Force9

@Roger Pellett
 
Look what I finally found!
 

 
Your book recommendation started to seem familiar to me... I searched all over for it.  Turns out my daughter had it with her at college!  Demonstrates her interest in all things Titanic related...
 
I now have it  bedside and am reading several chapters a night... Fascinating stuff.  Great to get the perspective of Naval architect types.
 
In the meantime...
 
Folks - I apologize for the lack of updates.  I've been stalling while I consider adding a YouTube series about this build.  I need to build up the necessary equipment from scratch so I've petitioned St. Nick to add some packages under the Christmas tree.  There is the sticky matter of being a "Good Boy" this year... I've done a back of the envelope calculation and I'm optimistic that on balance I have a net positive rating across the year.  In the meantime, I'm getting up to speed on video editing.
 
Stay tuned!
 
Cheers all
Evan
 
 

@Roger Pellett
 
Look what I finally found!
 

 
Your book recommendation started to seem familiar to me... I searched all over for it.  Turns out my daughter had it with her at college!  Demonstrates her interest in all things Titanic related...
 
I now have it  bedside and am reading several chapters a night... Fascinating stuff.  Great to get the perspective of Naval architect types.
 
In the meantime...
 
Folks - I apologize for the lack of updates.  I've been stalling while I consider adding a YouTube series about this build.  I need to build up the necessary equipment from scratch so I've petitioned St. Nick to add some packages under the Christmas tree.  There is the sticky matter of being a "Good Boy" this year... I've done a back of the envelope calculation and I'm optimistic that on balance I have a net positive rating across the year.  In the meantime, I'm getting up to speed on video editing.
 
Stay tuned!
 
Cheers all
Evan
 
 

@Roger Pellett
 
Look what I finally found!
 

 
Your book recommendation started to seem familiar to me... I searched all over for it.  Turns out my daughter had it with her at college!  Demonstrates her interest in all things Titanic related...
 
I now have it  bedside and am reading several chapters a night... Fascinating stuff.  Great to get the perspective of Naval architect types.
 
In the meantime...
 
Folks - I apologize for the lack of updates.  I've been stalling while I consider adding a YouTube series about this build.  I need to build up the necessary equipment from scratch so I've petitioned St. Nick to add some packages under the Christmas tree.  There is the sticky matter of being a "Good Boy" this year... I've done a back of the envelope calculation and I'm optimistic that on balance I have a net positive rating across the year.  In the meantime, I'm getting up to speed on video editing.
 
Stay tuned!
 
Cheers all
Evan
 
 

Ahoy @Niemand...
 
Apologies for missing your note.  
 
Many thanks for the kind remarks - I really do appreciate folks stumbling on my build and finding some value... As it happens, I've started working a few elements on this project.  I am hoping to get the halves fused together with the gun deck in place along with the rudder and stern details.  I'd like to have it set up with pedestals mounted on a wooden plinth in the near future.
 
Cheers
Evan
 

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

@GGibson Hello Gregg - Thanks for the compliment... I hope my efforts have some value to other Titanic builders and hopefully you'll reconsider and put your Titanic into the builder's yard.
 
Cheers
Evan

@GGibson Hello Gregg - Thanks for the compliment... I hope my efforts have some value to other Titanic builders and hopefully you'll reconsider and put your Titanic into the builder's yard.
 
Cheers
Evan

@Paul Jarman Thanks for the note... It seemed to me that there were a million portholes as I was drilling them out... Gawd forbid I have to add the rivets!!!
I popped in on your build - great to see a wood kit that lets you construct a much more accurate hull underbody.
 
@richardhd Thank you for popping in too.  I appreciate any encouragement.  I suspect you're not the only lurker... Unless 7 people are clicking on my build a thousand times each.  
 
I'll say that this kit can never be 100% accurate - but I will try to move things a bit closer to the historic ship where possible.  Most purists would probably not take this on because of the discrepancies - or abandon ship midway thru in exasperation.
 
