usedtosail

I built a crate for the Constitution model so I could move it and store it until the new workshop is ready. I used 1x4s and 3/8" OBS sheets. I built it in six panels that are screwed together with long sheet rock screws, so that I can take it totally apart later and store it for future uses. I first attached the two side and back to the bottom. I then screwed the working cradle down to the bottom after carefully placing it so the model would be centered. I also put some extra screws to make sure it would not be able to turn on the lazy susan. I then carefully placed the model into the cradle. It fit nicely with plenty of room around it. I then screwed the front and the top on and it is now ready to move. We are moving to our condo on Newfound Lake in New Hampshire. Our house in North Reading, MA goes on the market next week. My last day of full time employment will be June 15, and we expect to be all moved by the end of June. Part of the condo we rent out on a weekly basis in the summer, and we already had it rented for this summer, so I won't be setting up my new workshop until September, after our last rental. We won't be renting anymore after this summer, so I have a really nice room overlooking the lake to set up the workshop. I was sure I was going to use a back bedroom, but my great wife suggested I use the room with a view. I am taking the summer off, then will be able to work part time for the company I am semi-retiring from, so not full time retirement yet. There won't be much activity on this log for a while, although I am still making rope coils and rope for the braces, lower sheets and tacks, and the davit rigging. I have started packing up my current workshop but will save the rope walk and rope coil jig until last.

Thanks Ken. I actually do enjoy the rigging a lot, but it does get challenging threading new lines through previous ones. I love the way yours came out and I am trying to emulate your precision as best I can.

Thanks Popeye. She is tall - the crate I am making for her is 44" high by 60" wide. Once she is in the build will be on hold until later in the Fall, although I am still making rope coils and rope for the braces and lower sheets and tacks. I'll have pictures of the crate for those who are interested.

Were you cutting birthday cake at the time? Happy belated shared birthday.

Looks like an interesting little project. Of course you will put your spin on it, which is always fascinating. I'm glad you got the car past inspection.

If you want to paint the metal eyebolts, put some primer on them first, which will keep the paint from flaking off. I use a metal primer called Bin that works well. I also soak the parts in white vinegar before priming or blackening them, which gets any oils off of them.

Thanks everyone. KMart - You are doing a great job and I know your Connie will come out great. I have found that taking my time and going back to fix things that I don't like has made a big difference in how it has turned out. Clay - thanks for your offer to share ideas on the case. I would love to see pictures of yours. I usually make a base with a full cover that I slip over the top, but this model is too big for that. I first thought about a hinged front, but even that I think will be too big, so now I am thinking of a removable front and top, with the other three sides screwed to the base. I have just started working up plans for that design, but I am open to other ideas too. I won't be starting the case until late September or so, after our planned move this summer. Dave - no worries. I know you are busy on yours and there is still a chance you will overtake me. I would be open to your suggestions on the case too. I now have all the yards attached and rigged, and I think lined up as best as they are going to get. I am very happy with how they came out. I have gone back and fixed a few of the rigged lines where they were not running true, and I think I have found all of those. Here the top gallant yards are fully rigged. And here are some close ups of the fore top gallant and topsail yards, with the buntlines and leech lines rigged. And here are the royal yards added, first during rigging then finished up. I have tied off all the lines to belaying pins and fixed the knots, but have not cut off the excess line yet, in case I need to do some final adjustments. I still have to make and add rope coils to most of the pins, which is going to take some time. As I mentioned before, getting to some of the pin rails is getting very difficult, but I ordered some larger tweezers from Amazon that help a lot. Here is what I bought. The four large ones to the left are not as useful as I thought they would be, as the tips are pretty blunt. I may try grinding the tips down to a point. The other three have been very useful, especially the one on the right. This is about 8 inches long and with it I can reach across the deck to any pin rail on the other side. It was very useful for tying the lines to the pins, and should be just as useful for setting the rope coils. I plan to next make and place rope coils on the pins rakes that are full, then add the brace lines to all the yards, the sheets and tacks for the lower fore and main yards, and the rest of the rope coils. After that, the davits and anchors will be added. I don't know if I will get to all that before we move, but that will be OK as I will pick this up again in the Fall.

She's a beauty Popeye! Very nice work.

Love those rails, Frank. They look great!

Jesse, those ratlines look so real. Seizing the ends to the shrouds to me is the real key here. I always have trouble with some of the ends coming undone if I just use a clove or a luggage hitch on them. Next time, I am going to use your technique for sure. Thank you. BTW, I used to think that tying the clove hitches was a lot of work, but I think if I counted the number of seizings I have had to do on the Constitution rigging, it would be a lot more than the number of clove hitches in the ratlines.

That net looks good to me, Popeye.

