Constitution by patrickmil - Model Shipways - 1/76th

[usedtosail]

Looks great, Pat. I have two of those destructors in the house and so far they have been really good.

[augie]

Planking is off to a great start.  Be patient with Sherman --- looks like he's still only a teenager.

[patrickmil]

Tim, Tom, and Augie, thanks for stopping by. Framing on the stern continues today. Sherman is pretty young still and it figures he'd be destructive since I named him after General Sherman.

[GLakie]

The stern's turning out nice. Know what you mean about destructive. I have to keep a nervous eye on my black and white calico. She's about 9 years old now, and for the most part, well-behaved. But when their eyes dilate, better hide fragile things.

 

Cheers 

[patrickmil]

LOL George, the eyes dilating are what I like to compare to the 'calm before the storm'. This planking and framing has been difficult because he looks at the long sticks like I purposely bought them as cat toys. I have to lock him up if I'm using a micro saw because he thinks he should reach in and 'help out'.

[lb0190]

Patrick,

 

Your ship looks impressive and the stern looks well defined. Since you named him Sherman, keep any matches away from the build...  

[GLakie]

LOL George, the eyes dilating are what I like to compare to the 'calm before the storm'. This planking and framing has been difficult because he looks at the long sticks like I purposely bought them as cat toys. I have to lock him up if I'm using a micro saw because he thinks he should reach in and 'help out'.

Yup, I know exactly what you mean about being helpful, only mine literally IS a scaredi-cat. All I have to do is start up a Dremmel, or even a vacuum sweeper, and it's off to the hills, not to be seen again until the noise quits. 

 

Cheers 

[Sjors]

Patrick,

 

That wood is that so thin or are you use a flashlight behind it ??????

 

Very nice stern BTW.....

 

Sjors

[patrickmil]

Larry, I've always got that thought in the back of my mind. LOL George, my two youngest cats always come running at the sound of noise and, in fact, will try to fight the vacuum cleaner. Sjors, the wood isn't really super thin. I think the glow you see shining through is from the overhead lighting over our table. Thanks to all for looking in and all the likes and comments.

[Sjors]

You have a bright lamp above your dinner table patrick 

Still looks great !

 

Sjors

[patrickmil]

Hey all! Hectic last couple of weeks! I will be switching to a new job and schedule soon so I haven't gotten as much done as I'd like. Plus, it seems as though when I take a couple steps forward I end up taking one backward. The good news is that the new schedule should afford me more build time.

 

The new toy is the Proxxon pencil sander and power supply. Amazon had them together for the basement bargain price of $60 with free shipping. I jumped on that quickly.

 

I made a couple of additions and had to remove the planking on the upper counter. When I was originally planking the upper counter I forgot that it is supposed to extend across the backsides of the quarter galleries. I managed to get the six window sills and top plates installed. I steam bent and shaped a spar deck beam that runs along the inside of the window top plates. I also got some framing put in for some gun ports and the starboard door for the starboard quarter gallery. Speaking of quarter galleries, I got some basic framing for the starboard quarter gallery installed. The starboard waterway has been completed and the port bow timberheads are also finished up. More work to be done today. I hope you enjoy my pictures and if you have questions, comments, and criticism, don't hold back!

 

P.S. The shows Black Sails and Sons of Liberty are incredible shows for inspiration.

 

 

[augie]

All right --- she's shaping up!!!!!  Don't forget my royalties on the pencil sander.  

 

Best of luck with the new job.

[GLakie]

Nice job on the stern Patrick! Looking good! 

 

Cheers

[Guest Tim I.]

Wow, Patrick that stern and gallery are looking quite beautiful. Glad to see you back in your shipyard.

 

- Tim

[patrickmil]

Augie, I'll save your royalties and donate them to the site on next year's fund raiser.   

 

George and Tim, thanks for looking in. The stern area is a mish-mash of William Bass's drawings, drawings from AOTS and Model Shipway's plans. I lucked out with the kit's plans in that the gun ports on the gun deck line up pretty well with the original 1795 draught (picture A2/2 in AOTS). The quarter galleries and transom detail and structure are just riding between all of these drawings. 

 

Something I wanted to add to my above post is that knowing what I know now, I would have never bought this kit for what I am doing with her but would have instead scratched the Constitution from the start. The more I'm putting into her the more I find that the only useful part of the kit is the wood supply. Live and learn, right?

[JSGerson]

 

 

I have not yet fully determined the time period I would like to model, but I have been giving some thought to modeling her as she was when she was new with the Hercules figurehead.

