Brewerpaul

This newbie's eyes don't see any error 😁 Did you dye the kit's standing rigging, or replace it? If replaced, what diameter did you use?

To my uneducated eye, that looks good so far. Based on your Constitution cross section, I'm betting the Pride will turn out excellent too. I'm following your path. I recently resurrected a Constitution cross that I started over 20 years ago and resumed work,using it as a practice model. https://modelshipworld.com/topic/23152-uss-constitution-cross-section-by-brewerpaul-aka-paul-busman-mamoli-scale-193-first-wooden-ship-model/ We moved to Maryland a few years back and I became interested in Baltimore clippers. I just received a partially built kit of the POB from eBay that I got for $50 plus shipping. The keel and bulkheads are in place and look pretty square. I'll have a ton of questions once I start that kit, but it will be a while in the future for sure. In the meantime, I'll be watching your Pride.

Thanks, that makes sense. In addition to the netting itself, I wonder if it might be worth it to try to simulate the rolled up hammocks inside the netting.

Mark-- I think you're right about the netting. I would have thought hammocks would be stowed below decks.

Nice work so far. I started my POBII last week and haven't gotten very far. I'm planning on de-modernizing mine to some extent-- at least leaving off ugly 20th century things like props,radar etc. Your hatches are really pretty. Where did you get those?

Many years ago (25-30?), before the advent of the internet, I bought and started construction of this cross section of the USS Constitution. It may have been following a visit to that venerable ship in Boston that I felt so inspired. I got the frame built,deck beams formed and installed, and the planking done outside and in. At that time I started to feel overwhelmed,with many questions that needed answering before I went any further. With no help readily available I packed the unfinished kit away. Someday. I never lost my love of wooden ships and had the opportunity to visit several including the CW Morgan of Mystic, Cutty Sark in Greenwich, and the Draken Harfarge Viking ship. I still felt the tug of building a ship and when we moved to Maryland 3 years ago I started reading about The Pride of Baltimore II which I decided I'd really like to build. I figured that my long neglected Constitution would be a great practice project since I already had most of the hull built, and it only has one mast and spars, and associated rigging. I took her out of her cardboard box dry dock and started work. I made a crude working cradle to hold the hull, and gave the ship a quick coat of polyurethane as a sealer. The The mast dowel is just inserted to check it's fit and rake. The mast step is imperfectly fitted to the hold, but I figure that it will be covered with ballast and barrels so I didn't worry about it. I've read through the other build logs for this kit and if I was to do it over, I would not have installed the deck beams other than the ones over the hold to make it easier to install decking and deck fittings. You live and learn. Installing all the below deck items should be "fun". In my zeal, I mistakenly added un necessary hatch cross pieces between the lower deck's beams. Oh well, it was good practice. I'm planning on using copper foil rather than the cheesy looking green wood chips supplied with the kit. Anyone here tried simply scribing the lines in the copper tape to simulate individual copper plates? It would sure be easier, but might not look convincing. I might try to give the copper an aged patina which could enhance the illusion I can always try a strip or two on a piece of scrap wood to see. One thing that deterred me from working on this kit when I first got it was a dread of figuring out how to thread deadeyes and form ratlines. Now that there's a resource like Model Ship World, I'll have some guidance which is a great relief. I need to figure out a better way to mount the hull. The kit just includes a cheap looking piece of pine and I gather you're supposed to run a couple of screws up through it into the keel,which does not sound very secure. I might build a nicer version of my crude work cradle in better wood, like cherry, for final displaying. I thought it might be fun to have some crew members on deck and aloft, but I can't find any in 1:93 scale. Do you think figures in 1:87,HO railroad scale, would look 'way too off scale? I could probably modify some of those. What's with the natural colored standing rigging cordage supplied with the kit? Can I somehow dye it black or would it be better to replace it? I know I'll have tons of other questions as time goes on, and I welcome any and all criticism and suggestions.

After letting it sit on the shelf for MANY years, I've taken up my Mamoli constitution cross section kit again, as a learning model for future kits. II hope to start a build log soon but I have two random questions... Does anyone carry 1/93 scale crew figures dressed appropriately? It might be fun to have some little guys on deck and up in the rigging to add a bit of life to the model. Maybe some rats for the hold? 😉 What is that netting on top of the rails used for on the original ship? I'll post future questions when I get my log up and running. Thanks.

I'm getting inspiration from this and other builders' logs for this kit. I started mine over 20 years ago and let it fall by the wayside. It's my first wooden ship and I thought it was a good starter since it had all of the elements of a ship: frame,planking,decking,deck furniture,masts,spars and rigging, but only one set. I hope to start a build log too, which will be a place for me to ask people questions. One comes to mind; anyone come up with a better way to mount this model? The plans are pretty vague. I'm guessing they want you to put a couple of screws up through that wood base and up into the keel which seems very unstable and fairly ugly.

