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Showing results for tags 'Constitution'.
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Yikes, I goofed. I don't know how I set this build log up in the wrong era. I couldn't see a way to move from one era to another, so I deleted everything I could. I'll try setting up the build log again tomorrow - hopefully in the right place. sorry... -
Yep, sorry, gang… Another Constitution build log… Those that have read any of my posts on my recently-completed Santa Maria build log or seen comments that I have made on some other’s current Constitution build logs are probably aware that the Model Shipways’ USS Constitution was next on my shipyard list. I am excited to get this one started! I purchased this Model Shipways kit back in March 2024 when Model Expo had a huge discount sale so, along with a store credit I had with Model Expo, I was able to buy the kit for cheap cheap and could not resist adding this historic ship to my shipyard. So, since that March date, I have been trying to do as much research as possible, jumping in, taking notes and asking questions on several of the current Constitution build logs. In that research, I have acquired numerous books and documents that everyone is familiar with and that I am sure I will continue to use as resources during this build: Anatomy of the Ship: The 44-Gun Frigate USS Constitution – Karl Heinz Marquardt USS Constitution 1812-1815 (Blue Jacket) – Laurence Arnot Ship Model Making, Volume III, U.S. Frigate Constitution – Captain E. Armitage McCann Constitution Close Up: Minutiae for the Modeler and Artist – Cmdr. Tyrone G. Martin As I was preparing for this build after I bought the Model Shipways kit, I also purchased Bob Hunt's complete Constitution practicum and, as others have done, will use it as an additional resource during the build process. I was fortunate when I began this model shipbuilding hobby a few years back to find this Model Ship World website, where we can share ideas, ask and answer questions, receive praise in our triumphs and receive comfort in our tribulations. Active Constitution builders that I have been following and that have been invaluable in my preparation include @JSGerson, @mtbediz, @Der Alte Rentner, @Unegawahya, @kmart and @Geoff Matson. I have also reviewed some amazing completed build logs by @xken, @usedtosail, @Modeler12 and others. Thank you to all! You are all to be commended for your model shipbuilding skills and your ability to find solutions in difficult situations. Even though I am sure to stumble often, your collective display of perseverance will hopefully carry me through to a magnificent completion… however long it takes! 😅 With all that said, the $64,000 question is… what version of this iconic Constitution will I be building? Well, you could probably conclude from my reading list above that I have really wanted to concentrate on the 1812 version. But there have been countless times where I have changed my mind to its present-day version. I never really considered the original 1797 ship version, or the 1927 and 2015 major revisions. I’ll do my best to stay as close as I can to that 1812 Captain Issac Hull model. If I can steal the term that Tom ( @usedtosail ) used several times in his awesome build log, my Constitution will strive to be “1812-ish”. And, as several others have done, I will do some kit bashing, and I will have a detailed gun deck and some form of exposed spar deck. I’m even taking a trip to Boston this fall and, of course, both a Fenway Park ballgame and a Constitution tour are on the itinerary. Let’s just say right now, though, this will not be a historically accurate museum piece, but rather I will enjoy building it as mine. I am guaranteed to get frustrated multiple times in the build process, but I will definitely have fun. And that’s what it’s all about… So… the month of June is going to be a busy “family time” month with grandkids visiting, so I probably won’t get much done in the coming weeks, but I’m looking forward to this journey. I will encourage and I appreciate all the comments, advice and criticism fellow builders have to offer. Y’all are awesome. Carry on. Thanks…
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Hello MSW family. I am working on the BlueJacket, USS Constitution and have been at it since August of 2023. I've had a lot of experience with plastic models in my younger days, including Revell's Constitution, but never have built a wooden model like this. The kit was given to me as a gift from some well intended colleagues, who had no idea of the challenge. I have to say, the BlueJacket kit is definitely intended for the experienced modeler, as the "instruction" manual is very vague, and leaves a great deal up to the modeler. If it were not for the great build logs on this site and the help and advice that I have received from a few PM's here, I could never have gotten as far as I have. From those few folks I have talked to, all have encouraged me to start a build log, and I finally decided to do just that, if for no other reason than to get some great advice from all the extraordinary modelers here. I plan to post photos and some dialog to show my progress up to this point. I'd like to send a shout out to those who have helped me so far, JSGerson, KurtH, jfinan, ERS Rich, and of course, Mr. BlueJacket, Nic. -
My build log of the USS Constitution c. 1812. -
