"My 15mm Post Apocalyptic Pirate BOAT: Suggestions?" Topic

WIP balsa wood shallow water "sampan" boat (12.5cm long, 4cm wide). I still have a LONG way to go, obviously. Rebel Minis on board:

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1) Does plasticard adhere well to balsa? What about GreenStuff?

2) How should I finish the sides? Should I simulate metal plates?

3) How do I add a motor to the stern, that won't look too big for the size of the boat?

4) What else do you suggest?

Thanks everyone.

Dan
TMP link
TMP link
TMP link

Irish Serb has turrets for HMMWVs. You could add a little fire power to the front of bow. Of maybe the turret from a FOW M-16 AA Halftrack; ala Waterworld.

Dan,

Very, very nice ! I keep forgetting about balsa all the time…

You could use some FOW turrets and weapons to augment the firepower. The sides could be rusty due to lack of maintenance.

That is pretty sweet, I am almost tempted to say don't ruin it by going to far with the ad ons.

But yet I am not sure what else it does or doesn't need…

The idea of some kind of MG or AA turret in the bow would be cool, or you could go ultra-low tech and have a pile of sandbags at the bow as a fighting position for a SAW.

Is the wheelhouse at the stern on the sampan? Maybe have the stern covered with a roof of palm thatch or corrugated iron.

What will you use for the pirates? A few Viet Cong with coolie hats and flip flops could work as post-apocalyptic.

Plastic card will be difficult to stick to balsa. When I am forced to glue plastic to balsa I coat the area of balsa with CA or epoxy glue and allow it to dry creating a shell on the balsa…and then glue the plastic into place. Greenstuff will adhere to balsa, but Procreate and Apoxy Sculpt do a better job.

Have you thought about picking up an oversized HO scale boat? I've seen some decent boats on eBay lately. Even if you just scavenge it for parts it might be worth it.

Depends on the overall purpose of the craft. If you are planning on turning it into firing platform for heavy weapons I would add pontoons on the sides for stability. If you are turning it into a raider I would add primitive multi barrel swivel guns firing grape shot. Another option if you are not planning on using it for boarding would be a large flamethrower.

Decorative purposes I would have fuel cans, boxes, barrels, rope etc… strapped to the sides and make it look like a gypsy vehicle.

How about a Viet Nam PBR concept or cut this down to waterline.

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Great idea – as a rag-tag pirate boat I would add as noted stowage, some plates on the side plus jury-rigged armament

Make it colorful its a converted civilian craft.

Looking good!You could use heavy cardboard sheets that came in shirts when you bought then or card stock, cut to different size panels you can butt up against, it will give you that metal panel look, rough sand the boat's sides and rough sand the back of the cardboard sheet to raise the fibers up so when you glue it, the fibers interlock. just an idea.

I've used CA to glue very thin sheet styrene to balsa wood when building my own 15mm ships.

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Nice ship C Anders!

Catamaran: much shallower draft, more deck space, more stable platform for firing RPGs, MGs and personal weapons.

The best prediction for a post-apocalyptic boat are the boats the somali pirates are using: zodiacs and cheap, widely available 30 year old infantry weapons. If you're looking at a flooded urban world, shallow draft is critical to avoid catching underwater obstacles.

Paintbeast: "Plastic card will be difficult to stick to balsa. When I am forced to glue plastic to balsa I coat the area of balsa with CA or epoxy glue and allow it to dry creating a shell on the balsa…and then glue the plastic into place. Greenstuff will adhere to balsa, but Procreate and Apoxy Sculpt do a better job."

Wow. Maybe I should have posted my questions before I even got started with the balsa.

Paintbeast: "Have you thought about picking up an oversized HO scale boat? I've seen some decent boats on eBay lately. Even if you just scavenge it for parts it might be worth it."

Hmm. I have obtained a couple of plastic boats on ebay, but have not been able to cut them to waterline properly.

Well, if this balsa one doesn't work, I might have to go back to the proverbial "drawing board".

This would look neat, but with corrugated metal for the roof, don't you think?
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More examples:
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Dan

Wow. I love the general look of this coastal village and boats:

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To look post apocalyptic all it needs is a little more corrugated metal and other junkyard bits.

Dan

C.C.,

I've added a couple of pics of Philippines bancas to my photo stream: link

The pictures are not that great, but give the general idea of the 'outrigger' style of boat. These are used to zip between islands and I'm sure their ancestors were used for raiding. The picture of the passing craft shows bus-type seating, but most of them just have benches running along both sides.

I saw a patrol boat at the military museum in Moscow that had a turret from a T34 mounted on it. picture This boat may be a too small for that but some armored car turret may work.

Also, think function. How do your pirates board their prey? That needs to be worked into the boat. Maybe a couple of platic I-beam s with corrogated card to make boarding planks?

This blog has better pictures than I posted: link

The trick for cutting plastic boats to the waterline:

- Mark the boat for the cut, directly on the hull with a pen or with tape.

- Cut the boat. A razor saw will work, but if you have a dremel with a cutting disk, and your experienced in using such a tool, then you can get much cleaner results.

