Der Alte Rentner
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Everything posted by Der Alte Rentner
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Sad, but true. Honestly, I can't wait for this struggle to be over. After this, I'll look back fondly on the piece of cake the galleries and windows seem to have been by comparison. I'll be approaching the two year anniversary on this build at the end of June. Oddly, it seems like only yesterday. I hope the entire head area will be done by then so I have a great photo-op for volume two of my hardcopy log. Thanks for checking in Thomas. -
That was quite the commitment, and netted admirable results. Congrats.
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4 hours to install the third rail. I tried three different techniques before I bailed on them and opted for picking a softer piece of wood and just using the plank Bender to shape it. And again, it's amazing what the camera picks up that the eye does not when you're actually working on it. I'm not going to change it, but I'm not 100% satisfied with the shape right above the flag. And! I just noticed that I was a little sloppy applying stain to the bottom of that rail. Oh well.. calling it a day
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To be clear, I am not planning on doing this, but to contribute to the discussion. This photo comes from KMart's build log..
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I agree 100%. It would be a disaster. As a plan B in that event, I have seen older pictures of the Constitution where the entire four Peak is planked. No open supports at all. It shouldn't come to that. 🤔
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Good catch. I deliberately chose to eliminate support number one, figuring that for the millimeter or two distance from the stem, it wasn't worth bothering about. I took a look at how the top rail would fit and decided this would be a good place to end rail number two. Time will tell if there will be some deconstruction in my future. 😁
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I did come back to finish the starboard side lower head rail.
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Off to the endodontist, yet again 🙄, in a couple of minutes. Before I go, the most recent modifications. I had to reshape the gratng to get a better fit between the lower headrail and the grating. After doing so, I committed and glued the grating/head assembly to supports three, four, and five. Maybe I'll get back this afternoon and install the rail. Cheers..
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USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
Der Alte Rentner replied to mtbediz's topic in - Build logs for subjects built 1751 - 1800
I made mine parallel to supports two and three. I've looked at a million photos, and while there is an argument to be made for a slight angle forward, I thought parallel was the better bet. In part, my thinking was that it should be parallel to joint of the two grates it supports. For that reason, support five would be angled forward. -
I'm reluctant to even post today. Having just seen Mustafa's work on his supports, I'm completely demoralized. However, here's what four and a half hours netted me.
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USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
Der Alte Rentner replied to mtbediz's topic in - Build logs for subjects built 1751 - 1800
Man! You make it look so easy.. I just spent another 4 plus hours on mine, and the supports don't look anywhere as nice as yours. Great work! -
In 24 hours, I'll be installing the last two timbers and the 2nd head rail. (The stain needs to cure). At that point, I'll probably also install the starboard side grating.
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Back to the fiddly bits. Man, oh man, is this time consuming stuff. Also it's amazing what you see in photographs that you don't see when you're working on the parts themselves. I'm going to have to do some tweaking on the little slots for the third rail. There seems to be some disparity in the height of the slot on support 3 on the port side compared to that of the starboard side. Oh well, having fun.. The grating has not yet been glued in. I was waiting for the base support to be fairly solid first.
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USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
Der Alte Rentner replied to mtbediz's topic in - Build logs for subjects built 1751 - 1800
Inspiring workmanship, as always.. -
So far, I think I'm having better luck. Still a ways from being done, but progress is being made.
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Okay, now you're just plain showing off!
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Getting close.. But Thomas, how the heck did you get such a great fit between grating and rail 2? Kudos! I'm going to cut my rail and tackle it in two pieces like you seem to have.
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Okay, I think I'm committed now. Or maybe I should be.. 😁 The supports will come before the rails. Everything right now is just tacked in with the smallest dots of super glue. Before I make anything permanent, I've got to shape, stain, and carve out the grooves for the rails. I think once I get the grates attached to the supports and the cross beams, the entire structure shoukd be solid enough that I can tweak those grooves a bit as needed when I get to the rails. P.S. to those who suggested that the cat heads would hold up to jostling once glued in, I beg to differ..
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Those aren't my rails. I left the question at Kmart's build log hoping to get some details on his build. I have not yet constructed my rails. If you'd like to see what I'm doing, check my build log.
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USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
Der Alte Rentner replied to mtbediz's topic in - Build logs for subjects built 1751 - 1800
You may indeed be right. One think I would check now though, is how does the grating for the head fit? When I fitted the rails I had bent to shape, I found that the grating didn't fit at all. So, I think I'll bend the rails to fit later. With the plank bending iron I have, that should be easier than trying to get the grating etc. to fit the curves later. and it goes without saying, excellent work as always!! -
I found another hour or two of Shipyard time today. (Trying to keep up with Mustafa..) The experimentation continues. Nothing is glued together permanently yet, except for the head and two portions of the grating. What I have discovered through this process is that the plans for the supports seem to be off as well. I had to shave quite a bit of material off the top of posts four and three. If I continue with this methodology, I will copy those shapes to boxwood before gluing anything permanently on the starboard side. This way I can come close to the right shapes as a starting point for the port side. One difficulty for me will be that I've got to stain the supports before I glue them into place. So I'll have to be darned sure I'm happy with the configuration first.
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USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76
Der Alte Rentner replied to mtbediz's topic in - Build logs for subjects built 1751 - 1800
It would seem that you and I are taking different approaches. I'm coming at it from the support-first methodology. I'm keeping my options open though, and will watch closely from the sidelines to see how your plan shapes up. So far, I haven't glued anything into place, while I experiment. Good luck. P.S. Man! that copper plating looks good. -
Okay, I did manage to sneak away for an hour. Here is the result of my latest round of head scratching.. I can't imagine that the "poop deck" 😁 would have been severely angled, so I'm assuming a more horizontal aspect, at least for the first two sections of the grating. Shall I work the supports around the only solidly accurate portion of the plan? The grating? Jon, in your enormous library of photographs, do you have any that show the comfort station from let's say the bowsprit toward the head access in the hull? I want to know if the grating is more or less parallel to the water line. Or if everything is tilted slightly upward from the hull toward the bowsprit. This is all I could find on the subject.. This is where I'm at.
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So much for the easy way out. Again, thank you Mustafa.
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Well, That! should be a little easier for these aging grey cells to remember. Thank you, Mustafa.
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