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

[lambsbk]

When complete, I can trim the excess and putty over the hole. Black paint should do the rest...

[JesseLee]

good to have you back on the build Dave.

 

Jesse

[lambsbk]

It has taken me a while to come up with a plan for the foredeck. I decided to follow the beam plan from the 1920's refit because it gave the most detail. The breast knees, carling, and mast partners should be straight forward. I still have some questions about the hanging knees and the dagger knees and will probably have to make them as I go so they fit structurally into the Revell kit. I will be making a mold for the beams to give the 1/8" square plastic the proper deck camber and will try to 'bake' the mold at 204 degrees to impart the shape. The gun lids will have to be re-rigged. I really don't like the current config anyway. I will also try to give the cross-cut middle deck planking a 'cut wood' look where they are exposed by this revision.

 

The clear plexiglas probably won't work but the beams and carling may be all that is needed to support the deck furniture once the structure is secured to stanchions on the gun deck.

 

Edited March 27, 2016 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

I built a mold to give the beams camber. I used the previous radius of an arc method to work out the curvature and secured it to a piece of oak. The straight 1/8" plastic was then clamped into the mold and heated in an oven (250 degrees) for 20-30 minutes and then allowed to cool in the mold. The center of the beams now have the correct camber. I do not like the way the camber tapers off toward the ends and will cut those pieces away using only the center. The method is reproducible and any number of parts can be made from the mold.

 

Dave

 

Edited April 6, 2016 by lambsbk

[texxn5]

Hey Dave, good to see you back, I'm just catching up. Hope all is well in Charleston with you and Fran. Your details as usual are always outstanding and fun to watch...must be the Dr in you...lol

John

[lambsbk]

Actually I think it makes me slower. I have to think through things 5 times before trying - at least on my build. I have been slowed down a lot lately. Nice to hear from you. Thanks for checking in.

 

PS...anything new your way? Gonna' be hard to top that last one.

 

Dave

[lambsbk]

I ran into a little bit of trouble on the beam plan. The Revell foredeck did not place the mast in the same position as the deck beams I was planning. So I scanned the underside of the deck and superimposed the plan onto it. I then lined up the mast partners. I think this will work. I now have a pattern to make the beams and may even be able to do it off ship (i.e. no holes in the bulwark as previously planned) and can glue the beam structure to the lip on the Revell model. This plus stanchions should secure the structure to hold the rest of the build and rigging in place.

 

[texxn5]

Hi Dave, just saw your post and catching up again. Not sure what or if is next. If we full time the RV then I probably won't be building anything else. Always good to yours the detail is off the charts. Not sure which way we're going yet, we still have some dentistry to finish up in Mexico next month. Take care and keep up the good work in the shipyard.

John

[foxy]

Seems your Connie is inspiring me to start mine soon.

 

Have taken the liberty of adding some of your pictures to my expanding library for reference later.

 

I hope you don't mind.

 

Nice Interior and lighting set up you have there.

 

One question on the hull, is there much tightness when adding the two decks, 'ie', fit.

 

Frank 

Edited April 26, 2016 by foxy

[popeye the sailor]

there's a lot to consider when modifying a plastic kit in this manner.   I had a dickens of a time setting up the wood decks for my United States....but now that I've done it,  I'm quite happy with it.   I've built this kit before {many years ago}.  of course,  I've never been a fan of how these deck sections go together.

 

you've got a good idea going.........keep at it my friend,  you'll find the solution  

[lambsbk]

Thanks Denis.

I agree - I am not happy about the sections and their overall fit. Leaving the spar foredeck as a beam structure will eliminate one Revell deck joint and allow a look into the gun deck and its detail. The aft deck section joint will still be visible - but I'm workin' on it...

 

Frank

Thanks for looking in. The gun deck sections fit easily and snugly into the glued hull but the joints are too visible. Many have elected to make the deck sections one piece and fit them to the hull. It looks better doing this but it is a tricky thing to fit them. I closed the seams with plastic filler and paint - not perfect but it got me where I could be almost happy with them.

