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USS Constellation by jlheureux - FINISHED - Artesania Latina - 1:85


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Here we go with project two. I finished my San Francisco II model and really enjoyed it. Very quickly I found myself bored watching TV in the evenings without something else to keep my hands busy. One thing led to another and the postman had a package for me today.

With a couple kits under my belt I'm feeling more confident in my modeling.  I will post more as I go along so I can get some feedback.

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Edited by jlheureux
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I hope you don't mind if I pull up a chair for this?  Will you be building it as the kit or bashing it?

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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I just got the kit in. I feel the need to give the disclaimer that yes: I've read a little bit about the controversy regarding the versions of the real ship, the restoration, the historical inaccuracies with the model kit itself.....I'm just building this kit because I'm enjoying the hobby and I thought it looked neat. The components and detail are a definite upgrade from the San Francisco so I'm already looking forward to the increased challenge.

I can already tell that I'm glad this isn't my first ship. The instructions are a little harder to follow and having a working knowledge is going to be very helpful.

 

This ship is bigger than I thought it was gonna be. That's a good thing, it just never looks the same in pictures I guess. It looks like I have a better quality of cannon and cast pieces with the exception of the rear windows and the always metal cast lifeboat both of which may need to be reworked. I was impressed to see some little metal crew included in this kit. I have been looking EVERYWHERE online for period cast miniatures to bring some life into my San Francisco model. The rigging line also appears to be a higher quality than my last AL kit. Overall I was pretty happy while I unboxed and organized.

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Edited by jlheureux
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A good first nights work overall. I got the false keel and the bulkheads off of the frames. This is harder to do on this kit as being a larger scale there were more of them and the wood is thicker so it was tricky. I got the bulkheads onto the keel. It was tricky figuring out which order they go in, I've noticed the pictures in the instructions are not as good as my last AL kit and they are in black and white which makes it a little harder to interpret. I then prepped and sanded the lower decks and got them planked and attached to the hull. Not a bad nights work all in all.

 

I also like how this kit came with a little stand for the ship. This has already come in handy.

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Can someone suggest a good way to bring out the recesses on the deck planking? I have experimented with pencil and with weathering powder (which worked horribly) but I can't quite get happy with picking out the shadows between planks without excessively staining the whole deck. I need something like the opposite of dry brushing to just get the recesses. I think a watered down ink wash would just soak in as well so I'm at a loss.

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Jason,

 

What many of us do is pre-caulk the planks.  Use a #2 pencil or an archival felt pen and blacken one side and one end of the plank.  When they are placed, you'll have the caulking.  About your only option is to run a knife down the plank line and use a very sharp pencil to highlight them.

 

BTW, there's a "gotch" with this kit... be sure to read really far ahead and think ahead.  If you follow the instructions and do the gangways, it will be extremely difficult to install the cannon under them. 

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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I've noticed several tricky parts. With this kit it's much less clear perfect placement of the holes for the masts and that main mast going through multiple decks will be wonky. I also notice that cutting those lower deck gun ports is going to be tricky. I will be going through veneer, the pine and them there is an airspace before I cut into the inner wall. That's going to be interesting. I believe my multi speed dremel will be my best friend on this model. Will have to be pretty exact with my measurements to cut those gun ports as well... :/

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Hi Jason,

 

On the mast holes... I made a stand to fit my drill press and did the holes using that.  They can be done freehand if you're careful.  Start with a very small bit and work your way larger.  I suggest hold off on planking until the holes are cut.  Use squares, protractors, etc. to get the angles right before drilling. 

 

As for the ports... drill well inside the port, again with a small bit, many holes in the general shape.  Connect the holes with a small saw.  I use the X-acto #11 blades and they also make a saw blade that looks like a #11.  Then file to shape. 

 

Do feel free to post pictures and questions before you do something irreversible if you're not sure.  :)  I know others have done this kit out of the box.  I heavily bashed mine so in some areas, I'm not going to be much help.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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Thanks so much. I will keep posting. I found tons of build logs for the SF on here but no one seems to have posted much in this kit anywhere which is a shame. But I'm pushing ahead. I'm sure I can do it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's been a bit, but I've been working!!

 

Got the first layer of planking done, second layer of planking done, bulwarks on and planked...and the portholes cut and keep put on.

 

Pros: First layer of planking was pretty easy, kind of nice not having to worry about what it looks like.

Cons: The bulwarks weren't pre-measured or cut and I hda to cut all the portholes by hand. Thank goodness for dremel. 

 

Second layer of planking as a pain in the butt. That mahogony does not like to cooperate no matter what thickness it is. The super thin strip used to do the second layer of planking was finiky on gluing, tended to splinter, and when sanding in several spots I sanded right through and had to execute some repairs.

 

Keel also didn't fit quite perfectly and had to do a lot of sanding to ofset a few little gaps.

 

Overall I think it's coming along though. Worried about getting the rudder on. That part was a little tricky on my last build as well. 

 

 

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Looks good Jason.  You are moving along quickly.   Did  you try soaking and applying heat to bend the planks?  AL's wood isn't the best but it will bend with water and heat. 

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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Thank you so much!

 

I need to remember that it's ok to take it slow. I built the whole San Fran in 5 weeks flat....I like focusing and going hard.

