for moving live stock across the oceans. Here are some pictures of how I've started this build. Onni, JesseLee, exwafoo and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted February 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2020 As you can see I'm using a tong depressor for the keel and dragons tail /head, rough cutting it out with my hobby jig saw. Obviously I'm going to have to put the dragons head on after the ship is in the bottle so I have separated it from the main keel lines construct. Hopefully this will turn out okay. I like the lines on this drawing and the fact that there aren't so may oars is a plus for me . After all I just want to get the idea across in a bottle. More to come as I go along. Moab, Bernard Kelly, John Zuch and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James w rogers Posted February 22, 2020 Report Share Posted February 22, 2020 That's looking really great! I love viking boats. 😎 Bruce Foxworthy and exwafoo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted February 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2020 Hi guys : It's a Sunday, so I'm not going to get to much done on my build today. But I do have enough time to punch out the 16 viking shields I'll be needing for my ship. They are 5/16 of an inch in diameter and I'm making them out of polystyrene sheet material that is .0285 thick. A hundred years ago when I was engaged in my apprenticeship program as a tool maker, we had certain tools that we were required to make that would prove our ability to actually produce what we had been taught to do. This fixture tool you see here is one of those, it's a hole punch and the exercise in making it was to prove that we could drill and ream a hole for a precision dowel that would create a slip fit for the dowel. I've been using this tool for nearly fifty years now and it still works like a charm. Just sayin. Anyway I'm punching out Viking shields using it. Onni, James w rogers, Moab and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted February 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2020 Ahoy! Today is Wednesday , and we have a snow dump coming today here in Michigan. Not much, but I'm pretty sure it will be the last of our winters shenanigans for this year. Anyway I was able to do some work on my Viking ship today. This is the first time I have chosen to carve out the inside of my hull and it is a chore for sure. The first picture shows that I'm drilling a hole to help create the dragons tail which I will develop more as the build goes on. The next pictures show my progress in carving out the inside dimensions of the hull. The last picture shows that I am creating a containment collar for the head of the dragon to nest in once I have the ship in the bottle. I'm using two pieces of polystyrene glued on each side of the keel to do this. I will eventually sand and blend them into the keel and at the same time maintain the capture slot for the dragons head when it needs to be glued there. That's all for today. Oh one more picture I've included is of me outside painting plein air. Beautiful day here. Regards Bruce James w rogers, Donald, Bernard Kelly and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted February 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2020 Today I finished making the shields for my Viking Ship. I made 17 of them although only 16 are required. The first picture shows how I found the center of each stamping by punching a dimple at the cross hairs I had drawn around the diameter that the stamping came out of. I need to drill a hole in each one to put a pin in it that will eventually connect the shield to the side of the hull. The next picture shows me drilling the hole. The next picture shows that I have put the pin in the hole and then it is ready to go into my vice to be rounded around the edge. I'm using 40 um sanding tape to do this shaping. The next picture shows how it looks after it has been formed by the sand paper and just before I color it with magic markers. James w rogers, John Zuch, Moab and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted February 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2020 I like to use colored Magic Markers as much as possible in my builds because they dry so fast and don't add additional thickness to the material like paint does. Here's a picture of how I'm painting the shields with the Magic Marker. This last picture shows all the 17 shields placed onto a noodle of clay and they will say here until I get ready to mount them on the sides of the hull. That's all for today. Regards Bruce  James w rogers, John Zuch, Moab and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted March 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Well It's another Sunday, and March first at that: And Mommy only had me replace the garage door hinges and rollers today. Good thing too, cause most of them were broken. I'd be lost without her supervision. I'm so glad she keeps me on task because on my own, I'd be in my bottle for sure. LOL! After chores, I went into my Hobby Center room and started to figure out what I was going to do about making the oars for my Viking ship. Originally, I was thinking of making them out of pretty hard piano wire which I have on hand in different sizes. Then for what ever reason I thought about using more pins like I just did for my shields. Suddenly it dawned on me that sewing pins are just about the correct length for my oars. EUREKA! I hit a gold mind and not only that but that material they are made of is much softer than piano wire. So I raided Mommy's sewing box. LOL!! I'm a bad boy but she'll never miss them. LOL! So I took my little ball peen hammer and placed one of the sewing pins on top of the anvil part