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

[Der Alte Rentner]

Sigh..

 

How did this happen?  I'm going to have to dig through my own build logs to try to figure out why the gap between the mizzen mast and the hatch just forward of it is about a quarter inch too narrow.  That's the second hatch that ended up in the wrong place.  😕 

 

I realize that I'm probably the only person in my sphere who would notice this, but it's just plain aggravating. Nothing I can do about it now..

 

But I am taking a break from the shipyard today to lick my wounds.  

 

 

Edited August 28 by Der Alte Rentner
typo, changed formatting. Will someone please explain to me how these posts look different when viewed on a cell phone vs on a desktop?

[mtbediz]

I have the same problem, but I have to leave it as is. Otherwise, I would have to remove the beams that the hatch sits on and many other things.

Edited August 28 by mtbediz

[Der Alte Rentner]

41 minutes ago, mtbediz said:

I have the same problem, but I have to leave it as is. Otherwise, I would have to remove the beams that the hatch sits on and many other things.

Thanks for sharing that.  I feel so much better knowing that I'm not alone.  😁

[Der Alte Rentner]

The skylight is finally done.  

 

Here are the latest pix.

 

(Rather than attempt to paint the glass panels of the skylight, I thank my lucky stars I thought of this time saving idea.  Yes, adhesive star stickers, which I trimmed into the shape of the windows.)

 

That divider attachment proved handy for the dodgy business of attaching the brass strips that protect the "glass".

 

No glue. I applied a coat of polyurethane, added the brass strips on one face, rotated 60° on the dividing attachment, rinse, repeat - five more times.  I then added five more coats of poly on top of the brass strips to lock them in.  With the face I was working on on top, everything was parallel to the table top making placing the brass strips fairly straightforward.

 

As I was looking at these photos to post, I realized that I still have to do the fife rails. Unfortunately, I'm out of belaying pins. The last order from syren was lost by the USPS.  So, two weeks or so until the next order arrives, assuming it too doesn't go missing..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 6 by Der Alte Rentner

[JSGerson]

You've got one beautiful model!!

 

Jon

[The Bitter End]

Beautiful and unique. I wish I could see it in person. Well done!

[Ronald-V]

Looks indeed amazing! 🙏

[mtbediz]

Great model, congratulations! Will you add the canopies on the hatchways?

[Der Alte Rentner]

13 hours ago, mtbediz said:

Great model, congratulations! Will you add the canopies on the hatchways?

No, I do not think I will.  Perhaps, I'll change my mind before I start the rigging, but I don't see them as strictly necessary right now.  Were I to add them, I'd have to find a way of assembling them without soldering, brazing, or welding.  Given that all the other brass on Conny is pristine, I don't want to ruin the look with something that's painted over to hide the blemishes. 

 

(Right now, I've got my hands full trying to figure out how to "turn" the fife rail stanchions, in a way that I can produce 15 virtually identical ones.  Square stock won't fit in the self centering 3 jaw chuck on the lathe.  It isn't easy to properly center square stock in the  4 jaw chuck.  Either way, the chucks would only be holding on to, at best, 3/16" (4.8mm) of material.  This, to me seems, a recipe for disappointment at best.  I think I will once again resort to starting with round stock (dowel), turning the vase like ornamental details, then squaring the stock off with the mill and dividing attachment. I really wish I'd purchased a better lathe.  The Proxxon wood turning lathe really has very limited functionality.)

 

I logged in to see how you made these, but got sidetracked with incoming notifications.  I will now see how the master shipwright (you) solved this problem. 😁

Oh my!  You used the three jaw chuck!  Of course, it makes sense to use longer material - assuming you also used a tailstock to keep the piece stable while turning.  Since I already prepared a roughly 4mm square piece of boxwood, I wll try to get a good result with the lathe, though I may prep the piece on the mill first - taking advantage of that machine's adjustability.  Stay tuned.. 

 

Here's justification for the better lathe.  Obviously XKen wasn't using the DB 250 wood turning lathe.. 

Edited September 7 by Der Alte Rentner
added Mustafa's photo and content, then XKen photo and more commentary. Finally corrected typos.

