USS Constitution by lambsbk – Revell – 1/96 - PLASTIC – With Fiber Optics

[lambsbk]

The drum head was made of 3 pieces of plastic then glued. This allowed the square holes for the capstan bars. Alignment marks keep the minor irregularities true to each other.

[lambsbk]

I used tooth picks to fill the cap bar holes to keep the paint from obscuring the tiny holes. They were first colored with a brown permanent marker prior to assembly. I kinda' LIKE the tooth picks and may turn them into capstan bars after lashing them together. They could sit alongside the capstan on the deck.

[russ]

Your capstan assembly looks very good. Very nice work indeed.

 

Russ

[texxn5]

Hi Dave, hope all is well with you. I see you've been back in the shipyard, looks outstanding as usual. Good therapy. I look forwrd to your progress. Aren't you glad you've seen those capstans in the real?

[lambsbk]

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Boston and seeing the Constitution with Henry. It just doesn't get better then that. But I did modify the capstan a bit. The current capstan is designed to haul chain cable and I wanted to retrograde to an earlier version that hauls hemp rope.  The differences are minor and probably not that noticeable but I am pretty close to what I wanted in the finished look.

[lambsbk]

Movin' on up!! I attached the spar deck support pieces to the aft area today. These have a duo function: 1) to give the deck additional support AND 2) block light transmission between the seams of the deck and the gun deck lanterns.

[lambsbk]

After a little shaping on the deck to trim out the fit I did a dry run (the capstan cap and rails are not attached yet - they will be glued much later). The captain's cabin bulkhead beneath the deck is a little too far from the spar deck. It will require a little thought to seal it up before finally gluing it permanently. I'll post that pic tomorrow.

Edited February 22, 2014 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

As I mentioned yesterday I was having a little trouble with a snug fit between the Captain's Quarters bulkheads and the bottom of the spar deck. The deck lanterns reflected through this open seam. The solution I came up with was to remove one side of a 1/8" square plastic stock making it into a 'U' channel. I then placed them on the top of the bulkheads after coating the 'U' channels top with red line chalk powder. Then, after dry fitting the spar deck the bulkhead position was revealed in lines under the deck (i.e. they were transferred to the bottom of the spar deck). These spar deck lines were scored to reveal the plastic and then the U-channels were attached after they were cleaned of the chalk. Some of the chalk remains but I will paint it out later. These channels allow the spar deck to float above the bulkheads but also seal out the light from the gun deck.

Edited March 8, 2014 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

The spar deck was dry fit again and I attempted to get a photo of the under deck seals. Not a great photo but the light blocking effect is apparent. The detail of the cornices can, I think, be restored with the spare bulkhead from kit 2.

 

 

BEFORE

 

 

AFTER

 

Still needs some touch up and paint (and up close I see the doors need trimming!).

Edited March 7, 2014 by lambsbk

[popeye2sea]

Looks like crown moulding.  You could just leave it like that.

[lambsbk]

I will see what it looks like after a little sanding, shaping, and painting. You may be right Henry.

 

 

Whew...I just re-looked at the pic above full size. I gotta take lower pixel shots! The mistakes are too noticeable up close.

Edited February 23, 2014 by lambsbk

[texxn5]

Ingenious idea Dave, it does look like crown molding, and perfectly does what you intended. Really nice.

[popeye the sailor]

very nice Dave.......the decks look really good

[lambsbk]

Just a minor update. I really was getting tired of thinking through getting these decks together and aligned so I took a break and started to glue the mast pieces together. I did get them fairly straight but the real chore is getting the flash trimmed after gluing and drying. I'll get some pics up later.

[HIPEXEC]

Your work is terrific. The deck guns are worth copying!

[lambsbk]

Life has really gotten in the way of hobbies of late.

 

I decided to try air brushing a custom color (antique semi-gloss white) onto the 'cornice' of the captains cabin and the masts with their corresponding fighting tops. This is my FIRST attempt to do what many of you folks have mastered: spraying the enamel to the part. I have never gone through 7cc of paint so fast. It did cover the parts evenly BUT I ran out of the custom color before I finished with the parts (mizzen and foremast still have primer only). So now I have to bring home some more pipettes to measure the proportions of paint for the custom color and tackle the remaining parts. Rats. I hate learning curves. 

Edited May 14, 2014 by lambsbk

[popeye the sailor]

I run into that every once in a while........lately,  it's been getting it to cooperate  

[lambsbk]

The aft section of the spar deck is ready to attach but Revell has several lines secured at the gun deck. I believe they are lower main and foremast halyard clew lines - but they are not labeled and I have not found a label with confidence. The 1927 refit shows this line  to be 3" circumference and this seems small compared to the instructions so more research is needed. At any rate I sized the running rigging to support whatever the research tells me.

 

 

At least it is a starting assortment. There are some color variations so I will need to make a decision of which to use.

