USS Constitution by fletch944t - Model Shipways - Scale 1:76 - 1812 Era

[robnbill]

It is amazing the amount of detail you can put in a model nearly 7 feet long!

[GLakie]

I ran across this beautiful rendition of the 1812 Conny by Mark Antczak. He has eight windows!!

 

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

   Farther down in the paragraph it actually says: "The Ship is shown in its probable 1797 appearance (copper plates omitted) with details which were later removed or altered".

   Personally though, I think it's a magnificent looking vessel no matter which era she's depicted in.

 

Cheers 

[JSGerson]

I stand corrected

[JSGerson]

It's amazing what I have stashed away from my research for the Conny build. I found:

 

• 1812 Model build by Ken Thomsen using Model Shipways' kit. (6 windows) Unfortunately the site where his pictures were located (Shipwright's Journal) are no longer posting them, but if one googles "constitution 'ken thomsen,'" using the image search, you can still see the images.
• 1812 Model at the Smithsonian  (6 windows) The Revell 1:96 model was based on this

[robnbill]

Interesting the large model you found earlier has Hercules on the bow. If my memory is correct, this was lost during it's first forays with the Barbary pirates. A collision with the President that resulted in it going into Malta and receiving it's scroll work bow. 

[popeye2sea]

I ran across this beautiful rendition of the 1812 Conny by Mark Antczak. He has eight windows!!

 

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

Also, if this model is of the 1797 configuration as stated in the text, it has incorrect bulwarks.  As built in 1797 the ship had open rails.

[robnbill]

Now their statement "The Ship is shown in its probable 1797 appearance (copper plates omitted) with details which were later removed or altered." is beginning to make sense!

[fletch944t]

As I mentioned previously, I attached some temporary battens to the bulkheads to ensure I got the orientation of the stern framing correct. Here's a picture of that in case anyone's interested.

 

 

[fletch944t]

Picture of the newly completed six window stern frame assembly and the assembly in position on the stern.

 

 

[fletch944t]

I probably have a little more work to do on the stern filler blocks but, there pretty close here.

 

 

[trippwj]

Not sure if the following is of any use, but here is an extract from Humphrey's Dimensions and sizes for materials for building a Frigate of 44 guns of August, 1794.

• Wing transom 29 feet long in the aft side moulded and sided 22 inch to round up and aft 6 inches all the other sided 14 inches. The lower deck transom moulded as broad as can conveniently be had for the better securing the ends of the deck plank 2 bolts of 1 1/8 inch diameter in the deck transom and above it, all below bolted with one bolt of 1 ¼ inch diameter.
  
• Fashion pieces 2 pair sided 12 inches and moulded 15 inch on the cant as hereafter directed
  
• Inner post to be 12 inch fore and aft to run from the trans to the keel to be of live oak sided at the head from 20 to 24 inches and at least 12 inches
  
• Sternpost 18 inches square at the head sided 17 inches below by 3 ½ feet fore and aft including false post, and 10 inches thick on the aft side, at the keel to be fitted for a crooked headed rudder.
  

 

[fletch944t]

Well. Some of it immediately makes sense. I'm going to have to absorb the rest and think about it a bit for it to make complete sense to me.

 

Fletch

[Jimz66]

This build is looking very nice.

         

[russ]

Clark:

The stern framing looks good so far.

 

The filler blocks are coming along, but pay close attention to their shape. They may look close, but they will need much more work after they are fitted to the hull. You will have to test some planking strips over them to see exactly how much material will come off, but this will be time well spent. Test a plank, then sand, test again, then sand again, and so forth. It will take some work after they are fitted to make sure the planking flows over them as it comes up to the stern. I have seen this before in other builds of this kit. A little extra time spent making sure those filler blocks are properly shaped will make for a much easier planking job later on.

 

Russ

[fletch944t]

Thanks Russ. That's precisely what I'm worried about - not taking off near enough material. I know it'll be much easier to take the material off now with the blocks off the boat than it will be once they're installed.

 

As I've shaped the blocks I've tried to visualize the hull planking flowing over the last bulkhead, on to the filler block, and aft to the stern. Just doing that has caused me to remove more material than I would have otherwise. But, I still question whether I've taken off enough.

 

I've been going back through build logs but, once the blocks are actually on the boat, it's difficult to discern the size and shape of the blocks.

 

Fletch

 

[russ]

Fletch:

It may be easier to take the material off now, but beware. It will not necessarily be more accurate. I strongly suggest that you wait until they are mounted to take any more off the filler blocks. It will be a trifle more awkward, but it will likely be more accurate since you will be able to test fit the planks as you fair the blocks. Just my advice. I have been down this road before on my own models.

 

Russ

[fletch944t]

Work on the model has been sporadic over the last week. Things have been hectic since going back to work after the holidays. But, I was able to accomplish a great deal on the model during that time so, it was worth it.

 

So, since I last posted, I went ahead and attached the stern filler blocks. I still have some shaping to do there but, I wanted to work on something a little different. I cut and shaped the bow filler blocks and attached them. I also cut the stem framing and have it ready to attach. I realized before cutting them that because the bow filler blocks are 1/8" shorter than what the plans call for (gun deck planking), the stem framing would have to be 1/8" longer.

 

I also realized that the locations shown on the plans for the gun deck dummy ports may or may not work for fully modeling the gun deck. So, I'm going to have to develop the gun deck planking and finish at least one of the 24 lb. long guns to determine the exact height of the gun deck ports. That being said, I went ahead and developed a pattern (more or less) for the two halves of the gun deck subflooring. I had to piece together some 1/16" thick pieces of basswood sheet to get a piece long enough for the gun deck (26-3/4"). I then drew the pattern onto one of the pieces and cut it using the band saw. However, when I fit the first piece, I immediately realized that my measurement of the width at the "A" frame must have been off. So, I cut a new piece of the appropriate shape, cut the front of the original piece off and attached the new front piece. I then used this finished piece as a pattern for the other half of the subfloor. The following pictures show the subflooring lying on the gun deck bulkhead supports with the cutouts for the masts. They actually look much better when you press the down flat against the bulkheads. The next task will be to determine the locations of the cutouts for the gun deck hatches.

