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

[texxn5]

I'm glad to see that you are going to replace the belaying pins.  That is the one thing I wish I had thought of a few years ago when I was at a stage I could have replaced them.  That is a real weak link in rigging this ship.  Just about the time you think you have the right tension on them, they break and the whole process gets to figure out how to start again.  For me the cure was CA under the rail only it gets bad on fingers....

[lambsbk]

Thanks John. I would not have thought about it on my own. So many good modelers have chimed in on this weakness of the build that I just had to take the plunge. I ordered 5mm pins from MS but they are backordered for now. Hopefully I will have them in hand when needed.

 

Dave

[lambsbk]

BTW. Have you heard from Henry. He was to sail on the Connie on the fourth. I wish I could have been there for that trip.

[texxn5]

yes, this forum is where I first heard of it also, only I was a couple of years too far gone....next time I guess. I have not heard any more from Henry, he invited me to contact him when I know when I might be there. Wouldn't that be something to get to actually be on board for a sail?? I'm surprised the media didn't show that event, they have in the past. I'm also surprised that it didn't get sequetered!

 

John

[popeye2sea]

John,

Not wishing to hijack your build log again, I will post some pics of 4th of July in a separate thread.  Come see it there.

[lambsbk]

Sounds good Henry.

 

John: You can't keep a good ship down.

[texxn5]

Dave, when you get a chance would you email me your email address please. I have a couple of questions for you on another matter, and don't want to take up site space here.

Thanks,

John

 

texxn5@aol.com

[lambsbk]

Not much time this week and next week due to a busy schedule; so I worked the fore bitt to at least accomplish something.

 

Bitt parts after shaping:

 

On deck...

Edited July 10, 2013 by lambsbk

[texxn5]

Very nice Dave, keep up the good work.

John

[DCooper]

little by little....

 

Good to see progress.

 

Dan

[KimatHm]

^{Hi Dave, John, Dan, & everyone...Just chiming in here again...Quick question on the replacement belay pins...I believe you ordered yours from  MS (or Model Expo...)...I just wasn't sure if you had ordered the wood, or the metal @ 5mm (I've mostly used the wooden style, only I had my local Hobby shop man, (Jerry, from Thompsons' Hobbies) order them for me, and I believe the 'Brand' or Mfg. has been 'Latina' which have always been fine, just a 'wee bit' oversized, and they have always sufficed, and done the job...(Makes for a much better, and authentic looking ship, as far as I'm concerned ...as well as for the deadeyes...!!!)...Also ...are you drilling out the plastic after shaving off the pins, or remaking the rails out of wood (Pine, Balsa, etc.)...I've used both methods, depending upon how badly I screw up the drilling !!!??? From what I have, and will probably order for this build, ( I'm currently at the early stages, and have gratefully been following your log as a kind of a 'baseline', if you will, for some suggestions when I find myself curious..."I wonder how they're handling this...??" I'm guessing you are going to use the metal pins...???  Thanks again, and Blessings, Kim..!!}

[KimatHm]

BTW, Oh Yeah, additionally, on my build, I've stuck to my old method of using the 'Minwax' (Colonial Oak) Stain method on my decks...although it takes much longer to dry, but as far as 'filling the dreadful seams', and giving a more 'wooden' and authentic appearance...It's the best I ever figured out...I'll be sending along a Pic here & there, since I'm not posting a 'build log'...you guys are MUCH better at that, than I am...I really look forward to you logs...!!! (Sample Pics attached of the deadeye replacements, and the belay pins used, from my 'Cutty Sarks', that will also reveal the effect of the 'stain' on the decks...from previous builds...!!  Kim

Edited July 11, 2013 by KimatHm

[KimatHm]

I would also like to have a supplemental e-mail address, to contact you, (if you wouldn't mind sharing )so as not to 'bombard' or interrupt your build log...My apologies in advance for doing so...I feel that I have been 'rude' in doing so... Thanks, Kim

[lambsbk]

Thanks John and Kim:

 

It is lambsbk@sc.rr.com

 

I have not even thought about the questions on technique yet for the pins. Jassiji is ahead of my build here and he drilled them out. I have a couple of spare parts so I will be experimenting before going 'live' on the build. It will probably be several log pages from now. Thanks for your thoughts and interest.