I've been working my way through the build logs for this Constitution since I have one that I started many years ago and just picked up again. I plan on doing the whole mast since this is my first wooden ship model and I want all the practice I can get,especially with spars and rigging. Yours is coming along very nicely. I like the look of the wooden gratings-- perfect for lashing unruly sailors! Speaking of which, does anyone make sailor figures in this scale? I'd love a couple of old salts climbing up ratlines,hauling on lines etc.

Thanks! I do feel better now. I really should have noticed that when I visited that glorious ship. I have photos which do indeed show the wood on iron construction. Speaking of photos, I took a fair number of Cutty Sark when we visited. Is there a particular place on this forum where I could post them for any interested? If you love ships that much, please do plan a trip to London before you build your model. It was a highly emotional experience for me, bringing me nearly to tears, having read so much about sailing ships for nearly 60 years. We got one of those Red Bus get on- get off tour tickets (highly recommended) and it included a ferry trip down the Thames to Greenwich. We passed one of two existing replicas of The Golden Hind along the way. Cutty Sark is no longer in regular drydock. She's ingeniously suspended in mid air by a great many supports for even weight distribution along the hull. This gives the visitor the unique opportunity to keelhaul himself, that is, walk from bow to stern UNDER the keel! I could go on and on but the bottom (no pun intended) is GO. You'll remember the experience forever.

Thanks-- I'll navigate away from those kits. I don't want any pirated ships, as it were....

Total newbie question here. I'm about to start a solid hull kit (if I win it on eBay) but if I catch the bug I'll undoubtedly want to try a planked kit next. I keep seeing references to double planking,especially as it being easier for beginners. What exactly is double planking, and why would a beginner do better with that type of kit? Thanks

While looking for a first time kit, I came across tons of VERY inexpensive (<$20) wood ship model kits from China. I stayed away from them because what seems too good to be true probably is... I'm curious if anyone here has actually built one of these? How did it come out? I'm hoping to win an eBay auction for a solid hull Scientific Dos Amigos kit as a starter, but I was thinking that if I contemplate a planked ship in the future, these ultra inexpensive Chinese kits might be a decent way to learn to plank without ruining a better quality kit.

Having been discouraged by a partial build of a cross section model of Old Ironsides I haven't built anything to completion. I have that hull framed and planked on the exterior, and hopefully will take up the project when I gain some experience. Having moved to Baltimore 3 years ago I've become interested in Baltimore Clippers and thought I might try a simple, solid hull kit. I'm not feeling ready to tackle a full planked hull. Also, with too many other hobbies and interests vying for my time,I don't want to take on something that would require buying a lot more tools, and take up vast amounts of my time. At least for now. Via random searching I came across a vintage Scientific kit of Dos Amigos on eBay and put in a bid. At $19 I'm still winning! I realize the Scientific kit is probably not the best out there. There's a solid hull Harvey that looks great but I don't want to sink that many dineros (as it were) for something I might not follow up on. So, if I win this I'll give it a go. If I lose, there are others just like it available. Now, the Dos Amigos has square sails on both the fore and main masts while it looks like most Baltimore Clippers have them only on the foremast. I'm thinking that if it's practical, I'd rather build this kit to the more common design. More in line with the Pride Of Baltimore II which I can easily visit for inspiration. I doubt I'd create a real replica of that modern ship but I'd like to try to get closer to that design. Is this a feasible plan for a beginner ship builder? There are plenty of photos available to guide me. In addition to just omitting the main mast yards and associated lines, are there other things I'll need to consider? Thanks in advance!

Hi all-- this looks like a great,helpful site. I've long been a lover of the sea, sea stories, and sailing ships. The first ship I built was a plastic model of a Viking ship,after I saw the old Kirk Douglas movie, The Vikings. Some years later I built Cutty Sark from a plastic kit (Revell?). I was pretty happy with that at the time. A few years back we visited London and got to see Cutty Sark in person. What a thrill to walk on those familiar decks! One major disappointment though... I didn't do any research on that gorgeous ship and always assumed she was built of wood. It was a bittersweet discovery to find out that she's iron built! On the plus, that's the only thing that prevented her from being a total loss during a major fire in 2007. The restoration is superb and there are fascinating exhibits surrounding and inside the ship. It's presented supported in the air so you can walk beneath her! A must see if you're ever in England. I've also visited Old Ironsides, the Charles W. Morgan and most recently the Viking ship Draken Harfarge. I got and partially finished a cross section model of Old Ironsides but got discouraged by the complexity. I still have the kit, framed and planked outside. With some more practice I hope to be inspired to finish it up some day. 3 years ago we moved to Maryland,which got me interested in Baltimore Clippers, and I'm planning on building a simple kit to whet my appetite and give me some basic skills. I'll be starting a thread on this in the appropriate spot. Thanks in advance for all the help I anticipate needing!.Paul