JSGerson
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JSGerson got a reaction from Geoff Matson in USS Constitution by The Bitter End - Model Shipways - 1:76
Marcus K - The original posting of Antczak's model images were originally on American Marine Models' website, but have since been removed. They have a memorial to Mark Antczak's memory which states in part:
However, I have not been able to locate an original source for those images now. But all is not lost, I made a copy of them as well as Usetosail who posted them on his build log of the USS Constitution post No. 556. Here are all that I have have plus three additional photos that Usetosail did not post.
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JSGerson got a reaction from Der Alte Rentner in USS Constitution by The Bitter End - Model Shipways - 1:76
Marcus K - The original posting of Antczak's model images were originally on American Marine Models' website, but have since been removed. They have a memorial to Mark Antczak's memory which states in part:
However, I have not been able to locate an original source for those images now. But all is not lost, I made a copy of them as well as Usetosail who posted them on his build log of the USS Constitution post No. 556. Here are all that I have have plus three additional photos that Usetosail did not post.
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JSGerson got a reaction from BANYAN in USS Constitution by The Bitter End - Model Shipways - 1:76
Marcus K - The original posting of Antczak's model images were originally on American Marine Models' website, but have since been removed. They have a memorial to Mark Antczak's memory which states in part:
However, I have not been able to locate an original source for those images now. But all is not lost, I made a copy of them as well as Usetosail who posted them on his build log of the USS Constitution post No. 556. Here are all that I have have plus three additional photos that Usetosail did not post.
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JSGerson got a reaction from BETAQDAVE in USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
As we have all learned, there is no easy way to make the canopies due to the fragility of the brass rods to hold their shape and all the required connection points. For me, the hardest point was figuring out how to handle the center hub. If you stack the rods as they cross each other, the structure becomes distorted. If fabricating a center hub where the rods meet at the same level, a jig must be designed so that the multi-joint can be soldered, glued, or mechanically connected in such a way that it is aesthetically appealing as well as strong enough to survive the installation process. This requires patience, tenacity, ingenuity, and it helps if you are a bit eccentric. Builders like xKen (Ken Forman) have the skills to solder and manipulate brass pieces. I came up with a mechanical method which seems to be working for me. It’s a bit out of scale, but it works. It looks like your method will work for you. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from mtbediz in USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
As we have all learned, there is no easy way to make the canopies due to the fragility of the brass rods to hold their shape and all the required connection points. For me, the hardest point was figuring out how to handle the center hub. If you stack the rods as they cross each other, the structure becomes distorted. If fabricating a center hub where the rods meet at the same level, a jig must be designed so that the multi-joint can be soldered, glued, or mechanically connected in such a way that it is aesthetically appealing as well as strong enough to survive the installation process. This requires patience, tenacity, ingenuity, and it helps if you are a bit eccentric. Builders like xKen (Ken Forman) have the skills to solder and manipulate brass pieces. I came up with a mechanical method which seems to be working for me. It’s a bit out of scale, but it works. It looks like your method will work for you. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from Stevenleehills in USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
As we have all learned, there is no easy way to make the canopies due to the fragility of the brass rods to hold their shape and all the required connection points. For me, the hardest point was figuring out how to handle the center hub. If you stack the rods as they cross each other, the structure becomes distorted. If fabricating a center hub where the rods meet at the same level, a jig must be designed so that the multi-joint can be soldered, glued, or mechanically connected in such a way that it is aesthetically appealing as well as strong enough to survive the installation process. This requires patience, tenacity, ingenuity, and it helps if you are a bit eccentric. Builders like xKen (Ken Forman) have the skills to solder and manipulate brass pieces. I came up with a mechanical method which seems to be working for me. It’s a bit out of scale, but it works. It looks like your method will work for you. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from 1Corsair in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
The Dremel drill press stand is not a precise instrument. I needed the router bit to stop precisely 1/32” above the X-Y table when I lowered the Dremel to its stop position to cut the 1/32”x1/32” groove in the 1/16” thick side pieces. Unfortunately, the drill-stop only adjusted to 1/16” increments. I had to use a piece of scrap 1/32” wood inserted in the drill stop.
