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

[JSGerson]

I hope mine look as good when I make the capstan. Based on yours and the the photo of the actual capstan, I might make the whelps a bit narrower with a lighter stain. However, I don't know if I can come close to your beautiful brass work with the tools I have. Nice work!

 

Jon

[GGibson]

Excellent brass work, Peter! 🏆

[The Bitter End]

Holy smokes I want that lathe. 

[Der Alte Rentner]

4 hours ago, JSGerson said:

I hope mine look as good when I make the capstan. Based on yours and the the photo of the actual capstan, I might make the whelps a bit narrower with a lighter stain. However, I don't know if I can come close to your beautiful brass work with the tools I have. Nice work!

 

Jon

If you plan to be modeling much longer, I would certainly recommend investing in the dividing attachment for the proxon mill. It's nice to have the lathe for some things, but if I only had to have one, I would forgo the lathe. That dividing attachment gives you a whole lot of additional capability with the mill.

[Der Alte Rentner]

3 hours ago, The Bitter End said:

Holy smokes I want that lathe. 

As I said to jon, the lathe is a nice-to-have, but the dividing attachment for the mill adds an enormous amount of functionality.

 

However, tools, especially good ones, do add up.

[Der Alte Rentner]

Because we just jumped to a new page, I'm going to include this photo of the nearly completed capstan. I'm going to go with a semi-gloss or gloss clear poly, especially on the brass, so as not to lose the luster.

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Der Alte Rentner

[mtbediz]

Clean and precise work, as always. I absolutely agree with your opinion about the Proxxon mill. Every modeler should have it.

 

I was wondering how you would made the square holes for the capstan bars, but I assume you're leaving them round, or will they be square?

Edited yesterday at 02:08 AM by mtbediz

[The Bitter End]

7 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

As I said to jon, the lathe is a nice-to-have, but the dividing attachment for the mill adds an enormous amount of functionality.

 

However, tools, especially good ones, do add up.

And normally the bottle neck to the results is the ability of the user. So congratulations, good tools or not, you are the one steering the ship. 

 

What exact models of lathe and milling attachment do you have? 

 

Cheers 

 

Haiko 

[Geoff Matson]

Outstanding!

[Der Alte Rentner]

19 hours ago, The Bitter End said:

And normally the bottle neck to the results is the ability of the user. So congratulations, good tools or not, you are the one steering the ship. 

 

What exact models of lathe and milling attachment do you have? 

 

Cheers 

 

Haiko 

Both are Proxxon products.  

The lathe is the DB 250.

The dividing attachment is this.  Part 24264.

 

 

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Der Alte Rentner

[Der Alte Rentner]

12 hours ago, mtbediz said:

Clean and precise work, as always. I absolutely agree with your opinion about the Proxxon mill. Every modeler should have it.

 

I was wondering how you would made the square holes for the capstan bars, but I assume you're leaving them round, or will they be square?

I did attempt to use a square file to make the square openings, but the amount of pressure I would have had to apply risked damaging the brass band.  What I may do at the very end, is to manufacture the poles that go into those holes and show the capstan ready for use.

 

But at this scale, with naked eyes, the difference between round and square is barely noticeable.

[Der Alte Rentner]

3 hours ago, Geoff Matson said:

Outstanding!

Geoff, as long as I have your attention, can you tell me how many planks you used for the mizzen platform?  Hunt used 14 ea. 1/16" x 1/32" X  2 5/16".  However, the plans make it look like I should be using nine pieces.

 

Looking around at other notable build logs, I see that while you have the mizzen platform, Xken does not. Also, revisiting photos of the actual wheel that I've seen recently, the mizzen platform is absent as well.  Now I'm thinking, why bother? Thoughts?

 

By the way, every time I consult your build, I walk away even more impressed. Will we someday see  progress towards your finishing the rigging?

Edited 15 hours ago by Der Alte Rentner

[Der Alte Rentner]

I just packed up my lathe, thinking I wouldn't need it for a while. Wrong! Ammo scuttles. 

 

Fortunately, my dividing attachment was still mounted to the proxon mill. This was my starting point. I reloaded some quarter inch brass stock, cleaned off the end, then milled the diameter down to roughly 7/32" from 1/4". Using multiple passes right to left, I rotated the dividing attachment roughly 30° at a time, locking the chuck down after each rotation, while I milled half inch long segments. 

 

 

Transfering the stock back to my lathe, I used files and sandpaper to smooth out the rough edges, checking the diameter frequently with my Vernier caliper to make sure I didn't stray from the 7/32" diameter.

 

 

Then back to the mill to slice off 1mm thick rounds.  

 

 

I left roughly a .5 mm diameter axle, which was strong enough to keep the piece intact while milling, but malleable enough for me to break it off.

 

 

 

 

I left the little nibs alone, and plan to use these as locating pins when gluing the scuttles to the spar deck.

 

 

P.S. Geoff, no need to respond to my previous post.  I've decided against the mizzen platform.

Edited 7 hours ago by Der Alte Rentner
Typos, yet again.

[GGibson]

Nice work, Peter!  I just picked up the Proxxon DB250 lathe, figuring I'd have plenty of opportunities to use it on my Constitution.  Love to see you using it on brass.  Thanks for sharing.

[JSGerson]

About the mizzen platform, I assume you mean the fighting top on the mizzen mast. If so, here are a few images of the platform where you can count the number of planks. I hope this helps.

 

Jon

[Der Alte Rentner]

4 hours ago, JSGerson said:

About the mizzen platform, I assume you mean the fighting top on the mizzen mast

Ha!  Sorry, no.   I was referring to the extra layer of decking on the spar deck, at the mizzen mast, on top of which the wheel resides, at least according the the MS plans and the Bob Hunt Practicum.  I took my lead from XKen, and opted to omit this "feature".

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still a few weeks from starting the masts and "fighting tops" you so thoughtfully provided photos of.  First, I have to populate the spar deck with sundry furniture and fixtures, then on to the channels and chain plates.  (I can't wait to see how Mustafa tackles those).

Edited 6 hours ago by Der Alte Rentner
added 2nd photo from Hunt Practicum.

[Der Alte Rentner]

4 hours ago, GGibson said:

Nice work, Peter!  I just picked up the Proxxon DB250 lathe, figuring I'd have plenty of opportunities to use it on my Constitution.  Love to see you using it on brass.  Thanks for sharing.

I think the lathe will really pay off when it comes time to taper the spars.  Be aware though that you'll probably want to also purchase chucks for the lathe, and these aren't cheap.  The DB 250 doesn't come with them. 

 

In retrospect, I might have been better off spending just a few more dollars and gotten the FD 150 instead, which seems to include the chuck and has indexed feed controls, which would be better for working with metal rods.  FYI, the three jaw chuck that Proxxon sells for the lathe LOOKs to be the same as the one that's part of the dividing attachment for the mill.  It is not!  I thought I could spare myself the cost of the the second chuck, but noooooo.

 

 

 

[GGibson]

Thanks for the info, Peter!  Yeah, once I get proficient with this DB250, I may decide to upgrade.