USS Constitution by stevenmh (Steve Herzberg) - FINISHED - Mamoli - Scale 1:93 - Cross-Section

[stevenmh]

Thanks Russ - I did buy a little 4" table saw, and our black walnuts have dropped a number of branches - maybe I'll play with those, but probably also get a scroll saw and some tougher wood too.

[russ]

Give it a try and see what you get. I used oak and maple and I had decent results.

 

Russ

[stevenmh]

A bit more progress while I figure out better wood and tools.  Stained the platform and some home-made planks, but those plank were very uneven, so I am going to make some more.  I also took some of the ladder that came with the kit, and is supposed to just sit on a closed hatch and cut it down, started sanding it down so it is thinner (looks out of scale as it) and will attach it to the platform once the new planks are in.

[stevenmh]

New wood finally arrived - now I have no excuse not to go full steam ahead!  I am thinking I will finish the side I started with the kit wood, then fill, sand and paint it, but the other side I might "paint" with the new wood I bought and depending on how that wood looks, put some satin poly on it.  We'll see.  Now off to finish the deck frame plans/templates and start cutting lumber.

[stevenmh]

First attempt at knees (berth deck thrust knees in this case) with new wood and new scroll saw.  Not the impossible task I expected - time consuming, with much laying out and sanding, but not impossible.  

 

 

(Original with kit on the right, home made on the left)

[EJ_L]

Time consuming but not impossible... I think that should be the theme for model ship building!

 

The knee looks good. All those custom parts will improve the overall look and it will make you feel good just knowing you did all that work.

[stevenmh]

Thanks EJ.  It is fun watching these pieces come together.  Speaking of which, platform is complete and some barrels of rum stowed away.  Now to try more knees (on my second batch of 4, only 1 or 2 are really usable - first one beginner's luck?)

[JSGerson]

I'm always curious as to how everyone makes their ladders since they have been a bane for me. Yours caught my eye because I've never seen one done quite that way - notched in back. Now I don't want to be a critic, but the steps appear to be 90 degrees to the side rails. Since the ladder is being used at an angle, shouldn't the steps be at angle also so that they are level? Love your work by the way.

 

Jon

[stevenmh]

Thanks Jon  --  you caught me: the ladder actually came with the kit.  I modified it slightly and I suppose I could have turned it so the notches were in front, but for some reason this way looked better.

[EJ_L]

It looks like it is made for a steeper climb. Maybe a "stock" design for the ladders to the upper decks which are more vertical in design than where this one is placed. 

[stevenmh]

Now you're jumping the gun into the next round of changes to the kit.  Stock for 3 ladders was provided.  The first one was supposed to lay on a hatch from the berth deck to the hold - only in the real ship there does not appear to be any such hatch at this location, so that one is being scratched, and the ladder used as you see.  The other two ladders are intended for the hatch from the spar deck to the gun deck; these are oriented across the ship - port to starboard - and are placed with the ladders facing each other and with the feet of the ladders almost touching.  Creates a bit of a bottleneck if you ask me.  I have seen drawings with ladders at the aft end of the main hatch, running fore and aft and that is what I plan on doing.

[S.Coleman]

Hey there. I just read through your log. Looks amazing. Well done. I like the cross section kits. Maby one day (sigh)

[stevenmh]

Thanks Scott - it's my first wooden model, sometimes I think I'm biting off more than I can chew, but I am becoming fond of cross-sections.

[stevenmh]

Some progress today - if you call 1 step forward 1 1/2 steps back progress.  Finished cutting out the 8 thrust knees I needed.  Notched them so they would sit at a 30 degree angle and fit over the ledged to support the deck beams.

 

 

Then attached them to the hull - look good, but realized I had them pointing the wrong way - aft of the main hatch the "dagger" points forward, so I took them off and attached them to the other side of the hull.  They looked good,

 

until I dry fit one of the deck beams and realized the wide part of the knee was not parallel to the deck beam and would meet the beam only in one small spot.  So off they will come again, but not tonight.

[russ]

The tops of the knees need to be beveled to meet the beam. But I think you saw that.

 

Russ

[stevenmh]

They were actually out of line on 2 axes - these fit better, I think.

 

Now on the the lodge knees and partners - tiny pieces (10mm on a side) for which I haven't quite mastered the forstner bit/scroll saw techniques yet.  May need more scrap wood to practice on

 

[stevenmh]

Time to fill in the pieces of the puzzle.

