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

[Geoff Matson]

Boats are looking good, the cleats came out just fine, I know they can be hard to make and you made it look simple. Nice job all around. Don't worry about making fast progress. Sometimes the best modeling you can do is walk away for a little bit and get a new perspective on what you are trying to do.

[CaptainSteve]

Thanks guys.

 

The cleats turned out better than I hoped, Geoff. Of course, I imagine I'll need to do another 50 or so of them later on, but I plan to worry about that problem when the time comes ...

 

I admit that my progress is slow ...

My small work-table sits in the corner of the room, with the boats virtually accusing me of procrastination on a daily basis. 

 

 

 

I've started on cap-rails, as well as fitting a winch to the one (un-stolen) whale-boat.

Edited November 5, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

A quick note regarding the whale-boat winches. Ever since seeing them installed on another build here on MSW, I had decided I wanted to add them to mine.

 

They actually proved quite easy to make. The middle pieces, the "drums", are simply some beads that I found in a store, and the two ends are merely the tips from a pair of chop-sticks left-over from takeaway night. I simply cut these ends off, sanded them down to fit and attached the bead/drum between them.

Some holes were drilled thru for the poles to wind the winches (and these poles will be included later as "furniture"). 

 

I had wanted to add some tiny gear wheels to the ends to simulate the ratchets to wind them. But, despite getting hold of a pack of watch parts, the sizes were just wrong, so the gears were left off.

 

As the last pic shows, I'm now working on cap-rails for the two whale-boats.

Edited November 25, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

No real updates for this weekend, folks, though work does continue on my boats.

 

Some spare time the other evening saw me put together a few ideas, and hence, I've created a little forum here on MSW which I'd very much like people to check out. After a change to the working title, it is now called "The Kit-Basher's Guide to the Galaxy."

(Douglas Adams ?? No ?? Never heard of him !!)

Edited November 25, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[glider304guider]

Looking good CaptainSteve.  I've just started my Connie, I'll be following your build with interest.  Still glueing bulkheads onto the false keel.

[keelhauled]

Really nice work. I really like the details that you added to the boats.  Nice creative approach to building them.

[CaptainSteve]

Thanks Glider.

 

Nice start you've made there.

 

Thanks Keelie,

 

Really, it has come down to me currently having very limited space - and time - to work on my build.

Thus, I have chosen to work on the smaller sections of this kit for now.

 

I can understand if some would suggest my OCD kicks in a little too frequently !!

Edited December 16, 2013 by CaptainSteve

[Sailor1234567890]

Good job on coming up with those winch beads.

[CaptainSteve]

Just a quick update after a very busy weekend of work (I drew Saturday shift this weekend), last-minute Christmas shopping, present-wrapping and work functions (well, only the one).

Even managed to re-construct an old dart-board cabinet - that one is for my brother-in-law.

 

Somewhere amongst all that, work continued on re-creating the hi-jacked whale-boat.

Almost there ...

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

Also, I've had a re-think on the cap-rails for these two boats.

 

I happened to acquire some sheets of veneer-thickness wood from a business I visited the other day. To them, it was just scrap left-over from a job - to me, it was 1.5sqm of trim, detail-strips and cap-rails !!!

 

As the grain was a bit loose for small scale stuff, I coated one sheet with PVA, and sealed by pushing the glue into the grain, then left it to dry with a pile of books sitting on top.

 

 

 

 

Once ready, YET ANOTHER tracing of the cap-rails taken from the plans and glued onto the veneer ...

 

Edited March 18, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[NenadM]

I am collecting ideas for making boats

 

Thx

 

Nenad

[CaptainSteve]

Arr !!

 

The cap-rails proved to be a little bit fiddly. After cutting them out three times - cause I kept getting them wrong and/or breaking them - I finally got there.

 

These still need a bit of final shaping ...

 

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

Once they are finished, then some oar locks (tholes), the rudders and furniture.

And then I should finally be ready to re-create that picture of yours from so many months ago, Geoff !!

