USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040

[dputzler]

Where does one get U.S. Nave  plans for the ships boats?

 

[woodartist]

On 6/29/2024 at 6:29 AM, JSGerson said:

No one I knew made models and therefore I was self taught.

Well you were one hell of a good student and teacher!

[JSGerson]

Dputxler, you can get the US Navy plans here:

 

https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/discover-learn/modeler-resources/

 

Jon

[GGibson]

2 hours ago, dputzler said:

Where does one get U.S. Nave  plans for the ships boats?

 

 

54 minutes ago, JSGerson said:

Dputxler, you can get the US Navy plans here:

 

https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/discover-learn/modeler-resources/

 

Jon

 

Be careful what you wish for, @dputzler! LOL   Jon has ALL the resources! 👍

 

Speaking of which, though, Jon, been meaning to ask you... Have you had many of those plans from the USS Constitution Museum reprinted in larger formats at like Kinkos or other places?  Any issues with doing that?  I assume that makes them more "readable" and useful.

[JSGerson]

Gregg, well I don't have ALL the resources, but I do have a bunch😛

 

As for printing them out full size, I haven't done that as it is costly and inconvenient. I did have the kit's plans copied full size so I could mark them up, fold them in torturous ways, and if they get damaged, no worries.

 

I print out what I need on a regular inkjet printer on standard paper using PowerPoint. When I need to print to model scale, it's by trial and error because PowerPoint can't print to a given scale on command. Additionally, I may need to tape together multiple sheets to get the desired printed image, which I admit is a crude method. Most of the time I just zoom in and out on the computer screen. The US Navy plans have the actual full scale dimensions so it's just a matter of scaling down the numbers for a lot of things.

 

Jon

 

[Geoff Matson]

Looks like thiings are going well. Lots of detail really makes the model shine.

[dputzler]

Geoff, thanks for the plan information.  I appreciate it.

 

[JSGerson]

This post shows more of the same. I added more spar deck beams, gun deck columns, both the white square cross section ones and the natural wood round ones, knee braces, and the main hatch framing support beams. You will notice that the starboard side is missing some beam sections. I realized that even though I did not add all the spar deck structure, viewing the gun deck was getting a bit obscure. To alleviate this a little, I made it look like the beams were cut out. However, I made this discission after I had installed three whole beams supporting the main hatch. The beams were cut, the leftover stubs were left in place. Where I intentionally installed partial beams, I added little stubs to make it appear they were cut after most of the picture were taken.

 

Additionally, you may have noticed that the beams under the main hatch do not run straight across. This is my solution to the problem I discussed in an earlier post about the structure of the main hatch. The laser cut grids making up the main hatch do not conform to any plan I’ve seen including the kit plans. In keeping with the idea of the cut-away look, the top surfaces of the structural beams and supports were not painted so it would look like the spar deck planking was removed revealing raw timber below. A side effect of this is where there will be planking and other things items attached to them, the glue works better on bare wood.

 

Some of the pictures below show the main hatch dry fitted in position

[JSGerson]

Just a quick update, as many of you know (or not), a major Cat 4 hurricane, Helene passed through Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, just touching on western South Carolina this passed Thursday and Friday. I live in western South Carolina, a half hour drive to Augusta GA (home of the Masters Golf Tournament), So we got a good taste of the fury that storm packed. I was lucky, and lost power only for two days and had a little erosion damage. Some of my neighbors had more extensive damage to their property. So, I'm OK and am back in the shipyard.

 

Jon

[GGibson]

23 minutes ago, JSGerson said:

Just a quick update, as many of you know (or not), a major Cat 4 hurricane, Helene passed through Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, just touching on western South Carolina this passed Thursday and Friday. I live in western South Carolina, a half hour drive to Augusta GA (home of the Masters Golf Tournament), So we got a good taste of the fury that storm packed. I was lucky, and lost power only for two days and had a little erosion damage. Some of my neighbors had more extensive damage to their property. So, I'm OK and am back in the shipyard.

 

Jon

 

The damage, destruction, and loss of life we are seeing reported on the news is horrifying and so sad to see.  Comforting to hear that you and your family are safe, Jon.  

[mtbediz]

Glad to hear that you and your family are fine. 

[Nirvana]

Loss of life is worse than loss of properties as they are replaceable.

Glad to hear you and family are okay. A good friend lives in Florida and lost his home, but he is fine.

[bthoe]

Glad to hear you are ok Jon.

[ccoyle]

On 10/2/2024 at 11:53 AM, JSGerson said:

So, I'm OK and am back in the shipyard.

