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

[HIPEXEC]

Growing old is not for sissys!

[src]

Then I hope I don't grow old, I don't like pain, it hurts.

Sam

[HIPEXEC]

Lawrence,

I'm still in the process of selecting my next build. Not wanting to be some coo coo old man who fills his house with ship models...I'm looking for a model I can donate to a library, like HMS Surprise, to spur young people to get adventure in reading books like Master & Commander and  Horatio Hornblower.

Besides, since Arizona is putridly hot all summer, my Admiral & I travel a lot.

Thanks for staying in touch.

Rich

[src]

Rich,

Thats a great idea! I have contemplated that but there are a couple of builds I want for myself first, call me greedy!

Keep us posted on the donation process.

Sam

[thomaslambo]

When the President said, "You didn't build that!" I took offense since I had started several businesses. But when it comes to the USS Constitution I just finish......It's a correct statement....maybe my fingers and eyes put it together, but all of you who came to my rescue time and time again built it along with me. 

 

The advise started when laying the keel when many of you told me to keep it dead straight and the bulkheads square....and the planking....endless help from bending tips to shaping and placing the planks....Then the decks....tree nail advise.. just like gun rigging...terrific suggestions...Basic miniature woodworking...you all to taught me how to get the right tools so I could make straight and square cuts....You suggested the correct glue after I screwed up using the wrong stuff for months....your help with the standing rigging allowed me to get it mostly right.....the running rigging....I was totally lost in space and you all bailed me out during the whole process.....and finally....because I knew you all were looking....I  tried never to cut corners or do sloppy work for I didn't like getting criticism. I can't tell you how many times I went back and did something over because you spotted an error or sloppy work......The best advise I got was one of you told me, "treat each piece you have to place as if it were its own model." So.... "You did so build it with me!"

Thank you. 

Hi Rich,

 

How nicely stated above....it's really like a team effort isn't it 

 

Sorry I wasn't aboard for the journey (I'm a fairly new member)....but it looks like a wonderful two and a half year chess match, and I'd say you won  

[PapaR]

Well, my Constructo USS Constitution kit arrived right on time as Phil's Hobby Shop advertised. Phil's Hobby Shop uses E-Bay to sell, as well as their own website. I purchased this kit at a very large discount compared to my local hobby shop. Phil's did exactly as advertised. I can recommend them highly. You never knnow when buying online.

 

I put on my Quartermaster's hat and did a quick inventory and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the instructions and five sets of 1:1 prints. The instruction book is in five colors and seems to be very detailed. Everything looks in order to begin this project. I can't wait.

 

Hipexec

 

"How do you eat an elephant?"

 

"Start chewing on the toe!"

Wow! that is quite the kit.  May I say, I'm very envious?  I recently finished a (forgive me for the blasphemy) plastic model of the USS Constitution.  I saw a wood kit several years ago, and did not pick it up... it was about $300 or so.  I am restarting to work on an older model kit my wife found at a yard sale, the "Bluenose" by Modellbau.  It seems that company went out of business, and I need to find some of the parts needed to complete it.  Does anyone have any suggestions for finding wood planking in metric sizes?

[bjamesjr]

Growing old is not for sissys!

Yep, I have to agree with that statement.

 

I've been going though Connie build logs and found them all to be very good, but this one, I'm very impressed.

 

I just spent the last 2 hours going through every single post of this build log and the detail and help was as amazing to read as watching this ship come to life. I know you said you are working on a case for it. Please, make it as grand a case as this build deserves one.

 

You can bet when you decide on your next build, I'll be lurking around

[SawdustDave]

Hi Rich:

Just discovering your beautiful build of the Conney (my current project).... nice job mate.
I considered leaving her hull in natural wood, but gave in to tradition.  Being a woodworker, I'm glad to see someone went with the beauty of wood.
Hat's off to you sir.

Also, being a scratch builder, your log will be a great resource for my own build... thanks

 

Dave

[HIPEXEC]

I finally got around to building an appropriate stand for my Conny. I had been using the one that came with the kit, but it's a puny 12" thing. Now my Conny rests an a proper 24" varnished stand!

[Bill Morrison]

Beautiful job!  What period does the model represent?

 

Bill

[HIPEXEC]

The six frigates period. Washington started the project and Jefferson finished it around 1805 The USS Constitution helped defeat the barbary pirates in the Mediterranean. Gave rise to the Marine Corps hymn, "to the shores of Tripoli.." 

