DCooper

A most excellent start.  I very much look forward to your continued progress on this beautiful kit.  I trust you are having fun.
 
I applaud your decision to just build the kit your way and not get too bogged down in all the possible details and minutiae.  I have stalled on my build for just that very reason, navel gazing at just which bits to 'improve'.  Be bold and continue on your course and you will no doubt have a most stunning model in time.
 
Thanks for sharing.
 
( and for reminding me to get mine back off the shelf of Doom.  )
 
Dan
 
 

A most excellent start.  I very much look forward to your continued progress on this beautiful kit.  I trust you are having fun.
 
I applaud your decision to just build the kit your way and not get too bogged down in all the possible details and minutiae.  I have stalled on my build for just that very reason, navel gazing at just which bits to 'improve'.  Be bold and continue on your course and you will no doubt have a most stunning model in time.
 
Thanks for sharing.
 
( and for reminding me to get mine back off the shelf of Doom.  )
 
Dan
 
 

Thank you Ken.
 
Thanks for taking both the time and energy to create both a wonderful model and a clear, educational and inspiring WIP.  I have the highest regard for both your skill as a builder and communicator.  One day I will stare in to the abyss of my skill base and take up my quest to finish my Constitution buoyed by a number of your informative WIP's.  You are a treasure trove of ideas and techniques and guide to just what a modeller can accomplish with knowledge, skill and persistence.  
 
Long may you continue to enjoy this hobby of ours.  
 
Dan

A most excellent start.  I very much look forward to your continued progress on this beautiful kit.  I trust you are having fun.
 
I applaud your decision to just build the kit your way and not get too bogged down in all the possible details and minutiae.  I have stalled on my build for just that very reason, navel gazing at just which bits to 'improve'.  Be bold and continue on your course and you will no doubt have a most stunning model in time.
 
Thanks for sharing.
 
( and for reminding me to get mine back off the shelf of Doom.  )
 
Dan
 
 

I am sure that I am not the only one to be very glad you are well and that you have taken up the Constitution again.  
 
I will take a moment to thank you for all you have done so far with your build.  Your build log has been most educational and informative.  I can tell you that I look forward with much anticipation and interest in just what you come up with next.
 
Thank you for taking the time to share your build with us.
 
Dan

Jonathan,
After my experience on the Niagara making one piece yards from dowel the challenge was getting a clean transition from the center hex section to the tapers. I was not happy with the results and decided to do it this way instead with perfect transitions and is much faster to build. Of course having a lathe and a combination slide is required.
 
As for jackstays yes the stretched wire passes trough the eyebolt. Here is a link to the bulk pack needed from ME. http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MS0429B
 
Much easier to buy them than make them and they are great for other eyebolt applications as well like on the ends of the yards and saddles. 
After the holes are drilled I start in the middle of the yard and insert the jackstay after dipping the end into a small puddle of Gorilla glue which is a 20 second set so it allows for positioning using a small rod for visual aligning with the yard. I just work towards the ends adding one at a time. Also on bright yards blacken them first before using. 
 
Here is a quick picture for you.

A most excellent start.  I very much look forward to your continued progress on this beautiful kit.  I trust you are having fun.
 
I applaud your decision to just build the kit your way and not get too bogged down in all the possible details and minutiae.  I have stalled on my build for just that very reason, navel gazing at just which bits to 'improve'.  Be bold and continue on your course and you will no doubt have a most stunning model in time.
 
Thanks for sharing.
 
( and for reminding me to get mine back off the shelf of Doom.  )
 
Dan
 
 

Hi.  This is my first build log.  A brief introduction:  It has been a long time since I did a model, and I jumped in feet first to this challenging one!  I had done some model cars in grade school, and then did most of one sailing ship in college (abandoned half way through rigging after the cat chewed off the top of the mast for the second time!!)   My crafting since then has varied from needle crafts, to home DIY/remodels, to painting Bob Ross style.  All those experiences are going to be useful I think!
Well, this project came to me when we were living in the Boston area for a year. We learned to sail, and spent much time at the Harbor and soaking up all the living history there in the nucleus of our country.  I’ve never been a history buff but being on location makes all the difference. After touring the Constitution, I was compelled to do this model.  I picked up a 2004 vintage kit from a local hobby shop.  
 