 

 

[GLakie]

Looks like the plan is coming together quite nicely. I've never asked before but do you prefer Clark or Fletch? I was wondering how much of the Spar deck were you planning to expose?

 

Cheers 

[robnbill]

If you go to the Navy's site for the Connie there are numerous plans. There is some great reference material there. One is the Booklet of General Plans. It has sections which show how hight the gun ports are. That said, if your cannon carriages are lower or higher you would have to adjust. Here is the link - http://www.history.navy.mil/USSCTour/frDrawings.html.

[fletch944t]

Thanks Bill. I do have the Navy general plans. In fact, I was studying them last night checking out the gun deck hatch locations in relation to the spar deck hatches. Having those plans makes it much easier. Honestly, I don't see how you could attempt to this without them. When I started thinking about the long guns, I realized that even if MS considered the possibility that someone would model the gun deck (I doubt they did), I'm sure they used the height of the carriages in the MS long gun kit. Since I'm using Chuck Passaro's gun kits, it would only be a lucky coincidence if they were the same height.

 

GLakie, the extent to which I'll expose the gun deck will be limited to open hatches here and there on the spar deck, open gun ports, and open doors from the Captain's Quarters to the forward areas of the gun deck. In doing so, I hope to limit the extent of gun deck modeling. I plan to model all of the major components but, leave out some of the very small details. I won't know for sure until I can tell exactly what's visible from outside.

[fletch944t]

BTW GLakie, I go by either Clark or Fletch. Although most of my son's friends refer to me as Fletch's Dad.

[Blackjack77]

Really, really wanted to build this ship from Model Shipways and even went as far as ordering her, but once I thought about her size at roughly 4' from stem to stern, I had to cancel the order as I simply dont have anywhere to properly display a ship of that size, but I really wanted to build a Connie so I comprimised and am now building the Revell 1:96 kit which comes in about a foot shorter in length which would fit perfectly on my mantle .

[robnbill]

Blackjack, don't forget the spar width when looking on your mantle! We don't want her to slide off.

[fletch944t]

Blackjack. I promise you won't regret building the Revell model. I built that model back in the late 90's and it is a very nice model.

 

The ONLY reason that I don't still have it is that it got destroyed during a move (to the point that it wasn't repairable).

[robnbill]

Clark, when I was going out for the link last night I was rummaging around and found an interesting discussion of the Captains cabin and what it probably looked like in 1812. Very different from today with a small aft cabin open to the gallery, and the sleeping quarters in a forward cabin (sleeping on high end hammocks). It is on the Navy site. I don't remember seeing anyone modeling that but so few model the gun deck.

 

 

ConstitutionCaptainsCabins.pdf

[fletch944t]

Thanks Bill. That is very interesting. I had already concluded that I was not going to put a fixed berth in the Captain's Quarters (based solely on a video tour by the crew). But, in that video, they simply mentioned that the Captain would have slept in a hammock or a cot. There was never mention of a hanging cot. That's a great picture of the hanging cot.

 

I had also never seen that configuration for the Captain's Quarters either. And, I'd never read anywhere before that the bulkhead forward of the four cabin guns was removable. I'm leaning toward using this configuration as opposed to the current configuration.

[robnbill]

It is interesting. The original article is on the Navy site. I think it is unclear if all the bulkheads were removable or just those between the fore and aft stern cabins. I was thinking they were just talking about the latter, but I reread it and it could have meant them all. One thing you could do is to reach out to the Connie's historian at the museum. She helped me when I was wondering about the color of the fighting tops. Currently, and on some very nice models these are gray. She said that they believe the fighting tops were white during the 1812 period. So I know they are responsive to questions.

[fletch944t]

Thanks Bill. I think I've seen one or two models with gray fighting tops. I may end up changing my mind but, I'm inclined to go with the white fighting tops.

[fletch944t]

The last few days I've spent studying historical drawings of the Constitution to determine the size and precise location of hatches on the gun deck in relation to other equipment, to the spar deck hatches, and to the MS kit bulkheads.

 

I'm going to have to fabricate additional hatch gratings for the hatches on the gun deck. In the process, I may fabricate all new grating for the hatches on the spar deck rather than use the laser cut grating provided in the MS kit. It may be a matter of seeing how closely I can match up the grating I fabricate to the grating provided.

 

Once I've fabricated the gratings for the gun deck, I'll be able to determine the exact dimensions for the gun deck hatch coamings and will start fabrication on those. And, once I get all of the gun deck hatches fabricated I'll be able to lay them out on the gun deck subflooring and mark the associated cutouts.

 

Just curious as to whether anyone has ever fabricated hatch coamings out of mahogany? I ask because I have a boat load (pun intended) of mahogany left over from a bookcase project from many years ago that I thought I might try to use somewhere. My only concern is that the contrast between the hatch coamings, hatch grating, and deck planking might detract from the overall appearance. I may fabricate a few mahogany coamings as a test just to check the appearance.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Captain Silver Beard Jones

[patrickmil]

Fletch, I may also go with constructing my own hatch gratings and combings as well. Should I go this route, I will be using boxwood. In my opinion, mahogany has a large brittle grain that makes modeling small or intricate pieces difficult. One thing I didn't do was plan sub gun deck assemblies for depth below the hatches. I may cut these sections out after or I may paint things black underneath the combings.