Model Shipways USF Constitution

[kingkahn1950]

Now in retirement, I have finally started my long ago purchased Model Shipways USF Constitution. I'm using Robert Hunt's practicum which I find invaluable. I started building about a month ago and hadn't thought about submitting a build log but now that I am into the project a little more, I thought it would be better to present it and hopefully glean some wisdom from the forum. Therefore my photos to date are sloppily done.

Here's where I started taking pictures. After the bulwarks were installed and the bow and stern filler blocks were carved and installed.





Bowsprit temporarily fitted to fit inner bulwark planking


The inner bulwark stern planking was later adjusted to match the deck camber

Inner bulwark planking finished with waterway and ready to cut the spar deck gunports
Tenon carved on bowsprit for later installation into bulkhead B

 

[Uwek]

A very good start with this complex structure

 

[kingkahn1950]

Some more progress
1. Cutting the spar deck canon openings - need to be careful to keep them square.
2. cathead openings
3. plank below the planksheer to the top sill of the gun deck openings
3. framing the gun deck openings for the dummy canons

 

[Tony H]

Hi

Good to see another MS Constitution underway. I started mine in June but progress is slow at the moment.
Looks like your off to a good start, I'll follow your progress in the future.

Tony.

 

[dnalley]

excellent beginning. i look forward to this build.

 

[kingkahn1950]

More progress.
1. gun deck ports all framed
2. planking from planksheer down to just above where the wales will be installed. Temporary placement of port lids was used to space the planks and allow approx 1/32 lip inside each port (to support the top and bottom lid pieces later)
3. Made a display stand out of sugar pine and then turned two oak pedestals. 5/32” brass tube was installed into the keel and 7/32” tube installed into the pedestals to make it a solid support. The hull is easily removed for planking work to come later.

 

[Thrasher]

You are off to a great start. Now the fun begins. Have fun and make some sawdust!

 

[mtbediz1]

Very good work so far. I'm following too.

 

[kingkahn1950]

This week I framed the stern gun ports and planked the stern, more sanding on the planks around the gun deck ports. Installed mast partners and deck planking supports for the hatch coamings. The hatches are being constructed this week and I’m thinking about placing stairwells in the hatches that lead to the gun deck, even though there is no formal gun deck. The openings are small enough that perhaps planking a small area around the bottom of the ladders would produce visually what one could see from the spar deck without planking the whole gun deck. I’ve already committed to using dummy cannons on that deck. Any thoughts?

 

[kingkahn1950]

Several questions.
Does anyone have any info whether there are railings on the hatch coamings at the top of the ladders leading to the gun deck. Does the bottom step end on the gun deck planking or possibly an elevated platform. Do the hatch coamings have a natural wood or stained wood or painted finish and does it just depend on which restoration period one is trying to represent?

 

[kingkahn1950]

Finished the basic hatch coaming structures. Sanding and stain/painting still pending. I decided to have some gratings and ladders open to view and have a faux gun deck “landing”. So far, built two ladders for main hatch - still to be fitted and painted. Also planked an area of the gun deck that will be visible through the grating opening. I plan on having ladders in the hatch immediately fore of the capstan, while leaving the others in this section covered with their grates. All of these hatches will have brass companionway railings To be produced later.

 

[Thrasher]

Looking good. Nice to sneak a little scratch building when ever you can.

 

[kingkahn1950]

I built a small landing pad for the hatch ladders going to the gun deck in the first hatch aft of the main hatch, and put some railings on the ladders. Used brass stanchions from Bluejacket Shipcrafters. Continuing with deck planking to line up the remaining hatch coamings. Once the deck is completely planked, the coamings will be removed for a final sanding and staining.
the ladder railings (black polyester) will be attached to brass stanchions to be installed on the hatch coaming later when the deck furniture is installed.


The planking towards the stern must be tapered from 3/32” to 1/16”.

 

[Thrasher]

Great job, it is always the details that set you up for a great model!

 

[kingkahn1950]

This week I finished planking the spar deck, sanded 100, 220, 320, and 400 grit, and stained as recommended in the Hunt practicum with 50:50 Floquil roof brown and grimy black, wiping if off almost immediately. I then used a #20 blade as a card scraper and scraped the entire deck. This removed any glue spills and scratches from coarser sandpaper to obtain a more even second stain application. Sanded it again with 220 and 400 grit. I have one more application of just grimy black to help bring out the butt joints, followed by a satin varnish. In the meantime I decided to start on installing rivets in the bulwarks. This is a task that is not for the faint at heart. It will require more than 4000 rivets when all is said and done. I found the mini pin vise from Micromark with a #75 drill bit worked the best, along with a good pair of forceps. The first dozen or so went very slowly, but I found I could drill and install one “rack” of 25 rivets in about a half hour. I should finish this task sometime soon in about one week from now. It will be exciting to paint the bulwarks green to get the final look I wanted.

