BruceWayne426

Dave: Thanks for your note. I am sure you have noticed there are no other ongoing Mamoli Constitution builds and only a few in the past. It would be fun and encouraging to have someone more experienced to bounce around kit ideas and questions. I am currently working on some alterations to my work bench so the ship is in dry dock for a few weeks. I will post again when I have made the changes. Bruce

I have enjoyed reading many of the Constitution build logs and studying the pictures. The next few steps for me and my Mamoli kit are quite different than the Model Shipways kits. There are two 10mm (1/2" square) walnut beams that run almost the entire length of the ship. The frames are notched for these. At the bow, there are two sets of beams that are placed side by side with the inner set protruding just outside the front frame. My kit does not have complete gun deck detail, but there are three openings down into the gun deck where steps and some minor detail will be visible. This was my only issue with the kit so far, There were precut pieces for the two forward gun deck hollows (as the instructions called them), but none for the poop deck. I finally decided to use some planking from my other build to create this deck. The gun deck is visible in the second picture. After the beams set and dried, the next step is to dry fit the precut pieces for the deck. The deck was in three pieces. As you can see, some adjustment to the pieces was required to get them to fit. A ways down the road, the deck will get another layer of planking. There were a few places where I needed to add a few shims to the point where the deck met the frames in order to keep the deck even. After I was ok with the fit, everything was glued into place. I am not convinced that the points where the masts will be placed into the frames is all that great. It seems there should be more of a receiver socket (for lack of a better term) for each. I am going to study the other builds to see how that issue was addressed. Thanks for all the comments and encouragement.

Mufasa: I read the section of your build when you were working with the copper foil tape with great interest. The Mamoli solution of wood chips that are stained a greenish copper color just doesn't look right to me. That part of my build is a ways down the road so I have time to think about the options. Thanks for your response. I am really enjoying your craftsmanship. Bruce

Jon: Thanks for the welcome. It is much appreciated. I have been reading through all the Constitution logs. Even though they are different kits than what I have, I still glean a lot from their pictures. Even their comments about frustrations and mistakes are encouragement to me. I am still studying Bill Edgin's log since it is a Mamoli kit. He did several modifications. His experience and skill really comes through in his builds. I am not far enough along in ship building to undertake changes, I am working hard at just making out what the plans are trying to get me to accomplish. Thanks again for your welcome. It means a lot to a newbie like me.

Andre: I am new to this site and fairly new to the hobby. Like you, I completed one build (an AL Victory) before starting on the Constitution. Both ships were gifts from a friend. I am working on the Mamoli Constitution kit from 1980's and have recently started a build log. I have read your log (and others) with great interest. I am particularly interested in the differences in kits. I am not as far along as you are, but have already noticed differences parts and build sequence. As I understand from what others have told me, the Mamoli kit was an early Constellation Kit and created before laser cutting. Anyway, I am learning from you and others who are commenting on your progress. Thanks for sharing

Next step is attaching the frames, or as my wife calls them, the "ribs". Since I do not have a small hobby square, I purchased a plastic miter square at the local HD and cut it down to 2" wide by 3" tall. I used this to square the frames to the keel, both vertically and horizontally. Since this kit was produced prior to laser cutting, all the frames came in a single package and did not need to be cut from a larger piece of stock. The fit to the keel was good and snug. I also measured the distance between each frame on both port and starboard sides to make sure it was the same. I installed three or four frames per day and let them set up and dry before going on. In the background, you can see the plans, which at this point have been pretty good, but then this part of the build is pretty simple and straight forward.

I am new to this forum. I am currently building a Mamoli Constitution kit and have recently started a build log. I am enjoying your excellent construction and photography work immensely. As I progress, I will have questions to ask, but for now, I just want you to know you have an admirer in Colorado, USA.

Thanks! That is fun to know. The picture is different than on my box but it clearly shows the wood chip copper plating.

Andre: I have been watching several Constitution builds and enjoy seeing the differences in kit composition and parts offered. As near as I can tell, the kit I have was copyrighted in 1982, anyway that is the date on the printing which may or may not have anything to do with the actual production. The price tag on the box was $129.95 which is a little clue as to how old the kit is. Thanks for your reply.

