USS Enterprise 1799 by manic8479 - FINISHED - Constructo - My first ever build

[manic8479]

That Video is AMAZING. Thank you for sharing. 

[allanyed]

Hi Manic,

Of special note from the above discussion Gregory referenced is the block selection.   It is a common mistake on many kits that provide and instruct the use of a double block and single block for the running and training tackle on the guns..  Unless the guns were 32 pounders or larger there should be two single blocks, not a single and a double.  I would not be surprised that there were exceptions for 24 pounders but as Enterprise 1799 was a schooner, she did not carry heavy guns and the rigging showing a single and double is not correct.  As with many kits  it is a good idea, and hopefully fun, to do some research as you move along on the build. 

 

Allan

[manic8479]

well, after a couple of hours (watching a fascinating documentary on Pirates on Netflix in the background) Here is the first canon in place. I am sure I would have gotten it in place much sooner but the documentary was really very interesting.

 

 

only 13 more to go

 

[Kevin]

I can see very quickly how well your skills have come on since the start of your build, very well done for not giving up or moving on to the caldercraft hms victory lol

Look at vanguard models by @chris watton he has a great new range, excellent instructions and british, kit are also paypal installments 

https://vanguardmodels.co.uk/

Edited September 18, 2021 by Kevin

[manic8479]

I had been rushing through this project a little, desperate to finish it in time....

 

It was bought in part to give me something to do during lockdown (and I had always wanted to build a ship), and in part to be a gift for a very good friend of mine. I took my time to choose the ship - although I missed the part about researching the instructions and company. Instead I focused on where the ship was from and the significance it would have from my friend (Sam). 

 

A few months ago Sam was diagnosed with leukaemia and told he wouldn't make it till Christmas. I began to race through the build, still wanting it to be as good as possible for him and resenting any mistake I made since it postponed the final completion. 

 

This afternoon Sam died, and with him my momentum and passion for the build. 

 

I was speaking to him just yesterday questioning whether I should show him a photo of the build or wait until all the canons and grates were on the deck. I made the mistake of waiting and so Sam will never see the ship I started for him. I am not sure how to return to the build after this... I don't even know if I want to. The ship was always his in my mind.

 

Thank you all for your support over the past few months. I don't know when I will post again.

[Gregory]

You might consider finishing it and keeping it as a memorial for Sam..

 

My condolences for your loss..

Edited September 19, 2021 by Gregory

[Kevin]

please finish it, it will be something to remember him by

[Cathead]

This is a devastating story and loss, and I'm so appreciative that you were willing to share it. You certainly have the right to take a break from the model.  My last project, a Viking ship, was in part dedicated to my father-in-law, an Old English scholar to whom I was very close. He, too, died (this past winter) before I could finish it, and never really got to appreciate even the build properly as his health and mind failed too rapidly once the project had begun. But I'm so glad I did finish it eventually, and now I think of him whenever I see it displayed in my home. It helps him be a part of my everyday life to see that ship there. So I hope you'll at least consider the suggestion of coming back to the model when you're ready, whenever that may be.

 

In the meantime, I feel your loss as deeply as a stranger can, and hope you'll take care of yourself as you mourn. All I can ask is that you set the model aside, rather than enabling any possible urge to dispose of it. That way, it's there if you decide to return later.

[manic8479]

Thank you all for your support. It has been greatly appreciated.

 

I wasn't sure whether I would want to, or be able to finish her and so I went into the garage the other night to clear her away and tidy up. My plan was to put her safely into a cupboard so that she didn't get damaged. Many hours later the canons were safely on the deck... it seemed the safest place for them.... . I know Sam would have wanted me to finish her and it will be lovely to remember him with it.

 

Once again Thank you

[manic8479]

I have been working on the anchors. Having painted and assembled them I temporarily attached them to the cathead as shown below,

 

 

I know there is meant to be another brass hoop, which has the anchor rope attached to it and I will get to that in a minute... My first question is, when the anchor is tied to the side of the ship, what type of know should I use and how should it look. Do I tie the rest of the rope to a belaying pin, or does it hang loose.

 

 

The photo in the instruction's isn't particularly clear and I have tried to google it - and to search specifically for the answer on this forum, but haven't found it yet.

 

 

I was pleased with the way I attached the rope from the cathead to the belay pin. I know the rope coil should somehow be in front of the pin, but that confused me too.

 

 

And lastly - this is turning into a mammoth post - the thread provided in the kit looks terrible, it is frayed and ugly. I was wondering about trying to run it through a wax candle or something - I tried a lighter but I just set it on fire 😞 . I have some wood wax if that would work. Or is it a lost cause and I just need to buy some new thread. If so what type so that I don't end up with the same problem?

