Force9

Friends... It is amazing how little is certain even with a famous ship like Constitution... Now that I've reached the spar deck, I realize that I will need to cherry pick across the various sources to choose different elements from conflicting information - and from here forward they will be very visible. With that in mind, I think it'd be appropriate to pause a moment and re-evaluate the sources at my disposal. My build still relies primarily on the Michele Felice Cornè series of paintings of the Guerriere battle and the "Hull" model - both in the Peabody Essex museum collection. Where possible I will follow these sources with a few bits of artistic license tossed in the mix (I've already deviated somewhat with the stern gallery windows). The works of Commander Tyrone Martin are a popular resource. I have most in my collection: I've already utilized his "Creating a Legend" to add interlocking deck planks on my gun deck. His "A Most Fortunate Ship" is the premier reference for the biography of the ship. Be warned, however, that his take on the Guerriere fight is controversial. Most "modern" historians have generally dismissed his version - including Margherita Desy, the official historian of the ship attached to the NHHC DET Boston. Here are some great books for model builders: The AOTS USS Constitution by Karl Heinz Marquardt is a common reference. His reconstruction of the ship, however, is questionable... It seems to be a concoction based on some historical influences mixed with the 20th century restoration. Not particularly useful for my attempt to recreate her August 19, 1812 appearance. Chappelle's History of the American Sailing Navy is a standard reference and includes the very useful drawings of the US Frigate President copied from British records made after her capture. I've used this for the layout of the various pumps on the gun deck. I've already referenced the Bluejacket kit manual. That is a terrific resource to have if you can only add one of these to your stash. Great overview of both the hull and rig - and it includes full 1/96 scale rigging plans. The book in the foreground is new and deserves more comment. My forum friend Marcus from Germany finally put me over the edge with his glowing recommendation. It is a very expensive purchase, but well worth it to me. Olof Eriksen built a very large stainless steel model of our ship and he went to extraordinary measures to thoroughly research every aspect - especially the rigging. He initially compared notes with Larry Arnot who then connected him to Commander Martin. Thru Martin's good offices he gained access to the Hull model and conducted a complete survey which even included micro-cameras inserted into the lower deck. Cmdr Martin also provided him with a copy of Midshipman Anderson's journal made when the ship was being restored to her 1812-1815 configuration in the 1830's. Additionally, Mr. Eriksen was able to make copies of the very rare The Naval Apprentice's Kedge Anchor. Young Sailor's assistant. (1st edition 1841) by William Brady. This reference allowed him to not only compare American practices against British, but also allowed him to compare between Brady, Midshipman Anderson's journal, and the Hull model to find consistencies. Practices that Mr. Eriksen matched across all three were likely to be very accurate and were incorporated in his model. We'll discuss some of these findings in more detail as we move along. More of the build shortly EG

Thanks for the kudos! I have a few more assemblies to make before I break out the airbrush - but I'm getting there! EG

PiperMat Great to see your wonderful Victory on this forum. Your example of useful jigs will help us all when we reach this stage (assembling and rigging the guns). Terrific work! Evan

More stuff for the spar deck... Next up is the double wheel. Early ship records show only two helmsmen assigned to steer, so it has been inferred that she originally only had one wheel. Records from 1804 clearly show four helmsmen to steer so the double wheel has been fitted. The restored ship in Boston has a beautiful double wheel with elegant pedestals and curved supports. The Bluejacket version replicates these details nicely, but I think it is a bit under scale. This is an instance where I prefer the Revell version. I did, however, take the trouble to add the curved supports to bring the detail up a notch. Getting a styrene piece to bend and keep a shape is no fun - especially when this detail will require two bends. The easiest solution is to laminate together two strips and hold them in a mold/pattern until the glue sets. I used .30x.30 Evergreen strip glued to a .10x.30 Evergreen strip. Here was my quick method: I made the laminated strips long enough to easily bend against the mold and then trimmed them to fit. After a count of 30 or 40 seconds they would hold their shape nicely. I had to make 5 or 6 (okay - maybe 7 or 9) to get four that were worthy. The final product (less painting of course): Thanks for following along

The Binnacles were also replaced with scratch built versions. I figured that the effort needed to clean up the kit versions would be similar to what it would take to build new ones. I raised the height slightly - I thought the kit originals were a bit low for the helmsman. I also thought it would help scale down the double wheels - which seem slightly big for this scale. (The smaller binnacles make the wheel seem even bigger) These will eventually be painted green to match the bulwarks (as shown on the Hull model) Thx

