GLakie

I've matched colors by sanding the same type of wood and making a fine dust that I'd mix with stainable PVA glue. Good for repairing splinters, gouges, or even building up small areas of an edge. If you want odd colors, you can try food coloring. It'll mix with PVA, and or water.

Nice work there Captain. It appears there's a fair amount of calculation going on here, and I'll be patiently awaiting more updates!   

After shaping the masts I flattened the two sides to install the cheeks.
 

 
After the glued dried overnight I sanded them down and cut in the ‘fingernail’ shape at the bottom.
 

 
For the iron bands I decided to use the copper foil tape instead of the pinstripe tape.  I had considered making them from brass but then I would have had to put some of them on prior to installing the cheeks but thought I would have a hard time sanding the cheeks down without damaging the bands.  The foil was cut into 1/16” wide stripes and then blackened.
The bands were then installed per the drawings.  I’m not really crazy about now the bands that are supposed to be under the cheeks look but not sure how to make them look any better.
 

 
In order not to damage the bands when sanding down the front fish I decided to round it off before gluing it to the mast (should have thought of this for the cheeks  ). To do this I used some double sided tape on a scrape piece of dowel to hold the fish in place while sanding.  The pieces were stained and the back notched to fit over the bands.   They haven’t been installed yet.
 

 
Christmas present (I was a good boy) already put to work.  Proxxon sander, works very well.  Need to get use to it though, removes a lot of material very quickly.
 

I heartily agree. I actually have an old vintage kit and the rope for this kit is better. It is still not scaled well with just 3 sizes. I have collected some other sizes from Chuck at his Syren store but may invest some time at learning the "walk" for the desired rope.

Nenad:  Just taking a minute to give you and your family my best wishes over the Holiday Season. Take care my friend! 

Arr …
Avast and ahoy, Maties. Thanks fer droppin’ by fer a look-see, and a big Thanks to those o’ Ye who have hit the Like button (apologies to those who thought it was the Exit button).
 
A belated Merry Christmas to Ye one an’ all, by the by !!
 
Well, it be bein’ way too long since Our Hero was last postin’. Howe’er, that doest not meaneth that he has been slacking off … entirely.
“In truth,” he didst declare-eth a tad somewhat too defensively, “I has been spending many a while staring at Connie’s shapely rear end and doing much thinkin’ and ponderin’.”
 
But not much else, Ay, CaptainSteve ??
“Err … that be,” he didst bluster. “I mean … mayhaps.”
 
Now, whence last we didst leave Our Hero, he were workin’ on the second version o’ his stern timbers.

 
“Problems didst occur-eth,” he muttered ‘neath his breath, “and modifications were of necessity.”
 
Now, for others who wouldst wish-eth to do as CaptainSteve be doing, and wouldst modify thine own Model Shipways kit such that stern windows are featured, Our Hero explains further:
“Essentially,” He were to begin-eth, by way o’ explanatory narrative, “I didst discard-eth the four kit-supplied frames, using just the back and the top o’ each frame piece. “

 
Thus, Our Hero were to use-eth the empty frame templates from the kit to sketch and create a set of seven open frame timbers, thusly allowing for the opening-up of the Gallery area, and for the framing o’ six windows.
 
“If Ye be examinin’ the four stern frame templates from the kit,” CaptainSteve continued, “then Ye shall be seein’ subtle variations atwixt them … “
 
“Essentially, FRAME1, the biggest from the kit, becomes my middle Timber #1 …

 
“... the FRAME2 template is duplicated to become Timber#2, and Timber#3 …

 
“… the FRAME3 template is duplicated to become Timber#4, and Timber#5 …

 
“… and lastly, the FRAME4 template is also duplicated to become Timber#6, and TIMBER#7.

Using this system, Our Hero thus numbers his frames as such: 7, 5, 3, 1, 2, 4, 6.
 
Once cut out, further modificationing were to prove-eth necessary. In particurly, the upper beam of each Frame Timber was extended, to allow for seating into the back of Bulkhead R. Additionally, a “footing” were to be formed for each timber, giving somewhere to affix the pieces to the transom.

Furthermore, groovin’s for cross-beams were marked and cut, allowing for support and frame strength.
 
