USS Constitution by mtbediz - 1:76

[Der Alte Rentner]

      All, I can say is,  Wow!  

[JSGerson]

At first glance at your next to last photo, (post 985), you almost can't tell if you are looking at a model or the actual ship! Well done!!!!

 

Jon

[Ian_Grant]

Just stumbled across your build - what a beautiful model! Ultra-realistic looking rigging.......immaculate paintwork........

[mtbediz]

Dear friends, thanks for your nice comments and likes!

 

All the lower mast shrouds and mast tackles are complete. I used 1mm rope for the shrouds and 0.3mm rope for the lanyards. The next task will be making the main stays.

Edited December 22, 2025 by mtbediz

[Thukydides]

Fantastic work, she she is looking really good.

[mtbediz]

12 hours ago, Thukydides said:

Fantastic work, she she is looking really good.

Thank you so much!

[mtbediz]

I prepared the main stays. To make the mice, I first drilled a 1.5 mm hole through the center of a 5 mm diameter dowel, then turned the dowel on my lathe. After that, I threaded a 1.2 mm rope through the hole in the mouse and seized it using my seizing machine. Next, I attached the 5mm bullseye I had made to the ends of the ropes and connected the lanyards to the bullseye.

Edited December 25, 2025 by mtbediz

[mtbediz]

Main stays are complete.

[GGibson]

Your rigging is really coming together nicely, Mustafa.  I love your mouse construction!  Another process I need to remember!

[mtbediz]

10 hours ago, GGibson said:

Your rigging is really coming together nicely, Mustafa.  I love your mouse construction!  Another process I need to remember!

Thanks, Greg. I wish you and your family a healthy and happy new year!

[Der Alte Rentner]

Since I will be away from the shipyard for 3 weeks in february, I'll be looking for something I can work on while in a hotel room. I think there are many examples

for me to choose from above.

 

As always, thanks for the inspiration.

 

 

 

[GGibson]

16 hours ago, mtbediz said:

Thanks, Greg. I wish you and your family a healthy and happy new year!

 

Thank you so much, Mustafa!  I wish you and your loved ones a happy and prosperous New Year, as well.  Have taken a bit of a break on my build, as we were out on the beach last week and have family in this week.  But next week I should be busy again in the shipyard and will be looking for more inspiration from you and the others.  You are all so appreciated.  Happy New Year, my friend! 

[mtbediz]

2 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

Since I will be away from the shipyard for 3 weeks in february, I'll be looking for something I can work on while in a hotel room. I think there are many examples

for me to choose from above.

 

As always, thanks for the inspiration.

 

 

 

I’ll also shut down the shipyard in February because my daughter and her family will be visiting us for two weeks.

Edited December 30, 2025 by mtbediz

[mtbediz]

After completing the mizzen stays, I started making the futtock shrouds. I began with the main mast futtocks. I omitted some details for a cleaner look.

 

Edited January 4 by mtbediz

[JSGerson]

They look beautiful! You didn't perhaps take pictures showing the sequence of steps you took to get the Bentinck shrouds into the state shown? Are the short shrouds sections coming off the the futtock stave, looping in the big ring or are they individually tied off at the ring? I understand your choice to omit some fine details due to scale; at full scale, there is an awful lot stuff crammed in there. But whatever you did, it look great.

 

Jon

[mtbediz]

1 hour ago, JSGerson said:

They look beautiful! You didn't perhaps take pictures showing the sequence of steps you took to get the Bentinck shrouds into the state shown? Are the short shrouds sections coming off the the futtock stave, looping in the big ring or are they individually tied off at the ring? I understand your choice to omit some fine details due to scale; at full scale, there is an awful lot stuff crammed in there. But whatever you did, it look great.

 

Jon

Thank you, Jon. I initially tried to make it with all the details, but since I didn’t like the final appearance, I decided to simplify it. Unfortunately, I didn’t photograph the sequence of steps, but I hope the drawing below explains how I did it.
First, I secure rope no. 1 in its place with a hook. As indicated by the arrows, I first fix it to the futtock stave with CA glue, then pass it through the big ring, glue it again to the futtock stave with CA, and finally hang it back up to its position on the top using a hook. I repeat the same process for rope no. 2. 