Folks... Work continues on the spar deck details. The fore fife rail has been cleaned up a bit along with the topsail sheet bits and I've replaced the connecting pin rails. The kit provided railing includes a nice curve to reflect the camber of the deck so I thought it'd be best to utilize it instead of making a complete replacement. The main fife rail is unique to Old Ironsides and is nicely executed in the Revell kit. I just cleaned it up and added the brass pins. I think I used a #72 drill bit for the pin holes: (Those folks building sister ships take note - you'll need to replace the main rail with something more conventional. And for that matter the Trysail mast has to go and the double dolphin striker will need replacement with a single. All are unique to the Constitution). The kit provided Monkey rail was also utilized after getting cleaned up. This rail is a bit shorter than the others on this deck... Sometimes modelers will think this is odd and replace it with a taller railing. It is intentionally shorter to allow for the "sharks mouth" that wraps around the main mast and supports the end of the mizzen stay: Thanks for looking

Lambsbk I think there is enough clearance for the companionway on my model... At least my test fit seemed fine. I did build up a platform for the gun deck capstan that lets me overlap the coaming slightly. Perhaps a slimmer ladder (Plastruct makes some suitable for the purpose) could give you a bit more room if needed... I'll try to update this post with a picture of my deck test fit. Hope that helps EG

Patrick - The Bluejacket PE is actually reasonably thick - especially compared to normal PE. I think it'll do fine once I sand the coamings with the PE gratings in place to make them look cohesive and eliminate the edges that may suggest that the gratings aren't thick enough. Radman - It has been at least 25 years since my last attempt at this kit (which you see in my initial post). I do vaguely recall filling some minor gaps, but nothing as serious as you suggest. Here is an underside view: I'm not sure I can be helpful, but I'd recommend working to align the bottom edge first and letting the rest of the stern piece fit in place. Notice that the thin white trim strips don't exactly align between the transom and the quarter galleries. That can be adjusted with some extra styrene. I'm a bit far from that step as yet, but I'll be a bit wiser if I can benefit from your experience once you've mastered it on your build. Thanks to you both for your continued interest.

Marcus - I'm finally recovered and glad to be back in the land of the living! Sea Dog - thank you for the praise. Somehow I've gotten caught up in the fun details of this historic ship. I didn't start out with many modeling skills under my belt, but my "craftsmanship" is bound to be improving as I go along. Here is my latest progress on the spar deck: All of the basic deck modifications complete - includes hatch coamings and shot racks: I dismembered the Bluejacket PE gratings to suit the Revell hatches: I've begun to work on the fife rails. The molded belaying pins are mostly bent or broken on these and could use replacements. There is also a lot of flash/seams that need to be cleaned up... Here is a splurge purchase - scale brass belaying pins (Bluejacket part # 119). I just couldn't resist. I'm sure something suitable could be put in place with small styrene rod with some blobs of glue on top. I think a complete set for this kit would cost about $40 US: Some test fitted railings and gratings: Thanks for following along Evan

Ahoy Rick! Thank you for hunting down my build log - I can use all the support and encouragement I can get! I've been laid low by that nasty virus that is going around... I hope to post more progress this weekend. Work continues on the spar deck details. Stay tuned! Evan

Hallo Marcus! I am an avid follower of the USS Constitution museum blogs and am familiar with the post you reference. Many great tidbits show up from time to time in that blog. I've also seen the Waldo deck plans in the reference CD produced by the Naval History and Heritage command. I can't make sense of those pump positions. I think the article suggests that the new brake pumps did not prove reliable enough - so it would be a surprise if there were no chain pumps at all by 1816. The pattern would not lend itself to any "normal" configuration of the chain pumps. I can't imagine that a ship the size of Constitution would have only three main pumps. It would also not make sense that the pattern shown would support six pumps. I've elected instead to follow the pump layout suggested by the Chapelle drawings of the USS President. What are your thoughts - will your build eventually only include three pumps? Good conversations - keep them coming! Evan

Patrick - Thanks for the encouragement... I just had a look at your terrific Niagra brig. Great work! In truth I haven't yet focused any time on the guns. I did purchase a few samples of the Bluejacket 24 pdrs for comparison. At first blush they look a bit more stout than the Revell versions. I kinda like it. I will, of course, be augmenting the carriages with the proper bolts and tackle. Might change out the trucks - at least on the ones that might be visible. I suspect that I will completely refashion the carronade carriages. They really aren't going to be too difficult and it will allow for including the elevation screws. That'll all be a few steps away. Up next are the spar deck rails and other details... Stay tuned!

