Geoff Matson

Looking good. It seems like when you think you have it right you can always find a little more to do. Your final test will come when you have your bulkheads all faired and then using a text plank to check how things fit. 

You are right about the rigging. That is where I am right now.  I seem to find any excuse to avoid rigging. I do not know why it is such a hurdle to get down to business. That is the one good thing about Model Ship World, it will motivate you get going.  You might want to check out other build logs when you start to do the planking. You might need to put in some spacer blocks or braces between the bulwarks to aid in your fairing. Things are looking great and keep up the good work.

Bowsprit bitts have been made and tested. After they are painted they will be installed in place.

You are right about the rigging. That is where I am right now.  I seem to find any excuse to avoid rigging. I do not know why it is such a hurdle to get down to business. That is the one good thing about Model Ship World, it will motivate you get going.  You might want to check out other build logs when you start to do the planking. You might need to put in some spacer blocks or braces between the bulwarks to aid in your fairing. Things are looking great and keep up the good work.

Geoff - you are so right! I lost count at how many times I felt it was “good enough”, then came back for more. I did a cursory test with a bent plank and it’s close. I don’t want to cut anymore. I’d rather spot sand now then to try and reach perfection before I plank.  The prospect of fairing this ship is a little intimidating. I’m more anxious to plank than I am to rig - and this ship has 400yards of rigging!

I decided to forego the heavy sanding and went with a cutting blade. It was much faster and pleasant. It’s not a skill I get to use much, so it was fun. I should’ve done all of them this way. A bit more shaping, especially to the bearding line, and the blocks will be complete. 

1 bow block @ about 98% complete. I’m going to move on to the port side block now. As Geoff M pointed out, the going is faster after learning from the stern fillers. I utilize my rasp more, and the templates much more, making frequent pencil marks to guide the shaping. A word of advice - do not attempt to get some quick work done before guests arrive but after bourbon has begun. The block hit my belt sander and flew clear across the garage. After the second time I decided to call it quits for the night 😂 

You got the stern filler blocks looking great. Now with the bow filler blocks, it should go a little faster by applying what your learned from the stern filler blocks. GREAT  progress so far.
 

You got the stern filler blocks looking great. Now with the bow filler blocks, it should go a little faster by applying what your learned from the stern filler blocks. GREAT  progress so far.
 

Bow Filler Blocks
The forward/bow filler blocks are, so far, much easier than the stern blocks. The sheet plans contain 2 templates for the blocks - the bearding line shape and 4 levels of depth/profile templates. After struggling through my stern blocks with a coping saw, I bought a rudimentary miter saw setup and made short work of the 2 2 1/2” bow blocks. Once the blocks were less than 2 thick, I was able to use my scroll saw. Although a belt sander would probably have worked, I recommend the scroll saw. The following pics are the steps up to the finished rough cut. Due to the simple angles involved, it looks like a lot of trimming will be necessary, but to a much simpler form than the stern blocks. We shall see!

Stern Filler Blocks - final considerations. Shape until a plank width gap exists between the block and the rabbet. The blocks should follow the shape of the Bearding Line. Shape to slightly less than bulwark R, leaving just a bit for final shaping when planking. If you over cut, you can add a shim, but I think it’s easier to spot sand when necessary. Be sure to dry fit the blocks prior to glueing. I clamped in place and placed a plank all around the block to the rabbet. I found a few small but impactful epoxy drips under the counter that were causing fitment issues and needed to be removed. Also, the shim I added to the counter had to be trimmed to fully extend the rabbet line. After viewing other builds, I slightly rounded the top outer edge of the blocks to allow for planks to be tapered and “tucked” under the counter. It still allows for a squared fit if preferred. I’ll decide what looks best when I get there.

I’m very surprised at how much shaping the stern filler blocks needed. I followed the advice of several of you - and after utilizing my rasp and all of my block sanders, I finally shaped the blocks to the templates. My prior issue with the templates was because my initial blocks were so far off shape that it seemed I was utilizing the templates incorrectly. I think I sanded off 1/4 to 1/3 of the original cut shape. I glued the blocks with wood glue (I’ll add the final stern block pics after they dry)

I have been edge bending, which has really only been necessary for three of the strips on each side.  That isn't the problem, as you can see in these two photos. 
 

 

 
 
I'll try capture the waviness issues in a photograph when I return to the shipyard.  But a second issue has surfaced that I should have addressed a few strakes ago.  It may be more problematic than the waviness.  Look carefully at the photos below - at the wale at bulkhead D.  It doesn't seem so blatant when viewed deck side up (first photo - taken after 7th and final wale strake installed), and may yet more-or-less disappear when the planking is done.
 

 
But it's distressing when viewed keel side up (older photo with only 6 strakes on).  

 
Thank you for the tip of the bending technique with the iron.  I saw an earlier post of yours where you showed your method for bending the planks at the counter.  I've been doing that last twist by hand after bending the plank with a plank bending tool. But I like your bending jig option and will adapt that going forward.
 
  

I don't know exactly what this mechanism does, the anchor chain passes through the hole. It looks like some kind of clamp. These won't be very visible when the model is finished, but I wanted to add them anyway. At least I'll know they are there. 