[mtbediz]

3 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

No, I do not think I will.  Perhaps, I'll change my mind before I start the rigging, but I don't see them as strictly necessary right now.  Were I to add them, I'd have to find a way of assembling them without soldering, brazing, or welding.  Given that all the other brass on Conny is pristine, I don't want to ruin the look with something that's painted over to hide the blemishes. 

Good decision. To be honest, I'm not entirely satisfied with how the canopies I made look either. They're still in place for now, but the thought of removing them keeps crossing my mind. I might replace them with a basic rope guardrail.

Edited September 7 by mtbediz

[mtbediz]

4 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

(Right now, I've got my hands full trying to figure out how to "turn" the fife rail stanchions, in a way that I can produce 15 virtually identical ones.  Square stock won't fit in the self centering 3 jaw chuck on the lathe.  It isn't easy to properly center square stock in the  4 jaw chuck.  Either way, the chucks would only be holding on to, at best, 3/16" (4.8mm) of material.  This, to me seems, a recipe for disappointment at best.  I think I will once again resort to starting with round stock (dowel), turning the vase like ornamental details, then squaring the stock off with the mill and dividing attachment. I really wish I'd purchased a better lathe.  The Proxxon wood turning lathe really has very limited functionality.)

By the way, I sometimes use the milling machine as a lathe. I do this by clamping the workpiece in the chuck and the cutter in the vice. This way, I can move the workpiece (up and down) and the cutter as I please. In this case, the cutter does its job while the workpiece is rotating. Keep that in mind.

Edited September 7 by mtbediz

[mtbediz]

One more thing Peter. To mount a square workpiece in a three-jaw chuck, drill a hole at one end of the workpiece, insert a screw or stud of appropriate diameter, and cut its head to create a round shank. Then, clamp the shank into the chuck.   

There will be no loosening of the shank since the cutter will apply a force in the tightening direction to the screw while the workpiece is rotating.

 

(Apologize for the terrible drawing. It was a bit rushed) 

 

Edited September 8 by mtbediz

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 9/7/2025 at 3:42 PM, mtbediz said:

One more thing Peter. To mount a square workpiece in a three-jaw chuck, drill a hole at one end of the workpiece, insert a screw or stud of appropriate diameter, and cut its head to create a round shank. Then, clamp the shank into the chuck.   

There will be no loosening of the shank since the cutter will apply a force in the tightening direction to the screw while the workpiece is rotating.

 

(Apologize for the terrible drawing. It was a bit rushed) 

 

Excellent idea! One I will indeed remember going forward.  

 

It seems to me, however, that you somehow managed to do without the screw when you made the stanchions on the lathe, no?

Edited Wednesday at 12:47 AM by Der Alte Rentner

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 9/7/2025 at 2:24 PM, mtbediz said:

By the way, I sometimes use the milling machine as a lathe. I do this by clamping the workpiece in the chuck and the cutter in the vice. This way, I can move the workpiece (up and down) and the cutter as I please. In this case, the cutter does its job while the workpiece is rotating. Keep that in mind.

As noted on several occasions recently in my build log, I too have used the milling machine as a lathe - especially with the dividing attachment acting as chuck.  (from post 828): 

 

Still, I think I'd prefer a lathe that had an adjustable cutter attachment.  By the time you add all the extras to these Proxxon tools, you're really hitting the piggy bank hard.  As much as I like Proxxon, I may take a look at some of the less expensive, feature rich lathes (and milling machines) available at Amazon.  

 

Edited Wednesday at 12:07 AM by Der Alte Rentner
Typo

[Der Alte Rentner]

After several failed attempts to finesse these stanchions consistently on the lathe, I've taken to a hybrid approach.  Using the milling machine, I made blanks, like Hunt did in the practicum, with grooves marking the top and bottom of the turned portion.  Then, I mounted them one at a time on the proxxon lathe and managed to do a decent job of turning the decorative center.  After completing three that looked nearly identical, I think I can manage the remaining dozen or so. This is a proof of concept.

 

 

The stanchion on the right was one of the better outcomes prior to changing methods.