 

Up here in Greer, most of the damage was caused by falling trees -- LOTS of falling trees! Fortunately for us, we live in a neighborhood built just five years ago, so there aren't any mature trees, except on the properties adjoining the neighborhood. A couple of those did come down and cause minor damage. Outside the neighborhood, it was a different story -- trees down everywhere, roads washed out, lots of downed power lines. There are still people without power a week after the storm. It's a mess!

[Geoff Matson]

Be safe my friend

[JSGerson]

CCoyle. glad your safe as well. I am surrounded by trees, lots of tall trees, but none fell near me. The ground was littered deep with small branches, leaves, and pine needles; however, a dozen or so trees on my street did come down. Nobody, as far as I know, no one was hurt in my area. There are still isolated pockets of power outages, and the stores are still restocking. But, the worst is over.

 

Take care, Jon

[GGibson]

3 hours ago, ccoyle said:

 

Up here in Greer, most of the damage was caused by falling trees... There are still people without power a week after the storm. It's a mess!

 

1 hour ago, JSGerson said:

Nobody, as far as I know, no one was hurt in my area. There are still isolated pockets of power outages, and the stores are still restocking. But, the worst is over.

 

Take care, Jon

 

Chris & Jon - Relieved to hear that both of you are safe, albeit a ton of cleanup and repair is ahead for your communities.  

[JSGerson]

Completing Hatchway Fabrication

I did not complete putting the finishing touches on some of the hatchways before, so I started with the stove pipe hatchway, it still required eyebolts, paint, and modification of the precast metal pipe and attachment of the spark suppressor:

[JSGerson]

When I fabricated the spark suppressor, I did not realize at the time that the precast pipe was cast with a pseudo suppressor but the gap between it and the pipe was filled in solid, so it looked like part of the pipe. You can see, the pseudo plate is a lip at the end of the cast pipe opening. Therefore, I ground off the lip, hollowed out more of the pipe, and reduced the diameter of the spark plate I had created. The plate and pipe were then painted black.

[JSGerson]

The next problem was how to attach the spark suppressor plate’s support rods onto the pipe? Obviously, I couldn’t use solder as it would end up as a hot puddle of metal. The gluing surface was very narrow, so what glue to use? I had three choices, white PVA, CA, or epoxy. Then I had a flash of inspiration from the actual pipe. I wouldn’t use glue directly but use eyebolts just like the actual stack to mechanically secure the rods. Two 1/32” eyebolts per side supporting the rods threaded through them. A touch of CA glue to secure the eye bolts into predrilled holes in the pipe and a touch of CA glue to secure the rods in the eyebolts. It worked like a charm.

[JSGerson]

According to the kit’s plans, “shot storage rack: Note all fwd. racks not installed in 1997.” Why, I don’t know. I wanted all the gun crews on my model to have something to load into their guns and shoot. Why should only the aft gun crews have all the fun? So, I installed all the shot racks including the ones omitted from1997. Once again as I did on the gun deck, used a black ball chain. I just sniped off the number of balls I needed off the chain as a unit and glued them into place. The racks themselves are implied as they are way too small to fabricate or see at scale.

[JSGerson]

The bowsprit hatch was completed by carving the forward insert around the dowel that would eventually become bowsprit. It was then painted white and dry fitted into place. The unit was then glued to the deck. The dry fitting was necessary so the insert can be removed to allow the dowel to be fitted into the model as it is fabricated and adjusted to its final configuration. Once the bowsprit is secured into place, the insert will be glued in as well.

[Der Alte Rentner]

I see that I have more work to do at the bowsprit hatch.  

 

Nicely done..

[JSGerson]

It seems like the actual USS Constitution in Boston Harbor is still active in firing her cannons. Oh My!!!😮

https://www.universalhub.com/2024/uss-constitution-fires-charlestown-not?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

[Marcus.K.]

She´s still a dangerous beast, isn´t she?

🤣

 

... and still undefeated !

Edited October 22 by Marcus.K.

[JSGerson]

The only thing left before most of the hatchways are installed on the spar deck, are their canopy stanchions. These I want to fabricate off-ship as I expect it to be “easier” than on-ship. Obviously, the material of choice is brass rods and tubes, I try to fabricate things to exact scale within my skill set. Conveniently, the frame’s full-size dimensions (US Navy plan No. 6005106002) were simplified a bit as was necessary and reduced to scale on the MS plans.

