USS Constitution by xken - Model Shipways - Scale 1:76.8

[xken]

Jon, yes this is my way of doing it not the plans and very early on I shaved the laser cut bulkheads to compensate for both the spar deck, as well as the gundeck just for the the very reason you are pointing out. I also did this on my Niagara build as well.

[JSGerson]

I thought you did. I asked the question for others who are following your build who may not have thought about the consequences of adding a support deck. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't worked on my kitbashed Rattler.

 

Jon

[MEPering]

Looks like excellent work, Ken.  Are you also going to be using 3/64th" planking instead of 1/16th" to adjust for the 1/64th" in the plywood carrier?  As Jon pointed out, there would be 1/64th" difference if you were going with the original planking.  If not, I don't see how waterways and gun ports would align properly either.

 

Matt

Edited June 6, 2016 by MEPering

[xken]

Matt, as I commented above that the laser cut parts were shaved to compensate for the thickness of the 1/64" carrier for both decks.

[Landlubber Mike]

Really nice work Ken.  Your bowsprit is a work of beauty - the steps on it came out gorgeously.

[xken]

Mike, thank you for your kind compliments!

Matt, in rereading your comment I think you meant 3/64" rather than 3/32". I am using the 1/16" as supplied by the kit on the shaved spar deck laser cut parts as I also did on the gundeck to assure correct height for the long guns and carronades.

[MEPering]

Yes, Ken.  Thanks.  Corrected.

 

Matt

[xken]

Once the center planking was set I was checking spar deck pictures of the real ship and noticed that there was a trim perimeter frame between the decking and planksheer. Fortunately the center decking section allowed the cutting in of the stern, and bow portions once the sides were added. The framing was added with the decking in place with the perimeter framing being held tightly against the planksheer and then very carefully tack glued without gluing the frame to the planksheer. Decking was then removed, the framing securely glued and the rest of the planking added.

 

 

 

 

 

Once the glue has set the planking will be sanded and the butt joints cut in with a sharp Xacto blade and black glue filled. Staining will then follow.

[xken]

I continued on with the deck by mildly wetting the underside plywood carrier to counteract the warp from gluing and set in place in the hull and held in place with wedges under strips of wood inserted through the gunports and weighted down with steel blocks around the center opening and allowed to dry overnight. This process of using wedges and weights will also be used to glue down the deck when the time comes.

 

 

In the meantime while waiting for the deck to dry I fabricated the sea steps and in checking vintage photos versus plans. The plans show 11 while photo shows 10, and there are only two painted white that are in the gun stripe.

Here is the vintage photo. I will use this reference to do mine and I will also add the hand ropes along side of the steps.

 

 

Here are the sea steps ready to paint. I made a couple of extra just in case.

 

While drying over night one of the joints let go that I fixed with filler made from the sanding fluff I saved while sanding the deck.

 

 

 

Here the filler is applied and the key is to apply it across the planking joints for the best fill. Allow the first coat to dry and then apply a second. Once dry it was sanded to match the surrounding area.

 

Here the final trim cut in of the grate structure was done using a sharp blade carefully slid along the edge of the frame side to cut deck. Care must be used to cut the deck and not the frame; a very slight angle of the blade away from the frame helps.

 

Here the pre-stain has been applied and the deck put back in place to dry with the mast chaffing fish holding the deck down.

 

Now back to adding the steps while the conditioner drys. 

 

[JSGerson]

Those sea steps look very nice. Would you mind telling us how you made them? Are there three pieces of stacked wood or did you cut a solid piece somehow?

 

Speaking of the step's three layers, I was wondering why you made three when the plans (as shown in your pictures) appears to show two. I went back to my library of images and found this nice shot of the steps which clearly shows three. Nice job on your research.

 

If you will notice, all of the steps in my photo are painted white, not just those in the stripe as shown in the 1931 photo. As we all know the paint scheme (among other details) has changed over the years. Which leads me to my last question: what era is your model going to depict?

 

Jon

[xken]

Jon, yes the pieces are stacked and I used Midwest Scale Lumber #8003 two lengths were cut then one split into 1/3 -2/3's and then the ends trimmed to length. All then carefully glued together, once set the ends of the top rounded by sanding.

As for the plans yes they show a detail of the three parts even though the side elevation shows only two. Could have been intended or a drawing opps.

Here is a picture.

 

Here they are painted and installed on the starboard side.

 

 

I have notice so many dependencies in the plans I am now only using them as a guideline and do research based on vintage and contemporary photos. Being basically a scratch builder and have always done my own research and drawings of model subjects and experience tells me not to trust drawings of others even the self proclaimed experts; I am probably building a composite of all three based upon the details I personally prefer. This build will be a gift to my son when completed and end up in his house at the end of Long Island.

 

Heading out after lunch here to have a get-a-away weekend in the mountains with the kids and grand kids. Completely off the grid in my son-in-laws's family cabin.

 

 

[6ohiocav]

Ken,

 

I have been admiring your Constitution build from afar, and go back to your wonderful NIagara often before I do anything on my Niagara. Now that I have become active on the forum again, I just wanted to say thanks for all of the "advice and inspiration" that you never knew you gave me.

 

Having just done my deck by using cherry veneer strips on birchwood plywood, and being alerted by many on this forum to the impact on height for deck carronades, and following your lead, I actually did something right - the first time!

 

Thanks again.

 

Darrell

[xken]

Darrell, glad to hear that you are moving along in your build. I am also learning as I go as well since this is only my second ship build. My wife use to do the big craft show in Zoar on the square. We use to live in Wooster, Ohio before moving to Morro Bay to be close to our granddaughters and be able to help with them when mom and dad are working.

