USS Constitution by Tuffarts - Mamoli - 1:93 Scale - Cross-section

[Canute]

Tuff, Tadeusz showed some pictures of HMS Victory's copper plating in a log: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/9520-decision-timeto-copper-or-not-to-copper/?hl=%2Bcoppering+%2Bhulls#entry282136. It's the 8th entry.

[Tuffarts]

A few pictures of where I am up to

I have installed the knees on the port side, they still need some painting. And I have installed the pieces inside the gunports that join the inside to the outside.

And here is some shots looking from the opposite gunport across the deck

I still have to do the knees for the starboard side, and finish the cannons and pumps. Also the smaller beams for the top deck.

[mattsayers148]

Hey Scott, looking so awesome! I know copper can get spendy, these grounding strips are used when installing conductive and static dissipative flooring. If you know anyone who does mostly commercial flooring, ask if they have any copper grounding strips that you can have. I have lots that I keep after installing these types of floors.

 

The last job I did came in a 100ft roll with sticky tape one one side. Just being in my truck for a couple of days and the sticky attracts everything! So your concern about it is spot on.

[Canute]

Scott, excellent work installing all those knees.And nice camera work, shooting through the gunports.

[monkeyman]

I really like your model with all that details. Hope mine will be not mch worse :-)

 

A little piece of advice, if you don't mind: remove the white paint from beams.

 

 

It's a cross-section, a piece cut from the whole ship, so. I guess, all objects at the edge of it should look like they were cut as well. Right now beams look a bit odd, in my opinion.

[robnbill]

That is a great point. I don't think I have seen anyone do that. You could really add another dimension to the viewers by doing that. The key will be figuring how to do it with the right balance. I am looking forward to continuing with watching your build.

[Tuffarts]

I had thought to leave these unpainted on the front. But I left them painted as if the cross section is just past the point where they join to beams running lengthways.

all the beams running lengthways are unpainted on the ends, and knees that pass the ends of the model are also unpainted on the ends.

 You can see on the left that I have carried length way beams a mm further to indicate why paint stops where it does, but this is only on one end of cross section, the other end is all flush.

[monkeyman]

I had thought to leave these unpainted on the front. But I left them painted as if the cross section is just past the point where they join to beams running lengthways.

all the beams running lengthways are unpainted on the ends, and knees that pass the ends of the model are also unpainted on the ends.

 You can see on the left that I have carried length way beams a mm further to indicate why paint stops where it does, but this is only on one end of cross section, the other end is all flush.

 

 

Yeah, I did understand your point right away, but well... it just looks better, when all stuff unpainted to the edges, more natural. But that's your choice of course.

[Tuffarts]

I got some shots of the cannon on deck, this is my trial cannon so the finish is not what I will end up with. The cannon will be black.

 

 

The eyebolts are too large, and I may make the back wheels a little smaller yet.

The cannon looks to be a tight squeeze next to the hull, but other viewing angles it looks smallish.

Still playing with cannons for now and working on the rig to attach them to the deck.

Pumps are still to be done yet.

[monkeyman]

In my opinion, you've made carriages a bit taller. Here's a picture of real life cannons:

 

 

Guess, you coud just remove the top plank and add 2 steppings for the other two planks. This way you carriage will have 4 steppings, like it should. It's also probably the easiest way to correct the height.

Edited March 2, 2015 by monkeyman

[robnbill]

I assume that since everything on a ship had a function, the steps on the carriage also did. What were they used for?

[monkeyman]

I assume that since everything on a ship had a function, the steps on the carriage also did. What were they used for?

 

Everything? How about bunch of drawings, carvings and stupid bow figure on almost every XVII-XIX century sailship? Take Sovereign of the Seas, for example :-)

[robnbill]

But even those were designed to impress. We still use our ships/Navy to impress. Early psychological warfare.

[monkeyman]

But even those were designed to impress. We still use our ships/Navy to impress. Early psychological warfare.

 

Well, maybe steps were designed to impress too :-)

 

Actually, the carriage itself is a simple base for main tool - cannon. First of all it must be stable, so, I guess, this is why they all have incline from rear part to the front. And how you design this were a matter of taste, probably. Some carriages were full of carvings, some were simple, some had steps. So might be no purpose at all, just... well, fashion of that time.

Edited March 3, 2015 by monkeyman

[Tuffarts]

I assume that since everything on a ship had a function, the steps on the carriage also did. What were they used for?

