Talos

I recently visited Constitution for the first time, and it made me really want to pick up the pen and draw more. Revisiting a topic that we've spilled much ink over, I think I can push Constitution getting the six-port Gurriere/Java/Potomac stern as far back as her 1833 refit, not her 1850s or 1870s ones. A major part of that refit was bringing her up to the standards of modern frigates at the time, including planking in the waist and head. I was looking over various plans of Constitution I have and I noticed something I hadn't before on the 1849 plans. If one looks closely at the stern in the profile drawing, there are indications of the six-port stern, as you can see the sliver of the port-side ports on the gun and spar deck, and the centerline cutaway goes right through the center ports (marked with Xs). That fully fits the kind of refit she had at the time, which was followed up later when her ports were enlarged to fit the 32-pounders and 8-inch shell guns she was refitted with. I also noticed an illustration of the ship in France in 1878 carrying exhibits for the Exhibition there, where she is depicted with the full Gurriere arch instead of the "flarch" she had a few years later as a receiving ship and still has today. I would like to draw these out properly, compare them with other depictions of the ship, reconstruct them, etc, but I wanted to at least point out what I had noticed in the meantime.

I'm really sorry to hear that, man. Also, sorry for not being around much myself. I went back to school, got my master's, then COVID hit, then I got a new job and also got distracted with my 3D printer, writing (I've published a few short stories!), and other stuff, so I haven't been around much recently. I feel the same way, though; I need to dig myself out and get back to all this, too.

I'm in the middle of reading Desolation Island, so this is great timing. Thanks for linking it!

Those tracks came out really well! I agree with Gary, I don't think any difference in width is noticeable. I like the contrast with the deck and how they capture the look of tracks laid on top (like the real ones) without standing out too much.

Unfortunately, Fusion 360 recently had some major licensing changes that make it much less appealing to use.

Those new guns look amazing. Great work!

I don't often poke around in this part of the forum, but I was getting caught up and enjoying the build. You're doing a great job on it. As far as the converted Dahlgrens, fortunately we have a front view of a bunch of the ones from Trenton after she was sunk in the Apia, Samoa Typhoon of 1889. This provides a good view of the muzzle and also the iron carriages. Between Trenton, Vandalia, and Nipsic, there were a dozen of these converted rifles, both in pivot and broadside carriages. This is a Rodman, but it has the same kind of conversion as the navy guns, with the rifled sleeve inserted and you can match the muzzle changes compared to a normal smoothbore. If you look at the Dahlgrens above, they match.

This question made me curious so I poked around a little. I hope these pictures help. http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/450.htm

Excellent! That's how my experience with the National Gallery print was as well.

Mine isn't massive, fitting in an 11 x 14 frame with some matting. I had eyed prints online for years but never got one because of dodgy colors. I was pleased with the color on this one straight from the National Gallery though.

Rik, I have one of the National Gallery prints and it looks great. Yeah, the painting is beautiful and relaxing to look at. The colors are gorgeous, as is the sense of motion that draws you into it. It is sad too, in a nostalgic way that really encapsulates the Japanese ideal of "mono no aware", which you can define as "the pathos of things" or "an awareness of impermanence."

I love the painting and my family has heard me wax on about it before. As a result, when a few of them were in London early this year right before the travel lock-downs, they surprised me with a print from the museum the original is in. Got it framed, but have yet to hang it up. I also enjoyed Sam Willis' book on the ship and painting as well.

I actually restarted it a few months ago from scratch because I switched art programs. I wasn't going to say anything until I posted the redo. Heh.

The plans for Ohio's construction show the stern structure. The balcony was added when the ship was planked over, it was not there when the ship was built, nor were they fashionable for 74s since, what, 1810 or so? It's just scabbed onto the outside of the stern without other modifications, not even to the decoration. Throwing in a photo of Ohio at the breakers that shows some interesting detail. Edit: And a painting of a couple North Carolina-class ships to illustrate how the new generation of American 74s generally looked in the time period you asked about.

She is a snow-brig with a spencer mast behind the mainmast, but it is not truly a separate mast in terms of categorizing by the number of masts (eg. a two-master or a three-master). It is a small mast scabbed onto the back of the mainmast, it does not reach down to the deck and is attached to the mainmast at the maintop. They were a feature of the later Antebellum US Navy warships, which had them on one, two, or even all three masts. Constellation used to have two in the past on her main and mizzen, but still has the one on her mizzen today.