[6ohiocav]

Ken,

 

That would be the Zoar Harvest Festival in August.  I have been a Board Member of the Zoar Community Association for many years and live just outside of the historic district. If you ever get back this way, give us a shout.

 

Darrell

[JSGerson]

Those steps came out beautiful!

[xken]

Had a great getaway weekend in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Sequoia National Park. Those Sequoia trees are huge! I could not imagine how many model ships could be built from just one. Now into serious babysitting of grand kids as the wood flooring is being installed and sanded. Soon we will be heading out to the zoo for the morning.

 

I have had an opportunity to do a little work and finished up the spar decking and stained it Golden Oak. I then installed it back on the hull with the wedges to dry. I am still trying to sort out the 1/32 raised planking section towards the stern from the capstan back to the mizzen fife rail. Any insight on this detail is welcome since it does not appear on the real ship; but need to resolve it before adding the structures. In the meantime I made the mast boots and started on the fife rails and have decided to turn the supports rather than using the kit's castings. I am using maple for these since they will turn better and hold the details such as the saw cuts for the sheaves. I also am adding the sheave pins using .020" brass rod.  

 

Here are the boots and decking sections so far.

 

 

Here I am starting the fife rails and using steel blocks to assure squareness as glued together.

 

 

Here is the test turning and also note the 1/32" drill bit on the right for the location pin to index into the deck.

 

Will be working away on the turnings since 14 are needed.

[MEPering]

That turning looks 100% better than the brittania castings that come with the kit, Ken.  Especially considering that these parts on the prototype are bright finished wood.  The deck looks great too.

 

Matt

[xken]

Finished up building the three fife rails. One word of advice for those who follow cut in the front brace to the forward posts as noted for strength due to the weakness of the laser cut arm parts with holes having a tendency to break very easily while handling. They also will be able to hold the posts in place to locate holes in the deck for the locating pins. These braces will have the center portions cut away once the fife rails are finally glued in place. As for now all the spar deck structures will be fabricated and set in place for now including the deck itself. I also cut sheaves on my Sherline lathe to be cut into the posts with a 1/32" axle for turning if necessary. Here are a sequence of pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then started at the bow with the structures and am working towards the stern, which will be a slow going process since most will be scratch built like these.

 

 

 

Now back to building.

 

 

[David Lester]

Very nice Ken!

David

[CaptainSteve]

'Tis, ain't it !!

 

[xken]

Thanks for your kind words! I moved onto the capstan and started the anchors to work back and forth. I again checked the photos of the real ship for reference since the plans and instructions are a little sketchy. The laser cut parts center holes for the dowel to pass through were slightly off center; so the parts were trued up on the lathe once glued together. I added brass ring and solid polished top as well.

 

Here are a few pictures of what I did.

 

 

 

It is very difficult to cut a thin ring off a tube with out tearing it up when the cut through happens; so I just cut a groove to use as a guide for the saw blade.

 

 

 

This also shows an in progress anchor with metal straps added; the rest still need to be done. Note that the centering hole was not drilled completely through the brass top; the top wood pin was cut down to be used as an indexing pin into the partially drilled hole in the underside of the brass disc top.

 

Back to the rest of the structures to be completed.

 

[alde]

Looks fantastic Ken. Does that brass capstan top have a radius to it? It looks like it might on the picture with the anchor. If so can you give a quick explanation on how you did it?

 

Thank you 

[xken]

Al, no crown just a flat surface polished, what you may be seeing is the curved surface of the anchor. The brass was cut from 1/32" sheet stock to match the ring on the lower part.

[alde]

Thanks Ken, I see now that it's the reflection.

[JSGerson]

I have no experience with a lathe, let alone a metal lathe, but I assume one was use for making the capstan top as well as the inset underside for the indexing pin. How did you initially cut the disc and then hold it in place to spin it on the lathe to create its final diameter and inset?

 

Jon

[xken]

Jon, the top disc was hand cut and sanded and polished by hand. The pattern, the laser cut wood part with the brass ring was traced onto a piece of brass. The brass ring provided a hard smooth surface for tracing using a sharp scribe point and small center circle. The circle was drilled into the center mark but nor all the way through and thus the indexing point. Picture 4.

 

I would highly recommend at some point acquiring a table top lathe; mine is a Sherline #4400 with the long bed. Also a 4 jaw self centering chuck for holding square stock. I am not a machinist; I am self taught on both the lathe and milling machine. Sherline offers a great book targeted at beginners to work with tabletop machines that they offer. Here are a couple of links. Explore their site and online museum to see some great work being done.

 

http://sherline.com/product/44004410-lathe/

 

http://sherline.com/product/5301-tabletop-machining/

[JSGerson]

Thanks again for providing those beautiful pictures and great explanations. I will probably buy one of those new toys in the future before I start my Conny after all, it's only money 8-)

 

Jon

[xken]

Jon here is an example why a lathe comes in handy. The kit smokestack was a POS casting with the mold being squeezed too much and formed an oval versus a round part aside from the rough porous surface it had. 

 

I started with a piece of 1/2" diameter bar stock and turned a new stack out of brass faster than it would take to cleanup the POS casting. Again I went to the images of the real ship and added the spark arrestor as well.

 

Here is a sequence of pictures explaining what I did to make it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now back to other parts.

[alde]

Ken, You make it look easy. I am looking forward to trying this myself.

[Ponto]

Just caught up with and looked in on this log.....some very impressive skills being displayed here!!!

 

JP