Work in Progress

Zvezda Trireme converted to a bow tower bireme

Posted by Howlin on 14 Mar 2021, 00:53

This is inspired from some art I found online, I can't seem to find the image again in the search engines.

I totally redid the bow and shortened it about 6" ( and making a royal ship 6" longer!) The artwork only showed 10 rows of oars, so I traded out the small zvezda ones for larger academy warship oars. Turning it into a bireme. For my gaming its going to be a slow but very heavy hitter!

It still needs weathering, and I am thinking of adding 2 lion paws to the front of the bow as if it were more leaping outwards. Still not 100% sure on that.

Also considering adding a blue stripe along the base,

I really would like to figure out how to better represent dark bronze, but I guess with some weathering the copper will have to do.

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Last edited by Peter on 15 Mar 2021, 13:11, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Fixed picture(s).
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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Howlin on 14 Mar 2021, 03:02

Here are some other Academy biremes/ penteconters, since I borrowed some of the oars for the first ship, at least one will become a bireme using zvezda oars.

The corvis was made from the central rowers seating platform.

still have weathering and a large decal for the sail on the red one...
and painting the shields for the yellow one.

might change the hue of the green sail or add some blue/ yellow highlights.

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Last edited by Peter on 15 Mar 2021, 13:07, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Fixed picture(s).
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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Howlin on 14 Mar 2021, 03:04

And another Zvezda roman trireme mixed with some roman emperor parts and custom pieces for ramming reinforcements.

trying to decide if i should make a 2nd tower.

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Last edited by Peter on 15 Mar 2021, 13:13, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Fixed picture(s).
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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Howlin on 14 Mar 2021, 04:26

I haven't worked on this one recently, as there is lots to do yet, and things to correct. It is my version of a royal trireme for the emperor

the top canopy is removable

Its lengthened by about 6" still would like it longer....
deciding upon side rails for the back 2/3

choosing to fall in love with ships with oars.... oh my.... why did I do this to myself.
I am not much for rigging either, as I want the sails to be removable

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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Bluefalchion on 14 Mar 2021, 06:30

Man those ships are really cool! Now just paint ever figure and every board and item on the entire ship, model it in a perfect water effect, and take a picture. Should take about 12 years...
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Bluefalchion  United States of America
 
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Posted by Howlin on 14 Mar 2021, 08:00

thank you for the encouragement

I think your not far off, I started collecting models about 3 years ago and have worked on them on and off in that time. It started with a hand injury and didn't know if I would be able to do harder work such as using a hammer and chisel but it has healed up since then. So other projects sometimes take precedence. but this will be my side hobby I can work on as a long term goal.

What takes the most time is stepping back to look at them and visualize and determine what happens next. I do not know if i will ever really paint the minis... I just have too many.
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Posted by Peter on 15 Mar 2021, 13:20

Wonderfull ships and I hope you can finish them all, figures included. It will be an impressive view! ;-) :thumbup:

PS: can you use "copy of picture adress" to place pictures here on the forum. And use the img-button and the preview button, so you can always see what you will post. I fixed all pictures in this topic. ;-)
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Peter  Belgium

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Posted by Howlin on 15 Mar 2021, 20:11

ok thank you, I will do some experimentation to fix the pictures in other post, I am not too tech savy!

I had been waiting until spring so I can get outside and add the primer, its getting warmer, but early spring is marked by high winds too
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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Kekso on 17 Mar 2021, 14:43

I'm giving "Likes" to your work and to Peter for fixing pictures :D
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Kekso  Croatia

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Posted by Howlin on 11 Aug 2021, 04:56

I finally found the inspirational picture for the first warship above!
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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Santi Pérez on 14 Aug 2021, 13:28

They are fantastic conversions and an amazing ancient ships collection. You are doing a very creative work on them, Howlin. :drool: :drool: :drool:

My best congratulations. :yeah:

Santi.
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Santi Pérez  Spain
 
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Posted by Xantippos on 15 Aug 2021, 14:37

Wonderful work, so realistic and perfect, and yet creative. Is a very neglected part of history; very few kits are available, usually very expensive, and yet they were very important and vital in many moments of history.
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Posted by Howlin on 15 Aug 2021, 17:32

Santi Pérez wrote:They are fantastic conversions and an amazing ancient ships collection. You are doing a very creative work on them, Howlin. :drool: :drool: :drool:

My best congratulations. :yeah:

Santi.



