USS Constitution by Avi - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:96

[Avi]

Thank you both. I’ve got the model shipways plans, so I’ll look at those in more detail. 
 

I didn’t quite know how to read the pdf you attached @Brian Falke Is that a face on view? How are they constructed?

 

in your picture @JSGerson, I think the airports are the round circles below the gunports, 4 airports in the picture? Why do two look like they are filled with white?

 

is the scupper the racetrack shaped one just to the upper right of the leftmost airport? How is that constructed?

[Avi]

@JSGerson I took a look at your log. What did you make those scuppers out of?

[JSGerson]

I'm sorry, I meant to give you the the earlier post where I made the scuppers as well. Take a look from Post #546.

 

The air ports (round holes) were precast Britania metal provided by the kit. I didn't like the precast scuppers. They were made from brass a tube which were sliced like a loaf of bread. Then they were flattened into "race track' shape with a vise. The scuper lids were cut from brass plate and CA glued.

 

Jon

[Avi]

That works. Those posts are really clear. I also have a clear picture of where I need to go now. I’m not quite sure about the scuppers, but I have enough in hand between your posts and Brian’s links and my plans (BJ and MS), to see that I will be able to figure it out. 
 

most importantly, I clearly can defer it until I finish interior planking, cutting out the hatchways, and even laying the gundeck planking if I do choose. 
 

next step then is the waterways. Still not quite sure how to cut and curve them. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Avi

[Avi]

A lot of checking if photographs and videos shows the gundeck waterway extending into the captains cabins, but only insofar as the bulkhead between the captains sleeping quarters / after cabin and the main area. So in going aft, it passes one bulkhead but not the second (given the permanent waterway and removable bulkhead, it’s probably the other way around: the first bulkhead is placed over the waterway, the second at the end of it).

 

I’ll measure the waterway stock and cut into 2 pieces: one from midway between the aftmost gunport and the fourth gunport from forward, where the curve starts to matter, and another from there to the bows. @JSGerson’s model managed to avoid the bows waterways (and hence its difficult curve) as it is hidden; see this post. I need to look a little forward and see if I can do the same. 
 

My other consideration before moving ahead is the solid hull underlying the gundeck, and to which I will need to attach the glued up decking. 
 

first, it isn’t completely smooth. That will make it more difficult to attach. It might be worth breaking out the sander now and smoothing it, so it is easier to attach the decking. It certainly is easier to do before attaching the waterways. 
 

Second, the bluejacket instructions for the model have you leave a “step” at the aft end. That may be fine, but if it is too high, it will make everything off. I need to check how that step is used, both in constructing the deck of the captains cabins and in constructing the stern (timbers and transom), to see if I need to trim this down at all. 
 

[Avi]

Having gone through the plans and images again, I’ve come to the following conclusion (unless someone can teach me otherwise):

 

1. definitely sand down the hull under the deck. It will make everything easier. 
2. keep the ⅛” “step” at the very aft of the gundeck, but shorten it. I want it to do two jobs. First, it should provide sufficient solidity and volume to mortise the vertical stern timbers into the hull. Second, the step itself, when angled, should provide the angle of the aft hull of the captains after cabin. See attached picture. 
 

so I need to sand the deck itself, and trim and sand the aft step. 
 

the transom timbers from the kit are 1/16” x ⅛”, and gap between lights in the transom is about ¼”, so placing them ⅛” between the lights, and 1/16” fore to aft, works well. Leaving enough depth to mortise in the timbers, my current 5/8” is way too much, and I should cut it down to ¼” or so. 

[Avi]

Used my marking gauge to set ¼" inboard of the aft end of the ship, then chisels (actually Excel chisel inserts into my X-Acto handle) to remove lots and shape it right. That included making the port and starboard edges inboard more correctly vertical (they were thickening). Then used the 90 degree angle chisel to remove more from where the deck surface meets the bulwarks, to make it a bit easier to get the waterways in. Then sanded it down: where I had removed at the captain's after-cabin, but also throughout the deck surface. I had to go back and forth between sanding block, sanding contours and sanding sticks, but eventually got it where I liked. Mostly.

 

I found that there are a lot of ridges (grain) in the horizontal surface of the single-block hull, where I am going to attach the glued-up decking. No amount of sanding seemed to smooth it out. I could use my power hand sander, but I am a bit worried about taking off too much, and if I slip even a bit, I might damage the bulwarks. I might try the power hand sander very carefully one evening (way too hot during the day now), or might just use wood filler and sand that down to get a smooth surface.