I got started but then had to move, and it has been boxed up for 4 years, halfway through step 1.  (I have lost my pictures from that early stage.)  I have gotten back to it finally!  (this post is long catching up. I promise not to be so wordy in the future.)
 
Decisions, decisions!! I had found AndyMech’s log (it must have been right before the great data crash) and used his excellent stern painting as a guide.  Starting again, I have read several other inspirational logs, and arguments about historically accurate details, and got pretty overwhelmed with all the choices to make!  I find too many creative choices is causing me some stress and paralysis, but getting through it!  Some ideas really appeal to me, such as furled fabric sails, lighting in the cabins, cannonballs, etc.  Finally to get unstuck, I decided to complete it (mostly) with the supplied parts per the directions, including plastic sails, with minor upgrades/tweaks.  If I do another one later I can get more creative and authentic.
 
Where am I now?

 
The hull is finally finished (I am sure there will be further touch up of the paint details, but I am calling it done.)  I had to correct a mistake:  I originally didn’t paint the black part of the hull, because it like the way the raw plastic looked with all the grain details.  Gloss or flat didn’t seem right.  … But as I got further I realized it needed to be painted and had to rewind.  It wasn’t hard to paint the main hull sections.  I couldn’t find satin paint (btw, I am using Testors enamel) so used flat.  Didn’t like it so flat, so burnished it with super fine sandpaper and it’s ok. 
 

 
Unfortunately, that meant I also had to paint the black background of the stern, and I was so satisfied with my original work.  :-(  Forgot to take a before picture this time before I messed it up.  My touch up of the black made a mess of the details and then I had to touch them up, and it's not as good now.  The one good thing is that I made the mermaid’s torso’s skin tone instead of green.  Saw that on one log (sorry can’t remember who to credit!)  Overall, I’m not thrilled with the final outcome, but it is ok.  I’m sure there will be further touch up.
 

 
On one log I learned that there are hollows in the keel for nuts to attach mounting supports from below!!  Why is this not in any instructions!?! (I have to find this again and credit source.)  This would have been GREAT information to have before gluing the hull together.  I had been very frustrated about how to mount the model, not liking the dinky kit supports.  So I got busy with the Dremel and opened up the spot for the nut, and cleared the hole in the bottom of the keel for the bolt.  This leaves a very thin wall, but it seems solid. I put some epoxy putty (from fish tank coral fragging supplies) on top of the nut to hold it in.  It’s not pretty, but it will hold, and it is ready for a longer bolt.  Still trying to find the right supports.  None of the ones I see for sale have the right slot width.  I measure 7/32”  ?  If it is bigger, it won’t provide support.  Most are too small, and there isn’t enough material left to shave the keel without exposing the bolt.  I guess that is not the end of the world if it will be hidden.  But still.  What does everyone else do?  I haven’t seen this particular issue discussed.
 
I had to repaint the copper plating.  With all the handling, it didn’t hold up well.  I need to coat it with something.  Someone suggested floor polish.  Gloss, satin, …?
 
The things I have changed so far:  (yeah, stick to the kit.  I know…)
Of course, had to paint green on the bulwarks instead of white.  I mixed green, blue, white and black (=gray) to get a softer green that I think is close to the real thing.  Also painted the bottom of the port boat this color.  The pot of it I saved is dried up after 4 years, so I hope I don’t need more. You can see the green peeking through here...
 
 
The iron straps of the rudder hinges I wanted to paint black.  So I mixed an off black for the cannons and those straps.  I really like the effect of the glossy straps on the flat black wood of the rudder.  Speaking of the rudder, the little eye bolt perplexed me.  Had not seen mention of it in logs or instructions.  But clearly it has a purpose.  It appears to want a chain.  A rudder is not something you want to lose at sea! Research confirmed it is for rudder preventer chains, dual purpose for retention and for steering if the tiller is broken.  We can see them on the real ship, the Hull model, and many of the wooden models.  I am going to try to add this.  Have to find scale black chain.
 
