USS Constitution by Sjors - Model Shipways - Scale 1:76

[Sjors]

I got this kit from Børge.
Børge is a member of this forum and built the Dragon.

His wish was always to build the Constitution one day.
Due to illness, he is no longer able to build.
A few weeks ago we visited him and his wife in Norway and he gave me this kit and asked me to build it.
I am very happy to comply with this.
As a result, the Victory and Duyfken are on hold until the Constitution is finished.
I'm going to do my best to build a beautiful ship.
My guide for this build will be the build log from Tom aka usedtosail.

 

Sjors

[Sjors]

The false keel is together and the frames are in it

 

 

 

[Sjors]

No update but something else

When i take a look at the other Conny’s ,there is a difference with mine.

I see parts that i can not find….

I have no deck so the planks are going on the frames and at the bow i’ll be missing some lasercut parts.

Anja has found why.

It’s a kit of 15 years old!

It’s semy scratch. 🥲

So more difficult for me but i still will do my best.

I hope to show you tomorrow  a little progress.

The filler blocks at the stern and bow.

 

Sjors

Edited July 5, 2023 by Sjors

[targa4403]

4 hours ago, Sjors said:

No update but something else

When i take a look at the other Conny’s ,there is a difference with mine.

I see parts that i can not find….

I have no deck so the planks are going on the frames and at the bow i’ll be missing some lasercut parts.

Anja has found why.

It’s a kit of 15 years old!

It’s semy scratch. 🥲

So more difficult for me but i still will do my best.

I hope to show you tomorrow  a little progress.

The filler blocks at the stern and bow.

 

Sjors

Hi, just wondering.  Are you saying the kit is missing some pieces, or that you have to make those missing pieces?

[Sjors]

I don’t missed things but have to make it myself.

They provide the wood.

I have to take the shape and measure from the drawing.

And it is in inches and i work with cm….

 

Sjors

[mtbediz]

Good luck with your new build. Yes in this kit you have to make a lot of parts from scratch.

[Sjors]

Thanks for looking in and the likes.

And it is just what Mustafa is saying.....a lot of scratch.

So i'm going out of my comfort zone 🙂

 

The filler blocks are on it.

At the bow I have make a little reinforcement for the knighthead and a few other small frames.

At the stern i don't know if it is good.

I can not make it more to the end otherwise i have problems with the bearding line.

I try to look at other builds but can not find a good picture of that.

So I hope I have no problems when ( somewhere this year) i start with the planking.

First finishing the bow....

 

Sjors

 

 

[Sjors]

The framing of the Stern and Bow are done.

For the bow framing I have redo it 3 times because i don't like it how it was.

It goes to far outside.

So i think I'm all right now with that.

Then the waterway is also in place.

I think I'm gonna start planking at the top of the frames because they are very fragile.

I have broke all ready 8 frames.

Then the gunports.....

Also a question for other Conny builders.

I see at other build logs that they place a deck.

I think they make them by them self because they want fully rigged guns?

Picture are so sharp that you see every thing on it.

Keep in mind that it has to be planked and painted.

Now pictures.

 

Sjors 

 

 

 

[mtbediz]

On 7/6/2023 at 1:09 PM, Sjors said:

Thanks for looking in and the likes.

And it is just what Mustafa is saying.....a lot of scratch.

So i'm going out of my comfort zone 🙂

 

The filler blocks are on it.

At the bow I have make a little reinforcement for the knighthead and a few other small frames.

At the stern i don't know if it is good.

I can not make it more to the end otherwise i have problems with the bearding line.

I try to look at other builds but can not find a good picture of that.

So I hope I have no problems when ( somewhere this year) i start with the planking.

First finishing the bow....

 

Sjors

 

 

Hi Sjors, you may consider to redo the stern fillers. Attached photo is from JSGerson's build log and shows the correct form of the stern fillers.

Edited July 17, 2023 by mtbediz

[Sjors]

Thanks Mustafa,

The whole thing redo is gonna be a little difficult at the moment.

All the frames are attached and glued.

What i can try is remove a little and place new wood against it.

I will see what i can do.

You will see the result later.

 

Sjors

 

[Der Alte Rentner]

[Der Alte Rentner]

[Der Alte Rentner]

The photos above are from Chapter 1 of Bob Hunt's Practicum on the Model Shipways USS Constitution.  I noticed your stern filler blocks didn't mate well with the bottom of the counter and bulkhead R.  