A couple of months ago, @Keith Black sent me this MSW post from a gentleman in Austin, Texas who was looking for help completing a model. https://modelshipworld.com/topic/36787-looking-for-assistance-completing-model/ Since I also live in Austin, Keith thought this might be of some interest to me. He was right. The gentleman, Carson, was looking for someone to complete a model his father had been working on before unexpectedly passing away late last year. He and his family were hoping to have the model completed as a way to honor and remember their father. I contacted Carson, found out more about the model, and agreed to finish it up for them. I picked up the model earlier this week and have just started to examine it and the kit's documentation. I will also be studying some of the Constitution build logs out here on MSW. Once I get my arms around the whole thing, I’ll put together a plan for how to attack this project. The model is the Blue Jacket Bicentennial Edition of the U.S.S. Constitution. Carson’s father had done a significant amount of very nice work on the model - completing the hull, outfitting both the gun and spar decks, stepping the masts, and completing the complex bowsprit rigging. It appears he was on the verge of diving into the real fun that goes with all the standing and running rigging. Somewhere along the way, the model took some hits and suffered a bit of damage. But just like the real Old Ironsides, the model survived with the hull intact and just a few repairs needed. So this project will be a repair job at first followed by completion of the construction. For repairs, here’s what I’m seeing on initial review: 1. The most significant damage is to the bowsprit which is broken in a couple of places. 2. The sky sail pole on the main mast was broken at some point but has been repaired to a degree. 3. The davits for ship’s boats on both sides are broken off. 4. The masts have been stepped, but the glue bond on the fore and main has come undone, so they will need to be re-stepped at the proper rake. 5. The netting for the hammock storage has some minor dings. Other than that, I believe, the model is in good shape and I hope to complete the model in a way that properly honors Carson's father. I know there are many folks here on MSW that have extensive experience with the Constitution and perhaps the Blue Jacket kit itself. So please do not hesitate to offer comments, critiques, and suggestions. I welcome it all. Following are pictures that show the current state of the model. I’ll start with my favorite which shows all the damage to the bowsprit assembly. Yet Old Glory survives and still waves proudly above it all!
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This is the Blue Jacket kit #1018. I am building it for a friend who got it from his uncle who passed away in 2008. Better than 2/3rd's of the kit parts have been lost over time. So, I am only using the hull. Everything else will be/is scratch built. The stern of the hull was not correct so I had to re shape it. This was NOT an attempt to plank the hull!
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I'm back with a new project—a 1:76 scale model of the USS Constitution. As always, I'll be building it entirely from scratch. For reference, I’ll be using the Constitution book alongside the kit plans from Model Shipways. Although the Model Shipways kit doesn't include details for the gun deck, I plan to add both the deck and its details to my model. At this stage, my intention is to fully rig the ship, except for the sails. However, since this will be a long-term project, I’ll see where time and progress take me. As always, I welcome constructive criticism, suggestions, recommendations, and general feedback. The pictures show my progress so far, and I’ll continue sharing updates as the build evolves.
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USS Constitution - Model Shipway’s Kit No.: MS2040 “Old Ironsides” 1797 Frigate Scale: 5/32” = 1 ft. (1:76.8) This is my second POB square rigged ship; I spent about seven years building my first, Mamoli’s Rattlesnake. Like the first one, I will be following Robert Hunt’s practicum, but unlike the first, I have a multitude of excellent build logs and books to supplement it and help guide me through the inevitable pitfalls that are sure to raise their ugly heads. Hopefully, based on this and my hard-earned experience with the Rattlesnake, it won’t take another half a lifetime to build. Now for the obligatory part. Below is the kit box and contents. I won’t bore you with showing all the little packets that are stuffed in the box, that has been done very well by numerous other builders. I will state that in addition to what came with the kit, I purchased a few more items: · Robert Hunt’s practicum · Hobby Mill’s wood supplement package (based on Hunt’s practicum) * · Additional copper plate tape (as I understand it, the kit was a bit too frugal with their supply) · 2 - 2½” x 2½” x ¾” genuine pieces of USS Constitution wood ** · Medallion made from genuine USS Constitution copper plate. Not sure yet how or if it will be used. * Wood package purchased before HobbyMills closed shop. The supplement package was derived by HobbyMills where Mr. Hunt made his substitutions in the practicum. It was not identified as a package that could be purchased in the practicum. I have the original price list which describes what the wood is being substituted for and where in the practicum it is being described. If anyone wants a copy of the supplement wood list, please send me a PM. ** Constitution wood was purchased from the museum just before the ship went into drydock, December 2014. I have since tried to get a larger size for the keel or nameplate but accordioning to popeye2sea (who as I understand it volunteers on the ship), the US Navy is withholding any more wood from the public for now for reasons unknown. The museum told me, maybe in the Spring sometime. This will be my third attempt at constructing this model. The first attempt was done when I was a child building Revell’s small plastic model which I really botched. I hadn’t yet learned to read and follow instructions, but just dove into assembling the parts with expected results. My second attempt was as a young teenager and when the wounds of that failed build had waned, went a bit better. This time I got the larger plastic model. I did follow instructions and even painted the parts but had absolutely no idea how a rigged ship worked let alone how the lines were attached or what they were for. It looked decent to my young ignorant eyes at the time. Both models met their demise at my hand with firecrackers; usual method of disposing such items This time I expect a glorious finish…I hope.