I've been quietly following your build (among others) almost from your first post last March (2014) because I plan to start building my own Connie in the next few years. Today I looked back at your opening statements because I forgot what era your model was to be built to. It was then I realized that I knew of a link to a site where model builder Mark Antczak had built a 1797 version of the Constitution. Not knowing if you know this site I present it now just in cause you didn't:

 

ShipModel.com

 

Specifically:

 

http://www.shipmodel.com/models/constitution-old-ironsid

 

Jon

[patrickmil]

Jon, I appreciate your links. I have seen pictures of that particular model some time ago. It is a lovely model and if I can get half as fine of a model as it then I'll feel that I've accomplished something. I noticed a couple of things this time around, Mark included the bridle ports and put in eight windows but used the alleged stern decor from the 1812 period. He also decided against the copper plating but I'd imagine that decision was so we could see the fine planking and treenail detail. So much of how she looks depends on how you decide to interpret all of the literature. I'd really like to see pictures of that build in progress. Thanks for looking in. Are you planning on bashing your Connie when you start?

[JSGerson]

I'll be initially following Robert Hunt's practicum, and supplement it with Modeler12's build log plus another dozen or so build logs I'll also be checking. I've got them all copied so I'll always have access to them even if the unthinkable happens...again and the stuff is wiped out. As for kit bashing or even what time period the model will represent is still undetermined as I want to finish my first POB build, Rattlesnake. Even though the Connie is a smaller scale at 1:76 compared to the Rattlesnake 1:64, it's physically twice as big and has a whole lot more detail. I need to get my skills worthy of the task. At the rate I'm going, paint drys faster so it will be a few years yet.

[patrickmil]

Jon, after looking in on your Rattlesnake I'm not sure what you're waiting for as your skills are definitely up to the task.

[JSGerson]

My skills in photography are a little more sharper than my modeling skills. so I have a knack for hiding a lot of flaws that are a bit more obvious if you were to see the model in person. (In the distant past I've won a few photo contests and have a couple of magazine covers.) That being said, I figure by the time I'm ready to start the Connie, I should be worthy of the task.

[fletch944t]

I'll be initially following Robert Hunt's practicum, and supplement it with Modeler12's build log plus another dozen or so build logs I'll also be checking. I've got them all copied so I'll always have access to them even if the unthinkable happens...again and the stuff is wiped out. As for kit bashing or even what time period the model will represent is still undetermined as I want to finish my first POB build, Rattlesnake. Even though the Connie is a smaller scale at 1:76 compared to the Rattlesnake 1:64, it's physically twice as big and has a whole lot more detail. I need to get my skills worthy of the task. At the rate I'm going, paint drys faster so it will be a few years yet.

 

Hi Jon. Bob's Practicum will serve you well. IMHO it is a must have for folks, like you and I, who don't have a huge amount of experience with plank on bulkhead modeling. However, also realize that frequently there is more than one way to accomplish a task and sometimes it may be easier for you to do something your own way than it might be following the practicum to the letter. I have found that to be true on several occasions with the practicum.

 

Just realize that this is YOUR build, not Bob's build and you can do whatever you want. I'm very early in my build and I've already made a ton of mistakes and broken a lot of stuff that I had to fix. I was honestly petrified getting started on my build. However, I quickly learned that every mistake is a learning experience and that every mistake is fixable. I've also come to realize that your skills as a modeler will develop quickly once you start and you'll find yourself making fewer and fewer mistakes as time progresses.

 

Good luck on your build.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Captain Silver Beard Jones

[Jimz66]

 That looks awesome. Very nicely done. 

[patrickmil]

Fletch and Jim, thanks for dropping by. I need some opinions now. I am going to be putting in some deck planking very soon and I don't think I'll be using the kit's supplied basswood. I've narrowed my choices to Maple and Holly. The lighter colors of these woods will help with lighting on the gun deck. Whomever is reading this, please let me know what looks better, the maple or the holly.

[GLakie]

I'm thinking the Holly will give you a more "authentic" look and feel to the deck Patrick.  It also has a little brighter look.

Edited January 31, 2015 by GLakie

[mobbsie]

Hi Patrick,

 

For me it's the Holly, it gives a more scrubbed look and is slightly lighter in colour.

 

I know you asked for opinions mate but it's your choice, your the skipper.

 

Your making good progress mate, keep it up.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[CaptainSteve]

I'll vote Holly also ....

The lighter colour will show-off any caulking between the planks.

[lb0190]

Subtle.

 

Hi Patrick,

 

I love the look of holly, but based on your photos, the third photo of maple had a more subtle look which appealed to me the most. I also agree with Mobbsie that the opinion of the ship's Captain carries the highest opinion.

[patrickmil]

Guys, thanks for looking in. I've got three votes on holly and one for maple. I figure that my choice counts the most in the end but I like both. I'm not completely ready to plank yet, but figured I'd get a tally while I work on other things so after a couple days I can start procuring the materials and cutting planks.

[augie]

I won't cloud your decision with another opinion.  However I will ask --- have you applied any finish whatsoever to the samples in the photos?  I wouldn't make the final decision until I see what the totally finished product will look like.

[patrickmil]

Augie, you're absolutely right. I did slightly wet down the samples but I will take some pics with a finish applied. That should be later on. Good call!