 

The 'steps' are used to change the elevation of the weapon. 2 sailors use crowbars to lift the cannon using the steps as fulcrum points, the officer in charge of the cannon moves the quoin {the cake shaped piece with a handle}.

 

I have been looking around the net and found a picture that shows the elevation of the cannon and gun port.

 

It is an English ship, but would be similar, the carriage comes to halfway up the port, which makes my carriages too tall.

 

 

In my opinion, you've made carriages a bit taller. 

 

Guess, you could just remove the top plank and add 2 steppings for the other two planks. This way you carriage will have 4 steppings, like it should. It's also probably the easiest way to correct the height.

 

This is a great suggestion and may save my carriages. 

So much for the pre painting I had done, I will need to totally rethink the cannons.

Hopefully I can fix the mamoli carriages, if not I will need to source more correct carriages.

[robnbill]

That explains it. I thought it might be for a block or something to go under the barrel for elevation but the steps didn't seem to align for that. Using them as fulcrums makes total sense. Start on the lower one, raise the canon a bit, the next sailor take the next step. Thanks!

[Canute]

Bill, they do insert a block under the aft end of the barrel to adjust elevation. That's called the quoin, the triangular block or, as Tuff calls it, the cake shaped block above the rear wheel. Two gun crewmen, one per side, used crowbars to allow changing the gun's elevation. The quoin is slid forward to lower the gun's mouth and slid back to raise it.

[Tuffarts]

A small update on the state of the cannons.

 

I have taken Monkeyman's suggestion and cut the top of the gun carriages, and cut extra 'steps' into the sides. I have also cut the back out to simulate the rear axle. 

 

Here is a photo of the carriage with the practice cannon (that is painted black), on the deck. this is the new red that I am going to finish carriages in.

The eye bolts and rings were made with .03 wire and painted black, I still need to finish painting the red.

 

The size looks a lot better next to the gun port.

 

I have been playing with the wire to try to make small hooks but the smallest I can make is about 2.5 mm, so I think I am going to just put the breaching rope on the cannons, as the other ropes with their hooks, single and double blocks, they would be too small for me to make look convincing and uniform.

But I will put the eyebolts on the carriages and the walls for them. as well as eyebolts for stowing cannon.

For now I am still working through these cannons and pumps before I can move on with the model.

[Canute]

Tuff, like the carriage color. Looks very good. And the remodeled carriages themselves are excellent.

[DocBlake]

Nice work, so far.  I like your commitment to being historically accurate with the fittings such as the pumps.

 

One thing that is alarming is the bottle and glass full of "Jack Daniels" on the box-cover art!  Does this mean that the "Jack" is a required tool for this build?

 

Dave

 

I

[Tuffarts]

Nice work, so far.  I like your commitment to being historically accurate with the fittings such as the pumps.

 

One thing that is alarming is the bottle and glass full of "Jack Daniels" on the box-cover art!  Does this mean that the "Jack" is a required tool for this build?

 

Dave

 

Thanks for the comment, and I tried building drunk as instructed and the scalpel becomes more dangerous the drunker you get. 

[monkeyman]

Cannon looks much better now, good job, pal.

 

Still one note: you've forgot to add 2 extra carved lines (groves) on sides. There were no grooves on real life Conny cannons, according to pictures, but since you've decided to add them, now you gotta carve 4 grooves, one per step.

 

Sorry for being picky, just a fiendly note in case you've forgot to do this :-)

[arnie59]

I am coming up on finishing my kit bashed  Revell 1/96 Connie, and had purchased the Mamoli Kit sometime ago for a companion piece to the finished Connie, and needing a change of pace, I had pulled it out a little while back and now have a good start on laying up the frames.

 

Finding your build was fortuitous to say the least. Now I have a good reference to use. I was initially planning an OOB on this, but  now that I see it with all your great mods, I may have to go it a bit better than OOB after all (damn you).

 

I will be following your progress closely and look forward to your next post. 

[Brewerpaul]

On 3/6/2015 at 8:52 AM, Tuffarts said:

 

Thanks for the comment, and I tried building drunk as instructed and the scalpel becomes more dangerous the drunker you get. 

That's especially true if you're a surgeon!!

I'm a latecomer to your build and have recently dug up a partially completed Connie Cross Section and resumed work. I am nowhere near as dedicated as you are for my first build, but I've gotten some good ideas from you so far.