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INTRO I don’t have a proper box-opening picture, but I didn’t decide to join a forum and post the build until I had already started. This is only my second ship model. My first was Model Shipways’ Bluenose II that I completed in 1994. I started a couple others along the way and lost interest, or I wasn’t satisfied with my workmanship and abandoned them. So far, I’m very much enjoying this kit. I could have completed the model already but continue researching documents, plans, and photos as I go in anticipation of another build. The materials seem to be very good quality though I only have a few data points for comparison. Incidentally, I have seen many builds of the Mamoli cross section, but only one of Model Shipways’ kit (Tomculb’s build). In addition to the manual, I have a copy of Marquardt’s USS Constitution, Magoun’s The Frigate Constitution and Other Historic Ships (1st Ed.), all the downloadable resources from the USS Constitution Museum, and various other documents and pictures from the Internet. BASIC HULL FRAME STRUCTURE The initial framing and main hold construction were straightforward. The 96-page manual with color photos of the build is very instructive. There are three plywood frames with the “bow” frame corresponding to the half-beam aft of beam 17, the “main” frame to beam 20, and the “stern” frame to beam 22. Beam numbering corresponds to a 1992-1996 restoration diagram. MAIN HOLD I painted the hold white, thinned with a little water, which seemed to do a good job of whitewashing while preserving the wood grain. This was followed with a scribe along the seams and a very diluted gray wash to bring out some of the details. I’m not sure I like the Model Shipways water-based paints. They’re very thick, I find them difficult to properly thin, and though I enjoy the easy cleanup, I believe the solvent based Floquil paints I used on the Bluenose II to be superior. (I just read that Testors discontinued the Floquil line in 2013.) I have some questions/comments about the main hold. I am not critiquing the model. I want to build the model again or maybe scratch build the same cross section in the same or larger scale and have questions on details not included in the kit. This area is proving difficult as I haven’t found any pictures. Diagonal Riders The diagonal rider angle appears too acute relative to the keel compared to any drawings I have seen. I read that the 1797 diagonal riders were removed in 1820 and then new ones installed in the 1992-1996 restoration so maybe that is where the discrepancy originates. Marquardt illustrates an approximately 40-degree angle from the keel with riders terminating at beams 18, 20, and 22 for the original riders and current photos and illustrations show about the same or greater angle, but shifted aft and terminating at beams 20, 22, and 24. The photo of my model shows the instructed placement (~20-degrees). The second photo is the 1992-1996 restoration diagram with Marquardt diagonals overlaid in yellow and Model Shipways in blue. Ballast I understand that most ships were brought into trim at this period using pig iron ballast and kentledge, but that in September 1813 John Tilley had seventy tons of pebble ballast delivered to the ship. What I’m not certain of is if it would be evenly distributed in the hold as pictured in many models. Some of the illustrations depict what appears to be a structure around the bilge pump tubes and main mast, perhaps with hatches to allow traveling the length of the ship’s hold? The illustration also depicts no ballast or stores directly on the keelson. Shot Lockers? Marquardt depicts two shot lockers; one would be near the model’s bow frame at beam 18 and the other forward of the model’s stern frame at beam 21. Are there any representative illustrations or pictures of these shot lockers? How was the shot retrieved? Spirit Room? Other illustrations show a forward bulkhead for the spirit room. Are there any illustrations or pictures of this area? Would the only difference in this room and the main hold be the type of stores kept there? Limber Holes and Limber Boards? Marquardt shows a limber gate on either side of the keel. Other illustrations also show a limber plank (waterway cover) on either side of the keelson. Would the bilge pump tubes terminate into this waterway? What I like: Quality of materials including the barrels and gravel. 96-page instruction manual also available online. 30” x 40” full-scale drawings included What I would change: Increase diagonal rider angle to match Marquardt’s. Questions: Were there structures in the main hold around the bilge pump tubes and/or main mast? What did the shot lockers look like and how was shot retrieved (e.g., hinged top)? Did the limber planks remain uncovered and accessible underway? Was there a dividing bulkhead on the Spirit Room?