Don't hold your breath awaiting paint... I'll likely put off painting the hull as long as possible.  It'll become a much more fragile thing that will be susceptible to scratches, blemishes and dust... I'll avoid those risks until I absolutely have to apply paint in order to proceed.
 
Thanks to all for the Likes and the patience between updates.
 
Cheers
Evan

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

@Paul Jarman Thanks for the note... It seemed to me that there were a million portholes as I was drilling them out... Gawd forbid I have to add the rivets!!!
I popped in on your build - great to see a wood kit that lets you construct a much more accurate hull underbody.
 
@richardhd Thank you for popping in too.  I appreciate any encouragement.  I suspect you're not the only lurker... Unless 7 people are clicking on my build a thousand times each.  
 
I'll say that this kit can never be 100% accurate - but I will try to move things a bit closer to the historic ship where possible.  Most purists would probably not take this on because of the discrepancies - or abandon ship midway thru in exasperation.
 
Don't hold your breath awaiting paint... I'll likely put off painting the hull as long as possible.  It'll become a much more fragile thing that will be susceptible to scratches, blemishes and dust... I'll avoid those risks until I absolutely have to apply paint in order to proceed.
 
Thanks to all for the Likes and the patience between updates.
 
Cheers
Evan

I probably fall into that "lurker" category, as well, Evan.  I've got the Titanic in my shipyard, but may never get to it.  In case I do, though, I'm paying attention to as many build logs as I can!  Great work on yours, sir!  Carry on! 

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Excellent work so far. You do of course realize that once you have finished adding all these authentic details you are going to have to add the Titanic rivet pattern. Only around a million rivets.

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

This is all so fascinating—all kinds of valuable data. I've been looking everywhere for the sailors that came with my Revell USS Constitution 1:96 bi-centennial edition. I bought it used. The previous owner's kids took them—also two of the lifeboats. I've looked at HO characters but have not found anything suitable.
 
I built the same edition long ago. Took years. One of my cats knocked it off shelf. Landed masts down. So I found the edition on ebay and I'm building again. I found it so amazing though to have the internet this time. 
 
Force9 your attention to detail and craftsmanship are amazing.
 
Thanks
 
 

I made to fit a styrene plate and glued it under the kasemates openings at stern and stem in order to prevent these guns from falling in the hull.
A 2 mm-hole in the styrene should help lodgeing the base of the guns.

happy modelling,

Center Keel
 
Time to lay the keel down… Obviously this is where the actual ship began construction, but I’m only now getting to this critical element on my build.
 
I laid the keel down in manageable sections using .030 x .080 Styrene strips.  Not sure this would be exact to scale, but it closely lines up to the width shown on my 1/200 scale print of the hull bottom.

The critical thing is to keep it straight all the way down the length of the underbody.  I taped a straight edge against the styrene and began cementing down the aligned strip in two-inch increments – moving the straight edge along as I worked my way from bow to stern.  I also had a small piece of scrap styrene that perfectly fit into the needed gap between the keel and the inner edge of the hull plating that I test fitted as I glued each strip.
 
The forward most keel section was tapered to meet the kit keel at the bow.  

The stern section was angled down toward the sternpost and filed to blend.


It really takes some effort to make sure that the keel stays straight and true all the way across the length of the hull.


Butt Straps
 
Generally, the hull plates were overlapped and riveted together across the length of the hull.  There was, however, a section of strakes lower down in the hull that had the butt ends set flush together without the overlap.  These plates were held together with “butt straps” – small plates riveted to the ends of the abutting hull plates.
 
See my orange highlights in Bob Read’s hull plan:

(Note that the port side butt straps are indicated with dotted outlines in Bob’s drawing and are offset port vs starboard.)
 
The Trumpeter kit seems to include faint outlines of these straps in the approximately correct location forward of the bilge keels. No indication, however, on the strakes aft of the bilge keels.  
 