For rope no. 3, unlike the others, I first secure it to the futtock stave, then pass it through the big ring and finally hang it in its position on the top using a hook.

Edited January 1 by mtbediz

[GGibson]

37 minutes ago, mtbediz said:

...I hope the drawing below explains how I did it.

 

Continued great work on your rigging, Mustafa.  I, too, was having a bit of difficulty seeing exactly how your shrouds here were run and secured.  Your drawing defines it perfectly.  Thank you, sir!  Happy New Year! 

[JSGerson]

Thank you. You made a complicated rigging element look simple. Again, well done.

 

Jon

[mtbediz]

6 hours ago, JSGerson said:

Thank you. You made a complicated rigging element look simple. Again, well done.

 

Jon

You might find an easier method, but I make the final hook connection as shown in the picture, then I cut the excess. This way, both my hands are free during the final knot.

Edited January 2 by mtbediz

[Der Alte Rentner]

I love that last photo that shows the scale with the men standing on the fighting top.

 

As always, I can't help but be impressed by your skill and expertise in rigging. I'm still a ways from getting there, but hope to come close to your Sterling example.

 

Speaking of photographs, I noticed you changed your profile photo. Nice to see you without the sunglasses.  😎😉

[mtbediz]

1 hour ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

I love that last photo that shows the scale with the men standing on the fighting top.

 

As always, I can't help but be impressed by your skill and expertise in rigging. I'm still a ways from getting there, but hope to come close to your Sterling example.

 

Speaking of photographs, I noticed you changed your profile photo. Nice to see you without the sunglasses.  😎😉

Thanks for the compliment, Peter, but I don’t really see myself as that talented. There are many modelers who do this work far better than I do. The only thing I consider myself good at is designing how to accomplish tasks in the simplest yet most precise way.

 

As for the fighting top photo, as you can probably guess, it came from the best source: JON!

 

My profile picture was at least 10 years old. It was time to update it

[mtbediz]

The futtock and bentinck shrouds for both the main and fore masts are now complete. I have begun work on the bowsprit, tapering it according to the plans. Using my milling machine, I first formed the square section at the forward end, then machined the tenon for the bowsprit cap.

Edited Monday at 07:35 PM by mtbediz

[mtbediz]

I am currently working on the details of the bowsprit. I first prepared the bees and their supporting pieces to scale and glued them in place. I then drilled the holes representing the sheaves and cut the corresponding channels.
After that, I milled the stair on top of the bowsprit. I made the stair in two separate pieces because the stock had to be clamped in the vise at an angle of approximately 26 degrees. This meant the piece could only be held over a very small area, which caused excessive vibration as the milling cutter moved farther away from the clamping point. 

 

At this scale, the stair steps are 2 mm in height and 4 mm in width, which corresponds to an angle of 26 degrees.

 

Meanwhile, I milled a flat surface to create the area where the stair will sit on the bowsprit.

The stair parts have not yet been glued to the bowsprit.

Edited Wednesday at 06:43 AM by mtbediz

[JSGerson]

Nicely done! But I have questions; don’t I always.

• When cutting the steps, I assume you “dialed in" the horizontal distance with the X-Y table to be precise and consistent. How did you measure the vertical distance? I don’t have a real drill press, just a Dremel drill press stand which does not have any controls for precise measured movement vertically. Are there any controls on your dedicated drill press or did you just use a ruler or micrometer?
• How did/will you mate the stairs to the bowsprit? Did cut a bevel on the underside of the stairs, or flatten the top surface of the bowsprit? If you beveled the stairs, how? Did you use a scraper or something else?

Oh yes, don’t forget to provide a clearance notch under the stairs for the gammoning to pass through.

 

Jon 

[mtbediz]

2 hours ago, JSGerson said:

Nicely done! But I have questions; don’t I always.