[JSGerson]

Below is what MS plans call for and their nearest equivalent K&S Engineering brand brass standard stock size:

·       0.026” dia. rods for the vertical stanchions = K & S No. 9860 (0.020” / 0.50mm)

·       0.013” dia.  rods for the arching frame = K & S No. 5087 (1/64” / 0.410mm)

·       0.013” dia.  rods for the horizontal rails = K & S No. 5087 (1/64” / 0.410mm)

There are additional ball ornaments, block connectors and finials which the MS plan does not assign dimensions. Based on the US Navy plans, these elements were simplified and reduced to scale as:

• 2.375” connecting blocks scaled to 0.03” = K & S No. 5082 (1/32” / 0.80mm) rod
• 3” ornament ball scaled to 0.039” = K & S No.815035 (1/32” / 0.800mm) tube

However, in practical terms, if one constructs the canopy frames with brass components at actual scale dimensions, the frame would be extremely fragile. Just one errant bump, and the whole construct could bend out of shape. The brass is too malleable, not stiff enough. Another option is music wire. Unfortunately, it’s the wrong color and very hard to cut and bend to shape to the exact dimensions required. Therefore, I must choose a slightly oversized scale just for strength as follows:

• 0.032” dia. rods for the vertical stanchions = K & S No. 8160 (1/32” / 0.51mm)
• 0.020” dia.  rods for the arching cover = K & S No. 9860 (3/128” / 0.800mm)
• 0.020” dia.  rods for the horizontal rails = K & S No. 9860 (3/128” / 0.800mm)

The additional ball ornaments and block connectors oversized to:

• 2.375” connecting blocks scaled to 0.03” = K & S No. 5083 (3/64” / 1.190mm) rod
• 3” ornament ball scaled to 0.039” = I purchased 1.0mm (0.04”) brass beads from etsy.com.
• For the finial, I think I can fabricate a simple facsimile

I made a couple of forms to bend the arched brass cover pieces and planned the drill pattern for the connector blocks.

[JSGerson]

The connector blocks ae to be made from 1/16” square brass bar stock. Now my old nemesis reared its ugly head once again: drilling holes into the brass. Brass tends to grab the drill bit unless it’s a bit designed to work with brass. I had a discussion with fellow builder Unegawahya (post 104,106,107, 108) who was successful drilling into the brass stock. Basically, he stated that the rotation speed needs to be slow, and the drill bit needs to be sharp, which he sharpens with a honing stone. Once more it comes down to having the proper tools which it appears I do not possess. I have a variable speed Dremel tool, a corded one-speed Dremel tool, a Dremel drill press stand, an X-Y table, an X-Y table vice, and a bunch of #67 (0.0320”) and #75 (0.0210”) twist drill bits. I also have problems. My cordless variable speed Dremel does not fit on my old Dremel drill press, so I am forced to use the corded one speed.

 

I attached the vice to the X-Y table which was attached to the drill press and mounted the one speed on the drill press stand. I proceeded to make a 1/32” hole through some 1/16” square stock with the #67 drill bit. Because I could not slow down the rotation speed, I was lightly touching the metal by moving the rotary drill up and down with the stand’s lever so not to overheat the surface or the bit. It worked, but after I made 2 trial blocks, I couldn’t cut any more with either bit after the initial dimple was cut into the metal. Bits snapped in two, one literally untwisted itself and others bent sideways or into a zigzag shape. I tried sharpening the bit as suggested, but I didn’t have a honing stone and even if I did, the bit’s tip was so small, I could not see which face I was grinding even with my magnifying headset. All I had was a fine file and sandpaper so that didn’t work.

[JSGerson]

I had mentioned to Unegawahya that maybe the problem was that I had cheap drill bits, and they weren’t properly hardened, so I ordered new (and hopefully better) bits for both sizes I was using. I am waiting for them to arrive.

 

In the event, the new bits are not helpful, I have a Plan B, substituting plastic stock in lieu of brass. Specifically Evergreen Polystyrene No. 153 (1.5mm / 0.060” square). It’s easy to cut, drill, and its surface is very smooth like metal, but it needs to be painted. Since these fabricated parts will be very small, I am hoping the change in material won’t be too noticeable. And I have a Plan C, tight grain hardwood like Boxwood, but wood must be cut to size and pieces that small are very easy to split. So, while waiting on the order drill bits, I’ll work on something else.

[GGibson]

Hey Jon!  Great explanation of your process for these canopy stanchions.  Hopefully, when I get to this point (probably 10 years from now at my speed), my Proxxon drill will work well in making those small drill holes.  And, yes, I love K&S Metals and their brass rods.  I have a decent supply already of the 0.51mm and 0.81mm rods, and I know where to get more if needed! Ha!

 

Interesting info about the drill bits.  I have the standard #61-#80 drill bit set, but also recently purchased a small supply of #65 & #75 Gyros premium HSS twist drill bits.  Used one of the #65 bits awhile back and I recall it held up well with what I was cutting (not brass, though).  Will be interested in hearing how your newly ordered bits do.