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

[JSGerson]

Oooh! I like that. But as always, I have questions: drill bits #80 - 61. If I wanted to follow your example for making the stars, I would need metal cutting drill bits. If I were to order drill bills from Model Expo for example, I would assume the bits would be designed for wood. How are metal cutting drill bits designated? Other being tougher, are they designed differently? Where do you buy them?

 

Thanks

Jon

[xken]

Jon, you will need to locate an industrial tool supplier near you and if they do not have the small drill bits in stock they can usually order them for you. You are correct, most drill bits in hobby outlets are more wood oriented and cheap. As I have said before you get what you pay for. Determine which drill sizes you use all the time because the ordered packs usually come in 10 packs from suppliers. For example I use .010", .020" and .032" based upon the brass rods that I use. The cutting fluid is the same to cut threads, Tapmatic Cutting Fluid 1 good for most metals. A small can will last you a lifetime unless you decide to drink it. 

 

Maybe someone else may have an online source for you to use.

[Techsan]

You're continually resetting the bar so high it's impossible to reach. It's getting downright demotivating!

 

Apologies if I missed it, but have you carved the catheads yet? I can't even imagine what they must look like...

[xken]

Techsan, No I still have to do those yet, they may be the last items to do. I still have a few more details and rigging issues to do yet.

 

You to can do this level of work, just time and patience and research. Of course the right tools help as well.

[HIPEXEC]

Terrific detail! Nice work

[JohnReid]

Thanks so much Ken.My Victory was a 1/72 Sergal kit I bought back in 1973.Lousy instructions and plans.I had to replace everything and used Longridges plans to build it and turned it into a diorama.Cheers! John.

[xken]

Just a quick update on the transom with the stars in place and the rudder chains which I thought would be easier to do before adding the small boat. i then seized the boom with the 3mm hooks and then added the flag permanently.

 

 

Now to rig the studding booms and make ropes for coils for belaying pins.

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnReid]

Wonderful pic Ken.

[md1400cs]

Ken,

 

A real beauty. -

 

PS: Took some notes on your technique for hanging flags

[xken]

I spent some time rigging the studding booms, and I really like the results. The time taken was well worth the results.

 

 

 

I them moved on to rigging the small boats in their davits. After checking photos of the restored Constitution I realized that the gripes were leather straps. I then found in my automotive stash some goatskin leather that was used in cars seats. This leather is very thin and supple and after cutting 1/16" strips they were slightly stretched to set. Then brass rings were glued to each end after being cut to the length needed. 

 

 

Next I added the attachment points per the plans with eyebolts and rings as needed. For the sake of clarity in photographing the brass rings have not been darkened yet. Since I used the spreader rope the upper strap ends were attached to the end of the spreader rope.

Here are images of the results showing the three boats in various views.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an overall stern side view.

 

 

Now back to finish up more details like rope coils for the belaying pins.

 

[zappto]

This is real piece of art, you have good eye for so small details!

[CDW]

1/16" sounds like such a small strip of leather for the straps. But once those finished straps are attached to the boat davits, it's just right. Beautiful work.

[MEDDO]

Those straps look really great.

 

[xken]

Thanks for the kind words! I have been busy with honey-do's so wrapped up some details like the bell and boarding pikes. I must be getting old; I had a note to add the pikes before adding the rigging lines and must lost the note or just plain had a brain fart. But I managed to get them in place. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have designed a Black Walnut base that I am working on while I make rope coils for belaying pins and ponder the Cat head faces.

[JohnReid]

Love your stuff Ken always have and always will. Cheers! John.

[ca.shipwright]

Ken,

Great work. Your build log will be a huge resource for me when I start my Connie.

I would love to know how to take such good close-ups with my Nikon B700. I am just not a photograpgher.

 

Regards

[SawdustDave]

This posting makes me want to stop what I'm working on and start building launches.... one of my favorite modeling tasks.
Very nice Ken.

 

Dave

[xken]

Thank you all for your kind comments! Michael, my camera is a Nikon Coolpix S6000 nothing real special. I use the "Scene" setting for overall images and the "Flower" setting for close up no flash and auto focusing. Pay real attention to the auto focus red and green on close ups.

 

Here is the base finished up using 3/4" Black Walnut; fitting to the hull fore and aft and setting on the center keel was a slow tedious process. I incorporated a subtle wave element to support the center of the keel. Once fitted it was sprayed and sanded and sprayed again with Clear urethane. 

 

 

 

 

I worked on coils back and forth and still have a few more to do. I am glad I am making my own rope as needed so far I think I have used up about 40 feet of rope making coils and still not done. Here are some random pictures of the fixture I made using extra belaying pins as pegs which worked well. The major lesson I learned for future builds is to make sure there is clearance on the belaying pins and side rails they butt against. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a close up of the flag cleat.

 

Now back to more rope coils.

 

 

[6ohiocav]

Ken,

 

This was timely.  I am about to embark on creating coils and your practicum is extremely helpful. Your method of creating a coil for the cleats solved a mystery for me. Your attention to detail is unsurpassed.

[JSGerson]

As always neat, clean, well photographed, and a pleasure to view and read.

 

Jon

[ca.shipwright]

Ken,

Thanks for the photo lesson. I will give your tips a try on the next photo op when I finish the Victory under-planking this week. Your rope coils are unbelievable.

[mtaylor]

Beautiful work and beautifully explained, Ken.  

[xken]

I just received 25 mm figures from one of the site's sponsors and they look just great. Just need a little cleanup on casting seams. Now I need to research the colors of the uniforms to paint them. Does anyone have a source for color reference? I also created the signal flag names for my grandsons Alex and Tyler as well as the mast pendants and bowsprit. My computer and printer have decided not to communicate with each other and I get a message that the computer cannot find the printer's ISP address. I love technology when it works and hate it when it does not.

Here are pictures of the figures just set in place for now.

 

 

 

Here are the signal flags and pendants; the names will fly from the foremast course yard to the deck. Note two sets of flags for the names.

 

 

Now back to CAD drawing for my next project.

[Tigersteve]

You're leaving an amazing legacy for Constitution builders with this log. What's your next project?

Steve

[JSGerson]

I used those exact same figures for my Rattlesnake (post Feb 11, 2017).  After I trimmed off the casting seams I dipped them in the same acid bath I used for blackening metal pieces to get rid of any oils left on the metal. To my surprised, the metal turned black as if I had blackened them. Just thought you might want to aware of that.

 

Jon

[alde]

You do raise the bar Ken. Great work.

[xken]

Thank you Steve, Jon and Al!

 

Steve, I am still working on CAD drawings, but it will be the Maresk Detroit my son-in-laws container ship that he is the Captain of now. This is the first ship he has command of after being promoted to Captain. It was the worst ship in it's class when he took command of and after his first two tours it is now fifth in the entire Maresk Fleet. Needless to say we are very proud of his accomplishments and I thought that he should at least have a model of his first ship. Here are a couple of the CAD drawings of where I am at so far. This will be a complete scratch build at about 1:356 scale or 32" long x 4.5" wide and 7.5 high.

 

Maresk Detroit-01.pdf

 

Maresk Detroit-02.pdf

[Jack12477]

Ken, I assume from it's name that his ship is a Great Lakes vessel ????

[xken]

Jack, no he goes from Huston,Texas to Mumbai, India across the Atlantic through the Med. sea the Suez Canal on to various destinations. Google it for specs.

[Tigersteve]

Ken-

That's very cool. I will definitely follow that one. 

Steve