 

Having noted what you said about cutting back on furniture, I have been giving the matter some thought.

Here's what I've come up with (not set in concrete):

 

Captain's Gig

1 furled sail

2 bunches of two oars (tied)

2 coils of rope

Rudder mounted

 

Whaleboat 1

3 bunches of oars

Coiled rope around winch drum

(leading to harpoon at prow)

2 Winch-poles

2-3 Coil of rope

1 bucket

Rudder mounted

 

Whale-boat 2

AS ABOVE EXCEPT

1 bundle of 5 oars

Rudder stored on-board

 

Pinnace

1 bundle of 7 oars

2 Boat hooks

2 furled sails

1 bucket

3-6 coils of rope

Rudder stored on-board

Edited December 27, 2013 by CaptainSteve

[JeffT]

Thats one thing about this kit,,,there is so much to do and then redo several times

[Geoff Matson]

I think your choice of what to put in the boat will work out great. Mine were just to full of stuff. You are doing a nice job and am looking forward to seeing more.

[CaptainSteve]

Arr !!

 

I had a visit from my old mate, MrCritic, last night.

As these meetings usually go, razor-knives were drawn. By the time we were done, the half-moon hatch from the recently rebuilt whale-boat had been mortally wounded (read "removed").

It won't take me too long to re-make this.

 

I have to admit, though, he was right. That hatch-cover was at least 1mm too big - and maybe even as much as 1.5mm - so it HAD to go !!

[CaptainSteve]

Done !!

 

I really don't like the whole concept of photography.

... especially crystal clear photography ...especially the kind that shows up every, minute flaw !!

 

Edited November 5, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[usedtosail]

Flaws? What flaws? I don't see any. The detail you have added to these boats is incredible.

[CaptainSteve]

Thanks, UTS.

 

So, you like detail, huh ??

 

Well, another feature I saw on Chuck Passaro's 18th Century pinnace build which I quite liked, had me re-visit the two "swan-boats" last night.

 

Originally, I had thought that the iron strip affixed over the prow as a re-inforcement was white in colour, but after having another look at Chuck's build yesterday, I now see that this will be black.

 

As I would like to leave mine white, with a vertical row of black dots to represent the bolts, my question is this:

In the days of "If it doesn't move, paint it!!", would it have been possible that this strip could have been painted ??

 

These strips started life as twist-ties from a pack of freezer bags. See "Kit-Basher's" for more info.

EDIT: OMG ... You're the guy who puts a sabre, some mangoes and a half-cut coconut in his Bounty launch !!!

Very cool, UTS!!!

Edited November 5, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[Moonbug]

Nice work. Collecting ideas for future use...  

 

- Bug

[CaptainSteve]

In that case, please keep on reading, Moonbug ...

 

Although I didn't get much of a break from work over Christmas/New Year (just the public holidays), things were pretty slow which actually gave me a chance to work on my next mission: making tholes/oar-locks for my whale-boats.

 

I tried out a few different ideas. At first, I was planning to cut short lengths of wire. However, this idea was scrapped after the first lot were simply too thick (a massive 1.5mm !!) whilst the second batch (using the innards from twist-ties left over after making the swan-boat prow re-inforcements) were too flimsy.

Arrrr ... The Goldilocks paradigm !!!

 

Looking back at Geoff Matson's pictures it appeared he had used miniscule wooden pegs for his (at least that's what they look like - correct me if I'm wrong, Geoff). Deciding these actually looked rather nice, I proceeded to spend a few days sanding round toothpicks from a massive 2mm thickness down to approx. 0.8mm. The very tips of these were then measured and cut to become 4mm long wooden "spikes".

 

Two thin strips of wood veneer were cut. One marked into segments 5mm long with a pair of holes, each marked 1.5mm in (first scored using the tips of my needle-nose tweezers, then drilled using a 0.2mm bit). These two strips were glued together and clamped.

 

Once dry, I proceeded to insert the spikes into these strips ...