 

The first two photos are very similar to the ones I just posted to my build log, but I didn't get a picture of the more-or-less finished product like Bob's P1.4.2-11.

 

For what it's worth, shaping these fillers after getting close with the bandsaw cuts etc. is waaaaay out of my wheelhouse.  I didn't post it to my log, but I had to make no less than three starboard side fillers before I got close to figuring out the best technique.  The drum sander is a labor-saving tool vs carving with a curved Xacto blade (Geez! How does anyone do that well?   Kudos to you Bob!!), but care is required to avoid sanding away too much material in the wrong places.   Mustafa is correct, much of this is scratch build work.  

 

I think at this point in the build, it's not good to try for perfection, because when it comes to fairing the bulkheads and planking later, you can fine tune the shapes.  I studied the portion of the Practicum dealing with planking the counter and lower counter in Chapter 6 of the Practicum before deciding to leave my filler blocks alone at this point.  I'm pretty sure I'll be whittling away at these when I get to that point in the build.  And I might be exploring the characteristics of wood putty and Bondo too.  Thanks Bob for the up-close details of the build in Chapter 6. 

 

 

By the way, I do recommend you purchase the Practicum - available at Sophomore Course, USF Constitution|US|Lauck Street Shipyard

(Don't go crazy and purchase the Photo CD.  All of those photos are in the chapters of the Practicum.)

 

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 7/17/2023 at 12:09 PM, Sjors said:

Thanks Mustafa,

The whole thing redo is gonna be a little difficult at the moment.

All the frames are attached and glued.

What i can try is remove a little and place new wood against it.

I will see what i can do.

You will see the result later.

 

Sjors

 

 

Sjors,

I agree, the redo will not be easy.  If you can securely clamp the frame (perhaps between the two bulkheads closest to the stern), you might try drilling a bunch of holes to remove the bulk of the filler block material then, using a good, sharp, flat chisel, you can scrape away the rest.  This is soft wood and is fairly easily worked.    Just be careful not to drill through the bulkhead or false keel.  That's what I would do.  

 

I don't know how thickly you can apply wood putty, but that could be a plan B.  Add a little at a time and let it dry until you work up enough to fill the space.  Once the planks are in, I doubt it matters what's underneath.  Good luck.

 

Der Alte Rentner (aka Peter)

[Sjors]

Thanks Peter,

 

I have take a look at that practicum but it’s to expensive.

I will do it with the resources i have.

I will redo the filler blocks but first i’m planking the upper hull.

The top of the frames are easy to break.

When that is done i can put her up side down and have more space to work.

It’s balsa wood so easy to work with.

 

Sjors

[Der Alte Rentner]

4 hours ago, Sjors said:

Thanks Peter,

 

I will redo the filler blocks but first i’m planking the upper hull.

The top of the frames are easy to break.

When that is done i can put her up side down and have more space to work.

It’s balsa wood so easy to work with.

 

Sjors

 

Sjors,

I did a little research here at Model Ship World and found a discussion on the use of wood filler.  Someone recommended Goodfilla Wood Filler. So, I went to their website and read some FAQs.  See below for a question about how to more-or-less fill larger spaces.  (lay it on 1/4" at a time).  Since you're planning on planking first, you have the luxury of filling the gaps a little at a time over the course of many weeks.   This seems like the easiest way to get the job done.  

 

From Goodfilla FAQs (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – GoodFilla😞

Q: Can you use this to mold new pieces for repair on furniture as you would with Bondo? Would I add wood glue for increased strength?

A: We would recommend our powdered "Filla-In-a-Bag" mixed with wood glue and water mixed to a clay-like consistency. If using a solid mold, add wood filler incrementally in 1/4" layers allowing each layer to dry before adding the next. Pouring GoodFilla into a mold is not ideal since the filler dries via evaporation and needs air to dry.

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by Der Alte Rentner
correct typo

[Sjors]

Question for other Conny builders.

I’m looking for the thickness of the bowsprit, the first part.

I prefer cm 😛

I cannot find it on the drawings.

I want to fit it before the hull is closed.

And no, i’m not there yet 🙃

I have to make preparations for that.

 

Sjors

[mtbediz]

7 hours ago, Sjors said:

Question for other Conny builders.

I’m looking for the thickness of the bowsprit, the first part.

I prefer cm 😛

I cannot find it on the drawings.

I want to fit it before the hull is closed.

And no, i’m not there yet 🙃

I have to make preparations for that.

