JSGerson

I have seen it, but think it may just be too big at the scale we are working at. I can barely use fine needle tweezers, so I just tie a simple knot with the seizing line, wrap 2 or 3 times and tie another simple knot. Then I add a fine drop of CA glue to finish. For me, that tool makes sense for larger scales.

Jon

Frank. you might be able to make the hook style I used using a thinner gauge for your 1:96 scale, but I think you would also lose strength with such a fine wire. And I not even talking about line seizing. I would simplify the process. Getting blocks smaller than 3/32" is going to be tough and adding a hook, tougher. When I made my 1:64 scale Rattlesnake, I wasn't as cognizant of the block rigging details, so I drilled a fine hole into the block and inserted/glued a straight shaft hook into the hole and skipped tieing the hook to the block. Wrapping the rope line around the block was made easier, neater, and no layman was wiser.

Jon

Would you believe there are 100 hooks in this container? Once I got into the rhythm of bending the 1/32” eyebolts, I could do about 2, to 3 per minute, but it was tedious and working using the pliers, wire cutter, with a magnifier headset was tiresome. Now comes the really tiresome part, making 5 identical sets of tackle per each of the 20 carronades and 2 long guns. Oh joy.

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Prototype rigging looks good

Gregg, now you are just being nice. I would say, it's just barely passing. snipping the seizing line close to to the rope line so it's not hanging, is an art I must master. I could get away with these flaws on the gun deck because you just can't see them well, but on the spar deck, they are out in the open.

Jon

You don't disappoint, they look gorgeous!

Jon

I did make a prototype recoil tackle to determine how much line I would need for that, approx. 3”. Looking at the miniature rope provided by the kit, the smallest diameter line provided were parts Nos. WP2589 (black) & WP2587 (tan) 3/0, 0.005” (0.13 mm) dia. two strand nylon. They did not look rope. They did look good for seizing line, so that is what I tried. My first attempt was a tad crude, but it won’t be noticed unless you have fantastic eyesight. I should improve as I make more.

Rigging the Spar Deck Carronades

There are three components to gun tackle: the rope, the hooks, and the blocks. I will initially be using .008” (.20 mm) Syren Ship Model Co, miniature tan rope and 3/32” (2.4 mm) blocks (single & double). The hooks I must make myself from 1/32” (0.8 mm) eyebolts. As far as I know, nobody makes 1/32” hooks with a quarter twist so that the eye is turned 90° from the hook. There are 20 carronades each requiring a minimum of 4 hooks. Then there are 5 hooks each for the two 24 pounders. That’s 90 hooks minimum assuming I don’t lose any during the fabrication process. I’ll make about 100 of these for the time being. So that alone is going to take a while to fabricate.

The Constitution's transom has been the bane of many a builder, including Robert Hunt and myself among them. I really hope this works well for you. So far, so good.

Jon

As I mentioned before, the Hull model does not show any stanchions, or rope handrails.  I looked at all of the designated 1812 version and earlier, models that I had photos of (approx 25). I eliminated those models with closed hatches, those with no close-up views, and those models still incomplete in their fabrication, which left a total of 6 models to look at. About half of them had simple rope rails around the hatches and along the ladders. The stanchions were always dark (color or B&W images) but the rope was both light or dark in color. All of this doesn't mean anything because the level of detail provided was the builder's choice.

My personal assumption, which has no factual or historic basis, is that there was at least a rope barrier around the hatchways when they were open and probably on the ladders. If they existed, I would imagine that their specific design varied over time like everything else on the ship.

Jon

The Hull model does not show any railings. That does not mean there wasn't anything there. If memory serves me correctly, I believe the brass railings were installed when the Constitution was made into a training and receiving ship around 1882, but don't quote me on that. The earliest pictures I have are from the 1890s.

Jon

Thanks for the kudos guys!

I used to use Blacken-It with good results, but as far as I know it's not available anymore. So, I switched to JAX Black, Brass, Bronze,  & Copper Blackener. Typically, I soak the metal item in some mild acid for a few minutes to remove any oils from the metal, rinse in water, and then soak in the blacken solution (1/2 water & 1/2 blackener) for about 5 - 10 minutes while keeping an eye on it. But for some reason, the black coating flaked off this time.

Jon

Spar Deck Long Guns

Finally, the last armament to be fabricated for the spar deck were the two 24 pounder long guns. These were made almost identical to the guns for the gun deck. I say “almost” because this time I used the laser cut carriage sides provided by the kit, If you may remember, I had to scratch make my own sides for the gun deck guns because for some reason, the gun ports were a bit too high relative to the gun deck planking and I had to compensate with a slightly taller gun carriage. Which by the way, was closer to the US Navy plans version.

I made all the other pieces as before and assembled them using the jig I used before. However, the jig had to be adjusted a bit because my scratch made sides were a bit different thickness than the laser cut ones. Also, this time, the blackening didn’t seem to stick as well as last time, so I will have to use some touch black paint where the shiny brass shows through. Still to be done. I will glue down the quoin when the guns are aligned properly and glued into their final positions. Till then, rigging the guns is next.

