(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/m_galera1_01.jpg)
Well, not just for the fun of customizing and painting it, but with some evil idea behind too...
The fact is that I had in mind to prepare some sort of small campaign set in South China Sea waters, but I lacked eastern ship models; so I started seeking in the Net, until found the 3D models of a guy who had designed several outrigged boats of Indonesian and Polynesian style...
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/m_galera1_04.jpg)
The original models were a bit crude, not accurate enough either; but I decided to give them a try and see what I could do with them, with the galley in these pictures as a first result. It is intended to represent a Chinese large galley from Ming or Qing periods (i.e Renaissance to Modern).
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/m_galera1_02.jpg)
As a matter of fact, it would be better for anyone willing to build a Chinese fleet to use some Mediterranean galley models (like those made by Skytrex or Imperial-modellbau, for example), because historically the Chinese Empire got obtained their own galleys (Wugong Chuan) by reverse engineering Portuguese ones, after having suffered a heavy beating at the hands of these (https://greatmingmilitary.blogspot.com/2015/04/wu-gong-chuan.html (https://greatmingmilitary.blogspot.com/2015/04/wu-gong-chuan.html)).
However, it was a matter to try and see what I could do with one such basic model, so I am happy with the result anyway.
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/m_galera1_03.jpg)
More exotic samples soon:)
Lluís
I'd say that worked pretty well!
Lovely work, Lluis.
Simon
Nice different boat, beautifully finished Lluis
And today here you have some of the main culprits of the 'traffic jam' my workbench suffered lately - a 'traffic jam' already commented in a previous post (https://rulesforcommonman.uk/index.php?topic=2885.msg46249#msg46249).
These are a collection of five Malay or Polynesian outriggers whose 3D designs I happened to find on Thingiverse. Despite they seemed not too rigorously accurate, I thought it would be fun to give them a try. If anyone curious about, here you have the link toward these: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4546307 (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4546307)
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/g_estol_01.jpg)
Once 3D printed by a friend in their actual scale, I realized they were even more basic than expected (so I'd recommend for eventual trials to downsize them a bit, perhaps up to 75% of the pretended size; they will look certainly cooler if smaller). Anyway, I was unwilling to force my friend to reprint them, so I decided to push forward those models as they were.
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/g_ortus_novae_00.jpg)
I performed a few modifications on them, such as replacing their original masts and sails by some scratch made rigging, using polystyrene rods and cardboard, as well as their outrigging floats, that I wished to be more slender. Here you have the results on the smallest boats - that can reasonable pass as Malay paraw or Filipino garay outriggers.
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/g_garay_01.jpg)
Honestly I didn't exprime myself beyond that point, given the scarcity of fine detail there (no trace of bulwarks, excessive height from waterline to main deck, etc); so I tried to mask eventual deficiencies by paint job - by painting black all lower hulls to fool the eye, or visually simulating those missing bulwarks by paint too.
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/g_garay_02.jpg)
About the galley-like vessels, all overwiews I read stated that either Filipino lanong as Malay karakoa were outriggers too - but that guy's models lacked them, so I improvised some outrigging floats for them too (using... er... plastic cable tie pieces!!!).
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/g_lanong_02.jpg)
These models are still compatible with PP ships range, because they are 5 and 6.5 cm long respectively; although I'd recommend to downsize them a bit for a better look, as said.
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/orientals/g_lanong_01.jpg)
Well, not any pieces of art there, but they still look pretty decent on tabletop!
Lluís
That's a great job, Lluis - thank you for sharing your trials and tribulations with those 3D prints too!
Simon