Force9

A bit of work on the bow...
 
It will come as no surprise to folks that I don't like the kit representation of the bow details.  The molding for the head timbers and railings is pretty lousy:
 

 
There is no consistent guidance across all of the various sources to know exactly how these should look - or even how many head timbers there were in 1812.
 
Here are some representations:
 
Modern version:

Corne Paintings:

Hull Model:

 
In the end I just elected to replace what was on the kit with something a bit more crisp.  I wanted, however, to have the head timbers bow outwards in a graceful curve instead of the inward version as molded.  I went ahead and laminated together two strips of .060 x .125" styrene (Evergreen 156) using a convenient paint spray can to get the appropriate radius.  I taped the strips to the can and came back next day:
 


 
I replaced the head timbers one at a time - starting with the most forward (and smallest) one.  I left the middle rail intact for support and guidance for the new elements(!):
 


 
Some careful filing and test fitting iterations are needed to get everything aligned to the final shape.  I'll still have some tuning to do before final glueing.  Finally I came along with some .030 x .030" strips to add some detail:
 

 
I'll likely come along later and give some attention to the weather cloth and upper rails.
 
Thanks for looking
EG

A bit of work on the bow...
 
It will come as no surprise to folks that I don't like the kit representation of the bow details.  The molding for the head timbers and railings is pretty lousy:
 

 
There is no consistent guidance across all of the various sources to know exactly how these should look - or even how many head timbers there were in 1812.
 
Here are some representations:
 
Modern version:

Corne Paintings:

Hull Model:

 
In the end I just elected to replace what was on the kit with something a bit more crisp.  I wanted, however, to have the head timbers bow outwards in a graceful curve instead of the inward version as molded.  I went ahead and laminated together two strips of .060 x .125" styrene (Evergreen 156) using a convenient paint spray can to get the appropriate radius.  I taped the strips to the can and came back next day:
 


 
I replaced the head timbers one at a time - starting with the most forward (and smallest) one.  I left the middle rail intact for support and guidance for the new elements(!):
 


 
Some careful filing and test fitting iterations are needed to get everything aligned to the final shape.  I'll still have some tuning to do before final glueing.  Finally I came along with some .030 x .030" strips to add some detail:
 

 
I'll likely come along later and give some attention to the weather cloth and upper rails.
 
Thanks for looking
EG

So instead I worked on the aft rider bitt today. It was my first solid build with styrene and I kinda' had fun with it. There was a bit of variability in the length of the bitt depending on the reference and I went toward the longer size. I still need to do some mild filing and painting.

And be sure to bring a picture ID to board the ship!

Get a Canoli at Mikes Pastry in the north end. Sign up for the constitution experience tour on Tuesday morning. Tour Fenway Park - or get tickets for a game. Rent a canoe at South bridge and paddle under the old north bridge in Concord.
 
Enjoy!

Folks
 
Here is another quick exercise I undertook... The Stern Bumpkins.
 
Many representations of the great ship show the presence of Stern Bumpkins (or Main Brace Spreaders, or Main Brace Bumpkins, etc.).  We see an example on the "Loring" model that is currently undergoing restoration at the USS Constitution Museum:
 

 
Marquardt includes them in his reconstruction and Olof Eriksen shows them as well in his 1815 version.  I went ahead and dabbled a bit with a quick mockup just to get a sense of what might be involved if I go down the same path:
 


 
It may be that my version is slightly undersized - hard to tell.  I used some spare .080 x .080" strip and some scraps of PE brass.  If I do include these I might try .100 x .100" and drill through the bulwark to extend into the hull for more rigidity.
 
However, I am hesitant to go this route.  I think it is very likely that these were present through most of the War of 1812, but I can't see any evidence that they were fitted during her battle with Guerriere.  
 

 
The Hull model clearly does not show these and neither do the Michele Felice Cornè, Thomas Birch, or George Ropes Jr. paintings.  For now, I think I'll hold off.
 
EG

The Rudder...
 
The kit provided version was noticeably lacking any copper plating so, just for yucks, I thought I'd build my own version of the rudder...
 
It has always struck me as odd that the Revell Constitution has a cylindrical rudder head instead of a squared one similar to other period ships.  My first thought was to replace that... But then I did some research.  It turns out that the good folks at Revell probably got that right!  We do see the cylindrical rudder head on the Hull model:
 

 
When Constitution was first launched she had a typical "rule joint" type rudder with the square rudder head.  This rudder type required a larger opening in the lower transom to allow for the arc of the rudder head as it swung back and forth during turns.  Howard Chappelle notes in his American Sailing Navy book that the US Navy had replaced all of their  rudders with the newer "plug" type by 1801 or thereabouts.  This new innovation utilized the cylindrical shape and moved the rudder head forward so that the center aligned along the same axis as the pintles.  This eliminated the arc pattern of the rudder head - instead it spun exactly in line with the pivot point of the pintles.  This allowed for a much smaller opening under the transom - and perhaps a tighter feel for the helm.  Learn something every day.
 
