USS Constitution by ERS Rich - Model Shipways - 5/32

[WalrusGuy]

The last pic captures the curves of the hull perfectly! I can't wait to see her all planked up 😄

[ERS Rich]

Making and Installing the Waterway

 

This is a significant piece of woodworking.  Boards are cut with a curve, beveled along a curve, steam bent, and notched.  Hand tools included, block plane, fishtail chisel, and a mini edge plane.

 

The Waterway is a picture frame around the main deck (named spar deck on this ship).

 

Five boards with three shapes make the frame: 2 straight, Port and Starboard sides, from the stern to bulkhead E; 2 curved, Port and Starboard sides, from bulkhead E to the bow; and 1 across the stern.

 

Kit supplied material used for the straight and stern boards, hickory for the bow boards to allow a continuous piece.

 

The cross section is flat top and bottom, with an inside bevel from halfway across the top inboard to a point 1/16” above the inside bottom edge.

 

Made the straight sections first, steam bent the boards, clamped to the frames and marked the location of each bulkhead extension with the marking knife.  Then cut notches in the board to accommodate the angle of the bulkhead extensions, so the board edge could set in the bulkhead extension corner.  Cut the bevel last, with a small block plane.  Learned that next time best to cut the bevel first, then steam bend the plank.  45 degree mitres were cut on the aft ends.

 

For the bow planks, first establish the curve of the bow on a wood template.  Used the flexible French curve on the plan along the outside edge of the frames, and marked the line on a piece of red cedar (left over from a closet project).  Cut the cedar on the bandsaw.  Then used the compass to mark the bulkhead inside curve, and cut that curve on the bandsaw.

 

Used hickory for the bow planks, the angular grain (last picture) makes the board very sturdy along the curve - will not easily break along the curve, like pine.  Curved bevel was cut by whittling with the marking knife, then the card scraper used to flatten the bevel.  Only way to flatten a curved surface.

 

Used sanding drums on the drill press to square the board edges.

 

Stern piece last.  Cut to length, then cut the mitres.  Used a test piece to establish the angle (a little less than 45 degrees).  Next cut the bevel with a block plane.  Reduced the thickness by planing.  Last planed the forward edge.  with an edge plane to reduce the width - this reduced the bevel and increased the thickness at the forward edge.

 

Straight forward glue up.  Long boards first, bow planks next, stern board last.  Butt joint between long and bow boards.  Smoothed butt joint transitions with the fishtail chisel.

Onward to the plank shear and the gun port framing....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Tools

 

Using a laminate board and shelf pins as a rack to sort the lumber.

 

Some of the hand tools used so far....

 

Top left, block plane from Lie Nielson.

 

Left middle and bottom bullnose and mini plane by Crown.

 

Edge plane, in the box, by Veritas.

 

Pattern makers file, with safe edges by Lie Nielson.

 

Fishtail chisel and Violin makers plane by Lie Nielson.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Inner Planksheer/Bulwarks and Bowsprit Prep

 

5 strakes are above the waterway, the planksheer and four inner bulwark.

 

For the planksheer rounded off the upper inside edge, used butt joint joinery, and did not notch to fit 100% against the bulkhead extensions.  
 

Inner strakes consisted of planks spanning up to four bulkhead extensions with staggered butt joints.  
 

Tip: make sure inner bulkhead extensions are flat.
 

Reused the cedar template as a moulding for steam bending to shape the bow planks.  Planks “stair stepped” around the bow, and were sanded smooth with Amati sanding sticks.  Used plastic wood, pressed in from the outside to fill gaps.

 

Added strips, padded, to inboard face of stern transom extension to reduce the inner curvature.  Stern bulwarks turned out ok, at this point there is a step at the planksheer level, it should be a bevel between the waterway and the lowest bulwark plank.  Will probably leave as is.  

Bowsprit was cut to fit the notch in bulkhead B. 
 