Anthony - Good to see a log open up on the Bluejacket Connie... I've been utilizing some of the Bluejacket kit components for my plastic Revell Constitution in the same scale. I will be watching with great interest!

I'm caught up on the updates from my previous log... Now we are in new territory! I've started in on the spar deck hatch coamings... I thought I should build them up a bit and add some curvature to the surface. I started by adding Evergreen no. 144 (.040x.080) to the side edges of all the coamings. Next I added Evergreen no. 164 (.080x.080) to the front and back edges. This built up enough material to allow for shaping the curved edges: Then I prepared the patient for surgery by masking the decking to protect against random scraping as I used the file to shape the edges: I lined the hatch interiors with Evergreen no. 129 (.020x.250) leaving a slight lip for the gratings: Still need to finish off some more interior details and perhaps soften the curvature on a few of the hatches. Thanks for following along.

Marcus... I'll try to address a few of your questions: - The windows on the stern would probably be more accurate if they were taller and rectangular with 2x3 panes. Unfortunately it would require a major reconstruction of the stern that I have neither the skill nor the courage to attempt. I'm satisfied with just making the change using PE to add a bit of detail. - I did use some guidance from Tyrone Martin's "Building a Legend" when scribing the gun deck planks. You'll notice on closer inspection that I have made an attempt to represent the interlocking thick strakes that add longitudinal strength. I've scribed two rows of planking with wider planks and interlocked pattern. The actual ship shows this as well (you can see that in the stern cabin photo from my visit), but the joins seem to be closer together than what Martin specifies in his book. He says it spans about 40 feet. I've followed his guidance and spaced them out a bit farther apart on my deck. Of course, they'll show up better when paint is applied. I have never seen any source show a wishbone pattern to the deck - certainly not the Hull model. - I have never seen William Bass' book (which he wrote with his wife?)... I have stumbled across the mystery regarding the square features on the early Corne paintings. I don't believe those were the ends of iron bars that ran athwartships... that seems too weird to be true. Despite Tyrone Martin's theory, I think they were just early air ports for the berth deck that may have been removed at a later time and added back before the war. Or Corne just assumed they were there and added them to the painting. - I'm glad you did not throw away the Bluejacket parts list. Whew! As noted before, most of those parts are not available in their online catalog, but they'll let you order them separately. I'd recommend the larger resin boat for sure... In addition to the photo etch brass, i ordered some pins and eyebolts, etc. I also ordered a sample of a long gun and carronade just to compare. I did not order any cleats - I figure I can make those well enough. I have not yet ordered the blocks for the rigging. I'm sure it can get expensive if you order all of the rigging components at once. I might order them in phases to distribute the costs. Stay tuned - you'll soon see examples of my purchases. Thanks for your continued interest!

Great to see the Pickle show up in the forum! A sweet little ship with a firm place in history... Evan

Still plenty to do on the spar deck, but I'm going to divert some attention to the stern just to mix things up a bit - variety is the spice of life and all that... The Revell stern is a refined representation of the Hull model stern: The main guidance for my build is the series of paintings by Corne... Here is a close up shot showing good detail of the stern in the second painting: My first task, unfortunately, is to remove the CONSTITUTION name on the upper counter. The Hull model, the Corne series of paintings, the George Ropes jr. paintings, and the Thomas Birch painting all agree that it wasn't there... A scraping blade on the hobby knife along with some fine grit sandpaper does the trick in short order (Don't watch if you're squeamish!) Once eliminated, I came back and scribed some planking on the counter with a flexible straight edge and my trusty scribe tool: Next I determined to add some stern ports to the lower counter. The Hull model does not show these fitted, but the Chappelle drawing of the President does. I also think there is a faint representation of them on the Corne stern. The Ropes paintings clearly show them (with cannon poking out no less (yikes!) as well. The Marquardt AOTS shows them in all of the different iterations of the stern that are outlined in his historical overview. I just have a feeling that an American heavy frigate would have these in place... they are primarily for ventilation, but could also serve as loading access for small lighters alongside. More likely that the midshipmen berthed in the area would pitch trash out the back and watch it float away... I marked the suitable locations and drilled a small pilot hole to help align the larger drill bit: Next I used my trusty flat file to clean up the edges for the final outline: The stern gallery windows are next up. I want to show more panes to align better with the Corne version of the stern. The Hull model has the very simple 2x2 panes that are on our kit. The Corne paintings show more complex 2x3 window panes. The President drawings suggest 4x3. The Bluejacket wooden kit includes the PE stern shown in my earlier thread. This has the 2x3 pattern which only lends itself to an upright rectangular shaped opening. The Revell kit has perfectly square openings and I didn't fancy the idea of modifying those. So I needed a square pattern - basically 3x3. There are some model railroader windows available in suitable scale that could work in a pinch (with slight modifications/trimming), but I found a PE solution that worked great: It turns out that this PE mesh by K&S Metals is just the ticket. A 3x3 pattern snipped free of the grid fits EXACTLY into the openings defined by the Revell stern windows. I cut out the appropriate blocks of "panes", smoothed the edges with my small metal file, and slipped them neatly into the openings. BTW - If you'd like to pursue this solution yourself, I'd suggest you run - not walk - to your nearest Model RR hobby shop to grab the last of the K&S PE mesh in their inventory - rumor has it these have been discontinued. Here is the first window test fitted in place: Since that worked so well, I went ahead and completed the whole row: I'm well pleased with the result so far... Thanks for following a long dissertation!