Mark, from experience, you will find those blocks that flew away when you are looking for something else on the floor. Dealing with those small blocks is challenging. I used 3/32" blocks for the Connie guns and am using them now in the upper running rigging. I was loosing a lot at first (which I think I have found most of since then), but was able to get a pretty good process down to stropping them. I just takes lots of practice.

Yep, that's how I adjusted the heights on my gun deck guns. I used a straight edge razor blade to make the cut in one push.

Thanks Jon. I do have a place in our new home to display her. Making a case for her is going to be quite a challenge, though. I have some ideas though. Just a quick note that the topGallant blocks for the lifts did stay in place when I installed the lifts through them and tightened them up, so all of the rigging for those yards is done, except for the buntlines, which I am working on now.

Thanks guys. Other pictures I found had some of the plastic models I built as a kid - mostly funny cars, but there was also the Visible Body, if you guys remember that, and a V8 engine model kit. It did bring back memories. Work has continued, mostly on rigging the topGallant yards. First a picture with just the lower and topsail yards, adjusted to my liking. Of course, with all the subsequent work they have come out of alignment somewhat, so I will wait until all the yards are installed before tweaking the lines to get them to all line up, if that will be possible. He the topGallant yards are all on but are hanging only by the halyards. The lifts have been seized to the yard arms, but are justing hanging for now. The sheets are also installed, but these are on the topsail yards. The reason the lifts are not rigged yet is because I have been having trouble tying the double blocks they go through to the thin topGallant shrouds. They keep wanting to slide down the shrouds. I think they are good now, as I used a thicker line to tie them with which I think gives the glue more surface area to adhere to. We will see when I start threading the lift lines through them if they stay in place. I am not sure what I will do if they keep slipping. It is also getting very crowded on deck, especially aft of the main mast. It is getting hard to get my hands in there to attach lines to the belaying pins along the deck in this area. I just ordered some longer tweezers today so we will see if that helps get in there. I have some other long rigging tools that I made with dowel and large needles that help. I have already had to make some repairs to installed lines, mostly due to blocks coming out of their stroppings because of pressure I have put on the lines. It is a challenge which I am ready to accept, though. This puppy will be completed this year, despite the upcoming move. I have designed a crate that I will build to hold the model in whatever state it is by June. Now I just have to build it. Of course, I'll include that in the build log.

No problem at all. I enjoyed this model a lot. I used the Anatomy of Ships book about the Beagle to do some kit bashing to it. Start a build log and I'll follow along.

So, there is a sheet 5 and 6, which are on one plan sheet of paper, with 5 on the front and 6 on the back, just like sheets 1&2, 3&4, and 7&8. Table A doesn't have anything on the back. I took pictures of sheets 5 and 6, so if you want to IM me your email address I can send them to you. They are all rigging information so I don't think you would need to take any measurements off these sheets.

Let me check tonight when I get home, as I saved the plans when I finished the kit. I'll let you know tomorrow.

I have completed the topsail yard rigging and have started on the topgallant yards. Dan, I have to really thank you for the tip of putting the lines through the belaying pin holes first. I was not able to do this with the thicker lines on the lower yards, as the holes were too small and I didn't want to chance splitting the pin rails, but it works great on the thinner lines for the upper yards. Plus there is less room to get my hands and tools in to maneuver the lines around the belaying pin rails now, so having them secured by the pins first makes it much easier to wrap the line around the pins. I got a kick out this - we were cleaning out the attic on Saturday in preparation for our move this summer and I was looking through some old photos I took in 1968 (I was 13 years old). As far as I remember this is is the only ship model I ever built back then, and it just happens to the be same ship I am building now. Just a bit different scale and level of detail...

Mike, I have the long bed lathe with the milling column, and just added DRO to them. It is easy to change between the lathe and mill setup, and the only draw back is the limited movement of the XY axes in the mill setup. For example, to drill all the holes for the jackstays on the lower yards, I had to remove the yard from the vice and move it to another location. While it wasn't too hard to get it indexed to the previous location, it was still a pain. I am thinking of getting the mill base, where I can use the same Z column I already have. Maybe if that goes on sale like the DRO did... I find I like the longer bed lathe for the reasons already given. I have not had a use for it yet that the shorter bed couldn't have worked. I mounted it on a pice of pine shelving with rubber feet that I clamp to the work bench. It seems very solid. With the vertical milling column on it is top heavy, so being able to clamp it down is important. Good luck with whatever you decide on.

Its great to see that a horizontal version is coming soon. I have been using your older model in a horizontal configuration for a while now and it works great that way.

Thank you J, Al, Popeye, Henry, and Art, and the likes. I have been moving slowly with the rigging but since it is so noticeable, I want to get it right.

Very nice looking gun deck, K

Steve, I found that I was able to straighten the deadeyes out when I added the sheer poles just above them. I used a piece of wood between the lashings and then lashed the sheer poles to the shrouds.

Great start. I built this model a few years ago and loved it. I am looking forward to following along.