Bulwarks consist of inner and outer planks, with framing pieces in between for the gun port sills and sides.  Next is installing the framing and the outer bulwark planking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2021 by ERS Rich

[Sea Hoss]

Great work on "Connie". Thanks for the detailed build log also, I know it will be one I use in the future. Sweet tools and shop, Gotta love buying nice tools!

[ERS Rich]

Thanks Sea Hoss.  
 

Cabinet making was my last full time gig.....so accumulated the full size machines to support that business.

 

And watched Norm Abraham, that guy had everything!

 

-Rich

[ERS Rich]

Framing and Cutting Out the Gun Ports

 

Frame the upper gun ports by installing the sill boards and side frames.  Sills span the bulkheads and are glued to the planksheer side. 
 

Sideboards were made on the Byrnes table saw, with the sliding table.  Quick work.
 

Spacer blocks were made on the table saw to help with the gun port side board installation.  The blocks ensure the side boards are parallel to the bulkheads.  Also used a set of brass ripping gauges from Micromark.

 

A must to get port to starboard gun port spacing consistency.

 

Tip: be sure to apply adhesive to the bottom of the gun port side frame board, as well as the side against the bulwark board, this avoids unsupported bulwark boards after cutting out the gunport.

 

Cutout the ports by first sawing down the center of the opening being careful to not cut into the sill.  Chisel out the waste with a fishtail chisel.  
 

Fishtail excels here.  Final cuts should be very thin!

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2021 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Cutting Out the Gun Ports (continued)

 

After cutting about a dozen, you get into a rhythm, and start to notice what works.

 

Noticed that the chisel is most effective, bevel down when cutting towards the post.  First cut down vertically along the post.  Then scoop out the wood with the chisel bevel down cutting towards the post.

 

Since the bottom bulwark plank was just fixed with glued at the bevel extensions, and not glued to the planksheer, just scooping out along the post from top to bottom was enough to get the waste cutout to pop out.

 

The previous saw cuts were unnecessary.

 

The chisel, also bevel down, can be levered off the post, from the corner out, to square up the bottom corners and shave the sill flat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2021 by ERS Rich
Spelling

[ERS Rich]

Gun Port Cleanup and Bulwark Prep

 

Some gaps to fill in the bulwarks. I avoid sanding whenever possible. Mask the area.  Fill with plastic wood.  Peel masking tape before drying.  Remove chunks with chisel and smooth with sandpaper.

 

Last few ports were cut with a Tamiya mini saw.  I like to chisel for the practice, however, going forward will use the mini saws.

 

Pattern file used to smooth gun port sides and sill.  Safe sides are helpful.

 

Tip: when working the gun port sides, cut and file from the inside out to avoid tearing the wood fibers on the bulwark board ends.

 

Tamiya razor saw used to cutoff extensions.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Bulwark Completion

 

Wrapped up the bulwarks.  Installed over 120 planks to complete the inside of the bulwarks.

 

Methodology pretty simple.  Measure width with the calipers and cut planks with the Byrnes saw.  
 

Used the pattern file to smooth the gun port edges.  Also laid the file across the sills, from side to side, to even the sills.  See second photo.

 

At the bow it was time to fair the bulkhead extensions.  Essential to steam bend the bow bulwark planking.

 

Spent some time thinking about the stern bulwark planking and the port and starboard counter extensions.  To get the correct angle, made the planks extra long, clamped the extensions to the planks, then used the mini saw to cutout the ends of the bulwark planks and the planksheer.  See the photo with the blue clamp.

 

Along the way cutout the openings for the catheads.  Cut inside opening first after framing, then planked over the outside, and cut inside out.  Little holes are visible, from drilling to get started with removing the waste from the opening.

 

Overall I’m happy with the result, however found I made a mistake as the planksheer port and starboard side aft are out of alignment vertically a little less than a 1/16”.  I think it will be covered by the stern galleries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ERS Rich]

Leveling the Bulwarks

 

Using this setup to level the heights of the bulwarks athwartship, port and starboard.