 

No. Not rude...this forum is meant for sharing ideas, techniques, and encouragement (from what I see in it anyway). I wonder if Chuck has a mission statement or something like that which spells out the forum mandates.  hmmmm.. I'll look around. I know the current forum look and general post forte. I wonder how it started.

 

Dave

Edited July 11, 2013 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

Oh...I think they are brass pins. I will probably blacken them before painting them.

[texxn5]

I like Kim's proceedure and I think it would really look good. I wish I would have found this forum prior to some of the things I did to mine. I think it would have looked really goood on my model of the Conny.

[texxn5]

Dave, I'm at the belay pin stage on the Morgan and mine are brass. How do you plan to darken them? I'm thinking of paint, but not sure yet.

[lambsbk]

I will probably use a chemical agent to blacken them before painting. The agent is a little tricky as it produces a gas from the chemical effect and the brass has to be watched and stirred to prevent uneven exposure. Oddly, the chemical sometimes produces an 'oily' after effect that has to be re-treated. I believe the pins will be small enough to avoid some of these problems. The eye-bolts I used for the cannons were difficult to control regarding these effects due to the small central 'eye'. After blackening the pins my HOPE is for better paint adherence to the pin.

Edited July 16, 2013 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

Right now I am in the middle of trying to figure out how to strop 2mm blocks. That is a new challenge for me. I am experimenting with a knotting tool. We'll see if it helps.

[texxn5]

2mm blocks are a real challenge. Wish you luck. Where or what kind of blackening agent did you use and whre did you get it?

[lambsbk]

I will have to look at the label. I bought it at Hobby Town in Mount Pleasant, SC.

[texxn5]

Just whenever you have a chance, I'd appreciate it.  Peace of mind knowing someone else has used something and what their results are.

[lambsbk]

Well John I finally got home and looked at the label. I don't know how I could forget: it is called "Blacken-it."   It is made by a company called A-West in Woodstock, GA. It is a dilute Seleneic acid/copper chloride/copper carbonate solution. I use shot glasses to pore in and mix the small brass pieces for blackening.

[texxn5]

Thanks Dave, I'll see what I can find.  The hard part might be trying to get it shipped to me on the road.  Really appreciate you looking this up for me.

[Azzoun]

Nice work, ---   

[lambsbk]

A couple of folks were wondering about the Spar deck repair. I used some green plastic putty and corrected the defect. This is a pic of the completed repair before paining. The styrene is being used for deck support and to discourage light transmission from the Gun deck through the Spar deck cracks. It will eventually line the entire under deck. Obviously some touch-up painting will be needed in a few areas.

Edited April 14, 2014 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

I have not had much time this week or last to work the build. I did mostly finish the camboose by completing the camboose floor (I think that would be correctly named). While in Boston I looked at that area carefully and was surprised to find no brick at all. Instead the floor consisted of a solid wood frame and metal shaped and hammered out to the inside area of the floor. This made sense to me since embers from the stove would be disastrous on the wooden deck and the metal is more easily seamed.

 

I started with brass micro-tube stock and cut 'V' shaped notches appropriately. Then I bent it into a frame and soldered the frame. Next I tried heating and melting a plastic ember tray but that did not work. So next I shaped  .001mm brass and soldered it into the frame. After cleanup I blacked the structure. The result is below. I have not painted it yet.

Edited April 14, 2014 by lambsbk

[lambsbk]

I placed the fore deck fixtures for the gun deck below for a photo op.

Edited April 14, 2014 by lambsbk

[texxn5]

It's really looking nice Dave.  Did you use the Blacken It for coloring the brass? 

[lambsbk]

Thanks John. Yes, I did use the Blacken-it. I guess I am about to find out how it is going to paint up. Although I have heard good reports about painting blackened brass some say there is a problem with the paint staying on over time. Hmmm...we'll see...