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

[GLakie]

I believe Tom found his on Amazon as well. He ended up getting the 2mm size for his 1:76 scale Connie, but there are the 1.5mm and 1mm sizes there that might work for your build.  For some reason I can't seem to attach the link but you can find it on Page 17 or 18.

 

Cheers

George

[HIPEXEC]

I found them in my local hobby store. Those tiny balls are tricky to handle. Once dropped....they're gone forever.

[foxy]

Have you thought of fishing weights, they come in all sizes.
 
Can be halved if you do not want to make wells for them, they also come in mentalic  colour, just like cannon balls.



Something like this.

Just a thought.

Frank

Edited October 10, 2014 by foxy

[HIPEXEC]

Thanks for all the cannon balls posts. Very helpful.

[HIPEXEC]

I've just plunged in to building the masts for my Connie. Constructo lacks details of where things begin or end...so all I did was attach one piece that was easy to locate and then I worked it to this point. None of what you see in the photo has been glued together...the stuff is just stacked for measurement purposes. Only the chafing cheeks and fighting top support have been glued. That support was the only piece I could correctly locate. The rest cascaded from its location.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Hipexec

[robnbill]

Do you have a full size plan you can pull the dimensions off? That is what I did on a number of mine.

[robnbill]

I found them in my local hobby store. Those tiny balls are tricky to handle. Once dropped....they're gone forever.

I am convinced that once I finish the Connie, IF I could find all the parts that have fallen to the floor and disappeared, I could build her all over again.

[mtdoramike]

This is going to be one beautiful model once competed. You have me itching to build the Constructo's version of the Connie. I have built two other versions and both turned out quite nice, but they were both painted.

[GLakie]

She IS looking pretty good Rich. I like the unpainted look as well. Wouldn't mind building an admiralty version of her, unpainted, with maybe a cut-away hull and decks.

 

Fair Winds

George

[HIPEXEC]

Bill,

Yes, they gave me a full size plan, but with all components stacked so I couldn't see where square cuts began, or chafing cheeks ended, or how big to make the square cuts, etc, etc, etc. Once I glued on the fighting top supports, I was able to interpolate where everything else went or to what dimension.

[HIPEXEC]

By the way, I bought a Constructo  model because I wanted to see the Consttution all in natural woods with no paint. I personlly wanted to be able to look at each and every plank I labored so hard to install.

[HIPEXEC]

Does anybody have pictures of the lower sections of all three masts on the USS Constitution? I sure could use a peek.

[robnbill]

Here are the Navy plans for the masts. If you go to the Navy site, you not only find these but also lots of photos. Here is the link to the site. http://www.history.navy.mil/USSCTour/FileReference.html

 

 

 

Fore Main and Mizzen Lower MAsts.pdf

Forem Main, & Mizzen Topgallant Masts.pdf

Foren Main, & Mizzen Topmasts.pdf

[HIPEXEC]

Thanks for the prints, Bill...very helpful. Now I know what to do.

[robnbill]

You are welcome. The Navy site has many plans available for downloading free from the 1929 restoration work. There are many photos of the ship as it is currently as well. I use it a great deal when there is something I need more information on.  Of course this doesn't tell you what it may have looked like in 1812, but at least you know how it was once.

[HIPEXEC]

My mast grow taller. I've dry fitted them to this point. I can't seem to master how to fabricate the metal straps that hold the masts together. No matter how I bend the pieces they wind up not laying snug to the mast? Any ideas?

[robnbill]

It is looking good Rich. Will you be tapering the masts?

[rafine]

Rich, it is much easier to make mast bands from paper than from metal. I even use masking tape at times. When painted, it's hard to tell the difference.

 

Bob

[GLakie]

Those bands can be made off the mast and then slid up into place after soldering, or maybe self-adhesive copper tape could be another option.

 

Cheers

[robnbill]

I made some with brass banding but found strips of paper and white glue worked much better. 

[HIPEXEC]

Thanks for the great ideas. Yes, I'll be tapering them.

[robnbill]

For mine, I just used some light card stock. Nothing too heavy since I did not want it to split. I pulled it from some junk mail that we received. I cut the strip, rubbed white glue over it, then wrapped it. When I got to the diameter I wanted, I tore it so the edge was uneven and tapered. This allowed me to smooth it out. Once it was dried, a couple of quick passes with an emory board smoothed it into the band I desired, then I painted it.

 

This was FAR easier and gave me a better look than using the brass. I ended up removing the brass and redoing it with paper since I liked it better.

[HIPEXEC]

Thanks to all of you, I'm running a test using paper strips painted brass for the mast bands. When the glue dries, I shall varnish it to see how it holds. Thanks...you all are great!

[HIPEXEC]

I've drawn a circle at the top of each mast to be tapered the diameter I want the tip to be. The picture is blurry, but you get the idea. Then I plane and sand the cylinder until,the taper is correct.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Hipexec

[src]

Rich, she is looking great! that light switch in one of the pictures gives a great reference as to just how big a build you have there!

Sam

[HIPEXEC]

I'm starting to glue together some of the mast's components. Here they are laid up against the plans to make sure all is squared away and lined up. There's still a lot left to do on them

[foxy]

I see you have some good plans for this part of the work, that should make life easier me thinks.

 

Looking forward to more instalments.

 

Frank

[HIPEXEC]

The plans are good for this stage, but I couldn't get the exact details where the lower mast phases into the middle mast. The stuff is "stacked" on the drawing so I had to slide pre built components up and down to get them to match the master drawing. Now, it's just making sure I position the rest in the correct place.

[HIPEXEC]

I've rough completed the masts and dry fitted them to the deck. 

[HIPEXEC]

I can see it's going to be a challenge to line up all three masts and give them a 3 degree aft rake.