 

Thank you in advance

 

 

[GrandpaPhil]

Sorry for your loss.  My condolences.

On 9/30/2021 at 10:37 AM, manic8479 said:

And lastly - this is turning into a mammoth post - the thread provided in the kit looks terrible, it is frayed and ugly. I was wondering about trying to run it through a wax candle or something - I tried a lighter but I just set it on fire 😞 . I have some wood wax if that would work. Or is it a lost cause and I just need to buy some new thread. If so what type so that I don't end up with the same problem?

 

Thank you in advance

 

 

For the thread, I bought a block of beeswax at a hardware store.  
 

I run all of my rigging thread through it.  It works wonders.  It prevents fraying and makes it much easier to handle.

 

 

[plankncaulk]

Manic-

I hope you finish it, for Sam. I'm sure he would be proud of the work you've done so far, and the finished ship will be a beautiful memorial to him.

Tim

[Dr PR]

I posted a bit about anchor handling in small ships here:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/27410-small-ship-anchor-handling/?do=findComment&comment=787942

 

A line or chain called a shank painter was looped under the shaft at the flukes (crown of the anchor) to support the stowed anchor, and the ends were secured to timber heads or cleats on the rail or bulwark. A stopper rope to support the stock of the anchor was secured to the cathead on one end, looped through the anchor ring and then the free end was looped around a cleat or secured to a timber head. The anchor tackle could be loosened or removed and the stopper supported the head of the anchor. Apparently on some ships the anchor cable was removed from the anchor when at sea and stowed below decks.

[manic8479]

8 hours ago, plankncaulk said:

Manic-

I hope you finish it, for Sam. I'm sure he would be proud of the work you've done so far, and the finished ship will be a beautiful memorial to him.

Tim

 

Thank you. I was at Sam's house today helping Michele clear out the shed and I found 2 pieces of Mahogany which he had saved for something. I have taken them and I plan to make a stand for Sam's ship out of Sam's wood. It seems very fitting indeed.

[manic8479]

5 hours ago, Dr PR said:

I posted a bit about anchor handling in small ships here:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/27410-small-ship-anchor-handling/?do=findComment&comment=787942

 

A line or chain called a shank painter was looped under the shaft at the flukes (crown of the anchor) to support the stowed anchor, and the ends were secured to timber heads or cleats on the rail or bulwark. A stopper rope to support the stock of the anchor was secured to the cathead on one end, looped through the anchor ring and then the free end was looped around a cleat or secured to a timber head. The anchor tackle could be loosened or removed and the stopper supported the head of the anchor. Apparently on some ships the anchor cable was removed from the anchor when at sea and stowed below decks.

 

Thank you this is really very informative and a fantastic resource. It is great how much you can learn about sailing ships through the process of building a model.

[manic8479]

I have been ploughing ahead with the build and have completed the Bowsprit. I saw the someone had used an electric drill and sand paper to paper their masts and so I tried this approach and was really impressed with the results.... and also surprised at just how hot the sand paper got. It felt like it would burst into flames at points and I decided to take regular breaks to let it cool down. 

 

I have seen some logs for the USS Enterprise where they have added a lot of detail to the bowsprit and masts which are not in the plans or instructions, and although this makes the model look seriously impressive, I am not yet confident enough to start deviating from the instructions just yet. Perhaps in future builds.

 

 

I read in a different log about a guy using a "helping hand" thing while doing the rigging and so I brought one. It has been a real help...

 

 

I completed the bowsprit and it looked odd. Turns out I had done the rigging all wrong and so I dismantled it, added some eyes to the hull and re did all the rigging. I don't have any photo's of the failed attempt but here is the completed bowsprit. Hopefully I wont find any more problems that I need to redo. 

 

I took "GrandpaPhil's" advice and ran the thread through beeswax and the effect is great. It was also so much easier to thread and work with. I used some furniture bees wax I had in the cupboard but I have a tailors device arriving tomorrow which will be even easier to apply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My next task is to start work on tapering the masts. I saw a cool idea for a jig allowing you to file the square bits of the mast with relative ease and so I think I will construct one. 

 

 

[manic8479]

I am a little lost....

 

I have been trying to make the Foremast according to the plans. This is what I have so far. I know it doesn't look like it but it is actually the same length as the plan. It just wasn't on a flat surface when I took the photo.

 

 

what I don't get is which blocks need to be attached to it and where and how. Do I use hoop pins and thread, and drill it in, or do I wrap around the mast. What are the circles I keep seeing. 