 

First photo shows the combination square sitting on the bench top, with the stem clamped to it.  My bench is level.  The torpedo level shows the first set of sills are level.

 

Second shot shows torpedo level on next set of bulwarks aft, and port side is a little high, so will file it down.

 

And will proceed aft along the bulwarks and repeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[J11]

She's coming along nicely!! 

[ERS Rich]

Lower Gunport Upper Sills

 

Measured, cut, and dry fitted sills.  
 

Then glue and install in assembly line fashion.

 

Used a spacer block 17/32” wide for uniform spacing from the bottom of the planksheer to the top of the sill.

Sill between bulkheads A and B required a bevel cut, so used the protractor as a guide for marking the board.

 

Aligned the mitre gauge by lining up the line on the board with the table saw slot edge.

 

Last photo shows sills installed.  They are the boards below the plank sheer.

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Lower Gunport Framing & Planking

 

The lower sills were installed with 13/32” wide spacer blocks, height of the Gunport opening, against the upper sill.

 

Next the side frames were cut on the table saw using the same spacer blocks to set the fence.  The side frames were also aligned with a 9/16” block, which is the width of the Gunport.

Wood tabs were glued to the Gunport backs to act as a backstop for the cannon.

 

Planking 4 strakes down from the planksheer is straightforward.  Planking ends 1/32” above the lower edge of the upper sill leaving a lip for the Gunport doors.

Now is the time for final shaping/fairing of the bulkheads and the sills.

 

Last photo shows blocks in Gunports with 1/32” stripping which establish the lip on the Gunport side frames during planking.

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by ERS Rich

[J11]

Your work is inspiring!  Recently I have been given this kit and will use your blog heavily in it's future construction. Enjoying your updates! 

[ERS Rich]

Hello J11,

 

Thanks for the comment.  One step at a time and learning on the way.  First time building a multi deck/3 masted ship for me.  Enjoy the springtime!

 

Started work on the hatches and companionways - coamings specified in the kit as glued up strip wood but working on milling the rabbets in 7/32 x 5/32 stock.

 

Stay tuned! 

[ERS Rich]

Smoothing the Planking

 

Working on the starboard gun ports and planking is complete to the first full strake below the ports.

 

Next step is smoothing the planks.  
 

Here the fishtail chisel is used as a scraper to lower the high spots.  The chisel edge has a slight curve.  This technique is useful for blending plank edges higher than their neighbor.

 

And the pattern file is used to remove material right along the edge.

 

Check progress by wiping the planks with a rag and alcohol - helps to get rid of the fuzzies.

 

Working from the bow to stern, picture shows progress and work to be done.

 

She’s a big model!

 

I do want imperfections, to give the observer visual cues that the model is made of wood, and planked.

 

Once built a model with a hull surface so smooth an observer that it was made of metal....

 

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by ERS Rich
Grammar, added a couple of paragraphs

[JeffT]

Coming along great!

[ERS Rich]

Gunports and Upper Hull Planking Completion

 

After learning how to do it on the starboard side, completed the port side gunports and planking a little faster.

 

Pictures show rough sanding of the gun port sills and side frames, using a sanding block.  And the Foredom hand piece with a flame shaped bur.  Foredom offers hyper tight control of material removal on the sills and frames.  First time using the Foredom for this task and a huge time saver.

 

Installed the side extensions and planked the transom.  
 

Finally smoothed the planks with a 12” long wood file and the Amati sanders as necessary.  Wiped her down with alcohol to knock down the fuzzies and clean her up.  Still some smoothing work to do but about 90% there.

 

Next are coamings and framing the grates.

 

Edited April 25, 2021 by ERS Rich
Grammar

[ERS Rich]

Mast Partners/Tenons and Deck Framing

 

Used spacer blocks to locate the mast partners.  
 

