GGibson

What are the over/under betting odds on what hits the floor, Jon? 🤷‍♂️🤣 Prototype rigging looks good. Excited to see how your spar deck carronades look with the rigging in place. 👍

Great work, Mustafa!

Thanks for the comments and encouragement, Peter. Like Jon, you have been an inspirational mentor as I have studied your build log and continue to watch the progress on your Constitution, as well. Thank you! And yes, I have read Haiko's build log! And have also been messaging back and forth with Marcus.K. regarding his stern configuration research, as well. I appreciate you gentlemen staying updated on my progress. 👍

Thanks, Jon! You have absolutely been one of my best mentors and cheerleaders in the early stages of my build and am looking forward to leaning on you for more guidance and encouragement as I trudge forward. Your support is appreciated, sir.

Wow, it has been a full two months since my last update! It’s been a busy (and honestly frustrating “ship building-wise”) couple of months that I will get into briefly in a bit. But I also had some really fun times these past few months, enjoying some fun Parents’ Weekend festivities with our college granddaughter and her parents (our son) and rest of family. My son and I also went to an NFL game while they were in town. But the really important model ship-related news is that my wife and I took a fairly brief (5 days) trip to Boston and, yes, I got on the USS Constitution! I will maybe post a few more details of that trip in a separate post with a few of my favorite pictures. The Constitution visit, though, was a bit disappointing in that it had rained overnight and was a bit misty in the morning, so they had a lot of the spar deck details covered with tarps. But I was able to take pictures on the spar deck and gun deck of what I could see and we definitely enjoyed our time on the iconic ship and toured the museum, as well. With all that said, it’s now time for an update on my build log. And thanks to Mustafa for noticing my extended absence and asking me on his own build log how I was doing. Appreciate the concern and follow-up, my friend! So, it’s time to make decisions about the stern configuration. I have said several times that my goal has been to build this ship as an “1812-ish” version of the Constitution. In reading up on the history and seeing several adaptations in Michele Felice Cornè’s paintings, I decided to give his 1812 six-window configuration a shot. Some of the various stern configurations are shown in the Anatomy of the Ship book. Let’s first see how all of the kit-provided stern frames look as they are positioned on the counter block. As others have noted, there were some subtle shape differences between the six provided frame pieces. The fantastic builders who have done detailed gun decks have also taken different approaches to how the Commodore’s aft cabin (and the port and starboard staterooms) would be displayed, if at all. If there is going to be any visual presentation of the aft cabin, whether from the exposed spar deck or from the stern windows, some alterations to the kit-provided center stern frames were going to be necessary. And, of course, with the alteration in the number of stern windows I had decided to include vs. the kit’s 3-window configuration, I was going to need to add some stern frames to help support the additional windows. So, using the kit-provided stern frames as a template, I cut some new stern frames that would allow for the appearance of an open Commodore’s aft cabin, if visible. When duplicating these new stern frames, I left some additional frame piece at the base of the frame in order to fit it into the counter block (more on that in a bit), as well as an extension (just in case, for fitting) of the horizontal piece that goes back to Bulkhead R, which will be the wall separating the Commodore’s forward and aft cabin areas. On the two outside stern frame #3 pieces, I milled openings to display the access from the respective staterooms out to the bath and lavatory areas in the quarter galleries. (As I look at these openings now, I may not have cut them quite large enough, but I’ll assess that again soon.) As a part of my research, I learned that Issac Hull’s crew that had won the battle against HMS Guerriere presented him with a model of the USS Constitution as a gift. That model has been on display at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. This battle took place in August 1812, so that’s a good date for me to use as a guide for the stern configuration. Also, as a part of the stern configuration and the exposed gun deck, I needed to cut out the “bump-out” section of the Commodore’s aft cabin where the lounge chair sits. After cutting it out, I replaced the support beam with a nice solid piece of wood. OK, now a brief discussion on my latest trial-and-error failure. I indicated earlier that I had made the “legs” of the new stern frames a bit longer so they would fit into notches I would make into the counter block. This would help in securing the stern frames more securely, right? Here’s the mill work I did in creating those notches. Yeah, this did not go well. The stern frames fit poorly and it was going to be even more difficult to make all of the joined pieces… the stern frames, the altered counter block, and the filler blocks… look right. So, I decided to discard the now-mutilated counter block and make a new counter block. I will now simply securely glue the stern frames (without the extra length at the base) to the counter block. With some calculations and measuring, I determined where the stern frames would be placed so that the six-window configuration would fit properly. As a few other prior builders had done, though, I did affix some support tracks to the counter block to provide additional strength and support to the stern frames. As the new stern frames were placed and secured, I also began working on shaping and securing the two deck beams at the rear of the spar deck level. With the stern frames now securely in position, it was time to begin the window framing. Using a “sized-to-actual” picture of the stern area and some cut-up mockups, I determined the size of the six windows to be 11.24mm square, or 7/16” square. I cut a spacer block to assist with the remainder of the frames' positioning. The bottom of the windows will sit 1/4” above the gun deck counter block, just a touch above the knuckle line. I then measured and cut the bottom frame pieces and, using a spacer, I secured the bottom window frames. Then, using the spacer cut to the size of the windows, I cut and placed the top frame pieces and then added vertical frame pieces where needed and in the width needed for each of the six 2x2 pane patterns. You can see in the pictures that the window frame pieces sit out from the stern frames slightly, so they can be sanded flush when the transom planking is added and the windows are put in place. I hope this all works out well in the end and it gives a good representation of what the Issac Hull version of the USS Constitution’s stern transom looked like. We are moving forward! As always, I appreciate the likes, comments, criticisms and concerns (there may be plenty with this transom work!). As I have said before, a thousand thanks to those who have worked on this ship before me and have provided, and continue to provide, great information, insight and inspiration! You are appreciated!