 

The plank bending in this one wasn't to bad. On San Fran being single planked 2cm mahogony I had to steam bend the hell out of every plank. This kits first layer was much easier to work with and the hull was a pretty easy slope. The splintering with the thin strips was mostly along the grain as I was gluing and sanding. It's just really dry and not the best but I made it work.

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Been a busy week of work but got some good time in last night and this afternoon on the ship.

It's the little things sometimes with these projects. Didn't make huge visual headway, but what I did was pretty time consuming.

Got the strakes on the sides and decided to put pins in running along. I like how that looks.

Added the sides to the interior gunports and drilled out and installed the eyehooks for all the cannon riggings.

I got on the railings and forward got the catheads and such made. I enjoyed fabricating the stuff up on the bow, it was a challenge.

 

 

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Question: The little coupulas that come with the kit (the metal pieces for the stern simulating the aft cabin space) are pretty crummy.

These solid hunks of brass are not quite shaped correctly to fit onto the hull. Also, they would require painting and I'm planning on doing a natural stain and poly coat on this ship and think they would look a little awkward.

 

Any suggestions? I know I could try to fabricate something with extra wood, but I'm also considering using the aft windows and just leaving off the side pieces as they don't quite look the right to me anyhow.

 

See this version for what I mean:

 

http://premiershipmodels.com.au/372-thickbox_default/uss-constellation-model-boat-superior-range.jpg

Edited by jlheureux
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Yep, the quarter galleries are crap.   As I see it you can clean up the brass (I don't recall them being solid brass but white metal and bronze plating) and paint them.  Or scratch build new ones.  The ones in the kit are about half as long as what's on the real thing. I scratched the ones for my Constellation and they weren't all that difficult to make.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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I found the pic of your quarter galleries and I can tell they are fabricated quite nicely. Any suggestions on how to go about that so I can get it to fit the curve of the hull?

Part of me wants to omit them altogether and just move on, but that seems like an easy way out. Unsure what I'd have to use wood wise. I may need to pick up some balsa for the windows and such but I think I have extra mahogony strips I could use leftover from the hull lining. 

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Hi Jason,

 

I used basswood for the galleries (from local hobby/craft shop).  My references were pictures of the actual ship and then kind of winged it from there. I cut out the top and bottoms as mirror images (port to starboard) and then fashioned them together. A bit fiddly but it was fun and very satisfying when they were done.

 

Don't use balsa as it's too flimsy and easily damaged.  The only time I use it is for prototyping.  I used it on the galleries to get the shapes right before cutting the basswood.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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I picked up some wood. I think it's spruce and boxwood. Whatever I do on those galleries I'm going to face with the extra strips I have from the deck and hull. So we will see how this whole thing goes. I got a couple backup plans anyhow.

 

It's frustrating how the stock these kits. This is the second AL kit that does not have enough of a particular piece of wood to do what they want me to do. This leads to some creative workarounds but they could afford to give me an extra stick or two.

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Jason,

 

If you read through the logs, all kits have issues.  Some with quality, some with amounts.  Hang in there.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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Well the really nice thing is most stuff can be fixed and staining covers up all manner of errors. Also since it's my ship I can modify it however I like!

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Been a few days.....I've kept busy, but at the end of the night I've been too tired to update the build log!

 

So I worked on the cannons. Cleaned up the paint and put in some blocks to level them out.

Also got the gunport lining on the inside of the bulwarks here this day.

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Worked on the rudder. I hate doing rudders. It's such a bear. Not truly happy with how it came out, but I am happier with how it came out than I was on my San Francisco so that's good.

 

I also went ahead and put a coat of stain and 2 coats of poly on just the lower hull. I'm pretty much done with that part and that thin mahogony is sooo brittle I got tired of it chipping on me. It's much more sold now.

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Fast forward a couple days and I got the bow done and got the cannons and most of the deck furniture installed. Yes, it was a little tricky to place those couple cannons which are underneath those walkways, but it was not impossible by any means. Just took some clever tweezer work. 

 

I did my own thing with the cannon rigging. I'm not ready to tackle 'fully rigged' cannons, but I wanted to get them secured and I also added a rope going around the cannons to simulate securing the barrel to the carriage. I've seen that on some real cannons before. I'll tell you the line in this kit is already WAY easier to work with than the cheaper AL kits.

 

A few of the cannons protrude out a little bit more than others. I may address it but it doesn't bother me a whole lot today. I'm going to want and see how I feel in the morning. 

 

I also prepared the gunport lids. That's an adventure. Those little metal hinges HATE gluing properly to the wood. But we should be in pretty good shape.

 

Night folks!

 

 

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So far, so good... :)   Looking ship-shape!    Here's a hint on that pesky rudder hardware... heat the brass redhot and then let it cool.  It anneals the brass and makes it easier (a lot easier actually) to bend.  If it work hardens while bending, repeat the heating process.   You'll need to clean and blacken it or clean and paint it as the heat discolors it.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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I'll try that only next build. The metal is prebent, but bent wrong for what it wants me to do so it's a battle. But it worked ok. As I get better my keels will line up more perfectly and it will be easier. This is only my second build so I'm still learning

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Jason,

 

If you run into problems, like you did with the brass.. ask.  There's lots of folks where willing to help.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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About to start doing anchor chain and the chinplates and lower deadeyes for the shrouds. How do you reccomend I approach the brass. I feel like it should be black but spray painting will probably not work. What is that stuff folks use to blacken metal and would it work in this case?

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