USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76

[mtbediz]

17 minutes ago, Thukydides said:

Very nice. Those are some nice neat joints.

Thanks! With my milling machine, I can get these joints looking sharp and clean.

[Der Alte Rentner]

Hello Mustafa, I didn't want to copy the photos from your post after you installed the channel caps and clutter up your build log, but I have a question. Did you taper the channels from the hull to the cap? It doesn't seem to me that you did, which is perfectly fine by me. I'm just looking for justification to follow in your footsteps.

 

Since I can't cover up mistakes with black paint, I have to very carefully consider the steps involved in attaching the channels, chain plates, dead eyes and caps.

 

If you did taper, it's hard to see in those photos..

 

Thanks in advance.

[mtbediz]

I'm taking a break from working on the masts and tops for a while to complete some of the other missing parts. Right now, I'm fabricating the main brace bumpkins and the stern boat davits.

[JSGerson]

You don't disappoint, they look gorgeous!

 

Jon

[GGibson]

Great work, Mustafa! 

[Scallywag]

You do beautiful work.

[mtbediz]

On 10/13/2025 at 4:23 PM, Der Alte Rentner said:

Hello Mustafa, I didn't want to copy the photos from your post after you installed the channel caps and clutter up your build log, but I have a question. Did you taper the channels from the hull to the cap? It doesn't seem to me that you did, which is perfectly fine by me. I'm just looking for justification to follow in your footsteps.

 

Since I can't cover up mistakes with black paint, I have to very carefully consider the steps involved in attaching the channels, chain plates, dead eyes and caps.

 

If you did taper, it's hard to see in those photos..

 

Thanks in advance.

Sorry Peter, I just noticed your post. I don't know why, some posts appear much later in my build log. I guess this is one of them.  No, I didn't taper the channels. I didn't even know they needed to be tapered.

Edited October 17 by mtbediz

[Der Alte Rentner]

9 hours ago, mtbediz said:

Sorry Peter, I just noticed your post. I don't know why, some posts appear much later in my build log. I guess this is one of them.  No, I didn't taper the channels. I didn't even know they needed to be tapered.

Oh snap!  My bad.  I just double checked the Hunt practicum and learned that I misread that portion of the instructions.  The channels are tapered, yes, but only by 1/16" of an inch at their fore and aft edges.  Sorry abut the miscue.  

[mtbediz]

I turned back to the fighting tops. The tops were painted gray and the bottoms white. The strip surrounding the top was soaked in boiling water for about 10 minutes and then held in place with clamps. Once dry, it was removed and, after being painted white, glued back in place. 

 

I finished today by installing the deadeyes that I had previously prepared for the top mast shrouds.

[g8rfan]

Hi Mustafa,

As with the rest of your model, these look really sharp. Keep up the great work, really enjoying watching your build

[mtbediz]

2 hours ago, g8rfan said:

Hi Mustafa,

As with the rest of your model, these look really sharp. Keep up the great work, really enjoying watching your build

Thank you so much Frank.

[Der Alte Rentner]

 

 

 

 

So,  How are the deadeyes attached to the fighting tops? 

 

There wasn't a single view of the tops of the tops..

Edited 23 hours ago by Der Alte Rentner

[JSGerson]

I can't speak for Mustafa's model but technically, the deadeyes on the actual ship are not attached to the tops at all; but pass through openings in the tops and attached to the Bentnik Shrouds below.

 

Jon

[mtbediz]

2 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

 

 

 

 

So,  How are the deadeyes attached to the fighting tops? 

 

There wasn't a single view of the tops of the tops..

Peter, I attached the deadeyes the same way you did using brass wire; after feeding the free end through the hole in the fighting top, I bent it into a small loop underneath.

[mtbediz]

1 hour ago, JSGerson said:

I can't speak for Mustafa's model but technically, the deadeyes on the actual ship are not attached to the tops at all; but pass through openings in the tops and attached to the Bentnik Shrouds below.

 

Jon

Yes, Jon, you're right. I actually needed to make channel-shaped openings in the fighting top for the deadeye connections, but I chose to just drill holes.

[JSGerson]

If you look closely, drilling holes is the way to go. They don't look constructed like the method the channels used.

 

Jon

[mtbediz]

22 minutes ago, JSGerson said:

If you look closely, drilling holes is the way to go. They don't look constructed like the method the channels used.

 

Jon

They appear to be elliptical openings rather than circles.

[GGibson]

Very interesting pictures, fellas!  I'm no engineer, but looking at how the deadeyes and channels are positioned, what kind of pressure do you think is being placed on the fighting top unit at those blue marks I have made on the picture below?  Is that cross beam that I have marked in red actually a steel beam in these newer pictures to help support the pressure that those lines and shrouds are placing on the fighting tops?  Maybe that's why the word "fighting" is in its name! 😀  It all looks great, Mustafa! 👍🏆