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Hi folks. My name is Avi Deitcher, finally starting my build log. "Old Ironsides" is my first build. I went camping up in Maine with my wife a very long time ago (Toddy Pond, for those who know the area), long enough that it was a year before our first kid, who recently finished college. On the way back, we stopped for a break and wandered into a store that had my jaw open the whole time, BlueJacket. I have wanted that Constitution ever since, and my wife just surprised me with the model. It took a few weeks of going through the manual, including pulling out my old copy of "Sea of Words" to remember what half the terms meant (half being generous, more likely ¾ 🙂 ), slowly figuring out what paints to get, where to get tools, whether or not to get the topside planking and copper plates, not to mention going through the parts list. I needed calipers to tell which wood part is which! I finally am just about ready to get started. To make things more interesting, I live in Israel, so while some of what I need is readily available here, not everything is. I have an order from a local modeling place that arrived yesterday (he imports Vallejo paints and some tools), Amazon UK coming next week (mostly tools and sandpaper) and one from BlueJacket (planks and copper, etc.). Heading off today to the copy shop to make copies of the profile so I can cut it and start to shape it. I have been looking especially at @KHauptfuehrer's amazing log here (who kindly responded to some of my questions in thread; I hope I stopped before really hijacking it), @jfinan's here (I really like your idea of staining the topside planks instead of painting them, and staining them before gluing them on), @JSGersonkindly welcomed me in the thread and linked to Ken Forman's build and Bill Edgin's build. So many capable and helpful people here, I really am looking forward to this. Yes, I know the build is likely to take me years; I work full time doing technology business consulting. I will post some initial pictures soon. -
Ok I’m a little late starting my build log for this one. After doing a lot of research and comparing, I chose the Model Shipways kit of the USS Constitution for my first large scale all wood kit. In my research I came across JSGerson’s build log for the same kit and I got a lot of inspiration from his build! Just like JSGerson’s build I’m building a complete scratch gun deck for my kit. I’ve currently have a lot of my hull done and I just need to finish cleaning up my starboard gun ports and thin I’ll start working on a lot of my finer details.
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I acquired the kit at a yard sale when I was a teenager. I slopped some white paint in the general vicinity of the gun port strip, then put it back in the box. I carried the kit with me for various moves (including across the country) for approximately 30 years. In March 2020, I found out I was going to be stuck at home for 2-6 weeks or so, so I set up a folding table in our living room and got started in earnest. The current state is: The hull is assembled and I am working on the masts. I should get to the rigging soon (for some definitions of soon). I will post some pictures I took over the years soon (hopefully for a different definition of soon).- 1 reply
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So I've had Model Expo's Constitution on the self for over two years now. I had been waiting until I finish my last build (HMS Victory Bow Section) before I start. Well I just finished The Vic and am wasting no time in jumping right into this one. It will be good to get away from tying knots and back to wood working. I've been following some of the other Constitution builds (UsedtoSail, CaptainSteve and others.. and getting inspired!) And I'll be shamelessly borrowing ideas from their logs to apply to my own build. So I'll start with the typical early decisions to be made when doing a Connie build :-) --Aiming for a 1812 version or reasonable proximity (of course) --Open waist --5 window stern --White stripe (not the yellow) --Gun deck with deck and real cannons. (Not the dummy barrels.). That's all I got for now, but I'll be posting pics soon as I start to assemble the frame and bulkheads. K. -
Hello all, My name is Jim Martin coming to you from South Carolina and I’m tackling Bluejacket’s notoriously difficult Constitution. This will be my third model, having recently completed the HMS Beagle. I have been lurking on the logs of most other builders, both Bluejacket and MSW. I plan to shamelessly copy your best ideas giving credit wherever possible. I’m a slow builder so don’t post a lot, and my technique is pretty average. I hope you guys will bear with me and provide help as I join a bunch of others who all seem to be doing a good job. I have marked the hull, cut the templates and shaped the profile. Now to shape the hull. Finished Beagle The only pic of me at Nic’s place in Maine The first tool-to-wood action: removing the stern plug The only tip I can offer so far is that the instructions called for scoring a centerline along the keel rabbet. Since it was difficult to keep track of the line, I used a string fastened to the bow and transom and marked and scored it along that line
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I am about to start the Model Expo Constitution. I have had the kit on the shelf for about a year, but I was waiting to finish the Bounty Launch. I only looked in the box once since I received it, and did not realize how many pieces parts there are for this one. I have to say I am a little intimidated now that I have started going through everything. Well, here goes... Before I get to the pictures, I have come back to add an Index to this build log. Hull Construction: Keel Bulkheads Stern Filler Blocks Bow Filler Blocks Transom Framing Gun Deck Framing Gun Deck Planking Gun Deck Gun Port Framing Gun Deck Knees Spar Deck Gun Port Framing Upper Hull Planking Transom Planking Lower Hull Planking Bulwark Planking and Rivets Painting the Hull Copper Plating Rudder Transom Details Quarter Galleries Gun Port Lids Bumpkins Channels Deck Details: Gun Deck Cannon Rigging Gun Deck Chain Pumps, Stove, Riding Bitts Spar Deck Beams Spar Deck Hatches Mast Pin Rails Spar Deck Planking Rails Cat Heads Head Rails and Trail Boards Carronades Ships Wheel Bulwark Pin Rails Binnacles Capstan Hammocks and Cranes Anchors and Davits Ships Boats Masts and Rigging: Chain Plates Bow Sprit Lower Masts Upper Masts Mast Tops Lower Shrouds and Stays Ratlines Topmasts Bentinck Shrouds Topmast Shrouds and Stays Flying Jibboom TopG Shrouds and Stays TopG Jacob's Ladders Royal Shrouds and Stays Yards Studding Sail Booms Sails Running Rigging Short Interlude Running Rigging II Quarter and Aft Davits Anchors Flags Completed Model Display Case Now, some pictures of the contents: Eight pages of plans: A lot of wood pieces: Looks like they upgraded some older parts: Copper foil for the hull, blocks, cast metal parts, etc:
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Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to my attempt to redeem myself. Please jump ahead to post 16 to avoid the preamble and see the actual start of the build. After having begun a Build log for my HMS Pegasus in 2019 with great enthusiasm, life got in the way (everything from the daily challenges of being a farmer right the way through to falling through a warehouse roof and spending a long time recovering). This left a gaping hole in my progress log. My intention is to begin this Constitution build and record every annoying step from beginning to end. I like to think that it might help some of the modellers on here who are also beginners with a limited collection of tools and experience (Pegasus was my first build and is still not quite finished as I am waiting for parts). I do enter into this build with a fair amount of apprehension. Literally, the first word of this log brings up a question, the first of many. Should I be referring to this vessel as the Constitution or the USS constitution? My intention is to build her as she was in 1797 at which point she would have been the (frigate) Constitution... I think. Everything I have read about this kit tells me it will be a huge challenge, but I am hoping that with the help of the kind people on this forum and the bottomless well of knowledge contained within its build logs, I will be able to create something worthy of a glass box. I have already had incredible help from @Der Alte Rentner so I am feeling cautiously optimistic. My first big challenge is a decision on how to approach the hull, I think I will go with double planking. Due to my location and budget it is almost impossible to get hold of planking strips for the second planking that are worthy of creating an unpainted and coppered hull, so I have decided that I will cut pear wood planking from the pile of pear trees destined for the fireplace. This in itself is a pretty big challenge, but I have managed to extract some decent stock from the trunks, and my early trials with ripping planks has lead me to believe I can cut stock with success. This does however lead me to wonder what the correct size stock to rip is? What I have read in terms of plank length is anything between 22ft and 60ft(values which seem too low and too high to me) and 12 inches wide. I have sort of decided to go with plank lengths of 35ftx12inches(+- 150mmx4mm at scale). If anyone has any suggestions on correct dimensions, please let me know!! This also leads me to another minor point. I created a little Excel spreadsheet to convert imperial measurements both from the plans and information from the original ship to metric scale measurements. It is pretty simple but if anyone happens to need something like that I will happily send it through. I think I will try and create a model that is structurally as true as possible to the 1797 Constitution, but with a paint scheme that is more like the Belle Poule(which I believe was based on the constitution). Largely natural wood, perhaps a little staining and black paint with some ochre highlights. I like a somewhat more muted final outcome, and I can't bring myself to paint or copper over the hundreds of hours it takes to produce a decent double planked hull. Taking a look at what is still an incomplete Pegasus model(as of 20 October 2025) on my other log will give you an idea of the style I like I guess I should attach a photo of some sort to this post, so for now I will simply be a closed constitution box containing many man many hours of work. Hopefully it is complete, I bought it for around 250 dollars off Facebook marketplace. I look forward to sharing this journey with you all. Kind regards Haiko(The_bitter_ end)
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I have just accidentally deleted my entire build log. I thought I was deleting one post rather than the whole thing. I must now redo the entire log. This is most distressing, but at least I have the opportunity to make improvements in what I did. Fortunately I still have all the photos that I used. Unfortunately, all the likes, comments, and photos that were posted to my log by other MSW members are lost. Work on this will commence this afternoon. Unless the moderators object, I will do a series of posts, rather than try to do the whole thing in one. I plan for each post to be on a particular topic, or phase of construction.- 112 replies
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Motivation - My interest in Constitution goes back to when I was 10 years old. My uncle bought me a 22” Revell model of Constitution – it had a record in the box that that described the highlights of Constitution’s history which I nearly wore out while my dad built the ship for me. I don’t know what ever happened to the model, but I have a photo of it completed (see below). Seeing that photo inspired me in 2020 to purchase the kit off of **bay**, and upon finishing it (see below), I began thinking in larger terms – what about a wood ship model? So here I am, 18 months later, having obtained a Model Shipways kit of Constitution, and having taken some time with the Lowell Grand Banks Dory, Norwegian Sailing Pram, and 18th Century Longboat kits to get some basic experience in wood ship modeling under my belt. I have no illusions of matching the outcomes of the model masters I’ve seen on this site, but I won’t hurry the build along. As I turn 60 next month, my thoughts turn to finishing Constitution before I’m done with this world, and who will get it after I’m gone (I love the