Mamoli's USS Constitution

[richbdm17]

Need some help...the window metal walls (white metal casting) at the stern, both sides (pc#68), came flat but they need to be curved to match the upper and lower castings. Any suggestions on how to curve them? Don't want to make a mistake that I will loose sleep over!

Open to all suggestions...

Thanks,

Rich

[mort stoll]

Hi Rich,

 

I built this model about 6 years ago. I think I gently bent them with my fingers.

 

Hope this helps,

Mort

 

PS

It is a great kit. You will be very happy with the finished product..

[richbdm17]

Thanks for the info Mort...I'll give it a try.

Rich

[robnbill]

Hey Rich,

I am currently building this model as well. I am a bit ahead of you but not much. When I tried to gently bend the stern galleries, they both broke. I ended up using epoxy paste to fill the gaps. They both, as well as all the other metal fittings, needed much fitting and shaping. Since I am painting my model, this did not matter as much. That said, getting the stern galleries in place and well detailed has proved a challenge. I am almost there. 

 

Attached are two photos. The first of the starboard gallery before I primed and the send of the hull after priming. You can see the bashing I did on the hull (adding strakes) as well as the bow for the scrollwork. I will try to get more photos of the gallery tomorrow. I have the painting almost done on them.

 

Bill

[HIPEXEC]

Whatever you do....do it carefully! Think and plan it. Good luck.

[richbdm17]

Thanks Bill for the response. I gently bent the metal casting after using a 3 sided file to notch a small grove on the backside between the window panes. This worked out fine. But like you I need to do some major filling-in above and below the windows. 

Rich

[robnbill]

Here are some more recent photos of the stern gallery. I still will be sharpening the gallery painting details a bit. I was on deck furniture today. The grating amidships is just sitting there in the photos. I just glued up the ladders so will complete the frame out for this section tomorrow if all goes well. The one thing that I found was shorted in the kit I received (so far) was the number of cannon balls. I ordered some more from Model Expo. Hopefully they will look very similar.

 

Bill

[richbdm17]

Looks great!

[robnbill]

Installed the Commodores Barge cradles over main hatch. Installed the Main and Mizzen Fife Rails. This time, I glued the stanchions to the deck first, then glued the transverse rail, then drilled holes and mounted the smaller rails. This still proved challenging with a number of holes that I had to patch, however, this was still preferable to the way I built the forward Fife Rail.

 

I drilled the ships wheels out to fit the 1.5 pins and glued the assembly together. I will paint it tomorrow before I install it on the deck. The last major assemble to be put on the deck will be the ships’ wheel. I will need to also put the compasses and ammunition passing scuttles. Lastly, I need to mount the skylight to the aft deck.

 

I also figured out a manner to correct most of the skew in the Fore Fife Rail. When I installed this rail I built it completely then drilled the holes and installed it onto the ship. I ended up with a slight but noticeable skew in it. Since I was concerned about having the additional wood, I waited until the the remaining rails were installed. Tonight I cut/broke the connections between the transverse rail and the longitudinal rails. This allowed me to move the longitudinal rails to a correct position. While the transverse rail is still slightly skewed, it is no longer noticeable and once rigged should not be at all.

 

I ordered the additional blocks and brass wire to rig the cannons today. Mort Stoll who built this model before told me these blocks were not accounted for in the kit. I also noticed the ships compass is not part of the plans. I will build those and install them as well. The photo attached shows the deck to date. The forward fife rail is not corrected in this photo so you can see the skew. The ships wheel assembly is not installed yet and is only sitting on the deck still in prime paint. The skylight is also just sitting on the deck. It will be installed tomorrow. Also, the angle from the camera shot made the stairs appear to be out of line. They are not.

[HIPEXEC]

Looks real nice. Keep up the good work.

[HIPEXEC]

What's that rectangular hole in the mid ship top gunwales for? My Conny plans don't call for that.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Hipexec

[robnbill]

It is the position for the secondary anchor storage.

[mtdoramike]

I did the same thing and bent them with my fingers. I doesn't need to be much. I built this kit close to 15 years ago now. It's a great kit to build, but I would make a few suggestions, GET RID OF THAT CHEEZY wood that is painted great to simulate copper plating and use real copper foil tape. Secondly, get rid of those metal casted windows and make some from wood, they will look much better in the end. Lastly, contact the Constitution museum and ask for some wood from the real Constitution that they sell in their gift shop from past refits and have them mail it to you, then use it to make like Mast heads, crosstrees, anchor davits and such. If you decide later to sell it, this makes buyers dig deeper in their pockets when you tell them this.  

[robnbill]

Lastly, contact the Constitution museum and ask for some wood from the real Constitution that they sell in their gift shop from past refits and have them mail it to you, then use it to make like Mast heads, crosstrees, anchor davits and such. If you decide later to sell it, this makes buyers dig deeper in their pockets when you tell them this.  

Apparently 300k deeper if the guy on eBay get's what he is asking for!

 

All great ideas. However, I did like how the green panels turned out for the bottom on mine.