- This is the step people skip…secure the hull. Take a good machinable putty, Milliput or even that cheap 2 part plumbers epoxy (the firm stuff not the dope, slick or paste) roll it into a sausage and reinforce the inside edge of the hull. Don't go too thick, this is just to strengthen the hull so it can be sanded smooth to the waterline. Allow the putty to cure

- Sand the ship so it is smooth to the waterline. Use fine sandpaper or glass paper (Testors offers a nice blue glass paper that is widely carried), placed flat so the entire hull is sanded at one time using small circles of motion.

I assisted with an architectural model of a marina a few years ago and we had to do this to about 300 ships…I was doing it in my sleep for weeks after.

Great work Dan

Keep it up. I have started doing 6 of my own, and hope to get them released late in April, if I find some spare time to finish them.

Mike

I've never had a problem gluing styrene to wood with superglue, CC. The 'problem' with wood is that it tends to soak up the glue, so use more of it than you think you'd need (wipe off any extra with the foam from blister-packs, not that there'll be much)

I'd put either an armored car turret on the bow, or maybe one like the PBR's twin .50s (M2 .50cal will never die!).

Lion: "I'd put either an armored car turret on the bow, or maybe one like the PBR's twin .50s (M2 .50cal will never die!)."

Does anyone sell these separately?

Thanks.

Dan

UPDATE

Stage 2 Complete:
Sides built up

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For added wear protection, the top boards of the sides were done with basswood strips instead of balsa.

Stage 3 will be adding corrugated metal sheets and other protection, using U shaped support "runners" that will run the length of the boat on both sides. The square holes on the sides are for cross posts that will support the support "runners". Corrugate metal and other metal sheets will be suspended to the "runners" (perhaps in a crenelation style). It will look a bit like the shields placed on the sides of Viking ships or Egyptian war galleys:

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Also, though most of the boat will have no cover from above, the platform in the rear third of the boat will have a corrugated metal awning on 4 posts:

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What do you think of that plan?

Thanks.

Dan

Or should I add a curved roof like this one, but corrugated and toward the stern?

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Dan

Well if it's your raiding boat I would put the cover towards the back on the back deck more room to move on the forward decks if your going to build others then you can put them in the middle.

War Monkey,

Well, it's going to be my first shallow water raiding boat.

Think of all the new raiding opportunities that will become available to Post Apocalyptic pirates:

100 meter rise
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170 meter rise
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Dan
TMP link
TMP link

The 170 meter rise really would open up opportunities. You could just leave your boat open and just add a steering wheel on a square post too and just add a chest high wall around it. for the pilots protection

But if your going to be a pirate wouldn't you want some of these picture IMO I would feel better.

here something for you to watch YouTube link

We assume that petrol / diesel is still available to these scum of the Earth ? Or is there hidden slave power 'propulsion' hidden from view ?

LOL!!!

For the scenarios, I'm looking at 50-75 years from now (2060-2085), with the sudden melt taking place around 2035. So, one of the things they raid for is fossil fuels.

Dan

Or they could be making their own bio-fuels?

Just thought of something . . .

QUESTION:

Does anyone make 15mm tribesmen armed with M-16 (or similar), like the ones led by Colonel Kurtz (Brando) in Apocalypse Now?

Dan

Looking really good. I have to admit I find modeling boats and ships to be rather daunting, so its nice to see this one coming together.

Here's an idea for you, how about a barge with a bio fuel refinery for attacking/capturing/defending. With it being a barge it can be relocated when needed, with it being near future, bio fuels technologies could have made great advances.

Looking at the map with the 170 meter water rise most refineries along the coastal areas will be gone.

War Monkey,

Excellent idea! I hadn't thought of a barge for that use.

Dan
TMP link

I would assume that small groups or populations would gather around such a barge for their fuel needs, cooking/heating/transportation so these would make for great targets for those that don't have such a barge or for those that want to reduce their competitors for the market for fuel.

P.S. your boat is coming along great!

A little late, but you can use two part epoxy to put the plasticard on the balsa or basswood hull.

Nice looking boat, BTW.

Thanks.

Does anyone make something like this, but with slightly taller figures?

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Peter Pig figures look good, but they are just a bit too small.

Thanks.

Dan

Myself I would look through the various 40K bits available to find a good weapon-weapon mount, you might also consider looking at some various scale resin armor kits for crew-infantry figures.

Good Hunting !

Wow. I'm pleasantly surprised to find that the one I made looks quite a bit better than these resin ones:

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Dan

After constant urging from my wife and nephew, I went ahead and painted the boat. It isn't really sealed with anything, just paint.

Is the paint now going to present a problem in making a mould?

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Thanks.

Dan
Maybe I should use it for Chinese Pirates instead:
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My dinghy's larger than your boat!

:)

I keed. Looks like your on to something.

Maybe some ragtag, underequipted apoc pirate foes?

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Ha, ha!!! Good one. :)

Dan

Nice Dan. Really very nice.

Awesome Dan
Keep up the good work.

Thanks!

Check out the armor on the sides of this boat:

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Dan

I'm trying to think in realistic terms, and not the over-the-top armor used in 40k games like this one:

ifelix.net/gamingblog/?p=325
ifelix.co.uk/25mm_b11.html

Dan

I would not go to heavy on armor with these Dan.

They look great as they are, look at a few different tops for it, and maybe some tyres and stuff hanging of the sides.

I would do a different style of ship if you want lots of armor on it.

Or may be some heavy armor on the front for raming.
I hope to get my Jet ski finished soon along with a heavy armoured Submarine.

Mike