picture of xken’s son’s family with his – I hope for similar interest from one of my sons…). Details Modeling Constitution from 1812 prior to Guerriere Battle, possibly before “The Great Chase”. - Stern fashioned after Hull, Revell, and Bluejacket models - Billet Head & Trailboards fashioned after Hull, Revell, and Bluejacket models - 30-Gun gun deck – no bow chase/bridle ports - 24-Carronade spar deck + 1 bow chaser - Ships Boats – Captain’s gig & cutters in the davits, undecided about the hatch for now. Model Examples I will follow - Isaac Hull Model (Peabody Essex Museum) - Revell 1:96 Model - Bluejacket Model - Others as depicted on Model Ship World Modeling Resources - Model Ship World builds – many - Model Ship World model techniques - various Books & Papers Resources – this list will grow as the need arises - A Most Fortunate Ship – Martin - All Sails Up and Flying – Eriksen - Anatomy of the Ship – Marquardt - Constitution Close Up – Martin - Constitution Practicum – Hunt - Rigging Period Ship Models – Petersson Plans and Misc Resources - USS Constitution Museum – Modelers Resources - US Navy - Bluejacket Models (undecided) - Historical Paintings – difficult to sort out for accuracy Photographs - A “bazillion” online images and videos One thing that is somewhat discouraging is the number of attempts at this model that have apparently been abandoned. I have no doubt that every one of you who set it aside in the end started out with much enthusiasm as I carry today. Only time will tell. I do have a life beyond modeling - wife, children, and grandchildren. Oh, and work. Therefore you won't see progress moving along at a quick pace. However, if you stick with it, so will I. Looking forward to the ride... Midshipman 3/c (Ret) Bob
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If you read the new members section, you will read a little about how I came about this kit and into ship building. This will be my second ship, the first being an A-L Victory. I was given both kits by a neighbor who found them among the belongings of his sister's home after she was admitted to a memory care facility. Neither kit had been opened. I have been reading posts on this site and learned a little about Mamoli kits. I recall one post saying Mamoli kits were no longer produced because of a factory fire. I know nothing about this brand, but it is what I have been given, so that is what I will work with. I have noticed there are very few full Mamoli Constitution builds on the site, mostly were cross-section builds, so that must have been a more popular kit. I only found one Mamoli Constitution full build that was completed and have studied it thoroughly. I have also viewed many other Constellation builds for tips and ideas have have started following some builds. I am hoping to show what the Mamoli kit has it in and how the ship goes together. The kit contains one 4' X 4' sheet with full size drawings on both sides. There are eighteen 2' X 2' panels (9 sheets, printed on both sides) of instructions in four languages. I am hoping this build will be of interest to those who are building the Constitution from another maker, if nothing else but to show the difference in kits. I am new enough to the hobby that I probably will not be going off-course too much, rather focusing my efforts on understanding the enclosed plans and following the assembly instructions. I will seek advise where plans are lacking and will always appreciate comments. Today's photos are assembling the keel. The keel came in four sections. It was suggested to lay out a board and tack the full-size instructions to the board, which I did. I then laid down some clear wrap over the instructions so I could not get glue on the paper. The board was to nail the keel to while the glue dried so it would dry perfectly flat. I used yellow glue at this point because I knew it would not show after other parts were added.
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I purchased this model kit about a year ago while I was finishing up my second model, first scratch (USS ENGAGE). Now that I am done with that model (with the exception of building the display base) I am moving on to something more challenging. However, I am not a fan of the kits solid hull and only having the gun deck and main deck visible. There is a lot more to the CONSTITUTION than those two decks. My plan, therefore is to mix this as a kit and a scratch. The hull is going to be plank on frame. One side of the ship (probably the starboard) will be completely planked and painted; the other side (port side) will be open, so that someone can see all decks of this fine ship. Additionally, I am going to be as true to the construction of this model as to the original. I am going to use white oak and yellow pine through out the hull. I recognize this will be a significant challenge and will consume years (USS ENGAGE took me 12 years to complete, granted it sat idle for significant portions of that period). Everything else will be as per the model kit instructions. My first step in this process is the framing. Using the hull lines plan from the model instruction book I traced out one side of the frame and scanned the tracing into a PDF. I have attached the tracing for Frame "7". After scanning into my computer, I adjusted the scale to 100% (they were coming out at 139%) and took a screen shot of just the tracing from the centerline out just past the frame. I then pasted that screen shot onto a Power Point slide, increased the size to 108% (I came to that percentage after trial and error of getting the print out accurate size). I copied the half and flipped it to make the entire frame - port and starboard side (see the attached photo). Once I have all the frames and keel complete, I will glue them onto white oak plank and commence cutting. I have a concern about the strength of the frame, especially where it narrows at the top, above the main deck. My gut tells me to glue two or three planks with their grains perpendicular to then one next to it and then plane that down to the thickness of the frame. I am open to suggestions here, and welcome them as I am still tracing out the frames. CCF07272019_00002.pdf