Actually, the 1927 plans I sent you earlier, shows seven braces in the main top. Why it was removed as shown in recent photo is a mystery to me. If you won't tell anybody that it changed, I won't either😁

Jon

They look beautiful!....However, I noticed a discrepancy between yours and the the actual tops. Two of your tops (Fore & Mizzen) match the real ones. However, the main top does not have the radial brace in front of the oval hole. Below are two images. The single top image is the foremast top. The other image shows the main and mizzen tops. You can see clearly, the main top only has six radial braces not seven. I hope that doesn't mess you up too much.

Jon

For the most part, the chainplates are aligned and angled as determined by their attached stays. This means they are not necessarily perpendicular to the chanels. Each angled chainplate has a slightly different angle from its neighbor. IMHO, "fudging" the slots to allow angling of the deadeyes should not be noticeable provided any slot widening is done on the bottom side of the channel where it can't be seen. Unless you are trying to be super realistic, which you are not, the slight inconsistencies created by the model maker with the real world are acceptable in a model.

Jon

They look great. Don't forget to to make sure that all of the channel deadeye holes are properly orientated, That is, the single hole is always closest to the stem. 

Jon

Ahh yes, the Model Airways 1917 Albatross d.Va. I finished building that in 2007. Around 2020 or so a strange phenomena took place. The Britannia metal wheel struts collapsed in veeerrrrrryyyy slow motion. I didn't notice it because it happened over years and then I did. I just wasn't looking at very often. The model was kept in case, in an air condition room, out of direct sunlight. I must assume it was the weight of the model that was too heavy for the soft Britannia struts. 

So, I got the kit box back out, looked up the part number and requested a replacement from Model Expo, which to their credit they did. But as I thought more about it, I decided why go through all the trouble and effort to replace the Britannia struts which collapsed, with another set of Britannia struts making the same mistake. Therefore, I used the replacement Britannia struts as a template for new stronger Boxwood ones. Now the problem is how to dismantle the model and rigging enough to remove the deformed struts, while not damaging anything else. I will need to create and fabricate a rig to support the model upside down so as to not putting negative stress on the wings. When the struts were originally installed, the wings were not attached. A relatively easy process.

By the way, those coins did not come out of pocket, but out of my old coin jar. Heck, I don't even recognize paper money any more other than a one dollar bill, the only bill that hasn't changed over the years. I live and die by the credit card and electronic banking and bill paying. The only place I spend cash is at my barber shop which is all they accept. Yes, an old fashioned barber shop, not a hair salon.

Jon

As it turned out, the 3-D misprinted/broken recoil rope eye bolts for are a moot point as I had to remove all of them anyways. They were very fragile, delicate, and broke when I tried to attach the required ring to them. The plastic is very stiff, inflexible, and will snap if any stress is applied to them.

Each of the 20 carronades required seven 1/32” eyebolts, one each for the two tackles per side, one for the recoil rope per side, and one on the rear of the gun slide. The recoil eyebolts have a ring passing through their eye through which the recoil ropes are threaded. These were replaced with trimmed eyebolts bent 90° with the attached ring.

All 20 carronades were dry positioned on the spar deck ready to be rigged. First, I need to fabricate the two long guns to complete the spar deck’s armament.

Ken Forman is always a wealth of experience and knowledge.

Jon

You got the brass bands real snug to the mast without any voids and they look great. Any particular method to accomplish that? My first thought when I saw the pictures before I read the post was that you sliced up a brass tube, but you obviously didn't do that. Well done!!

Jon

A single wire around the the deadeye should work perfectly fine. No one will aware what is stropping the deadeye or notice, much less know, that it is not a double wire like the real ship. There will be a whole more interesting things to look at on the model when you are done. You are making a model, not a miniature replica. You've got s good design for your deadeye to strap connection. They will be very pretty when done.

Jon

I agree with you that 0.6 mm or 0.7 mm wire would provide better results and would be easier to work with.

Jon.

Marcus,K.: I took another look at 35208 and you are correct, it is "risers." I stand corrected.🤔

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XKen didn't explain how, or even IF, he attached the deadeyes to the chain plate,

From what I surmised from the images Ken provided, he did not attached the deadeyes to the chain plates. He twisted the wires stropping the deadeyes creating a tail which was then inserted into the channel. The chain plates were laid on top of the tails and extended to the hull. The "joint" was eventually covered over by the channel cap hiding the false connection. A little bit of modeler's sleight of hand.

I read it the same way but made some minor corrections (typos, different interpretation of words, & omissions) in red. Note the term "viz." means "in other words" (I had to look that up).

This plan has been drawn as a matter of record and comparison with Navy Yard Boston Midship Section Plan No 34526 BU C.S.A No 130241 which has been approved by that bureau subject to checking and revision to bring it in accord with additional data as may come to the attention of the commandant before any work is authorized and or started.

Plan A ?? per original specification is not to be strictly followed in reconstruction. 

Some features will however be incorporated viz.: height of main hatch coamings, diagonal risers chamfering edges of wales and black strakes installation of third strakes etc.

Whether this helps or not, 🫤 I don't know.