Established mast angle be cutting the bottom mast face at the correct angle on the Byrnes saw.  
 

Glued and doweled tenon to mast face.  Test fit masts.

 

Also located deck framing for hatches with spacer blocks.  Hatches will sit on deck frames with deck planking around them.

 

 

[ERS Rich]

Coamings and Hatch Framing
 

The kit calls for the builder to use 3 pieces of stripwood to build up the coamings (base moulding around the hatches and companionways.  Doable but difficult.

 

Instead I used hickory hardwood as stock and milled it with the Byrnes table saw. 

 

Start by milling the stock 5/32” wide by 7/32” high.  The job is to cut two rabbets 1/32” wide, one 1/16” deep for the inner lip the grate sits on, the other 1/8” deep leaving 3/32” for the outside lip forming the outer base moulding.

 

Set the table saw fence to 1/8” (4/32”).  This leaves 1/32” for the rabbet width on the outer edge.  Feather boards are needed to hold the stock against the fence and the table - Picture 1.

 

Set the blade height to 1/16”.  Cut the first rabbet.  Set the blade height to 1/8”, flip the stock around and cut the second rabbet.

 

Picture 2 shows milled stock, notice the rabbets on the outer sides.

 

Next is framing the grate.

 

In this procedure we’ll refer to the long side and short side of the grates, and will cut long sides and short sides of the coaming stock.

 

The coaming sides need rabbets too, the coaming short sides will have the rabbets cut on top, the long sides on the bottom.

 

First measure the length of the short side of the grate.  Short sides will have a 1/8” wide rabbet on each end that is 1/16” deep.  So the coaming short side length is the measured length of the grate short side plus 1/4” (2 x 1/8”).

 

Cut the coaming short sides and cut the rabbet on the top side of each end 1/8” wide by 1/16” deep.  Picture 3 shows the fence setup on the sliding table ready to cut rabbets for the short sides 1/8” wide by 1/16” deep.

 

Next dry fit the coaming short sides to the short sides of the grate.  Measure the width of the assembly.  This width of the assembly is the length of the coaming for the long side.  

 

Cut two coamings for the long sides.  Last is to cut the rabbets on the bottom of each end 5/32” wide by 5/32” high.

 

Glue up the frame.  Cut the excess stock in the corners so the outside edges match up.  Last picture shows the process, bottom left to right, from dry fitting, glue up, and finished product with excess material removed to even up the outside base.

 

 

[Sea Hoss]

Nice looking hatches! This is going to be a great looking model.

[JSGerson]

Looking very nice. You might want to consider looking at Ken Foran's Constitution build. He is a professional model builder and kit designer. He created the Model Shipways cross-section kit of the Constitution with very impressive instructions. With your skills, you should be able to do many of his techniques with ease.

[ERS Rich]

54 minutes ago, JSGerson said:

Looking very nice. You might want to consider looking at Ken Foran's Constitution build. He is a professional model builder and kit designer. He created the Model Shipways cross-section kit of the Constitution with very impressive instructions. With your skills, you should be able to do many of his techniques with ease.

Thank you JS for the recommendation.  Have to give credit to the Robert E Hunt practicum.  Will definitely checkout Ken’s work.  I like seeing how others do it and figuring out how to do it in my shop.  Also this is the first project fully using the Byrnes table saw, the sliding table takes it to another level - safely and precisely cutting small pieces of wood.  

 

[ERS Rich]

1 hour ago, Sea Hoss said:

Nice looking hatches! This is going to be a great looking model.

Thanks Sea Hoss.  Much to learn with this one.......a real challenge.

[ERS Rich]

Planking the Wales - Planking Without Clamps or Pins

 

First off mark the bulkheads with the width of the wale at that bulkhead with the plans and the dividers.  Pictures 1 and 2.

