USS Constitution by JSGerson - Model Shipways Kit No. MS2040

[JSGerson]

My left eye still is not up to par although I’ve improved a bit. My eyesight went from 20-400 to 20-200. But the call of the shipyard was strong so I’m at it again albeit proceeding with caution. I still have 4 stitches to be removed after I get back from NRG Conference.

 

I’ve managed to install the planksheer without too much effort and added the first transom extensions for the quarter galleys’

[JSGerson]

It’s been about a month since my last post; I have had some highs and lows in that time. I’m still struggling with my left eye although I got the remainder of the stiches removed today– four in total. It’s slowly improving but up till today, I was just using my right eye. Now there is a marked improvement. We’ll “see” what the Doc says in two weeks.

 

I made the effort to go to the NRG Conference in New Bedford MA (Oct 23-27), where I met old friends and generally had a good time despite some travel headaches, but that’s another story.

However, on Nov 2, my Mom died at 101yrs. It was not unexpected but still it was a shock when it happened. My time was spent with my family and doing the things that needed to be done when there is a death in the family.

 

Weeks later, things are slowly getting back to normal, but there are things that still need to be done, Thanksgiving is coming, and I’ll be with my sister for the holiday week. On the bright side I was able to get my mind on an even keel as it were, by working on the model. It puts my mind at ease. I was able plank the remainder of the hull between the side spar deck gun ports.

 

You may also notice that I have trimmed the bulkhead extensions that stick up above where the cap rail will go. They extended to support the Topgallant Rail. This was the “Cap Rail” of the added hull and bulwarks on top of the actual Cap Rail. This extension was added in 1926 and subsequently removed in later restorations. Since my model is trying to reflect what the ship looks like today, it will not be built as shown in the kit plans which is based on the 1926 restoration.

[Ryland Craze]

Jonathan, I am real sorry to hear about your mother.  My condolences to you and your family.

[GrandpaPhil]

Jonathon,

  Sorry to hear about your mother.  You have our sincere condolences.

[JSGerson]

Continuing with the spar deck bulwarks, it was time to install the four bulwark sheaves at the aft end of the model.

[JSGerson]

I had read on someone’s blog (I’m sorry I forgot where) about different uses for miscellaneous deadeyes. I had been given a bunch of odd fittings including some deadeyes from a model train hobbyist friend of mine who had no use for them, so I tried to see if I could use a couple.

 

Using two 5mm Mantua deadeyes, I sliced them into halves and sanded both sides of each of the four slices till they were 1/32” thick. Then using 1/32” plywood, two rectangular pieces were cut for each of the four deadeye slices. These were to become a sandwich 3/32” thick. The plywood was used because it was convenient and only the edges would be visible, and these would be painted. Two pieces of 1/32” x 1/32” stock were used for the sides of each sheave completed the housing. The housing interior and the edge facing the deck were painted black, and the parts glued together. There was no effort made for the pulleys to rotate because they didn’t need to.

[JSGerson]

After detail filing each sheave and hull sheave openings so the sheaves would easily slide into place, they were glued in flush to the interior bulwark wall. On the hull side, they were filed flush.

[JSGerson]

The build was put aside for a bit while I and my sister made a final trip to Florida to deal with the sale of my Mom’s condo and the disposition of her possessions. It was not something that I looked forward to, but it was done. We accomplished what was needed. After returning home and digesting the past events, I was ready to open the shipyard again.

 

The next band of planking was the area of the gun deck ports. These are straight forward enough except that a 1/32” space must be provided around the gun port openings for the gun port lids. A simple jig was fashioned from the spacer block that was used to form the openings in the first place. A short piece was cut off and a second piece with the exact dimensions of the lid was made. The two were glued together so that when the jig was inserted into the gun port, it would create a void in the planking big enough for the lid to fit. It would also create a smooth border. Two were made.

[JSGerson]

The first line of planking for the gun deck ports was started at the top of the ports with a line of planking resting on the jigs. Then three additional lines of planking were fitted above that so the were snug against the spar deck gun port planking. Next is planking in between the ports and just below them.

[kmart]

Jonathan.  My sympathy on the loss of your Mother.

 

I like how you built your sheaves.   Im aproaching that part soon.   Hadnt yet figured out how i was going to male them.   May do a varient of your techneque.    

K

[JeffT]

Looks great so far Jon.

[DanO]

J , I am following your build as after quite some time I am getting back to my Conny , a ship I have loved for the better part of my 74 years . Thank you for all of the info and efforts you have made to show your progress

 

Dan Doyle 

DanO

[JSGerson]

Dan - She's been a favorite of mine too. I grew up in Newton MA, a suburb of Boston, and visited her on numerous occasions. I would like to to see build log of your efforts as I look at just about any blog I can find looking for that detail, technique, and problem solving that would help me me in my efforts.