Bob’s drawing shows five of these forward and four aft.  In a perfect world these butt straps would all line up against a single strake across the length of the kit underbody. This would include the tops of the butt straps that peek out above (and below) the bilge keels.  Unfortunately, the compromises made by Trumpeter in molding the hull have made it tough to add these butt straps with all the top edges aligned against one hull strake.
 
I’ll need to fudge things a bit to get these represented on my model. I’ll go ahead and use the kit outlined versions forward of the bilge keels for positioning my straps.  Aft of the keel I’ll align them against the existing kit hull strakes - marked first with a pencil.  

Thin .010 x .156 strips of styrene will be used for these butt straps:

These will all sit in line with the “in” strakes of the molded hull.  I inserted small snips of styrene to fill the gap to create a flush surface before overlaying the butt straps:

The corners of the styrene were first rounded and then cemented in place.

Once put in place, I came back along and sanded down the straps to reduce the dimension – didn’t want these to stand out too proud against the hull. Tape protected the hull while I used an Emory board.

Sample views:

 
 

I’ve decided to hold off on adding the bilge keels for now.  There is much abuse left to deliver on the hull and I think these keels will be fragile and vulnerable as I flip the hull on its side and upside down to make more modifications.  I can be patient and add these (along with more butt straps) at a later stage.
 
Miscellaneous Detail
 
I’ve also been tending to some of the smaller details along the hull.  
 
The historic photos show a small crease near the hull stern plates:

I grabbed the hobby knife and a micro chisel and went to work.

Thanks again for the interest everyone has shown (and the patience between updates).
 
Pondering next steps – probably the propeller wings.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Center Keel
 
Time to lay the keel down… Obviously this is where the actual ship began construction, but I’m only now getting to this critical element on my build.
 
I laid the keel down in manageable sections using .030 x .080 Styrene strips.  Not sure this would be exact to scale, but it closely lines up to the width shown on my 1/200 scale print of the hull bottom.

The critical thing is to keep it straight all the way down the length of the underbody.  I taped a straight edge against the styrene and began cementing down the aligned strip in two-inch increments – moving the straight edge along as I worked my way from bow to stern.  I also had a small piece of scrap styrene that perfectly fit into the needed gap between the keel and the inner edge of the hull plating that I test fitted as I glued each strip.
 
The forward most keel section was tapered to meet the kit keel at the bow.  

The stern section was angled down toward the sternpost and filed to blend.


It really takes some effort to make sure that the keel stays straight and true all the way across the length of the hull.


Butt Straps
 
Generally, the hull plates were overlapped and riveted together across the length of the hull.  There was, however, a section of strakes lower down in the hull that had the butt ends set flush together without the overlap.  These plates were held together with “butt straps” – small plates riveted to the ends of the abutting hull plates.
 
See my orange highlights in Bob Read’s hull plan:

(Note that the port side butt straps are indicated with dotted outlines in Bob’s drawing and are offset port vs starboard.)
 
The Trumpeter kit seems to include faint outlines of these straps in the approximately correct location forward of the bilge keels. No indication, however, on the strakes aft of the bilge keels.  
 
Bob’s drawing shows five of these forward and four aft.  In a perfect world these butt straps would all line up against a single strake across the length of the kit underbody. This would include the tops of the butt straps that peek out above (and below) the bilge keels.  Unfortunately, the compromises made by Trumpeter in molding the hull have made it tough to add these butt straps with all the top edges aligned against one hull strake.
 
I’ll need to fudge things a bit to get these represented on my model. I’ll go ahead and use the kit outlined versions forward of the bilge keels for positioning my straps.  Aft of the keel I’ll align them against the existing kit hull strakes - marked first with a pencil.  

Thin .010 x .156 strips of styrene will be used for these butt straps:

These will all sit in line with the “in” strakes of the molded hull.  I inserted small snips of styrene to fill the gap to create a flush surface before overlaying the butt straps:

The corners of the styrene were first rounded and then cemented in place.

Once put in place, I came back along and sanded down the straps to reduce the dimension – didn’t want these to stand out too proud against the hull. Tape protected the hull while I used an Emory board.

