USS Constitution by CaptainSteve - Model Shipways - 1:76.8 scale

[CaptainSteve]

Steve,

 

I'm just now catching up.. great job!!!

 

Thanks for dropping in, Mark.

 

Incidentally, I hear there will be a v2 of your Licorne build ...

Thoroughly looking forward to that !!

 

I noticed also someone suggested turning v1 into a Pirate Ship ...

Now THERE be a brilliant idea !!!

Edited January 26, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[mtaylor]

Ah, but the time period is off quite a bit for pirates, me-hearty.   And indeed, V2.0 is in the planning stages.  I'll get this puppy right or take up consuming large quantities of rum.

[CaptainSteve]

Ah, but the time period is off quite a bit for pirates, me-hearty.   And indeed, V2.0 is in the planning stages.  I'll get this puppy right or take up consuming large quantities of rum.

 

Arrr .. pirates be timeless, Mark !!

In fact, all ye need these days, apart from a cutlass, is a dozen or so DVD-burners and a solid internet connection.

At least, so I've been told ...

Edited January 28, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

Australia Day has come and gone for another year.

 

Somehow, despite being a holiday weekend, I got less done than I'd hoped.

My only excuse - I guess SOMEONE had to drink all that beer !!

 

I'd been dreading the prospect of having to make holes thru the top of my rudders to fit the tiller arms. So that they wouldn't split apart, I clamped each into a bulldog clip when drilling.

I started with a 0.1mm guide hole, then drilled again at 0.3mm and then 0.5mm.

Incidentally, NOW would be a good time for me to mention that I DID actually check the angle where tiller-arm meets rudder BEFORE drilling.

 

A quick test fit - and I couldn't resist a photo or two ...

 

Anyone else notice how the white on boat and rudder is different ??

Apparently, I have two different tints of white paint on my desk...

Needless to say, the swan-boat keels had a re-paint and are now drying. 

Edited November 25, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

Naturally, everything was going along a little TOO well ... disaster struck when one of the LASER-CUT whale-boat rudder parts broke in half ...

 

 

Uncharacteristically for me, I wasn't really all that upset when it happened.

Y'see, just a few days before, I'd discovered another whale-boat builder here on MSW, Salty Sea Dog.

(Seriously, if you are building a small boat, you're gunna luv this guy !!!)

 

Salty, when I first saw the rudder on your CW Morgan whale-boat, I was jealous ...

 

 

... now, since breaking one of mine, I'm thinking that I'd really like to re-model !!!

Oh well, that will give me something to do next weekend ...

 

 

.

..

...

By the way, I've had a re-think on furniture. I've decided to fit rudders to both whale-boats and the Gig. I tried a quick test positioning with them placed onboard the boats today. For me at least, I just found them over-powering - even choosing to make new, more stream-lined whale-boat rudders.

 

Of course, this is mainly due to the over-sized tiller arms which are on mine.

So, now, the pinnace will be the only boat to have a stored keel.

This brings me to a question which was also part of the above decision: Precisely, HOW should this be stowed ???

Edited January 28, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[Bindy]

What a great build log so far!

 

Sorry I can't help you with your question about how they should be stowed, but I can console you in not getting so much done over the weekend by reminding you it would have been VERY un-Australian not to drink the beer on Australia Day Weekend 

[capnharv2]

CaptainSteve,

 

Somewhere on my computer is a book on small boat (pinnace, gig, etc) handling, and I believe I saw something in there about rudder storage-but I can't find it yet.

 

I would think the best place to store the rudder is someplace on the floors near the stern of the boat. I know that's where we store the rudder on our small sailboats. But, they may have had other plans that made more sense under the circumstances.

 

Anyway, I'll look for that book some more in the next couple days.

 

I must say, your ship's boats are looking very nice!

 

Thanks,

 

Harvey

[CaptainSteve]

What a great build log so far!

 

... I can console you in not getting so much done over the weekend by reminding you it would have been VERY un-Australian not to drink the beer on Australia Day Weekend 

 

Thanks for lookin' in, Bindy.

 

I see your build is coming along nicely ... but, seriously, with all those people dropping in on you, shouldn't SOMEONE offer to buy pizzas ???