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“Huzza! Her sides are made of iron!” (Unknown sailor, USS Constitution, 19 August 1812, battle with HMS Guerriere) "Building a new Navy for the 'new' United States" The American Revolution ended in 1783, and the new United States sent its merchant fleet afar to trade in spices, fish, leather, etc. to rebuild its economy. However. The last Continental Navy warship was effectively sold in 1785, and US merchant vessels thereafter sailed unprotected. This lack of protection soon became a problem, especially when sailing off of North Africa in the 1790's, and finally Congress authorized a new navy, in 1794, to protect the fleet. Between 1797 and 1800, 6 frigates were launched: United States, Constellation, Constitution, Chesapeake, Congress, and President. USS Constitution, launched 21 October 1797, is the sole survivor (USS Constellation, in Baltimore Harbor, is the 1854 warship of the same name). Joshua Humphreys designed theses frigates to be the strongest, fastest, and most heavily armed warships of the era. Constitution’s hull is 3-layers of wood: exterior & interior oak planking and dense live oak framing (ribs) spaced 'close together' as the middle layer. At the waterline, the ship is over 22” thick... and this thick, strong and dense hull makes up her “iron” sides. When hit with enemy fire, Constitution’s hull either repelled the cannon shot's, and/or effectively absorbed them, due to her massive hull, thus helping to prevent serious damage to the ship while also minimizing casualties to her crew. Between 1798 and 1854, Constitution was victorious in 33 engagements and a great deal of her fame rests in her 3 stunning victories over Royal Navy vessels in the War of 1812. The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned ship on the U.S. Navy roster. Still seaworthy and served by Navel officers and crew to this very day! _______________________________________________________ ... and so the build begins! I've acquired a copy of Joshua Humphreys original hull design from 1794, courtesy of the 'Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment, Boston'. This will make for a proper start to this historic project. My goal is to reconstruct an accurate depiction, in scale, of the USS Constitution as she was originally designed, by Joshua Humphreys in 1794. This build will begin with my restoration and clarification of the original hull drawing, via Autocad, as there are portions of this original drawing that have obviously lost a bit of needful detail via the ages. Mid-ship frame details, via the body plan, will likely be difficult to accurately recreate, therefore, I'll likely make those frames a bit proud both internally 'and' externally, for safety... and simply fair them down to their proper forms once it's time to fair the hull's frames to shape. I've not yet decided as to the true scale that I'll actually be building her to, however. I'm currently 'thinking' somewhere around 1/75'ish. Larger, maybe, but definitely no smaller than 1/75. I'll also likely build a rather lengthy mid-section 'prototype' prior to going for the full length build. I can see a lot of potential 'difficulties' to be encountered in such a complex build. A prototype, whether I finish it, or not, should prove to be a good 'test-bed' from which I can figure out just how in the h*ll I'm going to pull this off to personally 'acceptable' standards. It's going to be very interesting and time consuming, for sure! This is what I'm starting with. It's Humphreys original draft of the constitution's original hull as designed in 1794. Sorry for all of the edits to this post. I was trying to post the hull drawing that I received, in .pdf format, from the Naval History & Heritage Command, but no joy. You'll have to settle for this much smaller 'jpeg', instead of the actual 5' foot long drawing...
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1. Constitution - Superfrigate of the many Faces - A tribute to the Basses Years ago I got this nice book by William Bass and his wife in which they describe their findings and their reconstruction of US Frigate Constitutions "Second Phase" as they called it. The years after launch and Quasi War with France - and before the War 1812 - the times of Preble and the Barbary War. Since I saw this beautiful book which was published privatly and therefor did not get the audience it deserves, I did fall in love with this beautiful ship! The Basses based their reconstruction mainly on Felice Corné´s paintings done in 1803 (Side view) 1805 (?) and 1807 (Battle of Tripolis). This one for shure you all know very well. Its - as far as we know by today - the very first visual description of Old Ironsides - done by Felice Corné in Summer 1803 most likely. The Basses did brief investigations even on which viewing angle the artist must have had for his sketches and they could prove that Corné did do really intensive studies of his object. But isn´t the ship a beauty here? Ochre gun strike, no bulkward on foredeck, single dolphin striker, open galion and - that impressive Hercules. Nevertheless, as we will see later: this interpretation causes headaches (at least in my little brain). Here now one of the Tripolis Paintings: Source: https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/6155 You can increase the image if you click on the picture on the Maine Historical Societies Homepage (link). Look at that beautiful lines, the two yellow stripes above the gun deck - and note the position of the channels on the lower of those lines: and here the beautiful Stern of the ship in its early phase: She was a beauty in ochre and black, some white, yellow and maybe a bit gold? .. and a thrilling sight with all that guns! In my eyes the ships earlier appearance is of much more grace and elegance than in her later designs. Fortunatly the real ship is getting closer and closer to that design again with the restorations since Tyrone Martin started that process. But maybe the most beautiful sight she must have been as she was planned: with complete open bulkwards - just as Humphrey intented her to be: Nevertheless: my plan is to rework and pimp the beautiful Revell kit which is ment to show her 1812-15 configuration - but which has some "errors" in it and which does not totally fit to her 1803 appearance. And this 1803-4 appearance - before leaving to the Mediterean Sea - that is my goal. I imagine by now a situation in which the ship is about to be fitted out for sea - maybe some weeks before the above shown departure of the ship takes place. Still with only long guns on the quarder deck... This build will be the very first for me since about 35 years. I was doing a Cutty Sark 1/144 (without proper rigging and bad painting) and a very nice Spanish Men of War in 1/72 - this time with Revell instructed but fully rigging (boy was I proud !) .. So I need to re-learn during the build all the needed techniques. Oh, I was mistaken: I started some years ago the build of the Revell Charles W. Morgan - but the "rush hour of life" did stop that efforts. Now, in times of Corona and possible loss of job I believe I need a time out for some hours a week from crazy daily hectic .. and "if not now, then when?" shall I start with this beauty. I hope you join me in my efforts and I am open for any advice and hint. Thanks for watching me.- 16 replies