Because the X-Y table is just clamped to the drill stand, aligning the block with the ladder images as well as the X-Y table to the stand was very tricky and tedious. The X-Y axis of the table must match the X-Y axis of the ladder images. This in turn must align with the drill bit so that the cuts match the images when the table cranks are turned. Finally, I got it all working after a couple of false starts.
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JSGerson got a reaction from 1Corsair in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
The fabricated main hatchway DOES NOT match or align with any plan!
The biggest surprise was that the main hatchway DID align closely (although not perfectly) with the pre-installed knee supports on the gun deck bulwarks which were “eyeballed” into position. If I had just looked far enough ahead to understand all the interconnections or had a consistent and complete set of construction plans. I might have had a little better alignment at this point.
If one fabricated the kit as designed like Mr. Hunt did, there would be no problem; all the beams would be hidden. The 1927 and 2010 US Navy plans for the hatchway support beams match closely with the kit (which was based for the most part on the 1927 restoration). The kit plans even indicated the removal of the aft ladders during the 1996 restoration. The kit’s laser cut gratings, however, do not match anything I can find in the US Navy plans and the gratings design are not even shown on the kit plans. So, my model will be a Frankenstein combination of components and adjustments that may look good to the layman but won’t be accurate. So be it and move forward. Below are some dry fit ups.
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JSGerson got a reaction from Geoff Matson in USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
See, there is an advantage for going slow, now I got you to show me how it's done. Beautiful work on the stanchions and fife rails. Now if I can just set up my Dremel drill stand so it can perform this feat when the time comes.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from mtbediz in USS Constitution by The Bitter End - Model Shipways - 1:76
Excellent research on the gun carriages to obtain authenticity for your model.
It is for the reasons you encountered in the your quote above that use the hardwood, boxwood, for any wood component that requires precise edges. It may be a bit more expensive and not as readily available in hobby shops (but certainty available on-line), but is well worth it. If you have read my log closely, I indicated when and why I switched woods. Typically, if the wood is to be unpainted, stained, or I need those sharp edges even if painted, I'll use boxwood. In my Rattlesnake model, I used different color woods in lieu of paint (except for black. Ebony was called for but I used paint for reasons of availability, health (saw dust not healthy), and resistance to bending).
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from PaddyO in USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
See, there is an advantage for going slow, now I got you to show me how it's done. Beautiful work on the stanchions and fife rails. Now if I can just set up my Dremel drill stand so it can perform this feat when the time comes.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from Der Alte Rentner in USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
See, there is an advantage for going slow, now I got you to show me how it's done. Beautiful work on the stanchions and fife rails. Now if I can just set up my Dremel drill stand so it can perform this feat when the time comes.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from mtbediz in USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
See, there is an advantage for going slow, now I got you to show me how it's done. Beautiful work on the stanchions and fife rails. Now if I can just set up my Dremel drill stand so it can perform this feat when the time comes.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from Unegawahya in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
Peter: As tricky as that companion way framework was, I did enjoy working it out. It was a nice puzzle. If I had access to the printed versions, I might have giving up and surrendered to the temptation to using a manufactured part, and where is the fun in that? Looking closely at my work, there were a lot of things that weren't as precise as I would have liked. Hopefully, I will do better this next time around.
Unegawahya: I am just starting to work on the next canopy and feel much more confident, however I do plan on leaving one companionway closed with the grating on, and the canopy frames off. just to show the difference. The concept is relatively simply, but the execution can be tedious and delicate.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from Der Alte Rentner in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
Peter: As tricky as that companion way framework was, I did enjoy working it out. It was a nice puzzle. If I had access to the printed versions, I might have giving up and surrendered to the temptation to using a manufactured part, and where is the fun in that? Looking closely at my work, there were a lot of things that weren't as precise as I would have liked. Hopefully, I will do better this next time around.