 

You can see the tough grain in the right hand side of this picture. 

a more interesting question is the camber of the gundeck. The manual states that the gundeck has a camber of 5”, which translates into 3/64” in this scale model. It also says that the pre carved hull already has this camber built in, or that you can flatten the hull and then use ¼” stock wood to make deck beams that are 3/64” in the centre and feathered at the ends to create the camber. 
 

however, if you look carefully in the picture above, it’s pretty clear that the camber is not really there. It is fine going from centre to port, but going from centre to starboard, it hits that grain, drops a bit and then curves *upwards* before hitting the bulwarks. 
 

I don’t relish cutting and feathering those gundeck beams when I’ve already got a deck here to which I can just attach the glued up decking, but the camber just isn’t right, the grain is tough, and it may end up being completely messed up unless I either can fix the carved hull’s surface to have the curvature, or just bite the bullet, power sand it flat, and cut the beams. Open to suggestions. 

 

I also cut the template of the gundeck down to fit precisely inside the bulwarks on the single-block hull, then cut out where all of the stairs and hatches and masts go, and marked those on the surface. With those in hand, I can cut out all of them from the hull block itself, so that the decking, when cut, will actually show stairs going down or an opening under the hatch gratings. I expect to drill the 4 corners, then a keyhole saw to connect them, then cut out the middle. Those are a lot easier to do now, before I glue in the decking and worry about damaging it.

 

I need to decide how deep to cut. For the hatches covered by grating, just an inch or so is plenty. For those that have stairs, I need to get it exactly right. I am hopeful that the profile and/or Anatomy book will show the height of from the surface of the berth-deck to the surface of the gundeck, so I can cut that.

Edited September 7, 2022 by Avi

[Avi]

After measuring again, I see that the camber at scale is tiny. 3/64” is really small (and the spardeck one is even smaller). 
 

No decisions yet, but leaning towards just accepting it as is, maybe using the power hand sander to smooth it out and provide slightly more consistent curve on starboard side. Still not wholly convinced that is easier than flattening the whole thing and cutting the 31 beams. 
 

20 minutes with a chisel, 10 very careful minutes with a hand sander (it doesn’t quite fit in between the bulwarks, and using it on an angle can hit them and ruin them), and the whole thing is much improved. It isn’t perfect, but since I’m gluing on the two sheets of glued up decking, it doesn’t have to be. 
 

I did hit the bulwarks once with the hand sander, it took off a bit on an angle, but it will be covered with planking, and so little that it won’t interfere with the plank attachment. If it does at that stage, a little wood filler will do the job. 
 

Now to remark the hatches and mast holes, and cut them out. 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Avi

[Avi]

I couldn’t find anything in the plans or BJ manual indicating the height of the berthdeck (and therefore how deeply to cut for the ladders). The manual just says, “it is possible to hollow out areas at these ladders so they look as if they lead to a lower deck.” Useful. 
 

Based on my measurements in Anatomy, the planking of the berthdeck to the planking of the gundeck is about 7 feet, give or take. Some were closer to 6.5’, some closer to 7.5’. I’ll work with 7’, and always can fill in a bit if the ladder is too short, or shorten the bottom of a ladder if it’s too long. 
 

7’ @ 1:96 scale is 7/8”. 

 

UPDATE: I found the midship section plans at the USS Constitution Museum site here. They show 7' 1⅜" amidships, which is barely different, actually comes out to 57/64". I think I shall be fine with 7/8".

Edited September 7, 2022 by Avi

[Jerry Berenson]

Hi Avi, I am sure your model is keeping you busy. As I stated earlier, I decided to take a break from deadeyes, blocks and rigging. I do not know how to send you a link to see my build but if you type in the key word Nantucket , my blog pops up when you scroll down. I now fully understand the differences and ratings Bluejacket gives to their model kits as my model comes with several pieces which are preformed unlike the Connie. My wife is concerned that we will need a bigger house for my models… not happening 😀Luckily we have high ceilings so my Connie is above the kitchen cabinets.Hope you are well. Regards Jerry 

[Avi]

She is beautiful @Jerry Berenson

 

I am skeptical anything will follow my current build. At this pace it will take me another 5-7 years at least, likely closer to 10. 

[Jerry Berenson]

Not to worry, my Flying Cloud clipper ship which was a scratch build took me 53 years ! I started it at age 17.

[KurtH]

I started my BJ Connie build in 2007, and I am still working on it.  I may have it done by this time next year.

[Avi]

12 hours ago, KHauptfuehrer said:

I started my BJ Connie build in 2007, and I am still working on it.  I may have it done by this time next year.