 

My handmade thrust knees are done, although they will need a little tweaking.  The lodging knees are almost done, and the remaining deck beams are bent and ready to cut to size.  Now its just the notches, carlings and ledges to go.  I was having trouble with the wood that came with the kit (the dark walnut in the photo below) - bought the kit second or third hand, and I think it is so old that the wood has dried out, since it splintered when I tried to cut the notches.  Going to replace those with the cherry.

[stevenmh]

Starting to put the pieces together for real

[stevenmh]

Maybe one of the reasons I'm making such painful slow progress (but progress nevertheless) is that I keep adding things that aren't in the kit and have to design and then make all the parts (like the rack for the barrels):

 

The photo shows the half of the deck that will eventually be planked over - getting in some practice for the other half which will be left exposed.

[EJ_L]

Lookin great and I love all those little extras you have been putting in. Very inspiring as my next project which will be a cross section of my La Couronne model. This is giving me a lot of excellent ideas for things to add. Keep up the fine work! 

[stevenmh]

Thanks E.J. and all of you "likes".  Very nice work on your Couronne - will the cross section be from a kit or scratch-built from plans (making a list for future projects, once I finish a few full models and attempt planking...)

[EJ_L]

The cross section will be completely scratch. I will be able to use dimensioning from my current build for reference as well as I kept the extra wood that the false bulkheads were cut from so I have a template for the shape of the hull for framing. With those I can adjust the scale as needed. 

 

It it will be a fun challenge that I am looking forward to doing soon! I will have a log and I will try to keeps a step by step accounting of how I do it. May need reminders in that area though... 

[stevenmh]

Slow and steady - lots of sanding and filing to get the framing to fit, but half way there - on the first deck 

[stevenmh]

Well, some progress at last.  The deck framing is done, part of it is painted (the part I am probably going to cover over with the decking - I'm thinking of leaving the exposed part natural wood.  I doubt the tops of the deck beams, carlings and ledges were painted under the decking), and most of the remaining stuff for the hold is in.  I have added a keelson, and need to finish decking around it for a gutter.  The green card is the template for the mast seat, which I won't actually glue in place until the gun deck is done and I can insert the mast raked and know where it hits the keelson.  After that is done I will install the support columns on top of the keelson.

 

 

But for now, it is on to planking the deck and the inside of the hull to the cleat for the gun deck beams and adding poly - I'm not going to plank the outside of the hull yet as it turns out it is easier to fit the ledges if I can also work through the side of the ship and not just from the top.  Then more knees...  I'm thinking I will plank the entire gun deck and do another exposed section on the spare deck.  

[stevenmh]

Some more progress - first attempt at the mast seat, don't think it will be the final one.

Deck planked, also not quite done, but getting there.  Left side will be left with framework exposed.

[stevenmh]

Model ship-building or medieval torture chamber? 

[EJ_L]

Perhaps a little bit of both...

[stevenmh]

Given all the problems I had cutting out knees from sheets of wood, I'm trying a different approach: taking a piece of molding, sanding it to the proper contour, and cutting off slices.  These will become lodging knees - I may need to find a bigger piece for the hanging and diagonal knees.

Original contour:

Work in progress:

Finished product:

[stevenmh]

Got the hanging knees and one pair of diagonals in for the gun deck, as well as one of the beams.  Added a comming for the opening for the pump hoses, painted (mostly) one side of the ship and made a template of the gun deck to test fit the location of the hole in the gun deck for the mast.  Suddenly this thing looks much bigger.

 

One issue is looming, however.  As we all know, the main mast tapers slightly from the seat to where it comes through the spar deck.  The kit comes with mast rings to cover my imperfections where the mast pierces the decks.  The good and bad news is that the openings in these rings decrease in size to match the change in mast diameter as it tapers - largest diameter would go on the berth deck, smallest on the spar deck.  Good news: makes it look more realistic; bad news: unless I step the mast before I install the spar deck and slip the smaller ring for the gun deck on (before installing the top) how do I get the ring on the mast and seated on the gun deck - file the opening larger?  cut a slit into the ring and spread it over the wider foot of the mast???

[EJ_L]

Looking good!

 

As to the mast issue, you may have to get the rough framing in place and then insert the mast and finish the framing and planking around it. Makes things harder but, it may be the best solution. If those rings are metal they might be able to be cut, spread open, placed around the mast and then closed again. Maybe not though also as that would be a significant spread that would have to take place to get them open enough to fit. I'm hoping someone else will come up with a suggestion but from what I can see, you may need to just plan on building with the mast in place.