Geoff Matson

Looking good. I don't think people realize how many "mini" kits are the Constitution. The cannons, the boats, etc. It really makes the kit a great build and learning experience. It also makes the the kit a very "long" build. Keep us posted.

Have a great trip Marcus. Thanks for the plant biology.

Thanks for the tip. This is whats great about MSW. Builders letting you know what to watch out for. I did make up some extra spacers blanks jut in case that happened. Help me out on my biggest fear. How to attach all the lines to the deck? The area next to the foremast is awfully crowded. I am worried about attaching the stays that run down along side the mast and attach to the deck. I still have a lot of figuring out to do. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated. Thanks.

Welcome Steve, Looking forward to your build log.

I am still getting everything lined up to start my standing rigging. I made a deadeye spacer to help me align the deadeyes. It was made out of some brass rod, soldered together, and then bent to shape. I know the deadeyes are suppose to be three deadeyes apart. There is a lot more planning to do before I actually start the rigging of my shrouds.

Great job Dave. She looks great. It is hard to believe that the box of wood and string can turn into something so beautiful. It is a true reward to see all your hard work come to a conclusion. Enjoy the holiday and then start off the New Year making some sawdust!

Your build is looking great. You are really paying attention to detail and it makes your build really stand out.

I have the 8 plus. I really like the phone and most of the model pictures are from the phone.

I am working on dry fitting my masts and found a useful tool from my I Phone. The level. The level lets me know I am close. Finaladjustments will be made later.

I started with the foremast and ran into a little problem. My mast did not properly align in the keel just right. Now time for a little dry fitting and tweaking. Add a little wood, sand off a little wood, repeat until it fits right. Problem solved. I know the foremast will have a 3 degree rake to it. The mainmast will have a 3.5 degree rake to it. And the mizzenmast will have a 5 degree rake it. I finally got it where I like the fit. .

I finished all my pre-rigging of the running rigging. The masts and yards. Now to get to the serious stuff. The standing rigging. This is where it will start to look like a ship. At least, that is the plan. I am in the process of dry fitting the masts. Now comes the big decision. To glue the masts in place or not. I know there is a lot of discussion about it. I will make that decisions I progress. I will be stepping the masts like they did in real practice. I will work from bow to stern. The foremast first, then the main, and then the mizzen. I will hold off on the bowsprit until later. I will be doing a lot of dry fitting over the next few days trying to get everything right.

The guns will go quickly. You picked the right time of the year to do them. A little wine, good food, family, and a few weeks and they will all be done. :). I am looking at the same problem as you, only with the standing rigging. Knots! Knots! Knots! I am actually looking forward to doing the barn chores this morning before working on rigging. Oh, by the way the morning temps are 23 degrees and windy. When you push up the manure pile you make the wind is blowing in the right direction!

I have a lot of reference books, but Peterson's is the one that I really like. You can see where the rigging starts, and finishes. My wife makes me laugh when she asks, "How much did you pay for that box of sticks and strings?". I also have Bob Hunt's practicum and it really helped me a lot during the construction. However, once he got to the rigging part, I found it lacking. If all you have is the booklet that comes with the book, you are in deep trouble. The greatest part of MSW is all the build logs on the sight. They really are helpful and have got me through many frustrations.

Thanks for your interest Capt. Jack. I just finished a major milestone. I have all my pre-rigging for the running rigging done. Now to begin the standing rigging. That means I have to get off the fence and install the masts and begin rigging the shrouds. I feel like I will be tying knots for the rest of my life. I plan on stepping the masts, like they would do in real practice. I will start with the foremast and then work my way aft. My biggest fear is overlooking something and then having to drill a hole to attach something in an unreachable spot. I look forward to you starting your build log. There are a lot of great build logs on the sight if you have any questions.

Looks like you are progressing well. I took the easy way out with the original wood from the Constitution. I made wood dowels from the original wood and used them to pin the false keel on. That way I gave some HEART to the model. Have fun.

Looks like you are off to a good start. Just take your time and have fun, it is a long build and easy to get frustrated.

Welcome to the group. Happy modeling

Love the stern window frames! You are making great progress Marcus.

Elijah It is great to watch your progress. You are really developing as a modeler. It is fun to see your progress here on MSW and at our meeting. Keep up the good work and HAPPY MODELING!

Congratulations on a great build. I learned a lot from following your build.

Hey Brian, I want you to understand that this Constitution kit is a very hard build. If the kit instructions are all you have, I can see why you are asking the question. The Anatomy of the ships books are out of print and usually are quite expensive. Keep checking and sometimes you get lucky. I am building my model with the help of Bob Hunt's practicum. I don't think he sells them anymore. I found his practicum very helpful. I did make many of my own changes, but he has the basic's down. One great thing about MSW is all the build logs this sight has on the Constitution. These build logs can become your BEST friend. If you have any questions, please ask and I know the guys and gals will help you as much as they can. Ken's log is a wealth of knowledge, and will really help you out. I found the kit plan sheets were my best friend. I feel they are top notch and very helpful. But, remember they are plans for the Constitution as she sits in Boston today. So that is what the kit gives you. One book I found quite helpful was Rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Peterson. The book gives many examples of rigging and it works. I would recommend this book to you. As you begin your build review the build logs and see how other members did their construction. Try to under stand what they did and how they did it. Take your time and have fun. A lot of my build was done before I joined MSW, but I do have some photos of how I did things. If I can help in any way, just give me a shout and I will try to get you going in the right direction.

Bryan, Good to have you and good luck on build.

John, Thinking about you during this difficult time. You have my thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for checking my build log and for the tip Ken. I am following your build and still marvel at the details you apply at such a small scale.

Your build is really great. I have slowed down on my build so I can watch your progress and make my build easier . Your solutions to the problems on this build are truly inspiring. I look forward to more progress. Thanks.