 

The instructions seem to assume I understand the plan - unfortunately I neither understand the plan or how sailing ships work. I have taken photos of the plans and will include them in this post

 

 

what I assume are rope lines don't attach to anything. They draw half the line and leave the rest to my imagination - which is a dangerous thing to do!

 

here are some close ups - although that didn't seem to help my understanding at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am sorry for the orientation of the images. I did rotate them on my pc before posting but they seems to have rotated back and I cant seem to change it. 

 

I know this may be obvious to some but I cannot seem to make head or tails of this and I want to make sure I have made the mast correctly before I start to install it since adding blocks and hoops and stuff to the mast will be really hard once I get started on the rigging.

 

here is what the instructions say to do

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forgive me If I am being really dim, I just want to make sure I know what I am doing before I progress.

 

 

Thank you

 

 

 

and sorry this is yet another mammoth post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[plankncaulk]

Manic-

I'm kind of new at this myself but if I'm not mistaken the numbers at the ends of the hanging lines should correspond to attachment points on pin rails, or bitts, or tiedown points on the rails or deck, or possibly points on the other masts or yards. I don't own any Constructo kits so I'm not familiar with the way they mark things. The circles look like they indicate single blocks, maybe. Hopefully someone with more plan reading experience will check in and give us a definitive explanation. The bowsprit looks really good. The way you're going I think the rest will look just as good.

Tim

[Cathead]

Sorry for slow reply , been off grid and now  browsing at airport on phone so hard to study diagrams or write long reply. Will try to help more later this week. Just wanted you to know that you weren’t being ignored.

[src]

Manic,

Take a look at this photo you posted. Each of those numbers at the end of a line should correspond to a belay pin or ring bolt on your deck plan. On my plans there was a small deck plan on the lower right corner that ties in with these numbers. The circles with no numbers are blocks that you will strop to the end of your line. There will be additional lines that run from belay points up through those blocks and then back down to another belay point/block/ring,... something. You will need to spend some time looking over these plans and the plans I PMed to you (after checking that I wasnt breaking copyright or MSW rules of course )

 

Best of luck, If you run into more head scratchers, try posting a question in the rigging forum, you will get a wider variety of responses from a bunch of very helpful people.

 

Sam

[manic8479]

It has been a really long time since I posted anything - or even did any work on the ship - but last night I finally went back to work on the build. 

 

 

 

There were a few stowaways that I has to remove first, and a lot of dust has accumulated which I still cant fully remove. The 6 months alone in my dusty garage have not been kind to my little ship.

 

 

 

But once the stowaways were removed I was able to carry on where I had left off - I wont lie, it took a while to figure out where I had finished and what I needed to do next.

 

 

 

This is the end of the evenings work. 

 

I didn't realise how long it would take to do just those 4 lines. I will do the other 4 later on today and then make the second mast ready for install. 

 

There are a could on those wooden rings missing, so I wont have them for the second mast, and one is missing from the base of this mast. I think I will end up having to use a filler of some kind.

 

 

 

The good news is, I am back on it and this ship will be completed at some stage. 

 

 

 

[Gregory]

There was rarely if ever a continuous ring of material around the mast at the deck.  What you usually see is a modeling convention.

 

 

The mast coat might have been tarred canvas placed over a series of wedges.

 

Here is an example decorative looking fitting from AgesOfSale

 

 

Just  use the ring on your mast, or cut another one to make some wedges to place around the base of the mast and embellish them as you see fit.

 

Your shroud rigging at the channels really looks good..

Edited March 12, 2022 by Gregory

[manic8479]

That's really interesting, thank you Gregory I might be able to do something like that on this build. 

[manic8479]

I discovered that I hadn't drilled holes in the crossbeams on the mast.

 

 

I steadily drilled a very small hole in each of the crossbeams and then made the hole progressively larger until it was wide enough for the thickness of string I will need to thread through it. It would have been much easier to do this before assembly, and my hand was trembling the whole time. I was so worried that I would split the delicate wood - fortunately it turned out well.

 

 

I then tied the ratlines on both sides of the mast. 208 knots later I was exhausted. I understand how it could have been so tiering, but it really was exhausting, perhaps it was more the fact that I didn't finish until gone midnight - but there was no way I was going to stop half way through a job.

 

 

 

 

It is beginning to take shape and I am getting a feel of how she will look - and how truly huge she will be - when she is finished.

 

My next plan is to make the second mast and install her in the same way as the first. The I can start work on the rest of the rigging. 