Unegawahya: I am just starting to work on the next canopy and feel much more confident, however I do plan on leaving one companionway closed with the grating on, and the canopy frames off. just to show the difference. The concept is relatively simply, but the execution can be tedious and delicate.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from mtbediz in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
Peter: As tricky as that companion way framework was, I did enjoy working it out. It was a nice puzzle. If I had access to the printed versions, I might have giving up and surrendered to the temptation to using a manufactured part, and where is the fun in that? Looking closely at my work, there were a lot of things that weren't as precise as I would have liked. Hopefully, I will do better this next time around.
Unegawahya: I am just starting to work on the next canopy and feel much more confident, however I do plan on leaving one companionway closed with the grating on, and the canopy frames off. just to show the difference. The concept is relatively simply, but the execution can be tedious and delicate.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from GGibson in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
Peter: As tricky as that companion way framework was, I did enjoy working it out. It was a nice puzzle. If I had access to the printed versions, I might have giving up and surrendered to the temptation to using a manufactured part, and where is the fun in that? Looking closely at my work, there were a lot of things that weren't as precise as I would have liked. Hopefully, I will do better this next time around.
Unegawahya: I am just starting to work on the next canopy and feel much more confident, however I do plan on leaving one companionway closed with the grating on, and the canopy frames off. just to show the difference. The concept is relatively simply, but the execution can be tedious and delicate.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from Unegawahya in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
Attaching the “spider” to the stanchions went smoother than I had expected. The legs of the “spider” were trimmed and be approximately even with each other. Then a brass bead was added to each support and inserted into a stanchion, moving around the hatchway one by one in turn. The last support (unpaired) was cut to size from the “0.020” brass rod and added to complete the canopy. It’s not perfect, a little out of scale, and maybe a tad crooked, but it’s done. This one assembly took almost two months to complete. Now that I know what to do, hopefully the remaining four frames will go a little easier and quicker…maybe.
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JSGerson got a reaction from Avi in USS Constitution by Avi - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:96
Take a look at Jfinan's BJ build starting at Post 60, to help clarify the gratings for you.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from Nirvana in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
Peter, I still haven't found out who made those printed versions we saw earlier. If I do, I'll let you know.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from Der Alte Rentner in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
I love banging my head against the wall...I feels so good when I stop!😁
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JSGerson got a reaction from Unegawahya in USS Constitution by bthoe – Model Shipways – Scale 1:76.8 – 1812 era
You made great progress especially on the windows openings. The window frames provided by the kit are not true to shape as they are distorted based on the foreshortened view from the side of the ship. This is why most of us had a problem using them and resorting to trying to fabricating them. I had so-so results. Looking forward to your future posts.
One minor note, I appears your port holes are a little proud of the hull. They should be flush to the hull with only their "eyebrows" protruding. But I'm a detail nitpicker and unless one is aware of this fact nobody will notice or care.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from Stevenleehills in USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040
I love banging my head against the wall...I feels so good when I stop!😁
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JSGerson got a reaction from Unegawahya in USS Constitution by Der Alte Rentner - Model Shipways - 1/76
To be honest, I did not pay attention to the asymmetry because I was wasn't really aware of it at the time. The differences are so slight I cannot discern the differences at this small scale with my eyesight. I serious believe that most people wouldn't even recognize the differences even if it were pointed out to them on the model. So, I got away with this small error. I'll probably make a whole lot more before I'm done.
Jon
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JSGerson got a reaction from mtbediz in USS Constitution by bthoe – Model Shipways – Scale 1:76.8 – 1812 era
Hey, I'm a life long 77 year old bachelor with no one to answer to except myself and the cat, so I've got time to gather stuff and organize it for easy retrieval. I try to share the wealth.
Jon
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