 

To finish up, I will thin the assemblies by sanding (to approx. 3mm wide), trim the lengths of the spikes using nail-clippers, stain the assemblies with a dark wood-stain, then separate each pair before attaching to my whale-boats.

Edited January 26, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[Geoff Matson]

Hello Steve.

 

For the ore locks all I did was run some thin pieces of wood through a Byrnes Draw Plate to make them round and then drill and glue them in place. Boats are looking good. Keep making sawdust and you will be done before you know it.

[CaptainSteve]

Hello Steve.

 

For the ore locks all I did was run some thin pieces of wood through a Byrnes Draw Plate to make them round and then drill and glue them in place. Boats are looking good. Keep making sawdust and you will be done before you know it.

 

Hmm ... I'm thinking that I might have made a LOT more sawdust than you, Geoff.

I actually do have a draw-plate, but the smallest hole was waaay too big.

Obviously mine ain't a Byrnes.

I ended up hand-sanding some 32 toothpicks from 2.05mm reducing them down to approx. 0.8mm (mostly). The 24 clipped-off tips eventually used are all under 0.5mm thick, and came to very sharp points that were then inserted into my pre-drilled holes.

The rest of the toothpicks will mostly be used as oars.

 

BTW, thanks for lookin' in and keeping me honest through this, Geoff !!

Edited January 26, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

Incidentally, my oar-locks were attached this morning.

At around 5am ....

Before work ...

Arr !!

 

 

"I owe, I owe ... it's off to work I go ..."

 

EDIT: With regards positioning, I opted to line up the centre of each thole-pair with the corresponding foot-rest.

My reasoning being that I figured a rower's hands and feet would be aligned vertically in order to gain maximum power from each oar-stroke.

Anyway, that's MY story, and I'm sticking to it. 

The glue has set now !!

Edited November 25, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

I made a start on the rudders this weekend. Since I had added the little cabinets at the back of my boats, taking a direct impression from the plans, especially for the tiller-arms, wasn't going to do me much good.

 

First step was to give the rudders a minor touch-up. A thin veneer was added to each side.

This was to give them a wood-grain effect to line up later with the wales.

My main consideration here, however, was to add extra thickness so that I could drill holes through the rudders in order to fit the tiller-arms.

Most of the additional thickness will be cut/sanded away.

 

I had to consider the tiller arms for the two whale-boats. Not sure how correct my solution would have been, historically, but I wanted it to appear that the hatches could be opened and closed, no matter what position the tiller was in.

 

I started with a spare piece of wood-stock 8mm wide and 2mm thick.

The shape was marked out ...

 

Then a couple of cuts using my razor saw ....

 

 

 

Some work with the Dremel followed ...

 

 

 

To finish, some delicate sanding ... they still need a minor bit of work.

 

Then - somehow - I'll need to attach the tiller arms to the rudders

Edited November 25, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[sport29652]

Impressive work ! You've given me quite a few ideas for my builds keep up the good work.

[CaptainSteve]

Thanks, Sport.

To be honest, I am merely using (plagiarizing ??) and developing so many of the ideas I have picked up from other builders since joining MSW.

 

That, I believe, is the true beauty of this site !!

 

(Has it been 12 months already ?? Must be DONATION time again !!)

Edited January 20, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[andyp22]

Wow, these look great! I can't wait to see Constitution being assembled.

 

Andrew

[CaptainSteve]

Wow, these look great! I can't wait to see Constitution being assembled.

 

Andrew

 

Nor can I, Andy ... nor can I !!!

 

I moved just a couple of steps closer yesterday and today, with painting of my rudder parts. As it's a long-weekend here, I should get around to assembly tomorrow ...

 

 

 

Also, I thought the pinnace could use just another little touch ...

 

 

 

A couple of small holes (they are vertical, despite how I'm holding the drill for this next pic) were drilled.

A short piece of copper wire was cut and shaped, and my pinnace has a new tiller-guard ...

 

 

Hmmm .. should've gone with the stern-on picture.

Edited November 26, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[mtaylor]

Steve,

 

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