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

[Dimitris71]

It's like "brain surgery". Nice work Rich!

[Sjors]

You can cut is as close as you can and file the rest away till you have the shape that you wanted !

 

[HIPEXEC]

How do you make the cuts on the grate? With a knife or saw?

[dgbot]

Use a razor saw. I like

Zona myself.

David B

[patrickmil]

Rich, the gratings look fantastic! I'd definitely go with David's advice and use a razor saw with very light pressure.

[HIPEXEC]

My razor saw worked just fine. Some tiny corner pieces fell off, but I just glued them back on. The bow section is a difficult shape. I put scotch tape over the areas to be sawed and it held everything just fine.

[HIPEXEC]

Finished trimming the bow grate. Now I'm still waiting for Constructo to mail me the 2mm x 2mm Ayous trim I need to finish the roundhouses so I can finish the whole bow section.

[src]

That bow grate looks like it was quit the project, looks great!

Sam

[HIPEXEC]

While I'm waiting for the 2mm x 2mm Ayous being mailed from Constructo, I'm trying to construct a pair of bow davits without any dimenisional drawings from Constructo. They only give you a small photo. These things have nine holes to be drilled with no hole dimensions given with no detail as to exactly where they are to be mounted. Sorry to complain, but this small project will wind up taking me two weeks. It shows 2mm brass trim at the end that is driving me crazy trying to bend the stuff exactly to fit. It keeps breaking? I have taped them where they belong since the hull shape is slightly different on each side for a tight fit. I pinned them, but not glued yet until I get all the hole drilled and brass mounted.

 

There...that felt good to get off my chest!

Edited May 6, 2014 by Hipexec

[augie]

Don't know if this will be of any help but check Sherry's log on catheads:

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/1069-san-felipe-by-sherry-–-scale-196-lead-ship-of-the-spanish-armada-first-scratch-build/page-54

[HIPEXEC]

Well, after a good nights sleep and looking at Sherry's log, I'm attempting to finish those davits or catheads. My fat fingers and tiny parts do not help.

[HIPEXEC]

Bow davits are now glued on with their lion's head adornments. The davits been pinned as well glued. Now when the 2mm x 2mm Ayous trim shows up, I can finish the bow area. The heads were painted gold after epoxy glued.

[augie]

Good stuff, Rich!

[HIPEXEC]

Another view of the bow davits.

 

I'm going to start the mass production of the lower gunport covers. I've never done that before, so any tips and tricks you all may have will definitely help.

[augie]

Like anything else, take your time and make one completely up before you commit to making 60.  You may want to decide if you want to leave the hinges as untreated brass, paint them or blacken them. 

[HIPEXEC]

Thanks, Augie. I'm in the process of making one up as a experiment to see how it all goes together and even mounted. Then I'll start the factory. Thanks for the advise.

[HIPEXEC]

I made a proof of concept gunport door. The concept seems to work just fine. I used regular PVA glue to join the two wooden pieces and then CA glue to attach the hinges. I drilled two 1mm holes in a piece of Sapele hull material and them made a small horizontal slit with a pointy razor knife to align with the flat hinge. It pinned the door to the hull very tightly. When it will be glued it will be very robust. Now I have to figure out an assembly line of jigs so the wood is all the same size and the hinges are cut in equal halves and the hinges get glued onto the wood in the exact same spot over and over all lined up. I have no idea how to do all that, but I'm thinking real hard. Any ideas?

Edited May 7, 2014 by Hipexec

[patrickmil]

Rich, the catheads looks great! I like the lion adornment at the end. It looks like you may have a good handle on the gun port lids.

[HIPEXEC]

I'm still trying to figure out how to get standardized results with so many pieces. The wood won't be a problem, but placing those tiny hinges exactly in the same place on 60 hatches will be my challenge.

[HIPEXEC]

I put a sturdy stop on my plank cutter at  a slightly larger dimension need for the 120 wood pieces need for the gunport covers. I will then glue two of them together with PVA and when dry, precision sand them all to the same dimension. That's the easy [part. Hinges are next.

[src]

Rich, how are you at soldering? Maybe coy cut a piece of brass and solder some "T" brass to the edge - make sure you keep them square to each other then drill holes in the brass for the "nails." Use that as a drill template and locate your hinges to the holes? This is assuming constructo has drilled the hinges consistently of course.

For your planks if it was me I would consider glueing up long strips instead of lots of short pieces. Maybe even leave them a bit wide to allow for any tear out when you cut those 1/2 round cut outs. If I was doing something like that full size I would glue up a double width and rip after the hole was cut. Two holes for one rip that way. Don't know if you have a way to do that at this scale?
Sam

Edited May 8, 2014 by src

[HIPEXEC]

Good idea, Sam, except I cut up all the small pieces already. Gluing them is not a hard job. gluing on the hinges is tough. I like your template idea.

[HIPEXEC]

Oh, I almost forgot...more kit bashing...Constructo gave me the exact number of hinges to complete the model and not one hinge more!

[dgbot]

This happens all the time.Just have patience.

David B

[src]

So we now have kit bashing and KIT Bashing! LOL. I am sure david is right about it happening all the time. Hang in there, slow and easy.

 

If you go with some sort of drill template, maybe make it open on only one side like maybe the bottom side? Then you have a Go-No-Go gauge also.

Sam

[HIPEXEC]

Sam...you were right...it would have been better to glue whole length planks and then cut them to size. Oh well it's done. I finished glued the pre-cut pieces and next I'll precision sand them square and to size. I also made a pattern for the half round cuts I have to make in each lid. Enough for today...I have to give my fat fingers a break.

[HIPEXEC]

I set up a production line to make the gunport covers. I first precision sanded them square and to size. I made a guage to check the size and mark the center for the gunport which I fled after making a tiny cut with a razor knife. Last, I cleaned off any surface glue left over from gluing the two planks together. I'm not even half way with this part of the process. After this, I have to glue on two hinges on each cover. This is difficult work for me....I can only imagine have much work it would be for the Victory!

[patrickmil]

It looks as though you have your production line at full speed. The lids are looking great so far!

[augie]

Henry Ford would be proud!  Carry on (and on), mate.

[dgbot]

This is where normal people would grab a stiff one but we are the abnormal ones.

David B