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USS Constitution - Model Shipways

Jack Sparrow said:
did you use a jewelry saw and files to cutout your crosstrees?
Click to expand...
I made the initial cuts on my scroll saw. That got me fairly close. (I really would like to find a more precise tool than this. Using a jewelry saw and doing it completely by hand is a non-starter.) I followed up with a spindle drum sander, my mini belt sander, and finished up with the recently acquired set of jeweler's files.

Initially I glued the patterns to boxwood blanks thusly:2026 09-15 USS Constitution 07.jpg

but when I started cutting out the trees,
2026 09-15 USS Constitution 11.jpg

I realized it would be better to have something to hold onto when shaping them. And switched to this technique:
2026 09-15 USS Constitution 12.jpg

2026 09-15 USS Constitution 13.jpg

I didn't get a picture of me trimming the inside arc on the spindle drum sander, but to shape the outer arc, the belt sander proved to be quite the time saver.
2026 09-15 USS Constitution 14.jpg

The rest was done with hand tools - primarily the set of Grobet USA files (grade 2, which are fairly fine).
2026 09-15 USS Constitution 15.jpg



2026 09-15 USS Constitution 17.jpg

2026 09-15 USS Constitution 21.jpg

Hope that helps...
 
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Der Alte Rentner said:
My primary tool was a crappy scroll saw. That gets me fairly close. (I really would like to find a more precise tool than this. Using a jewelry saw and doing it completely by hand is a non-starter.) I follow up with a spindle drum sander, my mini belt sander, and finish up with the recently acquired set op jeweler's files.

I have the main crosstrees left to make. I'll take pictures of the process in more detail and post those when I'm done with them. The trestle trees are cut with precision with my Proxxon mill.
Click to expand...
those small pieces that need to be fabricated are really hard. For every one piece I probably waste 3. I do have a scroll saw, but I have a hard time with it. Hard to control but maybe I should use it more often and practise more.
 
Der Alte Rentner said:
My primary tool was a crappy scroll saw. That gets me fairly close. (I really would like to find a more precise tool than this. Using a jewelry saw and doing it completely by hand is a non-starter.) I follow up with a spindle drum sander, my mini belt sander, and finish up with the recently acquired set op jeweler's files.

Initially I glued the patterns to boxwood blanks thusly:View attachment 636577

but when I started cutting out the trees,
View attachment 636578

I realized it would be better to have something to hold onto when shaping them. And switched to this technique:
View attachment 636579

View attachment 636571

I didn't get a picture of me trimming the inside arc on the spindle drum sander, but to shape the outer arc, the belt sander proved to be quite the time saver.
View attachment 636580

The rest was done with hand tools - primarily the set of Grobet USA files.
View attachment 636573

View attachment 636574

View attachment 636575

View attachment 636576

View attachment 636570
Click to expand...
are those to be painted? I may resort to my 3d printer if they are. My scroll saw skills aren't the best and I don't have the patience for scroll saw work.
 
No, I'm not painting anything, as I'm going for a natural finish across the board. I can't hide mistakes easily, hence the attention to detail.

I've found that working with boxwood solves a lot of problems. It's hard enough not to break when working with small pieces, and it does not scratch easily.

I'm glad I loaded up on material before Joe Volpe went out of business.

The scroll saw merely gets me close. Either the machine, the blades, or my skills are inadequate, but I have to allow at least a 16th of an inch margin and make up the difference with other methods.
 
Der Alte Rentner said:
No, I'm not painting anything, as I'm going for a natural finish across the board. I can't hide mistakes easily, hence the attention to detail.

I've found that working with boxwood solves a lot of problems. It's hard enough not to break when working with small pieces, and it does not scratch easily.

I'm glad I loaded up on material before Joe Volpe went out of business.

The scroll saw merely gets me close. Either the machine, the blades, or my skills are inadequate, but I have to allow at least a 16th of an inch margin and make up the difference with other methods.
Click to expand...
that's a good idea. I may have to source some as well, not sure yet what I am going to do.
yeah so I have done this search for boxwood before. I just remembered not being able to find any at a reasonable price and that's exactly what I am getting today.
oh well. I'll try with the basswood that I have and see if I can get something nice like yours.

truthfully, MS should have supplied these in a laser cut sheet. but what do i know...
 
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I spilled a glass of ice water all over my workbench at the shop, which led to an hour's worth of cleanup and reorganization. This was long overdue, so serendipitous.

Heeding the advice from Tom (aka usedtosail) and factoring in that Mustafa knows best, I added the blocks for the mizzen royal and braces here are the photos of the fore top mast crosstrees and mast cap.

Unfortunately these are features of the main topmast crosstrees and not the fore mast.

So, I'll remove these tomorrow and repurpose them for the main topmast crosstrees.

Sigh.

But they do look good.

20260916_141149.jpg

20260916_141355.jpg

As an aside to Jack, you can see the obvious difference between basswood, which came from the MS kit - the mast cap, and the boxwood cross tree assembly - made entirely from scratch by yours truly. In retrospect, I should have made the mast caps out of boxwood too. Since the cap will, by and large, be covered with all manner of black rope, I figured I could live with the kit supplied part - especially since I already tapered the holes to adjust for the mast tilt angle.
 
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Several items on the to-do list are keeping me from getting much done at the shop for the next few days. I have to leave town for a few days to deal with some sad family business out east. Tonight though, an early Manhattan Club meeting at my brother's house.

The view doesn't get much better than this, and that Manhattan went down waaaay too easily.

20260924_153542.jpg

When I return to the shop next week, I will be following Mustafa's advice and get started on rigging the main mast, beginning with the pendants and shrouds.

Have a nice weekend all.
 
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