At this rate, you’ll do it in less time than I shall! Serve as my inspiration @KHauptfuehrer

 

hoping to get cutting out the hatches and drilling the mast into the solid hull later this week. Then I’ll do the waterways and interior bulwarks planking. Then airports and scuppers. I’ll stop before laying the gundeck, as I want to do anything else that requires inverting the ship before doing so, as it’s much easier when I can place it on the block without worrying about ruining things. That means sanding and painting exterior planks and eventually coppering, as well as drilling the holes for mounting many years in the future. 

[Jerry Berenson]

Both of you (Avi and Kurt) are craftsmen ! Both your Connies will be gorgeous when completed. I was very thankful to have Kurt’s blog to follow while building mine. You must remember that I am a fully retired dentist and am used to working with intricate and detailed small items. I also did not plank my hull and used copper adhesive tape which I vertically scored every 1/2” instead of metal plates. I spent at least 4 -6 hrs daily and many times more on my build during the pandemic. If you do not have optical loupes with a light,  invest in them since they make working on the model so much easier. Regards to you both, Jerry. P.S. the Nantucket Lighthouse model is a lot of fun to build.

[Avi]

Optical loupe with a light. That is a brilliant idea. I’ve no experience with them. Do you mind linking to one, maybe from Amazon @Jerry Berenson?

[Jerry Berenson]

Avi, go on Amazon and check out “ headband magnifier rechargeable magnifying glasses with light” or “Mighty sight LED magnifying eyewear “. There are many others on Amazon. They are about $25. The ones I use are from my dental practice and are about $2000. I would try the cheaper ones . 

[Avi]

I used a very small drill bit to drill pilot holes a little inside each corner of a hatch, as well as the centre. Then I used a bit larger ones, big enough to get the keyhole saw in. I roughly estimated the 7/8" depth, knowing I always could dig deeper or fill in with wood putty.

 

In the centre, I used a much larger bit, since I wanted to remove as much as I could with a power tool before having to work by hand.

 

In the largest hatch, I used the keyhole saw to cut from corner to corner, which entailed far more physical effort (and sweat) than I expected. Eventually I did get through. I then used the larger 90° chisel to dig in each corner, and then dig out from the depth. I also used various sanding heads on my Dremel, but that was less successful (and I was not careful enough taking the head off and burned my finger, oops).

 

I found that using the 90° chisel after drilling holes worked the best. With the smaller hatches, it actually wasn't all that hard to just place the chisel on the corner and push down. Repeat for 4 corners, a chunk of wood comes out, do it again. Now all of the hatches are dug out. 

 

I need to use files to expand the edges a bit and sharpen the corners, as well as dig a bit, and one of them is a bit too deep, so I will fill with putty. After that, sand them all. I will edit to add a picture to this post when I get a chance.

[Jerry Berenson]

When digging out the hatches going down to the crew’s deck, I chiseled them out, filed them square and flattened the floor down as much as possible. I then cut out extra decking material and covered the base of the hole with the decking. 

[Avi]

That’s really smart. I was going to just dig it and fill with putty. This is even better. Thanks Jerry. 

[Avi]

And 2 gouges broke, in addition to the 1 from last week. Oops. I was using the excel inserts into the xacto handle. It worked but no longer. The irony is that I’m almost done chiseling or gouging on the ship. Everything else going forward is cutting or shaping or such. 
 

oh well. 
 

I ordered a small replacement set on Amazon, but it does take time to get here. I might try to do the waterways in the meantime. 
 

will soaking allow me to bend a nice curve into the thicker stock used for the waterways? I’d have to let it dry completely before I could carve it, of course. 

[Avi]

Cut the waterways stock into two pieces, one will be long with a slight bend, the other short with a very large curve. Soaked the first long piece in boiling water, then dried the excess, shaped into position and placed clamps. To protect the outside, I placed extra cardboard stick between the clamps and planking. 

You can see the incomplete hatchways on the open gundeck; they will stay that way until the new chisels and gouges show up.

[Avi]

And it occurs to me that I will be stuck again soon. I cannot complete the shaping of the bulwarks-meet-deck shape without… gouges! Well, hopefully they will be here soon. 

[Avi]

Happy USS Constitution Day! She was launched 21 Oct 1797, which is 225 years ago today. 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Avi

[ccoyle]

7 hours ago, Avi said:

She was launched 21 Oct 1797

 

Kind of interesting that she was launched on Trafalgar Day, even if the first Trafalgar Day hadn't yet occurred!

