USS Constitution by Modeler12 - FINISHED - Model Shipways

[bhermann]

That is some very crisp work, Jay.  She is coming along beautifully.

 

Bob

[CaptainSteve]

My wife keeps asking me, with a big smile on her face, if I don't get tired of bending over this thing. And I reply with a smirk, that yes maybe I need a break, any suggestions?

 

Arrr ... CaptainSteve is hearing 70s porno-music ringing in his ears.

Arrrrrrr !!!

 

Seriously though, she's looking absolutely beautiful, Jay !!

Very crisp and very clean all the way.

 

I confess that I thoroughly enjoyed rigging previous builds ... I'd stand back and admire the ship as each set of ropes were installed.

Edited April 3, 2013 by CaptainSteve

[Geoff Matson]

Lookis like you are making good progress. Lots of line and knots. Keep us posted

[Modeler12]

I had not finished the rigging of the topgallant shrouds when I took the pictures above. They are now in place and ready for the ratlines.
The first picture below is the main and the foremast is second. The ratline template is for the mizzen.

   

 

However, this will be a very tedious job and I may hold of for a while. My eyes are going buggy enough.

[Børge]

Very nice progress on your rigging Jay, lookinf very nice.

 

Børge

[Modeler12]

Thanks all you guys for the nice compliments.

From now on there will be a lull. I need to get going on other parts of the ship and I don't know exactly what I am going to do next.

[JeffT]

The rigging is looking great.

[Geoff Matson]

Jay

 

 I am sure it will help out to a little break from the rigging. You can only do so much. Try the boats they a fun build and a nice break from the rigging. Thats what I am doing right now. Working on the fore and aft bumpkins and the studding boom storage. Then I will tackle the yards. So many shapes to put on one wooden dowel

[Modeler12]

Jay

 

 I am sure it will help out to a little break from the rigging. You can only do so much. Try the boats they a fun build and a nice break from the rigging. Thats what I am doing right now. Working on the fore and aft bumpkins and the studding boom storage. Then I will tackle the yards. So many shapes to put on one wooden dowel

I was thinking of starting the boats, Goeff, and then I thought about the bow carving. I need to do that before the bowsprit gets too far along. I am going to experiment with a couple different ideas other than the styrene (I don't have any thick enough and the nearest hobby shop is quite a drive from here).

I will let you know what the outcome is, if any.

[Geoff Matson]

Jay

 

I am sure you could use some thin wood and do it the same way. Maybe 1/32 or 1/64  might work. I have used pretty thin basswood run through the thickness sander. The thinner you go with basswood the more fuzz you get. I think boxwood might work better.

 

You could always check one of the styrene companies on the internet. You can almost always get it in a few days.

[Modeler12]

Port side done; tomorrow my 'good' side'. Oh, I forgot the little oval flag.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Modeler12

[Geoff Matson]

Looking good Jay

[JeffT]

Excellent Jay. It sure gives it life. What was your method?

[BRiddoch]

Great job Jay!  Makes me miss my build.

 

            Bob R.

[Modeler12]

Great job Jay!  Makes me miss my build.

 

            Bob R.

Ohio gaziamas, Bob. What do they call the Japanese art that involves folding paper to create things? For mine I actually used scissors.

 

As I was cleaning off my work area and moved the three square sails, I realized that one of them was lashed to the spar the wrong way. It is upside down, but should be easy to repair.

Boy, it is so easy to get things mixed up. 

Another 'gotya'.

 

Thanks for you comments, fellows.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Modeler12

[Modeler12]

Excellent Jay. It sure gives it life. What was your method?

Jeff, here is what I did. I figured that there really is no reason to make the carving out of thick material. On the real ship in Boston it looks like the design is simply painted on (except for the spiral on top).

So, I scanned the design from the drawing, used one as is and made another copy after flipping it over and printed them on stiff paper.

 

 

I cut the whole into four pieces, eliminated some of the barbs and now keep on trimming to make each look decent without cutting them in half. I cut along the lines on the printed side, but used the back side for the real pieces.

[JSGerson]

Actually the carving is in relief, as shown in the attached photo, but when brought down to scale, your method is perfect.

[Modeler12]

Actually the carving is in relief, as shown in the attached photo, but when brought down to scale, your method is perfect.

By golly, you are right. The picture I had was not as clear.

I also printed the design on some thin styrene, but the ink smudged too much on the smooth surface. So, I will stick with thick paper stock.

[Geoff Matson]

It always amazes me how many ways there are in modeling to do the same thing! Great work on the scroll work Jay.

[JeffT]

I like the idea Jay. Another way for me to consider. I was also thinking about trying to cut the design out of the kit supplied pieces with an exacto.

[Modeler12]

I like the idea Jay. Another way for me to consider. I was also thinking about trying to cut the design out of the kit supplied pieces with an exacto.

I also tried that, Jeff, but as Mr. Hunt suggested, the wood tends to break very easily with the grain and some of those 'legs' are pretty thin. I started out by drilling some holes on the inside curves and then cut away with an exacto knife. But I soon gave up.

[capnharv2]

That's a great method Jay! It's much cleaner than anything I could cut, sand or scrape.

 

In some ways, I wish I hadn't seen this. Re-doing the scroll work was one of the reasons I didn't want to rebuild my head rails for the 5th time . Now I have one less excuse to avoid it

 

Thanks again,

 

Harvey

[JeffT]

I also tried that, Jeff, but as Mr. Hunt suggested, the wood tends to break very easily with the grain and some of those 'legs' are pretty thin. I started out by drilling some holes on the inside curves and then cut away with an exacto knife. But I soon gave up.

 

I guess I'll scrap that idea then.

[capnharv2]

Jeff,

 

That's why Bob went to plastic instead of wood-to get away from the grain effects. But the parts are so small and fragile that even styrene had its issues. Jay's solution is much simpler, cleaner and less labor intensive.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Harvey

[Modeler12]

One of the reasons that Mr. Hunt and I did not see eye to eye on some things is that I often went against the grain.

[JeffT]

All I need is a scanner then.

[Modeler12]

All I need is a scanner then.

Well, not exactly . . .

 

I assume that your computer system has a printer. Mine (HP series) includes a scanner which allows me to make hard copies as well as copying the image to the computer. I then take the image and use a Microsoft Digital Image program to flip the drawing to create the mirror image.  You might have noticed in my last pictures that part of the image was erased. That is something else I can do with that program.

 

Perhaps others here have suggestions about doing it another way that may be easier. One thing to keep in mind is that the size of the drawing has to remain the same (or close to the same).

 

Of course, the easiest would be to simply copy the drawing 'as is' on a stiff piece of white paper. Make two copies and cut both with scissors. Use one 'as is' and the other flipped over. You will have to paint the one that shows all the black lines, but that should not be a major problem. I had to do some paint touching up as it was.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Modeler12

[bhermann]

That is a real effective method to solve what is real problem to do with the kit-supplied pieces.  Way to think originally, Jay.

 

Bob

[Modeler12]

Thank you Bob.
That is one of the reasons I like this hobby. I have done a lot of woodworking in the last fifty years, and also have tried many other 'hobbies' that require not only my hands but my brains. I always find it interesting to try different approaches. Cooking is another 'hobby' I enjoy, although my wife does not always agree with what I come up with.
 

One recipe that did not over too well was 'Braised Squirrel Aurora'. It started with: 3 squirrels, cut into serving pieces . . .

Edited April 7, 2013 by Modeler12

[Modeler12]

Starboard side