Sweet! Nice design work, Chuck!

Looks interesting, Johnny Mike! And I have a Proxxon disk sander. Just trying to actually determine how the block guide is set up and how the dowel is fed. Is the dowel just fed from the side to the sander's mid-point? Thanks for clarification.

Long guns are looking great, Jon! Nice job! What did you use for the blackening solution?. I have used Birchwood Brass Black previously for my cannons and other Britania castings, but someone recently informed me about JAX Pewter Black, which is supposed to work much better on the cannons. We'll give it a try here when the time comes. 👍

I believe I've said it before, but I look forward to replacing my kit-provided Constitution deadeyes and blocks with these when the time comes. (I'm just hoping Chuck is in business until he's well into his 90's... it may be that long!) 🤷‍♂️🤣

Mustafa, thanks for noticing my "posting absence" on my build log! Much appreciated. I don't want to take up a lot of time/space on your build log about my build progress, but yes, I have been working on it and will be posting an update soon. I've frankly been struggling a bit on how to exactly prepare my "1812-ish version" stern transom but am currently finishing the stern window framing based on Cmdr. Isaac Hull's 6-window transom version. Thanks again for asking how I am doing on my Constitution, sir. I continue to be inspired by your work. Carry on! 👍🏆

You guys are amazing with this detail. Appreciate all of the great info. And, Jon, thanks for climbing up the shrouds to take these awesome pictures!! 🤷‍♂️🤣

Excellent work, Mustafa! I will be interested in seeing how you place these on their respective masts and I'm sure I will refer back to these photos whenever I get to this point. Thanks for sharing, sir!

Great work, Rod! She looks beautiful! Congratulations! 🏆 So... what's next? 🤷‍♂️😊

Stropped deadeyes are looking sharp, Peter! I can't provide any more feedback than what the other more experienced gentlemen have already done. Job well done, sir! Remind me, though, please. I did a search of the word "deadeye" in your past posts and can't find a mention of where you procured these deadeyes. Thanks!

They look great, Jon! I guess I will complete my Model Monkey order for the remainder I need... for whenever I get to this point years from now. Thanks for the encouragement!

I love Ken Foran's work and his Constitution build log, and purchased his Model Building with Brass book. If I was only that talented!

Hey Peter! I returned from my Boston trip last Saturday and visited the Constitution on Thursday. It was a cloudy and misty damp morning that day, and had rained harder earlier, so a lot of the spar deck was covered when I visited (groannnnnnn). But here are some of the exterior, including the deadeyes and channels. Probably not too much different than Jon's pictures but hope they help some.

As long as you feel the reputation is unwarranted and not unwanted, we appreciate your input whenever there is a question, Jon! Which is why I continue to say that I will be striving for an "1812-ish" version of the Constitution... 🤷‍♂️👍

I am in Boston and will be on the ship tomorrow if anyone needs any updated pics. Plan on taking a bunch, obviously, anyways! I am excited!

Hey Tom! Great work on your Beagle so far! Not sure why I haven't been following your progress previous to this point, but I have changed that now! This should be a great looking ship once you complete it! Don't know if I have mentioned somewhere in MSW threads previously, but your Constitution build log has been a great inspiration to me as I begin my own Constitution. Fortunately, there are some great build logs around, but yours is definitely on the top of my saved logs. Looking forward to watching you here, as well! 👍🏆

Nice work on everything here, Peter. Looks great! Could one also accomplish the same visual by just using a brass rod (similar to how we secure items to the deck or the side of the hull) by drilling a hole the size of the rod thru the vertical bit, hand-drilling holes into the horizontal post sections, and inserting and securing the horizontal posts in the brass rod, pressed firmly against the vertical post to create the desired visual?

And, I'm sure you all employ the same process, but for these types of assemblies going into the deck, I like to use small nails instead of brass rods/pins. Cut the heads off of the nails, secure them into the assembly piece, and use the pointy end of the nails to assist determining the necessary hole locations.

I would seriously consider one for my wife. She enjoys puzzles, even has one of those large felt boards so she can easily move a "puzzle-in-progress" from the kitchen table when not working on it. If I am working on a ship, why can't she build one, too?!? 🤷‍♂️🤣

The kit-supplied pins might be brass, I don't remember and, as I said, they're stuffed somewhere where I don't remember. I figure I have a good 2-3 years to find them before needed! 🤷‍♂️🤣 And, as you alluded to, if my plan is to replace the kit supplied rope, blocks and deadeyes with the aforementioned higher quality products, why wouldn't I also do it with the belay pins, as well? So... I'm sure I will take the same route as you. Appreciate your info, Peter!

I've got a whole drawer full of those type sanding sticks, in almost every grit from 80 to 600. Love them! Fife rails look really sharp, Peter! The package is somewhere tucked away until I need them, but the Model Shipways Constitution parts list says my kit includes 240 belaying pins! So, if you are replacing your provided stock, then, yep, you're gonna need more! Does the ship require more than one size of belaying pin? You are moving along well now! Carry on, sir!