USS Constitution by Der Alte Rentner - Model Shipways - 1/76

[kmart]

On 5/20/2025 at 10:44 AM, Der Alte Rentner said:

Exactly what I did, Thomas.

 

In the end, the planking strengthened the entire structure.  All's well that ends well. Starboard side done.  

 

 

Now I get to relive the entire adventure on the port side. Oh joy! 😁

 

P.S. Once again, a photo shows me something I didn't see with my naked eyes. I have to redrill the Gammon holes, preferably before I plank the port side. And yes, Mustafa, rope gammoning is correct. I've seen several references to it online and at this website.

 

Finally, before anyone asks, I have no idea why I put dowels in those holes in the stem..

 

[kmart]

Der Alte Rentner,  You went and finished you heardrails before i responded to you question.  Yours turned out looking great. 

[Der Alte Rentner]

4 hours ago, kmart said:

Der Alte Rentner,  You went and finished you heardrails before i responded to you question.  Yours turned out looking great. 

Thank you, kind sir..

[Der Alte Rentner]

I've asked this before, but not having received a reply, I'll ask again.  Does anyone know what triggers a new page here at the MSW site?  Is it the number of posts?  Some specific period of time?  Some number of bytes per page?  Just curious,  I seem to be cranking out quite a few pages, which begs the question, who holds the record for most pages in a build log?  0

 

At the rate I'm going, I might hit 100 well before I finish this build.  😁

[GGibson]

33 minutes ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

I've asked this before, but not having received a reply, I'll ask again.  Does anyone know what triggers a new page here at the MSW site?

 

If you want a new page, I think all you need to do is ask one of the moderators... they are happy to send you one... 🤷‍♂️🤣🤣

 

Seriously, I have no clue, but as a non-IT/website guy, I'm guessing it has something to do with the "bytes per page" with a combination of text and pictures and the size of pictures that folks post.

 

As far as most pages in a build log, you might think that the more difficult or challenging the ship, perhaps the more posts and ultimately more pages.  But, if the Constitution falls under that category, some of the best completed build logs I have been researching are barely even 50 total pages.  There is a USF Confederacy build log that hit 74 pages.  When I was building my HM Schooner Ballahoo, there was another builder who seemed to post an update after every eyebolt and nail he attached, but in looking back at it now, his was only 35 pages, albeit a smaller ship and a much less complex build.

 

If you hit 100 pages, Peter, we'll throw a party... probably just a "virtual" party, but a party, nonetheless... 👍🏆🥳🎉

[mtbediz]

6 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

The only way I can get the knot to work was to adopt Hunt's technique of keeping the hook on the left of the block, for which I made a little rigging rig. (I won't bother showing pictures of the two other methods that were only semi-successful.)

I knew you would find a way to make this. Doing it without clamps is almost impossible.

[mtbediz]

Just a suggestion. If you can make the hook and the hole 90 degrees perpendicular to each other, it will look nicer and you will do it accurate.

Edited 10 hours ago by mtbediz

[Der Alte Rentner]

That is an excellent observation, Mustafa, and it's something that I thought about myself.

 

Arguments for sticking with my method?

1. The Marquardt book.

 

1. And Syren Ship Model Company catalog itself.

 

3. At least one other builder is doing it the way that I am.

 

 

4. I don't know if I can bend the hooks at this point without breaking them. And I certainly don't want to remake the 20 that I've already done, which, by the way, are already a mixed bag of the two methods I've been employing.

 

I made another four this morning and ran a stopwatch. I'm averaging one in about 10 minutes now.  Wo hoo! On a roll.  How do you do this in 2 minutes, Mustafa?

 

 

 

Since I still have work to do on the hull, I can't install the coronades or cannons until I've, at the very least, installed the rudder and most likely the gun deck cannons and ports covers.  Therefore, I needed a place to store the tackle, which I intend to complete first.  I'm happy that the drills that came with the Craft911 pin vise have shafts that will fit in one of the Proxxon mill collets. 

 

I'm not entirely pleased with this first pair, but as has been observed many times at this website, at a distance no one's going to notice the flaws. That would also include whether or not the hooks are perpendicular to the eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Der Alte Rentner
Changed commentary, added photo, and.. corrected typos.

[Der Alte Rentner]

13 hours ago, GGibson said:

If you hit 100 pages, Peter, we'll throw a party... probably just a "virtual" party, but a party, nonetheless... 👍🏆🥳🎉

My goal is not to hit 100 pages. I'm just embarrassed to be using up so much space  and I'm wondering how I can tighten up my work. Regardless, whether I hit 100 Pages or not, I'm always up for a party. 🥳

[JSGerson]

Quote

Does anyone know what triggers a new page here at the MSW site?

Short answer: I haven't a clue.

To be honest, I don't care how long the blog or a book is, if the the reading/information is enjoyable, it's not too long.

 

Quote

If you can make the hook and the hole 90 degrees perpendicular to each other, it will look nicer and you will do it accurate.

I agree with Mustafa. From the Marquardt book picture you posted, that looks to me like a 90 degree twist. I believe I twisted mine although there may be some I didn't. I try with in reason to be as faithful to the actual item as I can make it. I don't remember breaking any hooks getting it to twist. Brass is quite malleable. Of course if you work it too much, it will break from metal fatigue. I did however, break a few from poor drilling or lost a few in my hungry rug.

 

Jon

[Der Alte Rentner]

35 minutes ago, JSGerson said:

From the Marquardt book picture you posted, that looks to me like a 90 degree twist.

Really?  I don't see that at all. To me the hook looks flat.  But that just could be my aging eyes.  

 

One more argument in favor of my point of view is Bob Hunt's practicum, which, despite its flaws, is still the resource I check first. In the photo below, notice that for the double block, he uses the drill-baby-drill technique that I started with. As mentioned before, had I used the model shipways blocks, this would have been the easiest way to go. As good looking as the Syren blocks are, they are somewhat problematic.

 

 

Shall I keep score of respondent's votes

 

 

OMG!  Taking that break to check the site, I returned to the task at hand with a sudden flash of insight - new way to hold hook and block to easily tie the two together. Now I'm down to 2 minutes per unit. Hooray!

 

Edited 43 minutes ago by Der Alte Rentner
Content and typos

[JSGerson]

Doesn't matter the score. You are the Captain of your ship. What you say, goes! Aye Aye Sir!

 

Jon

[GGibson]

38 minutes ago, JSGerson said:

To be honest, I don't care how long the blog or a book is, if the the reading/information is enjoyable, it's not too long.

 

Bingo...

 

38 minutes ago, JSGerson said:

...or lost a few in my hungry rug.

 

After I finished my Santa Maria and before I start the Constitution, I gave my shipyard a deep clean... took everything off of shelves and tables and wiped everything down, vacuumed, dusted, etc.  Can't tell you how many times I said to myself "So that's where that ended up...!"  🤷‍♂️😅

 

OK, Peter, on this issue I am going to side with Mustafa and Jon on the twist.  I just received another addition to my Constitution library, Olaf A. Eriksen's "Constitution - All Sails Up and Flying", which appears to be an awesome study of how the Constitution was rigged in 1815.  Here's a page from his "Strapping of Blocks" section.  Sorry for the poor attempt at taking a picture.

 

 

In these diagrams, the hook appears to be turned 90 degrees from the eyebolt.