[CaptainSteve]

Somewhere on my computer is a book on small boat (pinnace, gig, etc) handling, and I believe I saw something in there about rudder storage-but I can't find it yet.

 

I would think the best place to store the rudder is someplace on the floors near the stern of the boat. I know that's where we store the rudder on our small sailboats. But, they may have had other plans that made more sense under the circumstances.

 

Anyway, I'll look for that book some more in the next couple days.

 

I must say, your ship's boats are looking very nice!

 

Thanks,

 

Harvey

 

Harv,

I'd really appreciate any info on this topic that you could post here !!

 

As a fellow-member of the FakeCaptainsClub, with no actual naval experience (as per Rule 1.00a), I am considering lashing the tiller-arm along the back of my rudder, and then "lazily" laying it on the rear bench, against the wall of the cabinet.

 

Kind of like this, with lashings to come ...

 

EDIT: Another idea could be to do something similar, but hang it off the back stern of the pinnace (ie: instead of mounting vertically, it would be lashed horizontally).

Yes, that rudder DOES look kinda rough. Only one coat had been applied when I took this pic. Sanding down and a couple more coats of paint to follow.

Edited November 26, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[capnharv2]

CaptainSteve,

 

If it were me (and I have no experience either, so anything is fine) I would lay the rudder flat on the seats. That way it can slide around (unless you lash it down) but not fall out. Also, I'd bring the tiller completely inside the hull. Anything to keep lines from snagging on the rudder and tiller.

 

Also, if you're going to add oars, mast and booms, you could lash the rudder and tiller down with them. They wouldn't be needed until the oars and spars are needed anyway.

 

Thanks,

 

Harvey

[BRiddoch]

Got your message.  Thanks Steve.

 

 Bob R.

[Modeler12]

Boy, you guys take Australia Day serious with all that beer drinking.

I see you even take it out to sea.

[M. Pajulahti]

I've been following your build. Looking super good so far. Your boats look very real. I'm hoping my own boats will be even close as good.

 

Markku

[CaptainSteve]

Another member of the Connie Club ...Welcome aboard, Markku.

 

I spent the wee hours shaping a pair of whale-boat keels. I actually prefer this time of day for ship-modelling and find I usually get more done from around 2am on Sunday mornings. No work ... chores done ... the house is quiet ... 

 

As mentioned earlier, I chose to re-model these keels. They are loosely based upon the one I saw in Salty Sea Dogs' build. Okay, sure, I have deviated - yet again - from the MS plans. It isn't the first time, and I'm fairly confident (damn certain!!) it won't be the last.

 

An outline was sketched onto some scrap pieces, cut roughly to size, and then Dremelled to get the desired shape (same process as for the tiller-arms above).

 

 

I cheated a little when attaching the arms to rudders. Ideally, the keel tip would slot into a groove on the end of the arms. Instead, I trimmed a 2mm tip off my rudders, CA'd the tiller-arms (after checking the angle!!) in place, then re-attached the tip.

 

EDIT: This pic proved to me just how handy a camera is as a ship-building tool. The angle of the second keel (on right) is out. I only noticed this after uploading the pic. It has since be corrected.

 

I don't know how much more I will get done today. Apparently, I have a rather large bottle of beer to get through - courtesy of Jay.

Edited February 1, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

They say you learn something new every day ... 

Well, today I learned TWO:- Pintle and Gudgeon.

I can even put 'em in a sentence ... the pintle slots into the gudgeon providing a fulcrum (already knew that one!!) for the rudder.

 

 

Having changed my mind with regards fitting/stowing the rudders, the two whale-boats and the Gig now have tillers/keels attached.

I cheated with these by simply glueing them in place ...

 

 

To represent pintle/gudgeon straps on these, I cut some thin (1/32") strips of wet'n'dry sandpaper ...

 

 

These need to be cut to size and glued into position ....

Edited February 8, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

Seeing as the keel for the pinnace will now be stowed, I wanted to show the pintle/gudgeon a little better.

Two short (3mm) pieces of brass wire were wrapped inside strips of the wet'n'dry ...

