USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76

[mtbediz]

I have a question for friends who are building or completing this model. Should the support named number 4 in the kit plan be parallel to supports 1, 2, and 3, or should it be angled forward? It looks parallel in the plan, but in photos of the actual ship on the internet—although not very clear—it seems like it might be angled forward.

[Dziadeczek]

I am not sure if this helps, but...

[mtbediz]

4 hours ago, Dziadeczek said:

I am not sure if this helps, but...

Thanks for the photo. Yes, I'm talking about the second support from the left in this photo. It looks slightly angled forward in this photo also, but I am not sure either.

[Der Alte Rentner]

I made mine parallel to supports two and three. I've looked at a million photos, and while there is an argument to be made for a slight angle forward, I thought parallel was the better bet. In part, my thinking was that it should be parallel to joint of the two grates it supports.  For that reason, support five would be angled forward.

Edited May 14 by Der Alte Rentner

[JSGerson]

The problem is that nothing is straight, parallel, or square. You've got angles, curves, and foreshortening from the cameras. The best I can advice I can give you, is let you eye be your guide. Here are a bunch of images from different angles which might provide some insight.

 

Jon

[mtbediz]

Then I'll make it parallel like most people do. Of the Conny builders I follow, only ERS Rich made it angled, all the others are parallel. Thanks friends.

Edited May 15 by mtbediz

[Der Alte Rentner]

Mustafa, 

 

Looking at the photos submitted by Jon above,  I noticed, yet again, that the bumpkin is absent in all but one.    

And in the one where it does exist, there's nothing is rigged to it.   I remember that you said you would add this anyway, but I guess my question is, 

why bother?

 

[Unegawahya]

5 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

Mustafa, 

 

Looking at the photos submitted by Jon above,  I noticed, yet again, that the bumpkin is absent in all but one.    

And in the one where it does exist, there's nothing is rigged to it.   I remember that you said you would add this anyway, but I guess my question is, 

why bother?

 

I’ve seen a picture that had the Bumpkins rigged, but I’m not seeing it at the moment. I’m also wondering if they were removed because they weren’t historically accurate to 1812 or not?
I can see where they would be helpful when backing with the wind to keep control and move the for mast main sale.

[Dziadeczek]

When I took this pic, there were no sails hoisted, hence the absence of a foresail tack on the boomkin.

Edited May 17 by Dziadeczek

[Unegawahya]

19 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

Mustafa, 

 

Looking at the photos submitted by Jon above,  I noticed, yet again, that the bumpkin is absent in all but one.    

And in the one where it does exist, there's nothing is rigged to it.   I remember that you said you would add this anyway, but I guess my question is, 

why bother?

 

I found a picture in “Anatomy of the Ship The 44-Gun Frigate USS Constitution”.It looks like if you’re not going to include sails the bow boomkin is not required. Interestingly, the stern boomkins look to still be in place.

 

Edited May 17 by Unegawahya
🤦‍♂️they’re boomkins! I feel dumb.

[JSGerson]

I had a simple choice for the bow bumpkin, the actual ship has it, therefore I have on my model. Whether the model is being rigged for sails or not is immaterial for me, it's there now on the real ship, so it's on my model. And, it was not difficult to install. I still haven't added the stern ones yet.

 

Jon

[mtbediz]

Supports number 2, 3 and 4 are complete. I am making support number 1 in two parts. I am not 100% happy with the result but this is all I can do.

Edited May 18 by mtbediz

[mtbediz]

On 5/16/2025 at 11:51 PM, Der Alte Rentner said:

Mustafa, 

 

Looking at the photos submitted by Jon above,  I noticed, yet again, that the bumpkin is absent in all but one.    

And in the one where it does exist, there's nothing is rigged to it.   I remember that you said you would add this anyway, but I guess my question is, 

why bother?

 

If you are not going to include the fore sail you will not need the boomkins. Drawing shows how the boomkins were used.

Edited May 18 by mtbediz

[mtbediz]

I finally completed the supports. I'm happy with the overall look.

[JSGerson]

Not the easiest component to construct, but you did it well. BTW, don't forget to complete the hawsers on the port side. Just something I noticed in the last photo.