Edited April 26, 2016 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

I hope I am not biting off more than I can chew but Jay (modeler 12) did a great job of making his camboose coals glow with an LED. Since I have not secured my camboose to the deck yet I am trying to figure out how to reproduce his method and get some wiring up into that fixture. I am hoping to run small wires though the optics access in the keel mid section. But since the gun deck is secure I will have to get lucky as well as brave to do it.

[md1400cs]

Dave,

 

So nice to see you back (:-) 

 

Michael

[lambsbk]

I have a broken plastic sign holder from the office that is not being used. It has the right curvature for the beam camber. I did a couple tests with different glues (styrene) and unfortunately the Evergreen plastic stuck to the plastic sign as well. So instead I added a Ziplock bag 1 ply thick and stretched it with Duck Tape. No sticking this time. It was initially set up in a convex style configuration...

 

 

 

... but I quickly realized the beams would not be flat to the deck in this configuration so I reversed it to  concave. I have to keep the plastic down with weights and clamps as they are glued but so far so good.

 

 

Edited May 2, 2016 by lambsbk

[popeye the sailor]

awesome Idea...........love the use of different size  strips     can't wait to see it completely assembled  

[lambsbk]

I am getting a little closer to the beams that secure the mast partners with my frame structure and I am increasingly uncomfortable putting the beam as close as it is shown in the drawing above. There is no "wiggle room" for the foremast rake. I am going to extend the beam placement just aft of the mast to correct this problem. I am going into undocumented territory here but the Revell placement and the 1920 plans really vary by quite a lot. Since I have no choice on mast placement in the gun deck I will have to configure it as best I can in the spar deck. Disappointing though.

 

Edited May 6, 2016 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

In other news: with the foredeck fully exposed I bought some 1/96 coal for the camboose and grass/hay for the manger from Hobbytown today. Now I can start to look for a way of making these. (I almost bought the 1/96 hogs but wasn't sure about what animals they actually kept in there.)

 

Now, how do you glue down coal lumps at this level? They are like grains of sand. I do have a friend who is into model railroading and I bet he knows all about it - can't wait to ask.

 

I also bought a 3v red LED and am going to try to replicate Modeler12's methods. So let the experiments begin...

[foxy]

Love the work on the deck beams.

 

That's a very good Idea and may use this for my build later.

 

With wood planking on top will make this easier than the plastic deck supplied with the kit.

 

Frank 

[lambsbk]

Frank. First thank you. I am not sure however that these beams will hold much weight. I have not tested them yet because they are on the jig but they aren't oak beams - they are styrene. There is a lot of play to the structure. That is why I am sure I will have to add stanchions under them. I will be trying to divert any structures requiring support (such as fife rails with rigging) to the under section and gun deck. I have no idea if this will work yet but am hopeful.

 

Dave

[lambsbk]

I ran into a little bit of a snag today. I am mentioning it now so if anyone is following the previously posted beam layout they can avoid the same error. The bowsprit bitt (?) did not align correctly on the 1920's plan compared to the model. I had to tear down a couple of beams and rearrange them to fit. The bitt uprights are supposed to fit forward of the 2nd beam for support. That has been corrected now. I will finish the mid sections of the beams and post a pic in the next few days so my solution can be seen.

 

There is a formula which compares length of the ship and it's mast placement by ratio. I am beginning to think there is something off somewhere either by Revell or the 1920's plan. I will check those measures tomorrow...

 

...tonight R & R  (well, what's left of tonight)

 

Dave

[lambsbk]

Sometimes I feel the ignorance...

 

So...the manger wasn't for animals   (although I think they kept them there when aboard) but was sort of a "mud room" for the hawse as it was hauled in. As I understand it: it was a place to wash down the cable and/or drain the water  (?). That changes my plan. The hay is definitely not going to be used. I will also have to cut 2 large scuppers port and starboard (forward of the manger walls) more fitting for this definition.