 

I am still uncertain as to whether I will add the sails or not. And if I add them I don't know if the will be furled or unfurled. I certainly don't want them to be flat and lifeless, and I am worried that if I include them, they may obscure some of the details on the ship that I have tried so hard to include. ... but there is plenty of time to make that decision since I am some way away from hoisting the sales.

 

 

 

[Cathead]

Welcome back! I hesitate to note this, but will do so in case you care: several of the deadeyes are rigged incorrectly. They should always be rigged so that the top hole in the triangle of three holes faces away from the other deadeye, like this (from this great page on rigging by the San Diego Ship Modeler's Guild😞

 

 

Of the four you show, the second from the left is correct, the rest are not. Now, you don't have to fix this; the vast majority of viewers won't notice or care and the model will look great regardless. I just mention it because a lot of modelers enjoy learning as part of the building process, and if this level of accuracy is important to you, it's easier to correct it now as you've only done 4! But you have every right to shrug and move on; we all draw the line somewhere.

 

EDIT: Oops, apparently you posted your update as I was writing the above. Adding all the ratlines does change the equation on redoing the deadeyes. It's still up to you, as they're technically independent from the shrouds. But you can always apply the "correct" method to the other mast and just not worry about this obscure detail.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Cathead

[Gregory]

One more note about the ring on your foremast..

 

 

 

Your ring might be a misplaced shoulder for the main boom. 

The fore mast doesn't have a boom so the shoulder would be out of place there.

 

P.S.

If you haven't seen it already, a real nice log for this kit  with a lot of detail is this one by Sam (SRC )

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by Gregory

[manic8479]

Cathead - thank you - I do want her to be as accurate as possible and appreciate the advice. I will admit I don't think I have all the plans etc which go with this build - in fact I didn't even have the instruction book. I am working off a PDF that constructo sent me and photos of other peoples plan that they have kindly posted to me. it means that I have had to improvise a little as you will see in the next images I post. I cant wait to start my next build with proper instructions and manuals - I was planning one from vanguard models and was even wondering about buying it first and then using the rigging plans from that model to assist me with this one. But with the price of everything ever increasing, I think my wife would kill me!

 

Gregory - the build log from Sam (SRC) is amazing! Thank you. I am a little in awe of his achievements. I would love to go on a real ship and see how the rigging looks and interacts with each other. I have already taken an idea from his build to do ratlines up the second section of mast - it seems like a much more practical idea then just leaving them. Sailors would have needed a way to get to the top so it just makes sense to add it. 

 

 

The shoulder is on the plans for the foremast, but it is not the first time the plans  and instructions have let me down, having said that the instructions I was sent are not actually the plans for the model I have, they are the plans for the revised version of the ship, and sadly the plans and instructions don't always match up. ... it has been a very steep learning curve for sure 😀

Edited March 13, 2022 by manic8479
adition

[Cathead]

Wooden ship building definitely has a steep learning curve. You're doing great and you'll be proud to display this when you're done. And yes, I think you'll love building a new project with good materials and instructions!

[manic8479]

I have been thinking about buying a scroll saw for some time as a hobby, and potentially to make the family some homemade Christmas presents. It occurred to me that a scroll saw would also help a lot in making a missing shoulder for the mainmast and a ring between the mast and the deck, and so I went ahead and ordered the saw. Today it finally arrived and having set it up I was eager to try it out... 

 

 

I predrilled a 7.5mm hole and drew the 12mm wide outline of the ring.

 

a little sanding later and it was ready to test on the mast.

 

 

Although probably not historically accurate I love the contrasting colours of the wood.

 

 

I will make another and cut it into 6 or 8 sections to place around the foremast - I will then decide whether to cut this one as well or not to more closely mimic the wedges that would have been used. I will also smooth and round the edges - I might decide to just score it at intervals rather than cutting all the way through - but that will depend on how the foremast ends up looking.

 

Hopefully I will have the mast installed by the end of the weekend.

[manic8479]

I have been looking at the instruction manual for the HMS Flirt on Vanguard models website - their manual is so much more detailed and helpful then mine and although I know the 2 ships are very different I have noticed that the "stays" (I think) for the masts are use a hart shaped block to tie them to the bowsprit (I think). This seems to be the same as what 'Sam SRC' did in his build. I can only find 7 or 10mm blocks in wood online, and I am worried that they would be too big for the ship and look disproportionate. they also have card ones at 4, 5 or 6mm. Which should I go for? smaller but card, or larger wood to match the wood in the ship? Any advice would be really appreciated. The block I have used so far in the build have been either 3mm or 4mm.