 

[kingkahn1950]

It's been several months since I last posted my progress. I was entering the "rivets in the Bulwarks" phase, and have finally come out of it. After >4000 Tichy Train parts rivets and a little paint, I'm satisfied with the look. My lines were not always perfectly vertical, but I feel it was worth it to get the detail. I installed the main rail with toothpick extensions to accommodate the topgallant rail later. More rivets! Planked the stern and trimmed the gallery extensions, built the counter and the lower counter, and blended it in with the lower gallery solid pieces which took some trial and error. Layout lines for the rivets on the midship bulwarks
Indispensable Mini-mini twist drill for the rivets (Micromark)


Dry fit the Main rail with toothpicks for the topgallant extensions

Topgallant bulwarks installed, riveted, and painted.
Stern planked, counter and lower counter and gallery lower pieces installed. Final sanding comes later.
Wales are planked and 7 rows of planking below that on the starboard side. So now for the next few weeks (months), I'll be planking. In the meantime, I've come up with a solution to detail the topgallant rail. Next is a photo from Bob Hunt's practicum showing the "beading" of the rail. He suggests scribing the side of the 3/32" thick material, especially if I had switched to a hard wood instead of Basswood. He describes altering a razor blade edge as shown in the photos below.
The latter drawing is for the single bead inner rail. I found this was difficult, probably because I was using basswood and my scratch tool was probably insufficient. Needless to say I did the best I could but recently decided to make a rail that was layered with thinner elements. The rail is 3/16" wide and 3/32" thick using the stock that was suggested. So I took three pieces of 3/16" wide by 1/32" thick stripwood and sandwiched a narrower strip of styrene. One strip of styrene was placed in the center lengthwise on the wooden strip and the other was a little wider and placed on one edge of the wooden strip.
Three wood strips 1/32" thick on the left, styrene strips also 1/64" thick in the center (narrower) and the right (wider)

Styrene is glued with medium CA to two of the wooden strips, narrow one centered, and wider on even with one edge. When dry I lightly sanded the flush edge of the strip on the right to blend in the styrene to the wood. Then I glued the bare piece of wood in the center of the two with the styrene. This leaves a railing that's 1/8" thick, but looking at the photos of the real rail, I think it will work. I had to be carefull to let the CA dry completely before attempting any sanding because I didn't want any dust in the groove I had created. Here's the final edges. I will do a final sanding to 400 grit and blow out any dust before painting. I'll paint and install the railing later in the build as the practicum dictates. I certainly give Bob Hunt full credit for including this detail in his practicum and I hope this method will serve as an alternative.

outer railing with three "beads"

inner rail with one bead on the bottom. Needs final sanding!

 

[AllanKP69]

"rivets in the Bulwarks"

Never saw this on any contemporary plans or models so this is a new one for me. What is the purpose of having protruding rivets? Are these based on the kit plans and/or contemporary sources?
Thanks
Allan

 

[kingkahn1950]

Never saw this on any contemporary plans or models so this is a new one for me. What is the purpose of having protruding rivets? Are these based on the kit plans and/or contemporary sources?
Thanks
Allan

I’m using the Bob Hunt practicum which is based upon the 1993-7 restoration of the ship. He refers to the kit plans and I agree that no where are there rivets in the bulwarks. However, I have visited Old Ironsides in Boston and saw rivets in the bulwarks. When I read in the practicum that an option was to include the rivets, I decided that looked cool and wanted to add them to my model

 

[AllanKP69]

Thanks Mr. Kahn, much appreciated. Still I wonder what the purpose might be. Time to send an email to Dr. Herzog to find out more as this is fascinating.
Allan

 

[AllanKP69]

Dr. Herzog responded and basically these are bolts that went through the spirketting and quickwork inboard, the frames, and outer planking in lieu of treenails from both inboard and outboard. Looking at your photo again it is great to see you have the thickness of the quickwork less than that of the spirketting. This is often missed by many folks, myself included in my earlier builds.
Allan