Here was my approach:
 
I glued together four strips of .100 x .156" styrene (Evergreen 177) and did the basic shaping on a small vice using a heavy file.  Next I carved a groove into some appropriate rod styrene (same as what I used on the Galley Stove pipe) and affixed that to the top - centered, of course, over the leading edge.  Once done, I came back along and notched in the locations for the rudder pintles:


 
Now I needed to copper plate the thing. I used .010 x .125" (Evergreen 106) for the plates.  I whipped up a quick jig (using some available scraps) to help align the "copper" strips while I rolled in the rivet pattern on one edge.  I used the smallest roller in my collection to approximate the pattern existing on the kit plating.  The rest of the bolt heads I did by hand using my trusty scribe tool.

 
Took me about an hour to plate each side:

 
Lastly I came along and added the various straps, spectacle plate, etc.
 
Here is the result:



 
BTW - It turns out, the kit provided rudder is actually pretty good.  As noted it properly represents the "plug" type version.  This is not surprising since it is based on the Campbell plan and he consulted extensively with Chappelle. The rudder edges also taper nicely from forward edge to after edge, and from top to bottom.  Ultimately, a very nice upgrade could probably be had by simply adding the copper plates.
 

 
Thanks again folks for wading thru my entries!
EG

The Rudder...
 
The kit provided version was noticeably lacking any copper plating so, just for yucks, I thought I'd build my own version of the rudder...
 
It has always struck me as odd that the Revell Constitution has a cylindrical rudder head instead of a squared one similar to other period ships.  My first thought was to replace that... But then I did some research.  It turns out that the good folks at Revell probably got that right!  We do see the cylindrical rudder head on the Hull model:
 

 
When Constitution was first launched she had a typical "rule joint" type rudder with the square rudder head.  This rudder type required a larger opening in the lower transom to allow for the arc of the rudder head as it swung back and forth during turns.  Howard Chappelle notes in his American Sailing Navy book that the US Navy had replaced all of their  rudders with the newer "plug" type by 1801 or thereabouts.  This new innovation utilized the cylindrical shape and moved the rudder head forward so that the center aligned along the same axis as the pintles.  This eliminated the arc pattern of the rudder head - instead it spun exactly in line with the pivot point of the pintles.  This allowed for a much smaller opening under the transom - and perhaps a tighter feel for the helm.  Learn something every day.
 
Here was my approach:
 
I glued together four strips of .100 x .156" styrene (Evergreen 177) and did the basic shaping on a small vice using a heavy file.  Next I carved a groove into some appropriate rod styrene (same as what I used on the Galley Stove pipe) and affixed that to the top - centered, of course, over the leading edge.  Once done, I came back along and notched in the locations for the rudder pintles:


 
Now I needed to copper plate the thing. I used .010 x .125" (Evergreen 106) for the plates.  I whipped up a quick jig (using some available scraps) to help align the "copper" strips while I rolled in the rivet pattern on one edge.  I used the smallest roller in my collection to approximate the pattern existing on the kit plating.  The rest of the bolt heads I did by hand using my trusty scribe tool.

 
Took me about an hour to plate each side:

 
Lastly I came along and added the various straps, spectacle plate, etc.
 
Here is the result:



 
BTW - It turns out, the kit provided rudder is actually pretty good.  As noted it properly represents the "plug" type version.  This is not surprising since it is based on the Campbell plan and he consulted extensively with Chappelle. The rudder edges also taper nicely from forward edge to after edge, and from top to bottom.  Ultimately, a very nice upgrade could probably be had by simply adding the copper plates.
 

 
Thanks again folks for wading thru my entries!
EG

Here are some better photos with lighting that highlights the scribed lines...
 




 
The step pattern was initially laid out using the diagram in the Longridge book (Pg 121).  Then it was a matter of coming along and scribing every fifth plank - either vertically or horizontally until the deck was complete.
 
Thanks for looking

On to the quarter galleries... 
 
I used some very thin strips to approximate the dimensions of the PE brass on the transom windows.  I first cut away the existing gallery window frames and then laid down some horizontal "tracks" of .010 x .030" (Evergreen no. 101) strips along the inner surface.  I then used a slightly thinner .010 x .020" (Evergreen no. 100) strip for the vertical frames - resting them on the even tracks as I glued them in place.  I didn't want too much dimension by using the thicker strips everywhere:
 

 

 

 
I think this will suffice nicely - gives a more scaled look to the windows while also matching the stern transom window frames.
 