of my little vice, then I struck the tip of the pin three times and I got a sweet looking oar blade shape at the end of the pin. Of course I can shape it with a fine file but this is defiantly a good start for a process for making my oars. I'm going to practice this technique for some time cause I've got a million pins now that I can trash. Eventually I should figure out how to make consistent oar blade shapes. One of the biggest joys I get out of this hobby/art, that we do is that it allows your mind to go places. I mean like thinking about everyday things we interact with and then suddenly attach them to our craft. I love this part of the whole thing. Anyway here are two pictures of the sewing pins. Before and after. That's it for today. I'm going as fast as I can on this build but as you all know there's so much to do. Regards Bruce  JesseLee, Onni, Donald and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickyK Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Hi Bruce, It's looking good! Have you also thought of using thick copper wire, or thin copper or brass rod for the oars? It's a bit more malleable than steel. Just a thought. Cheers. Mick  Moab, exwafoo, Bruce Foxworthy and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted March 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2020 Hi Micky: I've decided to go with the soft metal sewing pins mostly because I don't have to worry about them bending and I can also rust these to a brown color with some acid,( I think ). regards Bruce  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted March 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2020 I've been able to work on my Viking ship the last few days. With all this staying home now, I think I'll start moveing along better in the coming week. Here are some pics of where she's at presently. Stay safe guys and gals. Onni, John Zuch, James w rogers and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James w rogers Posted March 21, 2020 Report Share Posted March 21, 2020 That looks amazing, love it. 😀 Bruce Foxworthy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted March 21, 2020 Report Share Posted March 21, 2020 Bruce, that looks killer. Very nice job. Fellow Wolverine here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Where are you located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted March 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 Spanky, I'm in, Walled Lake just the other side of Novi. So about three hrs from you. I have a nephew who now lives in Grand Rapids. He is a purchasing agent for Miejers there. Quite the sailor, or used to be I should say, before he had kids. He's participated in the Mackinaw Race several times in his younger days. Did you ever sail? Regards Bruce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted March 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 Well I think I've made a big mistake today. I decided to cut away the Bulwarks from the deck thinking that I was going to put them the shields and oars in one at a time after the main part of the hull and sail were done inside the bottle. Anyway I made a complete mess of it so now I'm strategizing plan B. Â Bernard Kelly, JesseLee, Onni and 3 others 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 1 hour ago, Bruce Foxworthy said: Spanky, I'm in, Walled Lake just the other side of Novi. So about three hrs from you. I have a nephew who now lives in Grand Rapids. He is a purchasing agent for Miejers there. Quite the sailor, or used to be I should say, before he had kids. He's participated in the Mackinaw Race several times in his younger days. Did you ever sail? Regards Bruce. Bruce, I have not done much large boat sailing but I used to be able to sail the snot out of a Hobie Catamaran. Sailing a 16 foot Hobie solo with a butt bucket, 20 knots wind, flyin' one hull out of the water with the tiller extension out, is one of my happy places. Alas if you've ever wrangled one in heavy wind you know it is a thrill for the young and strong. I'm afraid my body can't hang with that level of fun anymore but I have some wonderful memories, ...and a couple not so great. Sailed in a match race in St. Martin between a couple of retired Americas Cup yachts. It was set up for tourists, but still a big thrill. Would love to do some big boat sailing some day though. How about yourself Bruce, sailing past? I live probably 2 miles from Meijer headquarters so not far from your nephew. DSiemens 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Foxworthy Posted March 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 Spanky: I've done quite a bit of sailing when I was younger ,too. My first boat was an International Fireball. A two man 16 foot racer so I'm very familiar with the trapeze and I loved it. Then I had a Laser but didn't care for it. Then I had a CL16 with a trap on it and a 120% roller furling Jenny. That boat is basically a knock off of the famous Wayfarer and without a doubt my favorite boat ever. Unfortunately as I got older I developed degenerative disk disease to the point where I was no longer able to hike out or use the trap any longer. I also spent time cruising in friends boats all over the Great lakes. Here's a picture of me with my CL16 I'm around 35 years old. Best time of my life. When ever I'm in Grand Rapids again I'll have to look you up. Regards Bruce DSiemens and Bernard Kelly 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 Quote  Bruce, that would be great. If and when we emerge from the viral hibernation. That boat looks like a gas, got your trap line up, nice clutter free deck. Man I wish I was young again. Bruce Foxworthy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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