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

[augie]

I've used epoxy out to two years or so.  It may thicken a bit if it just sits around.  If that happens, take the top off and put it in the microwave in 10 second intervals.  One or two shots and it's good as new.  And remember, I use it for gas powered flying models that stress it far more than static models.

[src]

I have done the same thing with hot water or a heat gun, just dont walk away from the heat gun...... Good to know it doesnt alter the strength. 

[HIPEXEC]

Still working on the rudder. It's like working with miniature Mexican Jumping beans and doing surgery on a flea!

[usedtosail]

It may be flea surgery, but you seem to have mastered it. That rudder and hardware look great.

[augie]

I'm in the middle of the same thing.....yours looks better than mine!

[HIPEXEC]

Whew! I finished mounting the rudder. Thanks for the tip of doing the top & bottom hinge first. It really helped. I used a drop of crazy glue in each hinge and set the pin so it wouldn't keep falling out while I tried to mount it to the hull. Then I used a wood sliver as a wedge to keep the hull hinge full deflection so as to  make a tight fit while I nailed it. It worked. About every third nail bent and had to be pulled out.

[src]

Looks good Rich. Yea those brass nails are fun arent they?

Sam

[Karleop]

Excelent Rich, it looks very nice!!

 

Saludos

[HIPEXEC]

It's like milking a mouse. I never realized how fat my fingers are!

[HIPEXEC]

Also....I'm thankful the ship only has one rudder. 

[Sjors]

Great job on the rudder Rich !

You let the brass like it is or do you give them a black coat ?

 

[dragzz]

looking vary nice so far great work u are doing there

[HIPEXEC]

Thanks! I'm going to leave it brass. I'm not going to paint anything on this model.

[HIPEXEC]

I'm starting on the bow area and discover that Constructo gives no detail instructions or detailed prints to follow. There are no pre-cut parts, so I have to figure out how to fabricate complex, curved  pieces out of a dozen straight planks. They give no start points....nothing....very frustrating since one mistake and I usually run into a problem down the road because I didn't size or place something right.

[augie]

Based on everything else you've done you'll do just fine.  We've all done our share of head-scratching convinced a particular step was impossible.  It's part of the joy of ship modeling !!

[HIPEXEC]

I'm bending starter planks for the construction of the bowsprit. Also I'm rectifying the wrong angle of the transom by making filler planks to match the hull so the pre-cut windows will fit. I've been "chewing" on a way to do that, when it came to me today!

[dgbot]

Keep up the good work.

David B

[HIPEXEC]

Here's the port gallery window rough fitted to my fix for the forward part of the gallery. I just shaped hull planks to match the shape of the gallery so I could move the pre-cut windows forward. Now I just have to make a trapezoid shaped piece to compensate for the angle error I made with the transom.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Hipexec

[HIPEXEC]

Here's the starboard side gallery fix so I can move the pre-cut window forward and make a small trapezoid shaped filler for the aft of the window to compensate for the angle error.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Hipexec

[HIPEXEC]

These windows will be permanently installed down the road. They will have clear panes installed and then the glued windows will be trimmed. I'm starting on the bowsprit next.

[augie]

Really taking shape with the rudder, hardware and QG coming together.  NICE!

[usedtosail]

Nice fix for the galleries. She is looking great.

[dgbot]

Congrats on an ongoing beef with kits.  In many instances the castings never fit properly.  As a result many nices forget to fit the casting as they are working on their model.  You have thought ahead and are double checking the kit.

David B

[HIPEXEC]

Since Constructo gave me no detail plans to construct this very complicated bow area, I'm drawing my own. I don't want to glue something in place now and find out I made a big mistake down the road. I'm interpolating between their plans, my model, photos and a little "Kentucky windage".

[src]

Can't go wrong with Kentucky windage! Nice fix on the windows.

[HIPEXEC]

Now I'm putting my plan into play by constructing the bow area. It seems to be working out....we'll see. It's requiring a lot of bending to get stuff to fit the hull. The blond wood bends real easy, but the dark Sapele is like hardened steel. This framework gets covered with decorative scroll work.

[Karleop]

Hola Rich, when the wood is to hard to bend, like sapeli, the best thing is to cut to the desire shape, (probably gluing some pieces together before the cutting).  

 

Anyway, your bow looks very nice.

 

Saludos

Edited April 13, 2014 by Karleop

[HIPEXEC]

I managed to bend those small pieces and glue them in place. They are the anchor hawser reinforcing planks  I'll drill two 3mm holes in each side to take the anchor lines later.

[HIPEXEC]

VARNISH?

 

Do any of you give your model a light coat of varnish before the ship is finished? Constructo's instruction book says nothing about it, but the pictures show a dramatic change in the finish right about the stage I'm at.

 

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

[src]

Rich, this is just my personal opinion, but actual varnish is too shiny straight out of the can. It can be cut to satin/eggshell with steel wool but to me it seems like a lot of work on a ship. There are Polyurethane finishes that you can get in various sheens, many of the builders here seem to like the water based stuff, its water white and doesnt change color over the years. That is nice since once you stain it your color wont change when you apply the finish and it wont yellow over the years. 

 

When I finished my Enterprise I used a combination of shellack as a wash coat, stain, colored grain filler and then a mixture of boiled linseed oil and beeswax. As expected as the finish ages it is yellowing, I happen to like the effect, it looks antique-y to me. Beauty is in the eye as they say. 

 

Just my 2 cents

 

EDIT  - Keep in mind if you stain you will change the color of the blond wood also, for better or worse. If for some reason you have never stained before make sure ALL the glue is off your planking, the stain wont take there.

A water based clear will just enhance the the look. Best to make a sample board before you do anything. 

 

Sam

Edited April 15, 2014 by src