 

Jon

[Der Alte Rentner]

5 hours ago, mtbediz said:

I finally completed the supports. I'm happy with the overall look.

And you have every reason to be happy with the overall look. Splendid work!

[Javelin]

15 hours ago, mtbediz said:

I'm happy with the overall look.

I second what DAR said above. She's looking brilliant. 

 

[mtbediz]

I glued a plank to the top head rail to make it easier to attach the plank stiffeners between the rails. This will provide a larger surface for gluing the stiffeners.

Edited Friday at 08:02 PM by mtbediz

[GGibson]

40 minutes ago, mtbediz said:

I glued a plank to the top head rail to make it easier to glue the plank stiffeners between the rails. This will profile a larger surface to glue the stiffeners to.

 

Awesome work, Mustafa!  Did you paint and stripe these last planks off-ship before gluing to the top head rails?

 

I know your summer break is coming up quickly.  Enjoy your vacation! 🏆👍

[mtbediz]

6 hours ago, GGibson said:

 

Awesome work, Mustafa!  Did you paint and stripe these last planks off-ship before gluing to the top head rails?

 

I know your summer break is coming up quickly.  Enjoy your vacation! 🏆👍

Thanks Greg. Yes, the unpainted rail in the first picture was not glued yet. Like the other rails, it was painted and striped before being installed on the ship.

[mtbediz]

On 5/21/2025 at 6:17 PM, JSGerson said:

BTW, don't forget to complete the hawsers on the port side. Just something I noticed in the last photo.

Yes Jon, I had made those hawse holes, but I lost. When I find them, I'll mount them in its place or I'll make it again.

Edited Saturday at 04:07 AM by mtbediz

[mtbediz]

Port side bow planking done. 

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 5/23/2025 at 2:09 PM, mtbediz said:

I glued a plank to the top head rail to make it easier to attach the plank stiffeners between the rails. This will provide a larger surface for gluing the stiffeners.

Blast! I wish I'd seen this post 2 hours ago. I am dealing with the remaining port side rails today. Unfortunately I already glued the top head rail in place and it may be difficult to add that backing plank, but I'm going to give it a try. Anything to make gluing those stiffeners in place is going to be a huge plus.

 

Great work as always, Mustafa.

Edited Sunday at 04:42 PM by Der Alte Rentner

[mtbediz]

10 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

Blast! I wish I'd seen this post 2 hours ago. I am dealing with the remaining port side rails today. Unfortunately I already glued the top head rail in place and it may be difficult to add that backing plank, but I'm going to give it a try. Anything to make gluing those stiffeners in place is going to be a huge plus.

 

Great work as always, Mustafa.

Thanks, Peter. When I noticed that you were having difficulty securing the stiffeners in place, I made something like this. It really made the job easier.

Edited Monday at 03:27 AM by mtbediz

[mtbediz]

Both sides bow planking completed. The ship doesn't look bad at all with the edited photos.

 

I'm finishing up the bow decoration for now. I'll come back for the trailboard later.

 

Edited yesterday at 02:15 PM by mtbediz

[JSGerson]

Nice pictures!

 

Jon

[woodartist]

beautiful, love to see your work

[mtbediz]

I am manufacturing and attaching the structures above the gun ports, the name and function of which I do not know. Later, I will paint them black.

 

After flattening 1 mm brass wire by hammering, I bend it with a jig and glue it to the board I prepared before.

Edited 9 hours ago by mtbediz

[Der Alte Rentner]

Hunt calls them "curtains".  

 

 

 

.. and you have chosen a very novel approach to their construction.  Kudos!

[JSGerson]

Quote

I am not sure what the structure above the gun ports are officially called. The kit refers to them as “carved boards,” the practicum refers to them as “curtains”, and I’ve read on other build logs as being called “eyebrows.” Then there is the question, what are they made of. The kit drawing states they were a “decorative carved surface” while the practicum states were a “wrinkled canvas.” My first impression was that they were painted copper sheeting. In any case, the purpose of them was to shed water away from the guns port openings. In other words, a gutter. Luckly the kit provided these structures as nicely cast metal parts. All I had to do was paint and apply them to the hull.

This what I wrote when I installed them on my model. Here are some pictures that might help

 

Jon

Edited 7 hours ago by JSGerson