[Avi]

With the new chisels and a bit more time, I got the gundeck waterways installed. Despite lots of shaping of them with water and drying in place (multiple runs), they still weren’t 100%, so CA glue accelerator was a great help. 
 

I didn’t trust my carving skills, so I sanded each piece down to get the 45° angle. 
 

I need to sand the joints to make them smoother, then complete carving the hatchways, and then on to planking the interior bulwarks. 

[Avi]

Sanded the joints, they look and feel much better. Used wood filler inside the chiseled out hatchways to smooth the bottoms, let them dry, then scraped and sanded them down. Finally put on a layer of sealer, which, when dry, will have a layer of black paint on them. 
 

i also drilled the holes for the masts. Getting the angle correct turned out to be brutally difficult. The foremast is 91°, mainmast 92°, mizzenmast 94°. Beyond the issue with that kind of precision using a drill, even a hand drill, and getting it centered port to starboard, getting the angle vs the keel is quite hard. I used a protractor, but you cannot set it down on the deck, as the deck is not perfectly parallel with the keel. 
 

In the end, I used a level, put pieces under each end until it was perfectly level, then attached the protractor to the level so that its bottom is level and midpoint aligned with the hole location, and then drilled. Hard but it looks like it succeeded. 
 

next steps will be painting the hatchways, and planking up the interior bulwarks. 

[Avi]

Before I move on to the finer work on the bulwarks and then coppering, I decided to check the mast holes. If they are off on angle, I always could drill a wider hole and then settle them in with some putty when I steep the masts. 
 

I took the wood, planted them in the holes… and it was perfect. Nothing here comes out right the first time, so I’m really surprised. I had my artistically inclined and talented daughter verify. Attached. 
 

on to planking the bulwarks. 

 

[Avi]

As I slowly make my way up the interior bulwarks planking, I’ve come to several realizations.

 

First, it’s hard to get the interior and exterior exactly aligned. I imagine this is more natural for those building plank of bulkhead, like MSW, as opposed to on a solid hull, but even slight variances in carving the hull can lead to big planking differences. I’m sanding down planks to shape it as best I can, but I can just hope that it is not overly visible. 
 

Second, where the planks from port and starboard meet at the bows need not be perfect. That all will be covered over anyways. I’m trying to get them just right anyways, and where there are gaps, I add small pieces of plank and sand them in, but it doesn’t matter too much. 
 

Third, getting the top of the gundeck interior bulwarks planks to finish just right below the spardeck waterway is nearly impossible. Instead, I’m pausing the gundeck bulwark planking, somewhere around the tops of the gunports, and going to do the spardeck waterways. It will be much easier to shape the thin planks to align just below the waterways than the other way around. 
 

According to Anatomy (pages 74-76), the spardeck waterways basically are flush with the long midships opening on both sides (what is that opening called?), with a “gunwale” laid over both, while being 2 strakes below the spardeck gunports. I’m not sure my spardeck opening and gunports are aligned quite that precisely, but should be close. My own pictures of the ship from visiting her in May show 1 strake below gunports, and 1 strake below the opening for the bowsprit. 
 

Either way, laying the waterways flush with the opening and 1 or 2 strakes below the gunports should be fine. 

Edited December 13, 2022 by Avi

[Avi]

Planking basically is done, interior and exterior. I cut out all of the gunports on gundeck and spardeck, then shaved the sides of each one with a fresh sharp #11 xacto blade to get them right (changed blades multiple times). 
 

Some miscalculations on my part led to an interesting challenge. If you don’t get it exactly right (and I didn’t), you have a hard time reconciling all of the following:

 

- four strakes per gunport on both decks

- two strakes between top of waterway and bottom of gunports on gundeck

- one strake between top of gunports on gundeck and bottom of spardeck waterway

- one strake between top of waterway and bottom of gunports on spardeck

 

the miscalculation led to some ports where I’ve got an extra plank hanging down from the top of the gunport on one side, and/or an extra one sneaking up from the bottom of the port on the other side. The pictures below show some examples. 
 

 

if I trim the hanging one, the gunport looks better but then the top is flush with the waterway above; if I trim the bottom one, it is missing a strake between it and the waterway below. If I do neither, I have a strange hanging plank. I probably could fill it with wood filler and then sand it on an angle, which is another option. 
 

Fortunately, only some of the ports have the issue. 
 

This leaves me with some possibilities:

 

A. Trim and ignore the plank count between ports and waterways

B. Fill in with wood filler and sand on an angle, ignoring plank count for ports for some

C. Some combination of the above