I left out the window “glass.”  After a fail of white glue to install the plastic, I took my husband’s suggestion and am not putting it in. Hopefully this will allow more visibility into the cabins, which are too nice to hide.
 
Other things I plan to change:
Correct the gaps in the spar deck.
Gunport lids – after much deliberation, I decided to put them all on, and leave the front ones closed.
Rigging – need better thread and more variety of sizes than the kit supplies.  I have some smaller and larger sewing thread and I may get a size or two from Syren.
Add a bell.
 
So, the next step is getting the gun deck painted.  I am going to try AndyMech’s technique with scoring and painting the boards separately different colors.  I am so impressed with the molded details in this kit.  Plank ends lining up where beams would be, tiny nail heads!  If it weren’t for the dang gaps between the sections!  I did a dry fit and the middle section sags.  Some reinforcement is in order.
I have painted a thin coat of black, sanded lightly, and have scored the planks.  Now on to the painting… yikes. 

[Edited.  I learned how to insert the photos properly.]
 

Hello Mark!
 
The timing of your note is impeccable... I've just now started to pull everything out to assess how to restart my project.  I've left off exactly where you last saw an update, so there is much yet to do.
 
Apologies to yourself and others who've been looking for new updates... My health has been fine and the family is good (thanks to those who've asked in the background) - it is the other culprit to blame for the project downtime - Work.  The company I work for was acquired almost exactly a year ago in a very public transaction involving gazillions of dollars... The new leadership offered me an expanded role with a bunch more money, but it required that I relocate my family to the east coast to be near the corporate headquarters.  My kids are early in their high school tenures and are absolutely thriving - great academically, great extracurricular activities, and great social circles.  It seemed like a tough time to rock their world, so I had to respectfully decline the opportunity - but I had the luxury of a very generous severance package.  In the intervening period, however, there was much travelling back to the corporate office and other locations and a concerted effort to help map out the necessary steps to combine various systems/platforms and define the future roadmap before I finally "off boarded" (the polite euphemism for such exits).  I'm only a few weeks into my freedom and have finally decompressed enough to reorganize my workshop and start to get Old Ironsides back on track. (I also had a jury duty stint in there somewhere!)
 
I'll be starting in again on the cannon and I have yet to finish the chains, but I hope to have some progress to share in the next few weeks.  Hopefully the ideas will begin to flow again and more of the "first rate adjunct research" from the other forum members will resurface.
 
Many thanks for the patience from you and others and I'm looking forward to setting sail again.
 
Regards,
Evan

Thank you Ken.
 
Thanks for taking both the time and energy to create both a wonderful model and a clear, educational and inspiring WIP.  I have the highest regard for both your skill as a builder and communicator.  One day I will stare in to the abyss of my skill base and take up my quest to finish my Constitution buoyed by a number of your informative WIP's.  You are a treasure trove of ideas and techniques and guide to just what a modeller can accomplish with knowledge, skill and persistence.  
 
Long may you continue to enjoy this hobby of ours.  
 
Dan

Thank you Ken.
 
Thanks for taking both the time and energy to create both a wonderful model and a clear, educational and inspiring WIP.  I have the highest regard for both your skill as a builder and communicator.  One day I will stare in to the abyss of my skill base and take up my quest to finish my Constitution buoyed by a number of your informative WIP's.  You are a treasure trove of ideas and techniques and guide to just what a modeller can accomplish with knowledge, skill and persistence.  
 
Long may you continue to enjoy this hobby of ours.  
 
Dan

Thank you Ken.
 
Thanks for taking both the time and energy to create both a wonderful model and a clear, educational and inspiring WIP.  I have the highest regard for both your skill as a builder and communicator.  One day I will stare in to the abyss of my skill base and take up my quest to finish my Constitution buoyed by a number of your informative WIP's.  You are a treasure trove of ideas and techniques and guide to just what a modeller can accomplish with knowledge, skill and persistence.  
 
Long may you continue to enjoy this hobby of ours.  
 
Dan

Thank you Ken.
 