[Bill Morrison]

I had hoped that Constructo would have manufactured the Conny with the Hercules figurehead given that no other manufacturer does so.  I like the transom on the Constructo kit, which is unique.  Again, you did a great job!

 

Bill

[Der Alte Rentner]

Hello Rich,

 

Your last post was almost three years ago, but it was your epic adventure with the Constructo version of the USS Constitution that drew me to the Model Ship World website.  

 

I purchased the kit about the time you were finishing up your new base, but it's been collecting dust at my (personal woodworking) shop until I cleared the decks to devote time, space and energy to the project.  The time has come, and I am ready to eat start eating that elephant...

 

Having built the Revel plastic kit oh so many moons ago, but having it go south at the very end - the tip of the bowsprit broke while I was doing the rigging, I've been wanting to give a wooden kit a try.   Well, I opened the box this week, and started the planning process for the build.  Having seen how skimpy the provided instructions were, and having done some preliminary research into planking, I immediately learned that I needed to know more about some of the obstacles you encountered in your build. 

 

I'm not clear on the rules at the site for discussion of models, so if a moderator throws a penalty flag on this first query, I would welcome learning how I would go about asking you questions as I embark on my own journey.

  

Your pictures, and those in the kit's instructions, quite light in the details on how to attach the keel, sternpost and stern to your already planked hull.  Seems to me that it makes more sense to attach the keel etc. before doing the planking.   So, let me begin with a few questions relating specifically to planking:

 

1. If you had to do it over again, would you have substituted an easier wood to work with to do the first planking then covered that over with the finish veneer provided with the kit. (I'm not sure if yours came with this.  There's a note included with my kit that says they included the veneer at the behest of builder's - presumably because of the difficulty working with the hardwood they provided for the primary planking.)

 

2. How did you carve out the planking at the bow to cleanly accommodate the Stem? 

 

3. Again in retrospect, would you have affixed the stem, sternpost and keel at the beginning and carved out rabbets for bearding the planks flush with the keel etc.

 

Here's hoping you're still perusing the site. 

and thanks in advance for any help or insight you can provide.

 

Excellent finished project, by the way.

 

Best 

 

Der Alte Rentner

(the old retiree)

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 9/15/2013 at 2:10 AM, Sjors said:

Hi Rich,

 

You are bashing the kit ? 

Have a save flight and enjoy your time in Canada.

Catch some fish and show Augie how they looks like.

When he is fishing , he catch nothing all the time 

 

 

 

 

Feb 5, 2024 update: 

 

it's been 5 months since I responded to this post, and I've learned a lot since then. For one thing I now know what kit bashing means. At the time I assumed that bashing meant making unfavorable comments about, which is what I did below.

 

In 2020 hindsight, let me State emphatically that I was mistaken about the instructions that came with the model shipways version of the kit. In retrospect the constructo instructions are vastly superior. Though both are useless for a novice like me. Had it not been for the Bob Hunt  practicum, and all the build logs here at model ship world, I would not have gotten anywhere in my build. Now that I have some experience behind me, I'm actually looking forward to building the constructive kit after I finish the model shipways one.  

 

I love the natural finish of the Constructor kit and I would probably do something different in terms of planking the hull. But I will resurrect it when the model shipways Constitution is finished.

 

 

 

Original post:

Rich may not be, but I am.

I've been poring over the plans and instructions for the Constructo kit, as well as studying Rich's build log.  I've decided that I'd rather eat the cost of the Constructo kit and purchased the Model Shipways version instead.  I just received their plans and they are a huge improvement over the set that came with Constructo.  I'm still waiting for the kit, and know that it's been criticized for less than perfect instructions, but I've downloaded them and decided these too are vastly superior to the set provided by Constructo, which look pretty, but are virtually useless (IMHO). 

 

Congrats on having succeeded with a such a beautiful build Rich and overcoming so many obstacles handed to you by Constructo. 

 

And thanks for sharing your experience.   

Edited February 5 by Der Alte Rentner
Updated my comments

[Sjors]

Good luck Der Alte Rentner with the Constitution.

At the moment there is a Constitution on my work bench from Model Shipways.

I don’t have a build log yet but it is coming in the near future.

 

[mtdoramike]

Beautiful Job, I really like Constructo kits. The directions are basically worthless, but the materials are pretty good.