Compare the widths at the bulkheads and look for equivalence.  In this case the width is the same from bulkheads A-D, and G-L.  This means plank widths are the same amidships between bulkheads G-L - 1/8” and 3/32” from bulkhead D forward.  Tapering occurs between bulkhead D and G, and from bulkhead L to the stern.  Will use proportional dividers to mark the widths on planks and a hand plane held in a vise upside down to taper.

 

Next use the pattern file to ease the back edge of the previous plank and the lower edge of butt joints.  Pictures 3 and 4.  
 

Apply carpenters glue with a toothpick to the lower edge of the previous plank and a dot of fast glue to the bulkheads.  Picture 5.

 

Install plank, apply pressure up along the plank to close any gaps, and down on the bulkhead.  Fast glue grabs and holds the plank while carpenters glue is slowly drying.  Look for squeeze out of the carpenters glue and the fast glue.  Cleanup with a toothpick.

 

Note there shouldn’t be any gaps, and little force should be needed, if so spend more time prepping the plank for good fit.  Or preping the previous strake lower edge. 
 

If needed, use the fast glue squeeze out on the bottom of the plank, on the bulkheads, to close any gaps, by pressing a block into it with upward pressure.  Later the block will easily pop off with a little side to side wiggle.  Picture 6.

[ERS Rich]

Tapering a Plank

This plank runs from bulkheads H to D and is tapered in width from F @1/8” to D @ 3/32”.

 

The first picture shows a plank, marked with dots, indicating required width, at bulkheads F, E, and D locations, using the proportional dividers (search this site for purpose and use info), on the hand plane bed, setup with a vice.  Wale consist of 7 strakes so dividers set to 7.

 

Use the plane to remove the waste material under the dots.  Small shavings can easily be removed.  Hold the plank in a way that maintains a right angle to the bed.  Picture 2 shows the result.

 

Picture 3 shows the tools used to cleanup and smooth taper.  Test fit the plank on the model.

 

Picture 4 shows the plank installed.  Note, next plank from bulkhead D to the bow, is not tapered.  Will rip stock to 3/32” wide.

 

Completed this plank in less than 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

[ERS Rich]

Planking Starboard Wale

 

The wale consists of about 35 planks per side.  Pretty straightforward, the action is at the stern where the board twists about 90 degrees and bends around the stern blocks to reach the counter.

 

4 steps to process a stern plank: cut to length, taper, soak in water 10 minutes or so, twist end 90 degrees, bend to fit shape of stern block.

 

Picture 1 shows clamp used to close gap between bulkheads.  Picture 2 shows working from amidships, aft, I like starting amidships, where planks are full 1/8” width.

 

Picture 3 shows stern planking.  Looks intimidating, however, understand that the long thin wood fibers don’t mind twisting after a soak, and after twisting the plank will easily bend around the counter.

 

Should mention the plank edge faces do need to be worked by easing the inside corners with a file, and removing material along the stern edges changing the rectangular cross section to a trapezoid.

 

Last picture shows progress after some smoothing.  Finally seams are tight because of generous carpenters glue on the plank edges during assembly.  No squeeze out means not enough glue.  Using a carpenters glue that is sandable and paintable.  Also good as wood filler to fill any seam gaps.
 

 

Edited May 14, 2021 by ERS Rich
Grammar

[ERS Rich]

Just a couple of shots of a stern plank, with the twist and bend.....

 

 

[ERS Rich]

Finished up the wales and did some smoothing....

 

Started smoothing with sandpaper....it’s seductive....however the long flat file does the best job and it’s faster....

 

Gearing up to plank the rest of the hull......

 

In the back of my mind is stopping and pausing Constitution on 5/31.....would rather build 2 at the same time...start Amati Vanguard, get it to the same stage as Constitution and complete both in parallel.  Planking simply takes too much time.  

 

Or stop sailing ship construction and move on to one of the Great White Fleet battleship kits I have from Bluejacket.  

 

We’ll see.....