Thanks again for looking in.
Evan

Chris -
 
I can't resist (sorry!):
 
Here are some more pictures of the 1803 model you referenced earlier for the stern:
 


 
Hmmm... I'm just sayin'...!

Hello Chris 
I'd have to say that I am hesitant to dismiss all of the paintings of Trafalgar. The famous Turner work and the Clarkson Stanfield scene are in some sense "eyewitness artifacts" - albeit decades downstream. Turner absorbed much criticism in his day - particularly from veterans of the battle. So much so, in fact, that he had to retreat to his atelier for 11 days to make corrections demanded by his naval critics - mostly related to the rigging details. Presumably, they would've demanded he modify the fo'c's'le bulwarks if that was warranted. The Clarkson Stanfield painting was commissioned by the surviving officers of Trafalgar - including Sir Thomas M Hardy himself... Stanfield utilized their input every step of the way and had all galley proofs approved by the supervising committee. And unlike Turner, Stanfield was no landlubber artist. He had served as a midshipman in HM navy during the Napoleonic era and would know a mouse from a lizard. The painting clearly includes the built up bulwarks. Hard to fathom that the collective memory of all those veterans would result in such an obvious error.
 

 

 
 
Regardless, your wonderful prototype inspires lustful/impure thoughts - surely this'll align nicely to the target modelers that you folks had in mind... Perhaps some of us will only build the hull (and maybe expose some beams/structure) to save some space.
 
I will be saving my pennies...and nickels...and take out a second mortgage...
 
Thank you for your terrific efforts - we modelers are greatly appreciative of your talent!
 
(Any thoughts towards a 1/64 US Frigate Constitution more aligned to her 1812/1815 appearance?)
 
Evan Gale

Hello Chris 
I'd have to say that I am hesitant to dismiss all of the paintings of Trafalgar. The famous Turner work and the Clarkson Stanfield scene are in some sense "eyewitness artifacts" - albeit decades downstream. Turner absorbed much criticism in his day - particularly from veterans of the battle. So much so, in fact, that he had to retreat to his atelier for 11 days to make corrections demanded by his naval critics - mostly related to the rigging details. Presumably, they would've demanded he modify the fo'c's'le bulwarks if that was warranted. The Clarkson Stanfield painting was commissioned by the surviving officers of Trafalgar - including Sir Thomas M Hardy himself... Stanfield utilized their input every step of the way and had all galley proofs approved by the supervising committee. And unlike Turner, Stanfield was no landlubber artist. He had served as a midshipman in HM navy during the Napoleonic era and would know a mouse from a lizard. The painting clearly includes the built up bulwarks. Hard to fathom that the collective memory of all those veterans would result in such an obvious error.
 

 

 
 
Regardless, your wonderful prototype inspires lustful/impure thoughts - surely this'll align nicely to the target modelers that you folks had in mind... Perhaps some of us will only build the hull (and maybe expose some beams/structure) to save some space.
 
I will be saving my pennies...and nickels...and take out a second mortgage...
 
Thank you for your terrific efforts - we modelers are greatly appreciative of your talent!
 
(Any thoughts towards a 1/64 US Frigate Constitution more aligned to her 1812/1815 appearance?)
 
Evan Gale

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  

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.

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.

Planking the deck
 
The instructions call for the deck to be fully planked before moving to fitting the hatchway coamings and head ledges which then sit on the deck.
 
I was in two minds whether to fit these first and then run the planking up to them but decided in the end to do the planking first.
 
Again I departed from the Jotika scheme, replacing the supplied 4mm x 1mm Tanganyika strip with boxwood 3.4mm x 0.6mm. Apart from any other consideration I thought the slightly narrower planking was more in scale.
 
I Used a three butt shift pattern ie three plank widths between butts on any joist. The planks are the scale equivalent of 29’ x 8.5”
PVA was used to fix the planks which were line edged with a Pilot broad chisel marker pen(instant dry and water resistant) to replicate the caulking. There was no evidence of bleed into the wood.
 
The plank ends were joggled into the Margin plank at the bows.

 

Planking in progress, planking usually starts with the planks either side of the centre line and progresses from the stern forward and outwards.
 

Joggling completed.
 

 

A little time now will be spent scraping the deck (not sanding) to remove any unevenness, and tidying up the mast and rudder head holes.
 
Next stage will be fitting the stern transom, and assembling one of the carronades to check gun port levels.
 
B.E.
 
 

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!

Finishing off the beams and carlings on the spar deck...
 


 
Here is a peek at the underside:



 
The beams are fashioned from .100 x .156" (Evergreen 177) styrene and the carlings are .080 x .080" (Evergreen 164)
 
Turned out reasonably well...

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!

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...

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