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

[HIPEXEC]

Walt..enjoy the line dispenser. 

[Walter Biles]

Thank You Rich.   Walt

[HIPEXEC]

Glaxie,

 

I can't thank you enough for the stuff you sent me. Now I know exactly how I'm going to proceed with hanging the yards. 

[Sjors]

Great forum this is !!!!!!!!!!

 

Sjors

[HIPEXEC]

I'd never be this far without all of you!

Edited January 8, 2015 by Hipexec

[GLakie]

Thanks Rich, but help and support is what this Forum is all about, and is exactly what's missing in some practicums.

 

Cheers 

[Sjors]

Without this forum i think there will be a lot of unfinished builds or builds where the bowsprit is glued on the stern   

Any rigging progress ?

 

Sjors

[HIPEXEC]

Sjors...I'm planning my sequence of attack! It's crowded above deck so I want to put things together so I don't have to struggle later with small bits of rigging that will be easier to install before hanging a yard. 

[robnbill]

One of the biggest challenges was installing all of the rings on the masts and deck. I thought I had been pretty thorough in combing through the drawings to install all of them prior to the rigging, but there were still a number that I missed. Primarily because the Mamoli plans did not have them all in once place. I would start to install a bit of rigging that I would find there needed to be a ring.

 

I debated back and forth (primarily with myself) over the best course/order for installing the rigging. Everyone does it differently and your right way is up to you. I did all the upper ratlines first. Then the standing rigging I did fore to aft. For the Fore and Back stays I did it in levels dividing it along the mast levels. So the lower stays were all done first, then the mid, then the upper. In that manner I was able to keep tension on the rig even and notice when or if a mast was getting mis-aligned.

 

For the running rigging, I pretty much followed the Mamoli plans starting forward and working aft. Completing all of the rigging on each mast starting with the the lower spar and working up. As I completed a mast I did the lower ratlines. The lines controlling the tips of the spars back and forth which run from another mast or deck area were the last to be installed.

 

I know you have already run your rats. 

[HIPEXEC]

Thanks, Bill. I did all the rats, but there's room on the frontside of each mast to rig the spars (yards) and sails. At this point I'm even going to hang the sails (billowed out as if the wind is blowing) and as many sheets and braces I can hang on them. If I can pull that off, it will only be a matter of cinching down the sheets and braces, etc.I'll try one and see? Now, I'll start making the spars (yards). Each one seems it's like its own model there's so much on them. By the way...as I was debating whether to even hang sails...my Admiral intervened and insisted I hang the sails. That's good, since I want her to sew reefing ties on them. She did that with my first ship and the ties look very good. 

[GLakie]

Wow! That's pretty handy having an Admiral that's willing to sew up your sails for you. Mine's never used a sewing machine before, so when it comes down to it, I'll have to learn how. Guess we're never too old.  Probably end up sewing my fingers to the sails. 

 

Cheers 

Edited January 9, 2015 by GLakie

[robnbill]

I bow before you. There are so many lines already with the running rigging. When you add those attached to the sails, it will be a huge accomplishment. I would recommend getting the AOS if you are rigging all the sails. It has been an invaluable source of info for me. I know there will be belaying plans etc you are going to want that are in there. 

[HIPEXEC]

While I'm planning my attack on the yards & sails, I built a mock up of a stand to support my model when finished.

 

It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. One of you gave me the idea to trace the shape of the hull where I wanted the supports to go with medium thickness wire. I did this, but it's not a perfect solution. I only got a close shape since the wire flexes too much. But, I took the wire and cut a thin sheet to that shape and tested it on the hull. Next, I saw what needed trimming or additions and re-cut the wooden supports. After three cycles I finally got a mock up that fits as well as supports the model. Now, I'll shop for some nice wood for the base and two supports. 

[HIPEXEC]

I bow before you. There are so many lines already with the running rigging. When you add those attached to the sails, it will be a huge accomplishment. I would recommend getting the AOS if you are rigging all the sails. It has been an invaluable source of info for me. I know there will be belaying plans etc you are going to want that are in there. 

