USS Constitution by SawdustDave - FINISHED - 1:60th Scale

[SawdustDave]

Ships Wheel installed....

Just a couple more details added after two thin coats of wipe on poly and fitting the rope to the drum.
Seen in the right photo, the four brass bolts have been added to the frame base.  Also, the brass plate and tube has been added where the wheel rope passes through the deck.

[mtaylor]

That is one lovely wheel, Dave.

[Omega1234]

2 hours ago, mtaylor said:

That is one lovely wheel, Dave.

Agreed!  Mighty fine job, Dave. 

 

Cheers. 

 

Patrick

[SawdustDave]

My dear MSW friends.... After spending over 4 hours last night, catching up on Marsal's Pandora, I woke up this morning a completely humbled man.  Instead of my usual morning routine, I think my morning time will be well spent to return to his log and go through it once more....very slowly.  

As humbling as it is to study this man's work, it is also very inspiring to those of us hoping to improve our own skills.

If I were a younger man, I would take a large hammer to my current build and begin with a clean slate.

 

Cheers

Edited November 12, 2017 by SawdustDave

[mtaylor]

Dave,

Don't beat yourself up or the Constitution.  You're doing great.  Indeed, there are many models here that humble us mere mortals and the best we can (and should do) is just learn from them.  

[SawdustDave]

No real intention of damaging my model Mark.  Just my weird sense of humor way of complimenting Marsal’s fine work.

What?  Do you think I’m nuts?!  Yahahaha

[mtaylor]

That's good to hear, Dave.   I tend to think we're all a bit nuts (in a good way)...  myself included.   

 

On the light side... don't use a hammer.  Viking funeral.   I should have done the flames on my first Licorne.. Oh well.  

[SawdustDave]

I question the sanity of ANYONE who would sit and spend the untold thousands of hours doing what we do Mark.

As for myself, it keeps me from the temptation to go back to work.... picture me as a “Greeter” at Walmart.  

[mtaylor]

I don't think Wally World has greeters anymore.  When I retired, I briefly (very briefly, almost miniscule) considered it.  Decided model ships were better for me mentally...  make of that what you want.  Bwahahahahaha.

[HIPEXEC]

Amazing detail!

[Piet]

Nicely done Dave. The tunnels show up quite well.

 

Cheers,

[SawdustDave]

1 hour ago, Piet said:

Nicely done Dave. The tunnels show up quite well.

 

Cheers,

"Tunnels" / "trunnels".... either way, a treenail by another name.... right Piet?

Thanks for the visit mate.

Dave

[Piet]

Dyslexia of the fingers Dave.  A person of my highly advanced age is allowed a spelling error once in while   Note to self - proof read first you dumb old slug 

 

Cheers, 

[SawdustDave]

I'm the undisputed KING OF FAT FINGERING Piet.

Cheers Mate

[SawdustDave]

Canopy Frame....

From the ships wheel, I am moving back to the companionway canopy frames.

I must comment here, for any future builder of the Constitution.... As easy as Ken made this fixture appear in his build log, DO NOT BE FOOLED!

This has got to be the most extreme difficulty level I have personally experienced in over 10 years of scratch building ship models....

If Ken's log had not made it look "easy as pie", I would have been happy to go with no canopy frames.  All your fault Ken..... yahahahaha!!!
My personal advise.... DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!

 

Having said all that.... here is the third canopy frame just completed.

Two more to go, then the sky light fixture.

 

[Piet]

Pretty good Dave, bravo!  Perseverance pays off.

 

Cheers,

[SawdustDave]

1 hour ago, Piet said:

Pretty good Dave, bravo!  Perseverance pays off.

 

Cheers,

OK.... I will admit, the Dutchman would fly through these things like a pig in mud.

Cheers

[Piet]

Harrrumphh, choke - choke, kof, kof.    No blushing emoticon Dave but thanks for your confidence in my meager abilities.

I probably would use a mold glued to a base so I can bend the rods and make them meet at center with the ends gut and filed to a point. Then silver solder. Perhaps after a few tries it may come out as good as yours.

 

Did I read it right, are going to cover them with canvas? - - - and hide your hard work?

 

Cheers,

[SawdustDave]

You just described exactly the technique I have come around to Piet. 

Much easier said than done.... believe me.
Getting the lateral spaces perfectly parallel and perpendicular and exact same height proves to be much more difficult in practice than in my mind.

Jigs on top of jigs required.

As for silver soldering.... clearly not one of my skill sets, but then I don't have multiple certifications in metalworking crafts like a certain old Dutchman we all know.  

This is attested by the dozens of wasted parts accumulated in my trash can....

Getting a little better.

 

No sir.... no canvas will be placed over the frames.

 

Speaking of "covering up hard work"....

I am still amazed by all the extreme detail Ken put into the gun deck of his amazing Connie, then completely covered up with spar decking. 

Think about it! 