 

Sjors

Hi Sjors,

The diameter of the bowsprit is 10.32 mm (13/32 '') in the thickest part, but the bowsprit will be tapered forward and backward. By the way, Model Shipways' blueprint (kit plan) has drawing of the bowsprit.

Edited July 24, 2023 by mtbediz

[Sjors]

Thanks Mustafa,

 

I can only find” on sheet 6 that at the left bottom you can find the measurements of the mizzen,main and fore mast.” 

But no bowsprit.

Now i have one ,i can search better to see if it’s there.

Thanks again.

 

Sjors

[mtbediz]

52 minutes ago, Sjors said:

Thanks Mustafa,

 

I can only find” on sheet 6 that at the left bottom you can find the measurements of the mizzen,main and fore mast.” 

But no bowsprit.

Now i have one ,i can search better to see if it’s there.

Thanks again.

 

Sjors

Hi Sjors.

Bowsprit drawing is In the lower right corner of the sheet 6.

Edited July 24, 2023 by mtbediz

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 7/17/2023 at 4:35 AM, Sjors said:

The framing of the Stern and Bow are done.

For the bow framing I have redo it 3 times because i don't like it how it was.

It goes to far outside.

So i think I'm all right now with that.

Sjors, I was looking at your pictures of the bow framing.  Did you leave out frame #4?  This frame extends up from where frame #3 ends and sits outboard of frame #3 in the same slot.   You are working from the kit, yes?  Do your plans not show these frames?

[Sjors]

Hoi Peter,

 

I have take a look again but i don't have that parts in my kit.

I was looking that earlier but can not found it so i thought i have to make it by myself.

And yes, i'm building straight out of the kit.

Maybe there is still one sheet of wood in Norway so I have to ask to see.

If there is I will not remove everything for that.

It is as it is.

 

Sjors

 

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 7/27/2023 at 12:23 AM, Sjors said:

 

I have take a look again but i don't have that parts in my kit.

I was looking that earlier but can not found it so i thought i have to make it by myself.

And yes, i'm building straight out of the kit.

 

There are no premade parts for the knighthead or timbers 2 through 5.  You have to make all of them from scratch,

[Der Alte Rentner]

[Sjors]

I have seen it Peter.

But the bow is closed and the top gun ports are in it. 
Next thing are the lower gun ports but i’ll becwaiting for you 😀

So i’ll be back with the Victory.

Glue copper plates. 
Every month i’ll be doing something else.

Next month the Duyfken and then the Conny.

So hurry up and i can see what i have to do 😁

 

Sjors

 

 

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 7/30/2023 at 7:11 AM, Sjors said:

So hurry up and i can see what i have to do 😁

 

Sjors

Sorry Sjors, haste makes waste.  There will be no hurrying on my part.  Good luck juggling between your three builds (Victory, Duyfkin and Conny), I couldn't do that and not go crazy... 

[Sjors]

It was just a joke Peter.

And I only have one each month.

This month the Victory and next month the Conny.

The Duyfken stays on hold.

 

Sjors

[usedtosail]

Hi Sjors. I just found your build log and I am flattered that you are using my log to help. I have to say that this part was very tricky for me but things got easier later. I added the lower deck (gun deck) in order to add full cannons for some of the guns instead of using the false guns throughout. Also it was a challenge to me so I was curious to try it. There are a lot of good MS Constitution built logs on this site so I hope you are looking at those too, XKens is especially good but there are others that are very good too.

[Sjors]

Hi Tom,

 

I have take a look at all the build logs.

But a lot of builders are away after the beginning.

Maybe to difficult?

I also had all ready problems en re do a lot.

But that’s building.

The drawings are more difficult then OcCre or Caldecraft.

And the measurements are in inches and not cm.

But with the help of other builders i can manage it all.

But for this month the Victory and September back to Conny.

 

Sjors

 

[Sjors]

Because i'm waiting for copper plates ( Kevin has send it to me ) i was looking at the Conny again.

There is one thing that I need some help with.

All the measurements are in inches and I try to convert them into mm or cm but I get strange measurements

So my question for you are:

How much is 

1/18 inch = mm or cm?

1/16 inch = mm or cm?

1/32 inch = mm or cm ?

3/16 inch = mm or cm ?

3/32 inch = mm or cm ?

I know there are rulers with cm and inches and I have one but if you don't understand how it works you can seek till 2050 🙂

I know someone will help me.

Thanks in advance.

 

Sjors

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by Sjors