Thanks for taking both the time and energy to create both a wonderful model and a clear, educational and inspiring WIP.  I have the highest regard for both your skill as a builder and communicator.  One day I will stare in to the abyss of my skill base and take up my quest to finish my Constitution buoyed by a number of your informative WIP's.  You are a treasure trove of ideas and techniques and guide to just what a modeller can accomplish with knowledge, skill and persistence.  
 
Long may you continue to enjoy this hobby of ours.  
 
Dan

Thank you Ken.
 
Thanks for taking both the time and energy to create both a wonderful model and a clear, educational and inspiring WIP.  I have the highest regard for both your skill as a builder and communicator.  One day I will stare in to the abyss of my skill base and take up my quest to finish my Constitution buoyed by a number of your informative WIP's.  You are a treasure trove of ideas and techniques and guide to just what a modeller can accomplish with knowledge, skill and persistence.  
 
Long may you continue to enjoy this hobby of ours.  
 
Dan

Thank you Ken.
 
Thanks for taking both the time and energy to create both a wonderful model and a clear, educational and inspiring WIP.  I have the highest regard for both your skill as a builder and communicator.  One day I will stare in to the abyss of my skill base and take up my quest to finish my Constitution buoyed by a number of your informative WIP's.  You are a treasure trove of ideas and techniques and guide to just what a modeller can accomplish with knowledge, skill and persistence.  
 
Long may you continue to enjoy this hobby of ours.  
 
Dan

Thank you Ken.
 
Thanks for taking both the time and energy to create both a wonderful model and a clear, educational and inspiring WIP.  I have the highest regard for both your skill as a builder and communicator.  One day I will stare in to the abyss of my skill base and take up my quest to finish my Constitution buoyed by a number of your informative WIP's.  You are a treasure trove of ideas and techniques and guide to just what a modeller can accomplish with knowledge, skill and persistence.  
 
Long may you continue to enjoy this hobby of ours.  
 
Dan

Back from visiting the grand kids and getting back to work on the Constitution. I reached a point where the bowsprit is needed for the rest of the stay lines to be rigged. I glued nuts to the strap indexing them on the holes drilled in the straps. I then opened the ends of small jack stays to form hooks for the chain. Chain was hooked on the port side stays and the hook closed on the chain. The chain was dropped down and I made a feed needle for the chain to fish the chain through the holes and attached them on the starboard side stay, closed the hook and carefully cut the chain. I may stain the chain later once the glue has set. In the meantime I found a size of key chain at Michael's that worked for the cannon balls. The chain was glued in lines and cut to rack lengths needed and glued to the racks.





Now onto the back stays and the bowsprit, but first a couple other projects to work on.

I have moved on to the topmast shroud lines; pretty much the same with the exception of the sheer poles which I used 1/32" rod which does not bend under shroud line tautness when tightening. The staves at the top were added and I used clamping tweezers to hold the lines flat while glue set. I also used a threaded line as a reference point while tightening the shrouds so as not to pull the masts out of alignment. I made sure the mast were tightly fitted at the deck when fitting them to the deck; however the top masts are indexed at the top and are more subject to moving when adding the shroud lines.
 
I am also adding the top mast stay lines while also working on the ratlines. This way I can move back and forth while waiting for glue to set.
 

 

 

Shroud lines in place; no staining until the end of the rigging is accomplished for all shrouds and ratlines.

 
 
Now back to rigging.

I finished up the bentinck shrouds for the foremast and moved onto the futtock shrouds. After doing the starboard side offhand I realized there had to be an easier way to align the thimbles. I moved to the port side and tied off both ends first; then the center and finally the last two justifying the spacing at the stave. Next I used T-pins through the thimbles top and bottom to align them and then added the ratlines gluing each knot as each line was completed. The T-pins helped to hold the shroud lines in place when tying off and spacing the ratlines. Once all were completed I added CA at the hooks and rings to hold them then holding the stave tight to the shrouds I CA'ed them in place. Once all the excess lines were trimmed after the glue set all were painted with Ultra Flat Black spray paint. This gives them a uniform finish and stiffens the lines a little. 
 

 

 

 

 
Now on to the foremast.