Sample views:

 
 

I’ve decided to hold off on adding the bilge keels for now.  There is much abuse left to deliver on the hull and I think these keels will be fragile and vulnerable as I flip the hull on its side and upside down to make more modifications.  I can be patient and add these (along with more butt straps) at a later stage.
 
Miscellaneous Detail
 
I’ve also been tending to some of the smaller details along the hull.  
 
The historic photos show a small crease near the hull stern plates:

I grabbed the hobby knife and a micro chisel and went to work.

Thanks again for the interest everyone has shown (and the patience between updates).
 
Pondering next steps – probably the propeller wings.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Center Keel
 
Time to lay the keel down… Obviously this is where the actual ship began construction, but I’m only now getting to this critical element on my build.
 
I laid the keel down in manageable sections using .030 x .080 Styrene strips.  Not sure this would be exact to scale, but it closely lines up to the width shown on my 1/200 scale print of the hull bottom.

The critical thing is to keep it straight all the way down the length of the underbody.  I taped a straight edge against the styrene and began cementing down the aligned strip in two-inch increments – moving the straight edge along as I worked my way from bow to stern.  I also had a small piece of scrap styrene that perfectly fit into the needed gap between the keel and the inner edge of the hull plating that I test fitted as I glued each strip.
 
The forward most keel section was tapered to meet the kit keel at the bow.  

The stern section was angled down toward the sternpost and filed to blend.


It really takes some effort to make sure that the keel stays straight and true all the way across the length of the hull.


Butt Straps
 
Generally, the hull plates were overlapped and riveted together across the length of the hull.  There was, however, a section of strakes lower down in the hull that had the butt ends set flush together without the overlap.  These plates were held together with “butt straps” – small plates riveted to the ends of the abutting hull plates.
 
See my orange highlights in Bob Read’s hull plan:

(Note that the port side butt straps are indicated with dotted outlines in Bob’s drawing and are offset port vs starboard.)
 
The Trumpeter kit seems to include faint outlines of these straps in the approximately correct location forward of the bilge keels. No indication, however, on the strakes aft of the bilge keels.  
 
Bob’s drawing shows five of these forward and four aft.  In a perfect world these butt straps would all line up against a single strake across the length of the kit underbody. This would include the tops of the butt straps that peek out above (and below) the bilge keels.  Unfortunately, the compromises made by Trumpeter in molding the hull have made it tough to add these butt straps with all the top edges aligned against one hull strake.
 
I’ll need to fudge things a bit to get these represented on my model. I’ll go ahead and use the kit outlined versions forward of the bilge keels for positioning my straps.  Aft of the keel I’ll align them against the existing kit hull strakes - marked first with a pencil.  

Thin .010 x .156 strips of styrene will be used for these butt straps:

These will all sit in line with the “in” strakes of the molded hull.  I inserted small snips of styrene to fill the gap to create a flush surface before overlaying the butt straps:

The corners of the styrene were first rounded and then cemented in place.

Once put in place, I came back along and sanded down the straps to reduce the dimension – didn’t want these to stand out too proud against the hull. Tape protected the hull while I used an Emory board.

Sample views:

 
 

I’ve decided to hold off on adding the bilge keels for now.  There is much abuse left to deliver on the hull and I think these keels will be fragile and vulnerable as I flip the hull on its side and upside down to make more modifications.  I can be patient and add these (along with more butt straps) at a later stage.
 
Miscellaneous Detail
 
I’ve also been tending to some of the smaller details along the hull.  
 
The historic photos show a small crease near the hull stern plates:

I grabbed the hobby knife and a micro chisel and went to work.

Thanks again for the interest everyone has shown (and the patience between updates).
 
Pondering next steps – probably the propeller wings.
 
Cheers,
Evan

I suppose the true purpose of this tackle will remain a head scratcher... I really do think it is bowsing tackle for securing the cutters to the A-deck... Bob's theory about recovering the tangled boat falls is sketchy in my mind. I really don't see a problem there that needs his complex solution.
 
Onward!
 
Evan