 

It would be a lot easier if the 4-jaw chuck were self-centering.  

 

Close enough. 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 12:46 AM by Der Alte Rentner

[mtbediz]

2 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

Excellent idea! One I will indeed remember this going forward.  

 

It seems to me, however, that you somehow managed to do without the screw when you made the stanchions on the lathe, no?

Here's what actually happened. When I first made the stancions, I tried using the three-jaw chuck on the lathe, but I couldn't get the square part to center properly, so I bought Proxxon's DB 250 lathe-compatible plastic four-jaw chuck and used it to make the stancions. I just realized I didn't show this in my build log. I see you have a four-jaw chuck, too, and can easily turn square parts. So, you won't need to make a shank.

Edited Wednesday at 01:01 AM by mtbediz

[GGibson]

Stanchions look awesome, Peter!  Great job. 🏆

[Der Alte Rentner]

Mustafa, you are correct, I didn't need to make a shank.

 

However I did need to go home and take some pain meds. Handling the cutting tools on that mini lathe was so painful, I barely got through making the remaining 15 stanchions (3 extras, just in case). This is the first time the arthritis has gotten to me to the point where I had to stop.

 

Gregg, Thank you kind sir.

 

 

On the home stretch now..

 

BTW.  These sanding sticks proved to be invaluable.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 06:55 PM by Der Alte Rentner

[mtbediz]

5 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

However I did need to go home and take some pain meds. Handling the cutting tools on that mini lathe was so painful, I barely got through making the remaining 15 stanchions (3 extras, just in case). This is the first time the arthritis has gotten to me to the point where I had to stop.

The stancions look fantastic, Peter, very good job. I only worked with a miniature file set and some sandpaper when making them. I was just wondering what kind of cutters you used to make the stancions. I'm sorry they hurt your hands.

[Der Alte Rentner]

Getting old is not for sus

18 hours ago, mtbediz said:

The stancions look fantastic, Peter, very good job. I only worked with a miniature file set and some sandpaper when making them. I was just wondering what kind of cutters you used to make the stanchions. I'm sorry they hurt your hands.

They were the two cutters on the left in the photo below.  I bought the set at Amazon.   I use the second one in to dig a little deeper into the top and bottom ends of the carve out.  The one on the end then cleaned up most of the middle.  I did have to fine tune with those sanding sticks (post 888 above).

 

 

Holding the tools steady didn't require much grip strength, but the pinching action between thumb and index finger to control the cuts is what did me in.  I should probably see a doctor about this.  Getting old is NOT for sissies.    😁

Edited Thursday at 06:56 PM by Der Alte Rentner

[Der Alte Rentner]

A double dose of Naproxen and I'm back at the shop making things. I really did not like the look of the laser cut versions of the fife rails in the kit, so I made my own out of boxwood. FYI, that's a whole lot of holes to drill with a pin vice. 

 

(Before anyone asks, I tried drilling one or two holes on the milling machine, but found it was easier to do by hand.  Maybe if I had made the fife rails out of three pieces each, I could have used the vise on the milling machine and easily drilled the holes. But I made these fife rails in one piece. Positioning the rail under the drill was problematic.)

 

I also cut the blanks for the ridding bitts.  

 

I think I'm on the home stretch with this part of the build. My next visit to the shipyard should cover the base.

 

Counting the holes in the fife rails, I realize I need more than the 50 belaying pins I just received from siren.

 

 

Edited Friday at 08:43 PM by Der Alte Rentner

[GGibson]

On 9/11/2025 at 1:43 PM, Der Alte Rentner said:

I did have to fine tune with those sanding sticks (post 888 above).

 

I've got a whole drawer full of those type sanding sticks, in almost every grit from 80 to 600.  Love them!

 

49 minutes ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

Counting the holes in the fife rails, I realize I need more than the 50 belaying pins I just received from siren.

 

Fife rails look really sharp, Peter!  The package is somewhere tucked away until I need them, but the Model Shipways Constitution parts list says my kit includes 240 belaying pins!  So, if you are replacing your provided stock, then, yep, you're gonna need more!  Does the ship require more than one size of belaying pin?  You are moving along well now!  Carry on, sir! 