[popeye2sea]

I would have to check my set of plans for the Connie, but I don't remember anything belaying on the gun deck.  Does the main sail sheet run through a sheeve in the side?  Perhaps the main brace?  I think that those are on the the spar deck level also.  Not sure what you mean by a halyard clew line.  The halyard and the clew are two different lines.

[popeye the sailor]

that's what he's talking about Henry.......I need to do the same thing on the United States.   they have two different size tan thread in the kit.   I like this thread........tried to get some from Revell,  but they don't sell it.   looking at the rigging instructions,  these are the lower sheet and tack lines.

[lambsbk]

Thanks Henry and Popeye. Now I at least know what they are called. This is new territory for me and I thought I had a little time before having to learn the sailing tackle nomenclature. I appreciate the education you guys can give...

 

I looked again at the running rigging directions and sure enough they are lower sheet and tack lines. I don't know how I missed that yesterday. But they do originate at the gun deck per Revell.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2014 by lambsbk

[popeye the sailor]

 the picture in step 6 shows  the same........and doesn't tell you what they are.   what your showing there,  is the sheet and tack lines with sails.......here is the arrangement without sails

 

 

you must be planning to fit her with the sails........good choice.   when I built the United States for the first time,  I added the studding sails.    really adds to her width,  I can tell ya that!

 

 

if you added extra thickness to the inner hull wall,  you can drill a slightly larger hole ,  and embed the knot..........not that anyone will see it once the spar deck is in place.  

[popeye2sea]

I see what you have there for the rigging of the main and fore sheets and tacks, but I am still not convinced that these lines come inboard on the gun deck on the actual ship.  I will take another look next time I am aboard in the next few days.

[usedtosail]

For what its worth, the Model Shipways plans have them coming in on the spar deck.

[lambsbk]

@ Denis: you are absolutely right, lower sheet and tack lines. They are 3" circ. lines. Also you are giving me credit where none is due: I have not figured 'to sail' or 'not to sail' into the equation yet. But I appreciate the advice.

 

@ Henry: Thanks for looking into it. The model has the lines running through the bulwark and secured onto a lame looking peg inside. I believe a sheave would look better though...and if it is supposed to secure to the spar deck then that is even better. Since the gun deck is lit I want to try and get that right.

 

@ Tom: Thanks for noting the MS version. And of course it has worth. Every vote here counts for something.  :)

Edited May 19, 2014 by lambsbk

[popeye2sea]

Here is what I found aboard the ship today.

 

There are no lines that come inboard on the gun deck.

 

In the picture below you can see the sheave in the spar deck bulwark for the main sheet. It belays on the large horizontal cleat next to it.

 

The next picture is where the main brace comes in.  Its sheave is right aft by the transom, close up under the cap rail.  (Of course, the fire extinguisher and life preserver are not original equipment  )

 

When the bulwark in the waist was higher the fore sail sheet and main tack came in through sheaves there.  Now that this section of bulwark has been removed I do not know where these lines come inboard.  It depends on whether your version has the high bulwarks in the waist  If the waist is open my guess would be to take the fore sheet aft to a sheave and cleat just aft of the break and the main tack inboard to a cleat just forward of the break.  Again, I am not sure if the tack required a sheave.  The fore tack did not seem to have one

Edited May 19, 2014 by popeye2sea

[lambsbk]

Thanks Henry. I am going to move those line origins to the spar deck. I have plenty of cleats to use for placement but will need to look carefully at the rest of the Revell plans so as not to foul other line placements.

 

It is a low waist.

Edited May 20, 2014 by lambsbk

[popeye the sailor]

it make me wonder though why Revell have done them the way they did......the United States is the same way.  unless,  rather than tie these lines to eye bolts,  they use this as a firm base for these lines to originate.   it is a quick fix though.........cement eye bolts in the sheave holes to to initiate the rigging,  and then tie them off on the spar deck.

 

when these kits were produced,  they got their information from the department of the Navy and the Smithsonian institute........is this old information,  or was it revised?

Edited May 20, 2014 by popeye the sailor

[lambsbk]

I not sure either Denis. I will look into it though. Unfortunately there are no firm descriptors of these items from the launch period so I am sure Revell used some interpretive license. I can't fault them for that in an otherwise classic and beautiful kit model.

[Force9]

I think you'll also need to consider the chesstree... Having that in place probably compels you to lead the line into the gun deck.  I've elected to eliminate the chesstree and lead all sheets and tacks thru sheaves in the spar deck bulwarks that I still need to add.  This corresponds to the approach mapped out by Olof Eriksen in his research for the 1815 rig.  The Bluejacket plans by Larry Arnot show the sheets and tacks led thru the gun deck.  The Hull model also shows the large cleat on the spar deck:

 

 

Hope I haven't just added to the confusion.

 

Evan