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

[robnbill]

These are still being shown as pairs. When you serve all the lines, then stack the pairs, it does end up stacking pretty good. Here is a photo of the main mast on my Connie. These were done in pairs. So doing them separately will cause them to be higher. However, I assume that you will not be serving them so that will shrink them down some.

[Sjors]

I have to agree with Bill Rich.

 

They are always in pairs........

You can see it clearly on the left picture.....sorry......

 

Sjors

[augie]

Rich, I'm far from being an expert and never will be.  I think we all strive to do our best given where we are in time in our modeling careers.  To expect to actually master every technique we face in building a ship model early on is, to me,  unreasonable.  I myself am guilty of what I call 'HERESY' at times.  It beats getting completely bogged down and risking an entire project.  You want to be satisfied that you've done your best at this point in time.

 

Naturally, we all keep notes, mental or physical and have those in mind for the next project.  Each one improves.....but there is always more room for improvement.  Someday, one of us will build the model that is technically perfect in every respect.  I'm looking forward to that day.

[HIPEXEC]

Now I have to clean up this "rat's nest".

[usedtosail]

Looks good to me, Rich.

[Jack12477]

Me too, Rich

[HIPEXEC]

First fake chainplate installed.

[dgbot]

I see a problem with the placing of your chain plate.  The plate is in line with the angle of the shroud.  If it were left in the position it is in now it would break lose from the tension applied by the shifting of the mast.

David B

[HIPEXEC]

It's part of my "illusion" of a great fighting ship. I can't do any better. The chainplates will have a fake bolt head added later to make it appear like it has two. Tried drilling the extra hole.....way to tedious.

[GuntherMT]

It's part of my "illusion" of a great fighting ship. I can't do any better. The chainplates will have a fake bolt head added later to make it appear like it has two. Tried drilling the extra hole.....way to tedious.

 

I think he is just referring to the angle of the chain plate Rich, not the extra hole.  The chain plate should continue the 'line' drawn by the angle of the shroud, something like this:

 

Although I'm not sure what you are supposed to do about the interference with the gun port lid.

 

I do like the way your 'fake' chain  plates work though, no way to tell from looking that it's not actually connected to the brass holding the dead eye, nice execution of your idea.

Edited December 3, 2014 by GuntherMT

[augie]

I won't disagree with David on a technical basis.  But Brian has illustrated the proper angle as I see it.  Unfortunately, the chainplate should not interfere with the gunport at all.  Therefore the position you have chosen is what I would do.  I would reflect to see if I could determine the cause of this small problem.  Was it the gunport position, channel placement, deadeye position, angle of the shroud or a deficiency on the plans.  At any rate I don't believe it to be worthy of a major deconstruction.

[HIPEXEC]

The gunport placement puzzles me since I really tried to follow the plans very closely. Now, at this rigging stage, I find gunport interference is a problem. I'll have to change angles and even omit a chainplateor two . With my skill sets and the fact that this is a 1:82 scale model that will be displayed in a glass case in my living room.....not many people will noticed those things. I'm even having trouble finding know errors I've made over the last year and a half. This being only my second build with the first being a simple fore & aft rig, I'm still proud of what I've accomplished. My next model will not fall into these traps. ah...nothing like experience.

[HIPEXEC]

Actually...the angle in the above photo looks different from a direct side view. 

[GLakie]

Those types of problems seem to be prevalent in all of the Constitution kits I've been reading about including MS's. On mine (so far  ), I found at least 3 bulkheads that have to be re-worked to make them symmetrical before they can be installed. My point is, not only are the bulkheads themselves off, but the plans as well. Now I'm wondering how many more design flaws I'll find. Anyway, we all have to deal with these kit problems as we find them and all I can say is thank God we have a forum like this to get solutions for these problems from. A lot of these guys, and gals, have already dealt with this stuff and know the best ways to handle them. And if the fixes are too labor intensive or difficult, there is always "Artistic Latitude" to fall back on.

 

Cheers   

Edited December 4, 2014 by GLakie

[HIPEXEC]

You're right, George. I still can't figure out why the gunports are off since I really, really checked and double checked positions way back when?

[capnharv2]

Rich,

 

I'm sure your model lines up just fine with the plans. I would fault the plans. If you have them, it might be interesting to compare gunport locations of the hull plans vs gunport locations on the plans showing channel and chainplate location. I suspect they don't agree.

 

I think it looks good. I like the way you did the deadeyes and chainplates.

 

Thanks,

 

Harvey

[dgbot]

I like the way you did your chainplate.  It shows think outside the box really works.  We have all done such things before and I will be the first to say go for it.  I remember asking John Fox III some advice on making mast bands to scale on year since I am working in a small vessel in a smaller scale it is not easy to keep that scale look when doing things.  He told be the thinnest paper I could find.  I was skeptical but tried it and now I am hooked.  I will also be getting ahold of a couple of model railroad places about some if their stock.  At one time there was a model railroad store that specialized in Nand Z Gauge material and supplies.  The best place I found for hooks and eye bolts.  For everyone who is reading this post check out your local store or club you would be surprised at what you will find.

David B

[robnbill]

Rich,

 

I am sure your gunport are correctly laid out. When I installed my channels I focused on where the front of the channel should be on the plans. and glued them up there. What I found was I should have been focused on the chainplate holes in the channels and their relationship to the cannon ports. I did have to remove and adjust the channels on my stern plates. They totally blocked some of the ports. The others could have been done better but I could live with them. The stern ones I could not. So I removed the channels and shifted them so the alignment worked.

 

That said, you will probably be the only one who sees this error. Unless it becomes more egregious you could let it go. On mine, it was adding the additional shrouds that were not in deadeyes or have chain plates that put me over the edge. That is what totally blocked my ports on the stern.

[HIPEXEC]

The chainplates are done. I still can't believe I have gunport interference. When I made the gunports I checked and double checked. When I installed the channels, I checked and double checked? Go figure. Only you master builders will see it if you visit me. The average viewer will stlil go "wow...you did that!" 

[augie]

Wow ...  you did that ?  

[robnbill]

Rich, You are going to end up with 13 stays on that channel.  There should be 9 shrouds going up to the fighting platform (which will all have ratlines), and 4 stays running up higher in the mast. These are the last 4 on the channel. I can't tell from you photo, but do you have room for all of these? I have attached the sail plan from the Connie that shows the shrouds and stays attached to that channel.

[HIPEXEC]

You guys are great!!! Wow!

[HIPEXEC]

Brian has that eagle eye and spotted that errant deadeye. I'd have done it over, but the glue is so strong I can't get it apart. Oh well! 

[dgbot]

Why not fudge and redo the stays. a little to accommodate the gun ports?  That is what I wold do.

David B

[HIPEXEC]

I don't have the patience to redo anything that big.But, I am redoing all the upper shrouds that I pre-made since I did not like the way I made them. The upper shrouds will be in all viewer's eyes when they look at this model. They must be perfect.

[HIPEXEC]

Here's my foremast forestays.

Edited December 6, 2014 by Hipexec

[HIPEXEC]

Here's my first ratline. At the rate it took me to tie this first one...it will take me 67 man hours to tie the over 200 ratlines. Thank goodness I'm retired!!!

[Dimitris71]

Good morning Rich , nice and tidy ratline you got there .

 

Cheers

 

Dimitris

Edited December 6, 2014 by Dimitris71

[dgbot]

Remember that your ratlines should have a little sag in them and were not straight across.

David B

[augie]

Don't count them.......until you're finished.  It'll drive you nuts!  As David mentioned, leave them just a hair slack. You don't want them pulling your shrouds together as you move up.