This man tells us he is NOT A SHIP MODELER.... Then sets about creating a model that would be admired by the world's most experienced master shipwrights!
I don't think the man actually realizes how good he is!

I just hope he will continue building ships.
 

Cheers

 

   

Edited November 20, 2017 by SawdustDave

[xken]

Quote

If Ken's log had not made it look "easy as pie", I would have been happy to go with no canopy frames.  All your fault Ken..... yahahahaha!!!

Sorry Dave it was my intent to educate, not frustrate. 

 

8 hours ago, SawdustDave said:

This man tells us he is NOT A SHIP MODELER.... Then sets about creating a model that would be admired by the world's most experienced master shipwrights!
I don't think the man actually realizes how good he is!

I think I indicated that I was new to shipbuilding and that this was my second ship build. Thank you for your kind words and I am just an old fart that thinks God is in the details and that I just strive to do the best I can when replicating the subject being modeled regardless of what it is to the best of my ability. Hence the work on the gun deck which can be seen when the central grates are lifted.

 

Yes, it looks that I will be building more ships; currently building the Maersk Detroit container ship for my son-in-law. I have also been asked by the local maritime museum to build an LCVP landing craft in 1/12th scale to accompany the Dirty Dozen as part of another display. Then I also have a Mamoli Victory awaiting when I can get around to it. 

 

Looking forward to seeing the finial and the rest of your canopies when completed. Keep up the great effort you are doing.

[SawdustDave]

Delighted to hear from you Ken.
I'm sure you recognize my comments are intended in the most complimentary way.
Also, happy to hear you are planning to use your gifted hands to create more ships sir, and I look forward to sitting in on more of your future projects.

As for my humble attempt to model the canopy frames.... I assure you that I thoroughly enjoy every moment in the ship yard.  Being an old woodworker, anything on the metal craft side represents quite a challenge to me.
BTW.... Most of my MSW friends know by now, I will usually screw up a two-float parade.... then start all over if necessary, and laugh about it.
If we can't have fun with this crazy hobby we need to find something else.... RIGHT?

Hope you will drop in once in a while.

 

Cheers Mate

[xken]

Dave, yes I did and of course I always stop by not only you but others as well. I still have a great deal to learn about ships. Yes it must be fun otherwise it becomes just another stress factor; life is too short not to have fun. If not making mistakes one is not trying hard enough to learn.

[SawdustDave]

One Canopy frame to go....
Quick overhead shot of the developing spar deck.  Once the last canopy frame is completed, I plan to begin developing the three masts, seen dry fitted here.

 

 

[SawdustDave]

Final canvas frames done....

Happy to have all the companionway canvas frames now completed and installed.
I still have to add the shot stowing racks to the companionway frames.

Note the binnacles also done....

So many places to go from this point, but with so many cannonades to do, I'm thinking about knocking out a few of them before working on the skylight fixture.

Edited December 3, 2017 by SawdustDave

[xken]

The frames look great! 

[SawdustDave]

Thanks Ken.  

I’m sitting here scratching my head over the ammo passing scuttles, which do not appear on the Virtual Tour images.... actually, it appears as if the fixture is covered by a rope coil.

The ones on the gun deck appeared as painted black with a white ring in the center of the round ( three tiered) fixture.

 

[JSGerson]

Any details as to how you made the binnacles? They look really good. In the photo, they look silver as opposed to brass but that could be just the lighting. Did you use foil or metal plate? How did you construct the ball on top of the housing? I'm trying to glean all the info I can so I know what to do when it's my turn.

 

Thanks, Jon

[SawdustDave]

2 hours ago, JSGerson said:

Any details as to how you made the binnacles? They look really good. In the photo, they look silver as opposed to brass but that could be just the lighting. Did you use foil or metal plate? How did you construct the ball on top of the housing?

Began with the slightly rectangular base.... added the corner "feet", then a slightly beveled second rectangle centered on the base piece.  The cabinet is one single solid piece of shaped bass wood trimmed out with paper stock to form the panels.  Then trimmed out the top with gold sheet stock.

Those little tops are actually created from some gold “sticky sheets” I had laying around from another build.  It has a great “ brassy” appearance, and is easy to cut with Xacto blade.  Although it has a sticky back side, I did reinforce each of the four sides with a dab of CA gel.

The ball was simply turned from brass rod.... drilled a hole in the bottom side to receive a wooden peg for mounting onto the tops.

Really fun little build.

Cheers.

Edited December 3, 2017 by SawdustDave

[SawdustDave]

One of you historians help me understand this.

Getting ready to begin creating the 32 pound carronades for the spar deck.  In my research, I keep coming across photos of this gun with a screw mechanism.  I have not seen this replicated on any model, and don't intend on doing that myself.  Just curious......

 

Compared to this photo we all recognize....

[MEDDO]

In that first picture it looks like the one in the background has a quoin.  Not sure if there was a time period or any specific reason to use one or the other.  

 

btw MS 32 lb Carronade kit has the screw mech.