[Der Alte Rentner]

1 minute ago, GGibson said:

 

I've got a whole drawer full of those type sanding sticks, in almost every grit from 80 to 600.  Love them!

 

 

Fife rails look really sharp, Peter!  The package is somewhere tucked away until I need them, but the Model Shipways Constitution parts list says my kit includes 240 belaying pins!  So, if you are replacing your provided stock, then, yep, you're gonna need more!  Does the ship require more than one size of belaying pin?  You are moving along well now!  Carry on, sir! 

I thought the kit supplied belaying pins were too large. So I bought into the to-scale syren alternative. In for penny in for a pound.  By the way, aren't the kit's belaying pins brass?  I believed I use some of them for the Carronade quions..

 

I also seem to remember asking some of the builders here which to go with, and the majority sided with syren.

[GGibson]

2 minutes ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

I thought the kit supplied belaying pins were too large. So I bought into the to-scale syren alternative. In for penny in for a pound.  By the way, aren't the kit's belaying pins brass?  I believed I use some of them for the Carronade quions..

 

I also seem to remember asking some of the builders here which to go with, and the majority sided with syren.

 

The kit-supplied pins might be brass, I don't remember and, as I said, they're stuffed somewhere where I don't remember.  I figure I have a good 2-3 years to find them before needed! 🤷‍♂️🤣 And, as you alluded to, if my plan is to replace the kit supplied rope, blocks and deadeyes with the aforementioned higher quality products, why wouldn't I also do it with the belay pins, as well?  So... I'm sure I will take the same route as you.  Appreciate your info, Peter! 

[mtbediz]

14 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

I thought the kit supplied belaying pins were too large. So I bought into the to-scale syren alternative. In for penny in for a pound.  By the way, aren't the kit's belaying pins brass?  I believed I use some of them for the Carronade quions..

 

I also seem to remember asking some of the builders here which to go with, and the majority sided with syren.

Unless you're adding sails, there are lot of belaying pins that won't be attached anyway. I'd leave the holes empty; it looks more natural. 

Edited 22 hours ago by mtbediz

[JSGerson]

I too plan on replacing the fife rails. The ones that come with the kit are fragile...very fragile. Look at them crossed eyes and they will break. Imagine inserting or tying off lines to the belay pins and the rails break after they been installed. Not a pretty sight. Using boxwood, NOT basswood, was the proper wood replacement choice. Don't forget to anchor the rail and bitt assemblies to the deck with pins. There will be some stress placed on them when the rigging is installed.

 

Jon

 

Jon

[Der Alte Rentner]

10 minutes ago, JSGerson said:

Don't forget to anchor the rail and bitt assemblies to the deck with pins. There will be some stress placed on them when the rigging is installed.

I was thinking the exact same thing!

Thanks Jon 

[GGibson]

26 minutes ago, JSGerson said:

Don't forget to anchor the rail and bitt assemblies to the deck with pins.

 

And, I'm sure you all employ the same process, but for these types of assemblies going into the deck, I like to use small nails instead of brass rods/pins.  Cut the heads off of the nails, secure them into the assembly piece, and use the pointy end of the nails to assist determining the necessary hole locations.  

[Der Alte Rentner]

I'm looking at adding the three sheaves to the bottom section of the stanchions.  These are 4mm square.  The smallest milling cutter I have is 1mm in diameter, leaving .25mm between the sheaves and the sides of the stanchion.  I'm not sure it's worth the effort.  They look nice (great job on yours, Mustafa), but I'm going to have to figure out some other way of simulating them.  Drill smaller holes and chisel out the space between them?  That sounds like fun.  🙄   

 

I checked back to see how I did this  on the cathead - yes, 1mm drill, 1mm mill cutter, but I had a wider face (5mm vs 4mm) onto which to space the grooves.

 

Mustafa, what tools did you use to make your sheaves?

[JSGerson]

There is always the layer cake alternative, the method I used for my catheads. Although, I too would prefer just to drill them.

 

Jon