Hallo Marcus! Regarding your earlier questions: - I used C. Nepean Longridge's "Anatomy of Nelson's Ships" for guidance on the pattern for the deck planking. The book is a detailed outline of the author's own model of the HMS Victory (which used to be in the Science museum in Kensington). He gives a very good overview of how to lay out a correct pattern including the joggling forward and aft. - The Revell kit does a decent job of representing the curvature ("camber") on the spar deck, but makes no allowance for any curve on the gun deck. I choose not to correct this on the lower deck since it would be a lot of work for any area that won't be too obvious. You'd really need to rebuild the entire deck to fix that. I'll spend those Units of Effort elsewhere! - I won't be turning this into a diorama... I've seen many fine examples of that approach, but in truth I am just interested in representing the design and configuration of the ship itself. At this point I am thinking of including the sails as shown in the Corne paintings of the battle. No rust or barnacles either... But I will use some washes and dry brushing to bring out the detail on the molded plastic. - I am almost caught up on my build log so you are coming in with plenty of time to help influence my future actions. Enjoy and please keep up the encouragement!

Hello James A very good observation on your part! The shot garlands/racks pose an interesting dilemma. The Revell 1/96 Constitution makes no allowance for shot storage so we are left to our own inclinations... The Hull model in the PEM does not show them at all and that probably led to the absence on the Revell kit. As you point out, Larry Arnot and Cdr. Tyrone Martin apparently invested much research into the Bluejacket kit and they suggest shot racks between all the guns but not around the hatches. I would think, however, that shot storage around the hatches would be a standard approach in 1812. Certainly many period models would show these included. But is there more justification? Here is my reasoning... Old Ironsides pounded HMS Guerriere to kindling in only 30 minutes. Evidence very strongly suggests that part of the reason was that the American gun crews fired TWO round shot on EVERY discharge during the battle. The data suggests that each gun shot @10 times in 30 minutes. That is a lot of cannon balls to have to haul up the companionways. Common sense would suggest that the crew pre-positioned most of that in shot racks before the shooting began - and they'd need plenty of storage. I suspect that there was storage around the hatches AND in between each gun - at least on the main gun deck. This would seem to be supported by the c1820 gun deck plan of USS United States made by Charles Ware which shows both storage options in place: Using this deck plan as guidance, I intend to include shot racks in between the 24 pdr guns on my model in addition to what you already see around the hatches. The spar deck is another matter... I will include shot storage around the hatches on that deck as well, but NOT include shot racks between the carronades. Despite the guidance from the Bluejacket manual and other representations (Gilkerson’s painting in the Gillmer “Old Ironsides...” book), I just don’t think that was a practical solution. Many of those guns have pin rails in between them and the necessary cordage dangling down would likely be in the way... The same deck plans of USS United States offer a solution. Here is the spar deck: This clearly shows that the carronades would have a tray of round shot close at hand for battle as well as shot stored around the hatches. There is also another clue that helps me justify my approach. If you were a famous personage back in that era, the most flattering compliment would be to have your portrait painted by an accomplished artist. This was a very expensive thing to do back in those days - often many thousands of dollars in an age when a good sailor made 10 bucks a month. The important businessmen in the City of New York commonly took up a subscription to pay for a commissioned work of military heroes after a great victory. They gradually built up a significant "Hall of Fame" collection in city hall. Here is the one done for Commodore William Bainbridge following his victory over HMS Java (still in the collection of the city of New York http://www.nyc.gov/html/artcom/html/portrait/portrait.shtml): We see the talented artist captured the Commodore’s famous arrogance and pomposity. He has also captured something else - look at the shot tray under Bainbridge’s boot. This is the approach I’ll take for the spar deck. (We’ll come back to this painting when it comes time for the carronades). I don’t mean to overly sway everyone in my direction. Unlike Cdr Tyrone Martin and others, I’m not an historian or professional researcher... Folks have to go with what works for them and this approach just feels right to me. Thanks for enduring a brain dump.