Michael, thanks! I just finished up the lower ratlines for all three masts after tying nearly 2,000 clove hitches with #50 black thread. I now have tying clove hitches down pat in any direction.
 
Just a few observations I have made: working black thread on black shrouds requires keen eyesight and great depth perception working at times with a pair of tweezers in each hand. If you have trouble with chopsticks don't even start. I found that wetting the thread before tying really helped to reduce the spring effect and sizing in the thread as well as friction when tying knots. File the ends of the tweezers down to a point and file the ends square; then file the inside gripping surfaces flat so they match each other when squeezed. Test by picking a thread off a flat surface. Do this before even starting. Tie the extended lines first and once all the knots on one row are tied glue each knot and ends of thread to be cut off with watered down white glue. Watering down allows the mix to penetrate the tiny thread and bond to the shrouds. When seizing the clove hitch to the shroud tighten slowly and the final pull to the right to set the knot in the right location and then hold the shroud with the tweezers at the knot and tighten to the left. (opposite if you are left handed) As you are tightening the knot pay attention to the lines above and below to avoid over tightening and causing them to sag. Work from the bottom (dead eyes) to the top (fighting top) when adding lines; this allows the excess ends to hang down out of the way of the next one to be tied. Cut off excess lines after the knots once the glue has set with the tip of sharp scissors cutting only the line. Once at the shroud seizing near the top the use of magnification will really help.
 
Once completed and all glue set if you have any sections that are not pleasing or have sag cut them away and add a new section making sure the clove hitches straddle the existing knots, this will align the new section with the existing lines. OK sorry more than just a few observations.
 
Here are the results of it all.
 

 

 

Now to add so more mast details before moving on.
 
 

Tom, yes I am loving my lathe setup for serving the ropes. Once you get the feel for doing it it works very well and fast. I was serving 3 inches for the single lines with blocks and 5 inches for the doubles. 
I have moved onto the ratlines and am using black thread and tying clove hitches at each junction. The foremast lower sections have 295 knots per side. I used my CAD program to draw a guide with 3/16" parallel lines which I printed on card stock cut to size to use on both sides. I aligned the lower guidelines with the sheer poles and clipped to the deadeyes to hold in position and trimmed the top to be tight with the bottom side of the fighting top. I also highlighted in orange every fifth line that was extended per instructions and I tied those first to hold the shrouds in place and then filled in between. I am using a very water downed white glue at each knot once a line is in place and allow to dry before trimming off the ends.
 
Here is a PDF file for others to borrow for their own use on builds.
 
Ratlines.pdf
 

 

 

Now onto the main mast. 
 
 

Looking mighty nice.  I've been following along with you progress.  Great to see how well your ship is coming together.  Looks to be a good sized kit to build.
 
Dan

Getting there,
Now it's time to get the bowsprit installed and doing the final part of rigging.
Some paint touch up and then give it to my Admiral. It was her birthday last Friday. Couple of days late, but still.

Now that the Dirty Dozen is until control and ready for the museum, the new Chapter for the book is done with CD's burned and will be mailed Monday to the publisher I am back to the Constitution. Since I have limited building space I will follow the process I did on the Niagara and rig up the masts a level at a time. I started by making ropes for the lower shrouds with my Model Expo rope walk somewhat modified. When I get tired of making ropes I add deadeyes to the fighting tops using 26 gauge black anodized copper beading wire. First I wrap the deadeye and twist a 3/8" tail that is inserted into the oval hole to the front and glued in place. Once all deadeyes are in place I use a 1/32" drill bit to clean the hole next to the 3/8" tail as a guide. Once the hole is drilled clean I cut the excess tail flush to the bottom surface. Next I twist a loop using a .040" drill bit stem held in a pin vise and cut a 1/16" tail and then glue the loop into the hole. I then add more CA to each location to assure a tight glue joint for both the deadeye and loop. After all the deadeyes were in place I added the guard rail.
 
Here is the guard in place.
 

 
Here are the staged ropes for the shrouds.
 

 
Now back to deadeyes.

Looking mighty nice.  I've been following along with you progress.  Great to see how well your ship is coming together.  Looks to be a good sized kit to build.
 
Dan