• When cutting the steps, I assume you “dialed in" the horizontal distance with the X-Y table to be precise and consistent. How did you measure the vertical distance? I don’t have a real drill press, just a Dremel drill press stand which does not have any controls for precise measured movement vertically. Are there any controls on your dedicated drill press or did you just use a ruler or micrometer?
• How did/will you mate the stairs to the bowsprit? Did cut a bevel on the underside of the stairs, or flatten the top surface of the bowsprit? If you beveled the stairs, how? Did you use a scraper or something else?

Oh yes, don’t forget to provide a clearance notch under the stairs for the gammoning to pass through.

 

Jon 

*I have a Proxxon mill, Jon. I can move the cutter vertically with an accuracy of 1/20 mm.

*I flattened the top surface of the bowsprit (which is easier).

*Thanks for reminding me of gammoning!

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 9/25/2025 at 1:15 PM, mtbediz said:

I did the chamfering with my sander. Of course, the strips were too thin to hold by hand, so I used metal clamps to hold them while sanding.

Hi Mustafa, I’m sorry I waited so long to ask this followup question, but when you made the chaffing fish, how exactly did you use metal clamps and a sander to do the chamfering? I vaguely remember hand sanding a bit of a chamfer on the hull planking and could probably reprise that process, but if I could automate this instead, I’d prefer the consistency.

 

thanks in advance.

Peter 

[JSGerson]

I would love to have that milling machine, but at this late stage of the build and my age ( I just turned 79 in November), I don't think I'll be building anything (if at all) nearly as challenging as this model that would require that tool, once my Conny is done.

 

I do have an idea as to how to fabricate the stairs that would not require a milling tool as be as precise as yours ... I think. We'll see when I get there. In the meantime, I'm still plugging away at rigging the spar deck guns. Things should pick up pace once they are done.

 

Jon

[GGibson]

6 hours ago, mtbediz said:

I am currently working on the details of the bowsprit. I first prepared the bees and their supporting pieces to scale and glued them in place. I then drilled the holes representing the sheaves and cut the corresponding channels.
After that, I milled the stair on top of the bowsprit. I made the stair in two separate pieces because the stock had to be clamped in the vise at an angle of approximately 26 degrees. This meant the piece could only be held over a very small area, which caused excessive vibration as the milling cutter moved farther away from the clamping point. 

 

At this scale, the stair steps are 2 mm in height and 4 mm in width, which corresponds to an angle of 26 degrees.

 

Meanwhile, I milled a flat surface to create the area where the stair will sit on the bowsprit.

 

Excellent explanation, Mustafa!  Not sure I ever noticed the specific bees construction on any of the completed models I had reviewed.  That area of the bowsprit is so busy with different pieces and rigging.  Going to be fun watching you build up that area in real time.

 

And, yes, we love our Proxxon mill..!  I'm nine years behind you, Jon, so thought it was a good addition at this early stage.  I've loved it so far.  And, as you guys have demonstrated, I'll have plenty more opportunities forthcoming.  Thanks, Gentlemen!  

[mtbediz]

11 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

Hi Mustafa, I’m sorry I waited so long to ask this followup question, but when you made the chaffing fish, how exactly did you use metal clamps and a sander to do the chamfering? I vaguely remember hand sanding a bit of a chamfer on the hull planking and could probably reprise that process, but if I could automate this instead, I’d prefer the consistency.

 

thanks in advance.

Peter 

Hi Peter, unfortunately I couldn’t automate the chamfering process. To be honest, I didn’t spend much time thinking about it. As you can see in the photos, I did it entirely by eye and by hands.

 

In the second photo, I'm using only one hand because I have the camera in my other hand. Normally, I use both hands, meaning I'm holding both clamps with both hands.

Edited Wednesday at 06:15 AM by mtbediz

[Der Alte Rentner]

oof!  That’s exactly how I pictured you doing this.  I keep hoping to find a better way to chamfer to these with some degree of precision, but given that I’m trying to make use of either the 1mm x 2mm or the 2 mm square Sapelly that came with the Constructo kit, for this (so I don’t have to stain anything - the color is almost an exact match, I’m trying to find a way to hold these strips fast onto a board and use my dimensioning drum sander to achieve the chamfer.  I have a feeling, I’ll be following in your footsteps before long.   Thanks again for your assistance.