 

(Sorry. It's a bit fuzzy)

 

Once the CA glue has set, holding my pintles in place, the pinnace keel will look like this ...

 

Edited February 8, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

Onto the gudgeons. Searching thru a small pack of watch-parts (see Kit-Basher's), I found a pair of 1mm dia cogs. Again using thin strips of wet'n'dry ....

 

 

Some fiddly attaching followed, again with strips ...

 

 

The whale-boats ...

 

 

... and my boats are sooo very close to being done. Just furniture to consider now, starting with the Pinnace keel which has been "lazily" fixed in place.

 

 

That's it for this weekend, Folks. Back to work tomorrow.

Edited February 26, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

Incidentally, I've made a decision on what I'll be doing once the boats are safely stored away.

For now, this teaser .... there's a BLUE box due to arrive this week.

Edited February 9, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[Bindy]

Lol I have to ask but how did you find anything 1mm big in a whole bits box??  Haha

 

But seriously, these look great!

[CaptainSteve]

Lol I have to ask but how did you find anything 1mm big in a whole bits box??  Haha

 

But seriously, these look great!

 

Arrr, Bindy ...

T'aint that hard. I pours 'em all out (onto one of the plan sheets), then sift thru 'em using a pair of tweezers. Once done, fold the plan sheet in 'alf and pour 'em all back into their container.

Oh, and did I mention that - even though my eye-sight still be fine - I use a pair of magnifying spectacles whenever I be workin' on me model.

Thoroughly recommend 'em. You can buy a pair at any chemist in Oz for around $10.00. I use the maximum ones - 3+.

Edited February 10, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[Captain Slog]

I use a pair of magnifying spectacles whenever I be workin' on me model.

Thoroughly recommend 'em.

 

Hi Steve,

 

Funny you should mention that, I have started using a pair the Admiral has (only +2 i think) which she uses for reading fine print on competition labels.

 

Only thing is make sure to use them in private...I look like Mr Magoo and can't walk around as can only focus 3" from my face LOL

[CaptainSteve]

Most definitely, Slog !!

If ya don't take them off, ye can quite easily walk into walls/doorways/animals.

Not to mention the head-spins just from standing upright quickly !!!

 

Edited February 10, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[Craigie65]

Most definitely, Slog !!

If ya don't take them off, ye can quite easily walk into walls/doorways/animals.

Not to mention the head-spins just from standing upright quickly !!!

 

I need my glasses to read and without them any detail on my build is just a blur. Mind you when I take them off the ship looks perfect!

 

I often use a magnifying lamp to paint the detail. As for finding a 1 mm part........

Edited February 10, 2014 by Craigie65

[JSGerson]

I'm blind as a bat having to wear strong magnifying glasses since I was seven. I've been wearing tri-focal lens for years now and even then I still need a magnifying lens to read fine print. I use a clip-on 3 Doppler Ary eye loupe to do my model work. It clips on and it flips up and down as necessary with ease. The one I have, I bought many years ago, probable in the late 70's and it still works fine. Today, they go for about $80 odd today. I have no idea what I paid for mine.

[CaptainSteve]

JS,

For someone who claims to be as "blind as a bat", you do brilliant work !!

Arr

Edited February 11, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

A few posts back, I suggested that a blue box was imminently due.

It was collected today.

 

 

Anyone care to guess what's inside ??

(HINT: I may have chosen to follow some additional builds recently)

 

[Craigie65]

A few posts back, I suggested that a blue box was imminently due.

It was collected today.

 

BlueBox2.JPG

 

Anyone care to guess what's inside ??

(HINT: I may have chosen to follow some additional builds recently)

Don't tease! Just get the pics on line or a certain Dutchman might get stroppy

[BRiddoch]

18th Century Longboat?

 

       Bob R.

[CaptainSteve]

You're close, Bob.

 

It IS from the 18th Century.

And, technically, I guess it certainly is a form of longboat.

(How long does a boat need to be in order to be known as a "longboat" ??)

 

But, no, it's not the one which you, Chuck and many others have built.

Edited February 17, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

Don't tease! Just get the pics on line or a certain Dutchman might get stroppy

 

Is that the Flying one ... or the one with the popcorn cart ???