[JSGerson]

It’s been about a month and a half since my last post. Wow have things changed in the world around us. Everyone is warned about leaving the house. Luckily, we have an indoor hobby. I’ve been busy but not always with the model and as usual, I’m slow as molasses with the model building.

 

Continuing on with the hull planking, I added the gun deck, gun port, sill planking on each side of the hull. As final check before I started to plank in between the gun ports, I noticed that I wasn’t careful enough with how I place those planks. Looking from the bow, one could see they didn’t line up. I had to carefully cut out a couple of inches worth of the sill plank on the port side and do it again.

[JSGerson]

I finally finished the gun port planking plus three additional planks below the ports. The planking will work as it will be painted covering up all the “uglies.” If this were to be a natural wood finish, I would not be too happy. My only excuse (and not a good one) is that this is only the second hull I’ve ever planked.

[Nirvana]

If this is just the second hull your planking, then you're doing a grand job.

[JSGerson]

Finally, I got to work on the transom and the quarter gallery structures. Here, I am paying close attention to Robert Hunt’s practicum because the quarter galleries are a complicated construction.

 

First the transom gun port area (spar and gun decks) were planked.

[JSGerson]

Then the lower transom extensions were added and then planked

[JSGerson]

That was the easy part.

[JSGerson]

Now for the hard part: The Quarter Gallery Structures. Following the practicum, Mr. Hunt indicated that the kit does not provide enough basswood billets, which I found true. The kit provides one filler block 3/8” x 1” x 3” for the lower side area and one ¼” x 1” x 2” filler block for the upper side of the quarter gallery. That’s only enough for one quarter gallery, there are two. So, he tells the builder to buy more wood. In normal times buying wood is easy, just run down to the hobby store and buy some. But in this newly strange world of the pandemic that’s not possible especially when you live in a small town and all you have is Hobby Lobby. I could have ordered on-line but that adds too much cost due to shipping and you have to wait.

 

However, I did have scrap wood, so I made the additional billets by lamination.

[JSGerson]

Templates for the bottom filler pieces were made from the plans. First the larger of the two templates and cemented to the billets and cut out. Then a second set of templates were cemented to the bottom of the just cut pieces. Using my disk sander, files, and sandpaper, the bottom filler pieces were formed.

[JSGerson]

That went off without a hitch…so something must be wrong. It’s never that easy. It didn’t take me long to find out what. When I dry fitted the fillers into position, the troubles I had with the transom came back to haunt me.

[JSGerson]

My model is close to following the plans, but not exact enough it seems. The back end of this model has virtually no straight edges from which to measure and the structure is full of curves. My transom seems to be just a bit narrower than the plans so that the filler blocks are a bit too wide to fit as I had cut them out (see my pencil marks on the filler piece). In addition, either my transom is a bit crooked or the area below it is a bit off. See the line I drew just below the rudder post opening. Either way, I’ve got some work to do.

[JSGerson]

I was able to pry off the bottom two transom planks without too much effort. The new planks were shaped and glued in their place so that at least from the transom point of view, it now level at the bottom edge.

[JSGerson]

The bottom quarter galley filler pieces were then trimmed slightly and then glued into place as described by the practicum. Hopefully any errors that remain, and I’m sure they do, are small enough that they can be handled without too much consternation

[Robert Czaplicki]

Im in the middle of the Constitution build and find the plans and instructions horrible. Basically a scratch build boat.  At the bow, there is no decoration, and making one is going to prove difficult. Your not there yet, have fun with that one. At the stern, the same thing, no name plate , again a very difficult make. For the money the kit was not worth it. I can send over pictures if you want. Bob

 

[Unegawahya]

I’ve been following you for a wile now and I’ve used you for some inspiration in building my gun deck on my Model Shipways USS Constitution.

[JeffT]

And it looks good Unegawahya. Do you have a build log?

[JSGerson]

Bob - You are correct in that the instructions leave something to be desired. That is why I am using Robert Hunt's Practicum as a guide, supplemented with various parts of the wonderful build logs on this site. I don't think I would have started this model without their help. I will say this, the kit plans of the ship follow the US Navy plans very closely.

 

Unegawahya - It looks like I will be following you now (assuming you will post a build log), now that you have moved ahead of me in your build. You've done beautiful work. Unfortunately, when I get to the gun deck guns, mine won't be as "easy" as yours. Somehow, my gun deck is either too low or my gun ports are too high which will force me to adjust the gun carriage heights (see early posts). 

 

Thank you for showing me your build and I plead with you, post a build log of your work.

 

Jon

[JSGerson]

About a month and a half since my last post; I hope everyone is healthy. As many of you know, molasses on a cold day or ketchup pouring from a bottle are faster than I work on my model. One my excuses is illustrated below.