totalnavy.com Online Resource for all things Navy 132 Prospect Ave  - Woodmere, NY 11598 Phone: 718-471-5464    Email click here   Fax 718-337-7115
	Main Website	Ship Catalogue	Paints & Displays	How to Build a Ship!	Navy Ball Caps
	How to Books	Decals	Photo- Etching	Ship Art Prints	Main Website
Our Customer Service is open weekdays from 9:00 am to 8:30 pm EST time call us if you need help. 718-471-5464

If you have any questions or need help email us, call us or click here for HELP

Roman Warship This model represents the type of craft used in the first century Before Christ. Although the manufacturer gives no scale it works out to be about 1/80th when various features are compared to the height of a man. The vessel is a bireme with provision for two banks of oars but one bank is withdrawn leaving only the lower oars displayed on each side. The oars were used for propulsion and maneuvering during battle with the sails being used for general travel. Steering was accomplished with a sweep oar on either side of the stern. A cloth shelter on the aft deck provided weather protection for the officers. The main offensive weapon was the battering ram fixed to the bow. The tower on the aft deck provided an elevated firing point for archers and was built from wood but painted to represent stone. The decorated shields attached along each side were used by the Roman marines in hand to hand fighting once the vessel was locked in mortal combat with the enemy.

The basic hull and decking was constructed pretty well out of the box with most of the additional effort going into refining the detail fittings, particularly the rigging and sails, and applying the decorative painting. All molded-in ropes were removed from the masts and sails and replaced by linen crochet thread that was stained to a weathered color by soaking it in black tea (crochet thread is available from craft shops in a range of thicknesses). This work included removing the spars that were molded integrally with the sails and replacing them with separate spars, which were attached to the sails later by thread bindings. The criss-cross pattern of molded-in support ropes was removed from the sails, which were then greatly reducing in thickness by copious amounts of sanding. The sails were given a very colorful look by painting with of red/white enamel and the ropes were then replaced with linen thread, which was attached by white glue. The oversize rigging blocks of the kit were replaced by much smaller scratch built items and a pair of dead eyes were laced to each of the mast shrouds and the fore and aft stays. Whilst my use of deadeyes (sold in various sizes by hobby shops catering for model boat builders) may not be historically correct it is highly probable that some similar tensioning system would have been used on these rigging lines. The unsightly attaching lugs were removed from the back of the shields and the rear faces were then scribed to represent timber and fitted with wire handgrips. The handgrips also provided a means of attaching the shields to the railing with thread bindings in a realistic manner.

Back to List