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Welcome to the Jungle! Attentive observers had already discovered the hull of the USS Constitution in my shrubbery for some time. But who now expects a FITZCARALDOOOO downhill is wrong for the time being, it actually goes on in a civilised way The kit has been lying around for quite a while, as it is really great in many aspects, such as the hull, but in others it does not fully meet its own claims, especially with regard to the guns. What could be more obvious than to choose these guns after the purchase of a new printer and to program them in a contemporary correct way. The results were promising ... ... and with a little colour quite convincing ... ... especially compared to the originals from the kit. Grandpa, what big fingers you have!- 58 replies
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Hello, everyone! I've been quietly reading these forums for some time and finally decided to chime in with my own build. Others' build logs have been a huge source of information and encouragement for me during the build process, so I hope this log can be of some benefit to others. I worked on this kit for a week or so about nine years ago, and only picked it up again this year. It's my first model kit I've built as an adult and first ship of any kind (Although as a teenager, I painted the hull of the larger 1:96 kit from Revell, then immediately gave up). I also started with zero knowledge of ships, so this whole thing is a learning experience. Much of the work I've done recently has aimed to undo or improve mistakes I made when I first started. One of my biggest mistakes was choosing to modify anything at all, as this slowed the process and made me feel daunted at various points. As a beginner, I regret spending so much time tweaking this kit instead of progressing through multiple kits over the years. Still, I'll mostly focus on modifications here because that's what I've most closely documented. These first photos are from 2015, so some of this is more retrospective. My earliest record is of hastily assembling the hull and deck and painting various details. I tried replicating the paint of the real ship, which lead me to notice differences in the bow and other details. I couldn't figure out why the model had a figurehead, which lead me to research that interesting history. At this point, I should mention that I had two of these kits to work with. Both were purchased at Goodwill totaling less than $5, so I recklessly decided to sacrifice one in an effort to make the bow section more closely resemble the real ship in its current state. Even though I had already installed the boomkins and metallic anchor thread, I ripped everything apart and temporarily ruined both kits. I cut off part of the stem from the donor ship far enough down so that it would extend to roughly the correct height when reshaped and attached to the working model. A bit of jump, but here's the result. I tried filling the gaps with Tamiya putty but you can still see the seam where the two pieces meet and the decorative relief doesn't match up. The other white details were made using thin strips of masking tape for curves and covered with acrylic sealant. The whole endeavor still misses the mark for accuracy, but it makes the bow more recognizable in profile, which I count as a success. At some point, I also lined the hull with real copper leaf but didn't like the look of it and painted over it with green. I think this was because most of my reference photos showed the ship in dry dock.
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I have never done this (a build log) before, but from what I've seen, one of the best ways to get advice is to have a build log as a forum for discussion! I have in the past built model cars, but I recently, after a good 20 of years of nothing, decided to get back into it, and then I decided to try my hand at a ship! I built the 1/150 scale Revell USS United States. And I absolutely loved it! I have now decided (perhaps foolishly) to tackle the 1/96 USS Constitution by Revell. So I dove in earlier this week from the beginning, painting the hull. I have that mostly complete, still needing to paint the interior, and I've hit the detail areas on the bow and stern as well as on the cabin. Here are my pictures so far. I used a paint pen from Hobby Lobby for the gold and some of the white for the small detail, but a small brush and a toothpick for the other small parts. What I struggled with was the bulwarks color. I have decided to go with a darkish green, similar to what is on the current real life ship. I don't know why Revell wants it white, but I'm rebelling! I have been unable to mix a satisfactory green, so I'm buying some paint today. I am very nervous about this ship build because it's a hefty task for someone like me with very little to no experience. Also super excited. Hopefully the community here will be as awesome as it appears to be! My next task once the hull is complete is going to be an attempt at creating a weathered wood look on the deck. I have seen some vague references to doing this, but I am going with trial and error. If anybody has any input, please let me know! What I've done is grabbed varying colors of brown from light to dark, and I'm going to try to layer them. To be continued!
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