[jbshan]

Dave, the manger was indeed for animals as well as cleaning the cable as it came inboard (it scrapes across the rear wall of the manger).  The scuppers are for ooze from the cables and other likewise messy things from the animals.

[lambsbk]

This is the work so far - the frame is off the jig (obviously still oversized) and some of the mid  deck supports are missing still. I had to leave them out because their placement is dependent on the Revell bulwarks toward the edges and dependent on the ships gun deck furniture toward the center. They will be added off jig. The next step is to cut out the Revell spar deck supports on the model. They are now in the way. I will be sweating bullets bringing the Dremel cutting blade so close to the completed sections of the build but I have practicing first on the scrap spare hull I have for...well...practicing.

 

[texxn5]

Very nice framing Dave I think it's going to look very good when finished. Definitely a bold approach with good results.

[CIWS01]

That is a work of art, I can not wait to see how this fits in!

[lambsbk]

Thanks Chris and John and for all the likes everyone. At this point I am still looking over the Revel gun deck, the furniture I added, and the best way to fit the beams. I have a plan to secure them better and we will see if it pans out. I have started to think about the color. Although I would love to give this a wood grain look  I believe it will contrast too much with the rest of the build which is chocolate brown. So 2-tone is now my first choice - off white sides and under beams to match the bulwark and brown to match the build on the top of the beams. I am cautiously approaching the need for surgery to remove the Revell spar deck supports as mentioned above. I do not want to rush THIS step and trade it for a MISSTEP.

 

@Chris

Have you continued to progress on your build? You had a great start and I would love to see some of your solutions to this model. "One piece at a time, sweet Jesus" (he sang to the tune of One Day at a Time... 

[lambsbk]

I removed the forward spar deck supports today and it looks like I caused no damage other than a gun port lid being knocked off (already glued on again). I will paint the bulwark when I mix the same color for the underside of the beams. As expected - I lost 1 pound of sweat carefully guiding the Dremel cutter blade so close to the gun deck and its rigging. With this step behind me I am now free to finalize fitting the partially completed beams to the model and then place the beam side supports (knees), paint the structure, and then work on securing them to the underside of the spar deck waterway lip. I hope to get the camboose and the manger finished as these other elements are taking shape. I will be adding a cable messenger as well.

 

Edited May 18, 2016 by lambsbk

[md1400cs]

Dave,

 

Looking excellent.

 

Your carriage riggings are so nice. Also your deck edge trim is a work of art. Though I know that this post had a diff subject (:-)

 

Michael

[lambsbk]

I filled in the forward bulwark behind the bowsprit  in prep for the manger enclosure. It doesn't look like much right now. It still needs sanding and painting.

 

 

I still find myself wishing I had thickened these bulwarks at the outset.

 

 

 

I have been thinking about how to eliminate or minimize that last seam between the middle and aft spar deck sections. After a dry fit it is obvious that a misalignment is present between the sections (they are pretty roughed up from time off ship as well), In fact it is 0.00mm starboard and 0.85mm port. Since I do not have to worry about the fit of the beams in the forward section (at least not worry about 0.85mm) I am going to plane the aft spar deck section to match the mid-section. Then I will trim the alignment pin from the underside of the middle spar deck section and slide it 0.85mm aftward to abut against the planed aft section. I should be able to achieve a fairly close fit and work the seam into the deck much better. Since the main mast rake won't like the shift of even that small an amount I will expand the deck hole and shape mast partners to fit over and into the Revell molding. I had planned to do that anyway for all of the masts to ensure the proper rake.

 

So..it is a plan...

 

Edited May 25, 2016 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

@Michael: thanks for the kudos. I know you appreciate and strive for excellence in this hobby. I love following your Wasa build.

 

Dave

Edited May 25, 2016 by lambsbk