The Camboose Aside from the guns, the last major component for the gun deck is the ship’s stove – historically referred to on the Constitution as the Camboose. From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caboose'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caboose The camboose is probably not too difficult to create using styrene and wire, but it turns out that I had the opportunity to cheat a bit with an aftermarket version. An oft repeated lament is the fact that the explosion/proliferation of aftermarket Photo etched brass does not include sets for the common plastic sailing ships. This seems especially strange considering the proven popularity of kits like the 1/96 Revell Constitution. You’d think it’d be a no brainer for a PE company to put together a set that includes the hammock cranes, eyelets, and various other small pieces that would benefit from finer detail. (Maybe even throw in a laser cut wood veneer deck kit.) It is a real head-scratcher… But it turns out that one company DOES, in fact, offer a PE set for the 1/96 Constitution… And not just any company, but the leading model ship company in the USA - The good folks at Bluejacket Shipcrafters (http://www.bluejacketinc.com/kits/ussconstitution.htm'>http://www.bluejacketinc.com/kits/ussconstitution.htm). Their PE set is a subset of their terrific 1/8” scale Constitution kit and it is not listed in their catalog, but if you give them a call and pitifully beg them, they’ll sell you the PE set as a standalone item. Well… truth be told, you don’t really have to beg. They are very nice and are happy to part with a set as long as they have enough spares on hand. Call and ask for Suzi (or Lisa) and tell her I sent you – if she doesn’t slam the phone down right away, then you’ll probably be in luck. You can also email them a request at info@bluejacketinc.com. (Reference Part No.s BJ-31, BJ-57) Bluejacket doesn’t make their own PE (they farm it out to a subcontractor), but it is very high quality and is a bit thicker than other PE sets I’ve used. The set is sold in two sheets (you have to purchase both) and includes a camboose as well as the hammock cranes and other goodies. There are also some gratings and an entire plate for the stern that the wooden kit utilizes. The hammock cranes are of particular interest to me – really the reason I went after this PE. The kit provided ones are clunky looking and easily broken. I had thought to utilize brass micro tubing and the small Jotika eyelets to replace these, but stumbling upon these PE versions will save me many units of effort and ultimately provide a much nicer replacement. Utilizing these PE hammock cranes is many steps farther down the line in my build, but I did want to show folks this option sooner than later so that those who are doing similar builds can add these to Santa’s list (along with the 1/200 Bismarck?). Here is my camboose fashioned from the Bluejacket PE version and slightly enhanced with some brass railing with styrene doors and firebox tray: A little fine tuning and maybe the condenser and a spit and this'll be ready for painting. Thanks again to those who follow along...

Here is my effort to replace the pitiful kit provided brake pumps: I bulked them up a bit using a bit of octagonal styrene, some brass eyelets, and a small length of brass rod. The stems protruding from the bottoms will aid in positioning them on the deck thru holes drilled in the appropriate spots and hopefully keep them more secure. I should pause to say that the OOB pumps should NOT be placed in the bow as the Revell instructions instruct: This positioning is almost too bizarre to merit discussion... Suffice to say that the pumps are better positioned on the gun deck. The guidance I've used is from Chappelle's layout of the President taken from the drafts made of the captured ship by the British. It shows four brake pumps - two near the aft part of the main hatch and two a bit farther forward near amidships. The layout of the Revell deck does not lend itself to positioning two pumps near the main hatch. Instead, I've elected to place them in the more traditional location near the main mast in between the chain pumps. The other two were placed in the pre-existing holes on the deck that would normally have eyelets inserted. I think these are also referred to as "Elm Tree" pumps - something to do with that being the preferred wood for the rot-resistance qualities when exposed so long to moisture. I think these will do well enough as is and I'm on to the camboose...

