USS Constitution by Hipexec - FINISHED - Constructo - 1:82

[HIPEXEC]

Lawrence,

Thanks for those photos. I'm going to glue as much wood on the long boat as I can. I've already made the floor grate.

[dgbot]

Rich, if anyone can do it you can.

David B

[HIPEXEC]

I get a lot of help from all of you.

[augie]

Glad to see you going for it!

[HIPEXEC]

I wanted to post these photos of my hull planks since the old ones seem to have disappeared from our website. I plan on keeping this log for future reference if I ever finish it.

[HIPEXEC]

Constructo shows the longboat sitting empty on the deck. I think there should be some oars and maybe a small mast with furled sail. Anybody got any suggestions? How do you make small oars?

Edited June 30, 2014 by Hipexec

[Karleop]

Hola Rich,  you can made little oars with toothpicks and little pieces of wood strips and specially with great patience!!

 

Here you can see the one that I made for the San Francisco:

 

 

Saludos, Karl

 

[HIPEXEC]

Karl,

I also see your rudder is un-shipped. Constructo shows the rudder mounted which didn't make sense to me. I'll try your toothpick method to make oars.

Thank you.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Hipexec

[Blue Ensign]

Alerted to your build by your visit to my log Rich, you are making a fine job of your Connie, nice work on those gunports, and the natural finish hull looks great.

 

You have a fine display model in the making.

 

B.E.

[capnharv2]

Rich,

 

I believe the rudder should be unshipped. Otherwise, it could get damaged in heavy seas or when launching.

 

Looks good! I really like the natural wood finish.

 

Thanks,

 

Harvey

[augie]

Another vote for an unshipped rudder. As Karl said, toothpicks or fine dowels for the oars ---- and LOTS of patience.

[Karleop]

Hi again Rich

I remember that for my Endeavour  I use another method to do the oars: with the mahogany strips spared from a previous Constructo ship it was really easy to carved the oars

 

 

 

By the way, you are right and the rudder must be unshipped

 

Saludos, Karl

Edited July 1, 2014 by Karleop

[HIPEXEC]

Thanks for all your tips, Karl, Augie, Harvey,& B.E.

[HIPEXEC]

Here I'm working on sprucing up that plain aluminum long boat. I've also started oar production. I built a prototype based on your suggestions, now I'll try to produce 14 of them.

[HIPEXEC]

My oar factory starting production. Still working on the long boat

[HIPEXEC]

I finished the long boat oars. I made 14 of them and then picked the best 8. I had a hard time making them all look the same.

[Karleop]

They look very nice Rich,

 

Saludos, Karl

[HIPEXEC]

Here's my finished long boat. I figure this being a US Navy ship, the boatswain's mate would be in charge of stowing the gear on it, so the oars are neatly arrayed head to toe and lashed. The boat's rope is neatly coiled in the stern and the rudder is stowed near the stern. All US Navy ship-shape. That's as good as I can do. I know it's not as good as the examples you all showed me, but.....I'm all thumbs.

[HIPEXEC]

Now, I have to lash the boat itself to the deck.

[rafine]

Very nicely done Rich.

 

Bob

[augie]

Wish I had thumbs like that.  Well done!

[mtdoramike]

Very well done!

[HIPEXEC]

[HIPEXEC]

The preceding painting is what I used to copy the colors of the long boat, the size and the number of oars.

[HIPEXEC]

Here's the lashed long boat. Me running this line through tiny eyelets and tying it off are shades of rigging to come....I'm really all thumbs. It's difficult.

[dgbot]

Nice but to my sorry eyesight the line looks a little on the heavy side.  Of course I could be wrong as well.

David B

[HIPEXEC]

Maybe your right. Now that I have practice, I should change it. As usual, no instructions from Constructo, so I just guessed.

[HIPEXEC]

Moving on. I installed the first pinrail. I cut it to size and drilled the holes, but when I went to glue it on.....I couldn't do it. It would be crooked or at the wrong elevation, etc. After pondering it for a while, I got the bright idea to make a removable support that would allow me to keep the rail parallel and straight and at the same height all the way around. It think it's going to work.

[capnharv2]

Rich,

 

Did you pin your rail to the bulwarks? My experience has been that rails glued (only) to the bulwark tend to pull loose at the worst possible time.

 

I do like your jig for holding the pin rails!

 

Thanks,

 

Harvey

[augie]

Amazing what a 'sophisticated' jig can do for you.  Couldn't agree more with Harvey's comments on pinning the rails.  Some of us have learned that the hard way