Next he were to interdict, “I didst happen to read-eth somewhere in me travels o’ how the stern window frames on the USS Constitution were angled e’re so slightly in such a manner that shouldst an imaginary line be drawn upwards from each, all wouldst meet at a singular point at the very tip o’ the upper spanker boom.”
(Jeez, stop to take a breath every now and then, CaptainSteve !!)
 
Thusly, the footing o’ each frame piece has been angled e’er so slightly:Frames 2 and 3, by 3 degrees …

 
Frames 4 and 5, by 6 degrees …

 
Frames 6 and 7, by 9 degrees …

 
“If Ye doth squint,” he explained, “ye shall notice that the upper roof beams in the next few pictures be just a tad short in length …”

 
Hmm. ‘Twouldst appear-eth that yet another re-do be-eth featuring in CaptainSteve’s future …
 
“But, afore that,” CaptainSteve didst announce. “And afore I continue to stumble blindly for’ard, I doth have some final pics with me latest re-do of the stern timbers dry-fitted into position …”

 
Verily, the final product will look most different to the above pictures.
 
“Fer one thing,” Our Hero tried most helpfully to explain. ”There will be cross-timbers.”
And then, almost as an afterthought he declared, “And panelling … and doorways … and … and …”
 
But fer now, Our Hero jus' be wondering if he be on the right path at this time …

Completed rigging forward.  Directions and plans slightly lacking in this area but I like the outcome.  Model should be complete by the weekend.
 
 Bob R.

Really nice work Tom!  This is sure to be one of the staples on this site for future Connie builds. 

Hi Ken: Captain Steve posted a little more info about the stern config. if you're interested. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/9468-us-frigates-constitutions-stern-during-1812-the-question-of-questions-5-or-6-windows/page-5#entry374649

Sounds like a lot of research and planning going on, but I know you'll come up with a workable plan in no time. 

Gonna be awesome Patrick! 

Nice looking boegspriet Sjors - - ummm I mean bowsprit 
That's all you did over the weekend??  Oh, I'm sorry - you must have been working.  I almost forgot that some people have to work for a living  or should that be a  face.
Your Agy sure is looking good.
 
Cheers,

Hello lambsbk
 
Thanks for interest in my build. I also found your sight and you are doing a great job with your Conny.
 
At this smaller scale it is really hard to make the rigging look right. That is why I went with making my own rope using the Byrnes Ropewalk. The kit supplied rigging line just left a lot to be desired. 

Gonna be awesome Patrick! 

I'm finally in the process of getting caught up...........thanks all for the kind comments.   hoping to start on the chain plates soon.......ordered some parts to make it easier.   
 
hope you all had a great Christmas....{mine was really nice }..........and I wish you a very happy New Year  

I spent some time installing the main rails and topgallent rail. This will strengthen the top structure for when I turn the hull upside down to add the hull planking.
 
Here are several views of them in place. I just had to do a little filling at the rear joints where the rail met the laser cut part. I also had to thicken the laser cut part on the inside to allow overlap with the inner wall planks. The exterior transom planking is already in place.

 

 

 

 

 
My deck planks arrived today so I will now start gluing the deck planks for the gun deck. These will be glued to four 1/32" plywood carriers that have already been fitted to the gundeck shape. I will also use black glue like I did on the Niagara for the joint caulking lines. 
 
 

the workbench shot shows how small it is      awesome work my friend!   she's a sweet looking boat!

thanks for the added thoughts..........I'll look into it.   I probably can find stuff like this at Hobby Lobby    {I got a gift card for Christmas }

I am (eventually) going to try to copy them Geoff. Nice job.

Very well done. It is a fantasy-model is it? For the windows. Why dont you use some transparant paint? Vallejo has some colours in transparant. Or some thinn transparant coloured paper or coloured packaging foil? Just some thoughts.

well thanks for understanding   glad to know that I haven't missed it.  have a great time during your time off.

The boat is coming along fine Patrick, it is a very impressive yacht. Superb work, I think it is very difficult to get this right and make all this massive superstructure look elegant. I must say I had not appreciated from the drawings how lovely it would look.
On a different note, were the photos taken during actual work? After 20 minutes my workbench looks like having been hit by a hurricane.

That would be perfect for a trip on the Miss. river from Debuque to NewOrleans.  Beautiful.
David B

Very nice build and beautifull details

One thing for sure ...She is looking great Patrick!!! :)
 
Cheers
Dimitris