Constructo gives you a belaying plan...it's all numbers, so I have to match those all up with something I can work with.

[GLakie]

Rich if you still have the scrap wood cutouts from your bulkheads, those would make a perfect template for your cradle. Just a thought.

 

Cheers 

[GuntherMT]

It's probably a bit late now Rich, but for the Carmen I used the wood from the sheet the bulkheads came out of to start my cradle for the ship.  I simply chopped two of the sections out and then sanded them until they fit (since the planking and keel were not part of the bulkhead shapes obviously).

 

Edit: George typed faster than me, darnit. 

Edited January 9, 2015 by GuntherMT

[robnbill]

One other book would be Petersson's Rigging Period Ship Models. Both books were recommended to me from Mort Stoll. You are going to have a magnificent ship! One rigging area that I found that caused me some rework is once I would get all the lines rigged in an area I would find I would need to rerun a line to the right or left of another that I had not anticipated. The Mamoli plans were clear on what parts the lines would run through and where to terminate them, but what lines you had to go one side or another was by trial and error. I would pull a line and look if it impeded another or not.

[augie]

An inexpensive contour gage, like they use laying tile, also works well if you didn't save the bulkhead sheets.

[robnbill]

Are you putting it in a case? One option would be the wood the case will be made out of. Rob and i were just discussing whether or not to remove the base that is on my Connie now and attach it directly to the case bottom. Not difficult to do but higher risk of accidents to the ship in the maneuver. I am just not sure the current base's color and wood will match the case i am going to make. Different wood. We shall see.

Edited January 9, 2015 by robnbill

[HIPEXEC]

The cutout sheets the bulkheads came from were not very good. I must have altered the shape of the hull  a bit during planking. Augie...now you tell me I could have bought a contour gage...boy that would have done the trick. My trial and error method took a day.

[texxn5]

Hi Rich, I have just discovered your log of the Conny. I built the Revell plastic one. It only took 45 years to finish, but I got there. I'm currently building the CW Morgan, but follow the Conny Club as much as I can. Looks really good.

[HIPEXEC]

Augie....I bought a contour gage.....wow...that makes things easier.

[GLakie]

Cool. There's a universal tool with many uses Rich. 

 

Cheers 

[HIPEXEC]

Well, I've been wavering on starting the yards, sails and running rigging while I study the best way to approach it. My first build was a fore & aft rig and I've had many years sailing experience on sloops, yawls and ketches so rigging it was quite natural. Square rig is totally different.

 

So, while procrastinating I built the ship's stand.

 

Getting the hull's shape was daunting but the contour gage helped verify my previous work. After building a working mock-up that actually supported the ship, I traced my work onto 1/4" stock and started to saw it out. Well, all my saws failed to give me clean cuts because of chatter and jumping out of the slot. I finally gave up with the saws and used a sharp set of knives. The knives gave me nice clean cuts right on my marks. It just took me two days of careful cutting to finish. If had a nice mini band saw it would have taken five minutes.

 

Now all I have to do is some minor filling, staining and varnishing. Then I'll add felt pads to protect the planks. 

Edited January 12, 2015 by Hipexec

[GLakie]

The stand turned out nice Rich.

 

Cheers 

[HIPEXEC]

Here's the stand with a coat of varnish and a "Constitution" sign. I like the two tone effect. It compliments  my ship's wood colors.

 

You'll obviously notice I'm doing anything but starting on the yards, sails and running rigging?

Edited January 12, 2015 by Hipexec

[HIPEXEC]

My ship on her new stand.

 

Okay...okay...enough stalling....I'll start on the yards tomorrow!

[GLakie]

Very nice Rich! Good job!

 

Cheers

[usedtosail]

Looks great, Rich, I like how the stand matches the colors of the hull.

[Paul0367]

Yep, I like that, I think I will be pinching that one