Greg: Replacing the 1700 (the number given in the instructions) little green chips is one of the things I will change. I have been following mufasa's build. Wow! What a craftsman. When I get to that stage, I plan on asking him about the source for his copper strips. I really like how they look.

If you read the new members section, you will read a little about how I came about this kit and into ship building. This will be my second ship, the first being an A-L Victory. I was given both kits by a neighbor who found them among the belongings of his sister's home after she was admitted to a memory care facility. Neither kit had been opened. I have been reading posts on this site and learned a little about Mamoli kits. I recall one post saying Mamoli kits were no longer produced because of a factory fire. I know nothing about this brand, but it is what I have been given, so that is what I will work with. I have noticed there are very few full Mamoli Constitution builds on the site, mostly were cross-section builds, so that must have been a more popular kit. I only found one Mamoli Constitution full build that was completed and have studied it thoroughly. I have also viewed many other Constellation builds for tips and ideas have have started following some builds. I am hoping to show what the Mamoli kit has it in and how the ship goes together. The kit contains one 4' X 4' sheet with full size drawings on both sides. There are eighteen 2' X 2' panels (9 sheets, printed on both sides) of instructions in four languages. I am hoping this build will be of interest to those who are building the Constitution from another maker, if nothing else but to show the difference in kits. I am new enough to the hobby that I probably will not be going off-course too much, rather focusing my efforts on understanding the enclosed plans and following the assembly instructions. I will seek advise where plans are lacking and will always appreciate comments. Today's photos are assembling the keel. The keel came in four sections. It was suggested to lay out a board and tack the full-size instructions to the board, which I did. I then laid down some clear wrap over the instructions so I could not get glue on the paper. The board was to nail the keel to while the glue dried so it would dry perfectly flat. I used yellow glue at this point because I knew it would not show after other parts were added.

I am in my first year of ship building. I came about it as a challenge from my 85 year-old neighbor, Tom. His sister is unmarried and a hoarder. A few years ago she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and had to be placed in a memory care facility. While cleaning out her five storage units of stuff, Tom came across two ship kits. Knowing I always had a jigsaw puzzle on the table, he thought I might like to try a different sort of "puzzle". I have always been a modeler of sorts. In the sixties, I was into plastic car kits. After college, I started a model railroad that I worked on 30+ years in various locations and sizes. I also have a 1949 Willys Jeep that I have owned for almost 35 years and did a frame-off restoration that took two and a half years. After retiring to Colorado seven years ago, we downsized house-wise so there was no room for trains. I still have my Jeep but was looking for something I could do in the winter months. The gift of the ship kits was perfect. I have always enjoyed working under the big magnifying glass while assembling and painting model scenes. I had no clue about ship building so started watching a ton of YouTube videos before I started. Tom gave me two unopened kits, Artesania Latina's Victory and Mamoli's Constitution. I have no way of knowing how old the kits are. The Victory had a. price of $89.95 and the Constitution was $129.95. There are copyright dates in the instructions from the 1980's. Judging by the photo's on the boxes, it was evident which was the easier of the two. I set out to build the Victory. Compared to the Constitution, it had a solid hull and a fraction of the rigging. The AL instructions were not as complete as I expected and took awhile to get used to their translations (practice a 1 mm hole = drill a 1 mm hole), but I figured it all out and completed the kit in about six months. Like everyone, I made errors and it did not turn out as good as I would have liked, but when I presented it to Tom, he was so excited to have it. Before I started on the Constellation, I again watched dozens of videos to see if I could do better with some of the things I felt I didn't do as well on with the Victory. After watching. videos, I always read the comments and that is how I wound up on this site. I have read through and studied all the photos from other's Constitution builds on this site am going to start a build log soon. To keep me motivated, I started an Instagram thread on this build for my family to view my progress. Posting here is a little different as the viewers here are different than family and friends (who are easily wowed). But I know I will need help. Where better to come for advice and encouragement than a site like this? Thanks in advance to all who will assist.