I first made the frames from wood because I didn't have square brass bar.  But I didn't like it very much, it was too rough and far from reality. That's why I remade them from brass wire. I think they look more realistic now.

Here is a picture that might help you some. If I remember right, my finish filler block was about half the size of my initial cutout. Lots of sanding and fitting. I just sanded it down until I could get a test plank to flow along the bulkheads and fit into the rabbit joint. You cn see the tail of the filler block gets pretty narrow. Just take your time and be patient. It will all work out. Do not glue the block in until you have it right. (I learned that the hard way). 
 
 

Here is a picture that might help you some. If I remember right, my finish filler block was about half the size of my initial cutout. Lots of sanding and fitting. I just sanded it down until I could get a test plank to flow along the bulkheads and fit into the rabbit joint. You cn see the tail of the filler block gets pretty narrow. Just take your time and be patient. It will all work out. Do not glue the block in until you have it right. (I learned that the hard way). 
 
 

Great job on the metal work.

I never rely on restorations and recreations as a source for a model, unless the model is of the ship as it exists.  Constellation is no longer coppered, they can't afford it, or much else, and the people in charge are not historians.  The current spar deck arrangement was based on 1:96 scale plans from A.J.Fisher drawn based on the ship as she appeared in 1941, which is not how it was during the American Civil War, as the restoration folks claim to be working toward.
When I coppered my model of Constellation, which was launched in 1855, I looked at photos of ships, mostly 1860's to the 1890's.  There are no other real sources than this.  As stated, restorations are typically no more knowledgeable, and when consulted, usually refer you to their sources (which is how I found out about the AJFisher plans), which in most cases are the books we already consult; Lavery, Lees, etc.  There is no "Arming and Fitting of American Ships of War" and the closest thing to it, "The History of the American Sailing Navy" isn't the same sort of book, it's more of a narrative history with a few details rather than a technical guide.
At any rate; trying to figure out how Constellation was coppered by looking at photos of her and her contemporaries that showed it; I settled on the "no belt" pattern mentioned a few posts earlier.
I painted the hull copper, just-in-case, as this is a working model.  I used peel-and-stick copper tape sold by an electrical supplier online.  The tape is real copper, uncoated, and meant for indoor/outdoor use.  At 1:36 scale I needed tape at least 1/2 inch wide which model suppliers that have it, charge a great deal for, the electrical supplier cost less than half what model suppliers wanted.
(click the pics to see the larger versions)

 
I made dimples in a piece of sheet aluminum with a blunted nail, and pressed that onto the front of the copper piece on a "mars" eraser to imply the nail pattern.  This also made peeling the paper backing off much easier.

Starting at the ship's heel (the lowest point aft end of the keel), I began applying the copper sheets, wrapping them around the back edge of the stern post.  The sheets overlap about 1/16 of an inch.  Each piece was pressed by hand and gently rubbed with the mars eraser to press it to the hull.  This pushed the embossed dimples back out, making a countersunk, flat-head-nail look I was happy with.
 
This went on for a few thousand pieces of tape.  On occasion, a piece would have to be cut because it's end was too close to the end of the piece below it.  I cut pieces so the end would be 1/4" or more from each other when they would have been closer than that otherwise.  When one side was coppered, I worked on something else to let my fingers heal, the coppered the other side.  Finally I laid what I called the "dragon scales" on the stem and bottom of the keel.  The copper was trimmed to stop at the waterline, and a single row of sheets runs around the hull, covering all the points created by this trim.  The copper is therefore 7/16" above the LWL.

To the best I could determine, this was how Constellation and her contemporaries were coppered from the 1850 into the 1900's.  This may not apply to ships of other nationalities, or built in private yards.  Other than the belted, or non-belt patterns, I was mainly concerned with it's appearance fitting the 1:36 scale of my model, which I think it does.
This is how the copper looks 9 years later, after several sailings in the brackish waters of the Chesapeake Bay's tributaries.

I have started making the bilge pumps, the rocker arms and frames of the quadruple pump are complete

Here is a picture that might help you some. If I remember right, my finish filler block was about half the size of my initial cutout. Lots of sanding and fitting. I just sanded it down until I could get a test plank to flow along the bulkheads and fit into the rabbit joint. You cn see the tail of the filler block gets pretty narrow. Just take your time and be patient. It will all work out. Do not glue the block in until you have it right. (I learned that the hard way). 
 
 

Just remember, a post a day a fence a year. Just be patient and take your time. The Conny is so full of many mini builds. The cannon, ships boats, all the deck furniture, masts. yards, and rigging just to name a few. Just have fun. 

I was in the shop Friday afternoon and I wanted to build some sort of storage for my dremel drill press bits, cutters, wrenches, etc.
 
i seen somewhere that a person built a cabinet with drawers for his lathe.  I liked the idea put my twist on it and here’s what I came up with.  Yeah the drawer pull is over kill but it’s what I had on hand in the shop.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

The lower capstan is complete. It will be varnished later.

I created the square holes that the capstan bars are inserted, using Jon's technique (JGerson). Jon stated that he used a circular saw while doing these, I used my milling machine.