I was going to wait until I had the brake pumps completed, but here are some quick snaps of the current state of things: I've got the bitts completed (except for some rings for the stoppers that'll wait until after the initial painting): Also have completed the cisterns and covers for the chain pumps - still need to fashion some handles: Just for a bit of extra fun... I've left off the cover on one of the cisterns to "expose" the underlying chain wheel: It started with me strolling through the model train store for something to use for my capstan drumheads. I didn't find anything suitable, but this little packet did catch my eye: And I thought, hmmmm... So after forking over too much hard earned cash (I think each wheel ended up being over a buck!) I trimmed them up slightly and glued on some small lengths of styrene rod then snipped off the ends. I suppose some spare PE railings or scale ladder bent around the circumference would've worked as well: They are really cable sheaves and aren't quite perfect for the job, but at this scale, and barely visible thru the openings, it should suffice well enough. I'm just gonna paint it black then leave well enough alone - I don't fancy trying to replicate the chain. That'd be too fiddly and would likely diminish the effect. And just to make sure people know these things don't all work out on the first try... Here is my debris field: Thanks for following along

Now it is on to the deck details - starting with the capstans. The one provided in the kit sucks and begs for replacement. I also need to provide one for the gun deck. But how to do the drumheads - especially when using styrene? I pondered and pondered and finally came up with an approach that worked reasonably well. The key was to visit the local hardware store to acquire some metal washers of appropriate size - 1/8" (#6) did the trick. The washers will serve as the outline of the circles as we spin everything around on the drill press and use a file to shape the drumhead. Here are the raw materials: After outlining the circles on some sheet styrene (using the washers as a template), I punched the centers and rough cut the shapes. Those were then mounted on a bolt sized to the washer opening with two washers sandwiching each side of the styrene. Everything was then clamped tight with the nut: I mounted the set up in the drill press, gave it a whirl, and filed the blanks even with the edges of the washer templates: After removing the styrene from the bolt - viola! Next I snipped some small styrene stock (.040 x .080 Evergreen 144) and glued them around the perimeter leaving spaces in between to represent the bar openings: After sandwiching those between two of the styrene "washers" I nipped off any protruding material, mounted the rough drumhead back in my bolt assembly and gave it another spin with some light filing to clean the final shape. The whelps were easily managed - just stuck some short pieces of .080 x .080 (Evergreen 164) styrene to some tape and used a round file to carve out the centers: Everything was glued to a small length of styrene rod (6.4mm - Plastruct 90864) and a few small details were added to complete the effect. Coincidentally, the rod fit exactly into the center openings defined by the washers. Here is the gun deck capstan: I wanted the spar deck capstan to look more like the one on the Hull model in the PEM - more mushroom shaped and svelte in comparison to the stockier gun deck capstan: Thanks for enduring the process explanation!

More of the build: The shot racks were done using a drill press and a very simple set up: The strip styrene was aligned to the small ruled straight edge and advanced two ticks between punching each hole. I could mass produce multiple strips in a very short time. I'll utilize some small cannonballs purchased from Bluejacket at a very minimal cost - likely the same available in finer tackle or gun shops.

Hello Lads! Wayne - many thanks for the compliments for my log... When all is said and done, I hope folks get a better sense of the ship and her history in addition to some ideas for building the kit. Hallo Marcus! How is my German kindred spirit doing? I'm glad you did stumble upon my log and I hope it provides incentive for you to start your own build. Don't worry about copying anything you see here - it is all up for grabs and ultimately we all manage to make our projects unique in their own way... I would say, however, that an 1803 version would be very interesting to see. Please keep an eye on my progress and feel free to comment often! I will use the Arnot rigging plans for most of my guidance. I have seen Mr. Erikson's book before and I think your comments are very accurate. I think I will be influenced to by his work to alter a few things here and there... If I remember correctly, among other things he decided that there was no separate royal topmast - it was actually just an extension of the topgallant mast. The royal yards did not have lifts, etc. either - they were rigged whole and hoisted into position from the deck. This corresponds to Constitution's log of August 19 when it notes that the royal yards were lowered to the deck prior to the battle. Hello Blue Ensign! As always, I value your comments and very much appreciate the guidance you've provided on the "other" forum. I would say that your Pegasus build would equally qualify as providing a new standard for that kit. Lambsbk - I'm glad to see you've gotten a hold of the BlueJacket photo etch set. I did augment the camboose with some styrene. I substituted some styrene in place of the back wall of the firebox to give more structure (the kit piece is a bit thin) as I bent the panels into place. The P.E. is very forgiving and should bend nicely with the aid of a metal straight edge or P.E. bending tool. I'll post more of my log so you'll be able to see some of the elements I added. Thanks all for your interest! EG