Thank you, creativity sometimes like this unstoppable force. I add one thing to a ship and am like, yeah thats cool, but if I do that then I gotta should do all this too...
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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Howlin on 15 Aug 2021, 18:06

Xantippos wrote:Wonderful work, so realistic and perfect, and yet creative. Is a very neglected part of history; very few kits are available, usually very expensive, and yet they were very important and vital in many moments of history.



well, "perfect" someone long after I am gone will have to add any rigging. In battles these war ships would remove their mast and cast them into the sea (I assumed with floats but were willing to sacrifice them) because any grappling hook attack could topple them over. So most of the sails are just for show when they are on display and removable. I could get fancy with hooks and wires but eh.. not in the plan.

I find ancient sea fare pretty fascinating, they say its just a land battle on sea.... but the land moves, and the land attacks, and you can sink the land their troops are on.... for gaming to me this creates some whole extra layers to any kind of gaming strategy. I think of paintings like this one and speculate, the gladiators in the coliseum was a mix of the most gruesome and beautiful of scenes.

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Expense... I have spent more than I think I have I am sure but I wait and find good deals on Ebay, If you are patient can find Zvezda ones for just under 40 shipped, and other good deals, I just got a minicraft warship because it was too cheap to pass up at $21 shipped to my door. It is the same as the IMAI and Academy makers, but I did not know Minicraft made it too, and what can I say its like the Ferrari of ancient model kits, the molding is so much more precise and some parts like the standard flag, are near translucently thin. The Box is a work of art as well on thick card stock, its like a crate. I feel reluctant to change it or start it

It is hard to find the Heller Biremes though, and they are possibly my favorite for that ancient Greek look.

Thankfully Zvezda re released the Roman Trireme so those will flood the market and some people will sell them cheap to look for.

The biggest problem is space to store them.... haha they are everywhere.
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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by CliosPaintingBench on 17 Aug 2021, 02:13

Yeah I can see storage being a problem, but that painting is inspirational, I can see why you like naval warfare.
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CliosPaintingBench  Australia
 
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Posted by Xantippos on 22 Aug 2021, 08:13

One day I'll do a diorama of a gladiatorial naumachia, that would be a sight to behold! the last ship I bought was the Academy Roman ship, which I found very cheap for about 12 €, in a flea market :) . They had plenty of them, I should have bought more! now with the pandemic I don't risk going to the flea market, which usually was full to the brim of people.

Once I bought on eBay an Academy Roman Ship, but it turned out to be the 1/144 (as the scale was nowhere to be found, and Academy did also a good 1/72 one)! which I had to resell later.
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Posted by Howlin on 22 Aug 2021, 17:27

Those are some good deals... So far I think Imai, Academy and minicraft have shared the molds for the trireme... Minicraft is by far the best if you had a choice to choose.

Interesting though, Imai and Atlantic made molds of the Greek ship, but that never seemed to make it to Academy which would have been nice to produce those together for a matching oppositional force ( one kinda sells the other)

They are really nice models I like working with them.
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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Howlin on 16 Feb 2022, 04:45

Update and comments welcomed. First nearly complete Roman Royal Guard Bireme, I would add this one to the finished section except that I need to paint the crew and have to wait until the weather warms up since I want to use glue the shields in place first and want good air. They will have a purple motif as far as shields. I may add some slim silver stripes on the purple rear tent. What do you think of that?

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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Howlin on 16 Feb 2022, 04:56

This next Bireme still has some more work, I need to add bronze elements to the shields and other trim and I am still thinking about the sail, its different, but part of me loves it, I have been debating about adding in some dark green stripes as well, possibly by dividing them in the middle of the muted green section, or in half on the yellow green section. colors are a little off from the photos to what it actually looks like, the ropes are brown, but look like forest green, and the sail and most of ship is missing any weathering/ dirt effects.

The crew is still undecided upon and a mix of sets. I do not have many archers that fit the bill they look a little later than the other units I have.

i forgot and not sure if I want to, but its not too late to add some eyes to the red trireme. is it missing?

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And the 2 ships together as if in formation, the red one is of highly trained very elite soldiers, and the yellow one a mix of more lighter troops.

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Howlin  United States of America
 
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Posted by Rich W on 16 Feb 2022, 23:39

Good progress! A very interesting project. Look forward to the next updates.
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