Thank you! I carved out the corners using a #18 chisel xacto blade. I find for miniature work I can use it almost as a plane to gently remove sections of wood.
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Next I taped both ends of the hull to place the ballast on the lower hull. I also taped over the hole where the mast is going to be placed. As instructed, I mixed about half the gravel in the kit with a mixture of 50:50 water and glue.
Making sure the mixture was not too wet, I scooped it onto the lower deck and tried to make a level bed of ballast.
I moved some pieces with a tweezers to try to insure a level bed. I will let it dry overnight.
Making sure the mixture was not too wet, I scooped it onto the lower deck and tried to make a level bed of ballast.
I moved some pieces with a tweezers to try to insure a level bed. I will let it dry overnight.
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After letting the slurry dry overnight I carefully removed the tape on the end of the frames.
I was amazed how all the gravel stayed in place. Turning it upside down not one piece moved.
The kit comes with 3 different sizes of barrels.
Using a sharpie pen I blackened the iron rings on the barrels.
The barrels were glued into place. I tried using CA as others have done but with the rough gravel it did not work well. I used white glue instead with good results. I had to remove some of the gravel to position the barrels. The glue had set the gravel so tightly that I used a needle nose pliers to remove the rock.
I was amazed how all the gravel stayed in place. Turning it upside down not one piece moved.
The kit comes with 3 different sizes of barrels.
Using a sharpie pen I blackened the iron rings on the barrels.
The barrels were glued into place. I tried using CA as others have done but with the rough gravel it did not work well. I used white glue instead with good results. I had to remove some of the gravel to position the barrels. The glue had set the gravel so tightly that I used a needle nose pliers to remove the rock.
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
Good old ballast rock. I have heard stories of old harbor town cobble stone pebble streets being made from ships ballast as they took on new cargo going from New England back to Europe. As cargo weight went in rocks came out!
I have heard that many cobble stone streets in the city of New York were also made from the ballast! On Long Island where I grew up many of the streets were supposed to be made of crushed oyster shells. Oysters being a big product of the surrounding waters.
Now onward to the orlop deck or lowest deck in a ship where usually the cables were stored. The first thing I did was to stain the top and bottom of the orlop deck and as long I was at it the berthing deck with cherry stain.
While waiting for that to dry, I started work on the orlop deck waterways (which for some reason are called scuppers). Both building logs I have read to help me with this build have complained that these pieces of wood are too curved. When I tried fitting them one fit rather well but the other had a bit of too much curve.
An angled cut had to be made on the waterways curving 1/16th inch from the top to a point on the bottom. I measured a number of points 1/16th inch along the top that will go against the wall. Then using my trusty #17 chisel blade, I used it as a plane and planed away the wood. When it was close to the angle I wanted I finished it off with sanding.
Then to make sure things fit well I soaked the waterways in hot water and clamped them in place overnight to help then achieve the correct curve.
While waiting for that to dry, I started work on the orlop deck waterways (which for some reason are called scuppers). Both building logs I have read to help me with this build have complained that these pieces of wood are too curved. When I tried fitting them one fit rather well but the other had a bit of too much curve.An angled cut had to be made on the waterways curving 1/16th inch from the top to a point on the bottom. I measured a number of points 1/16th inch along the top that will go against the wall. Then using my trusty #17 chisel blade, I used it as a plane and planed away the wood. When it was close to the angle I wanted I finished it off with sanding.
Then to make sure things fit well I soaked the waterways in hot water and clamped them in place overnight to help then achieve the correct curve.
After the waterways set, I primed them with sanding sealer and then with several coats of Tamyia flat green. I also rounded out the orlop deck mast surround, primed and painted it the same color.
The two waterways appear to be a bit asymmetric with each other so it is probably a good idea to mark the port and starboard side in an unpainted area before you paint them. The side walls were primed with sanding sealer and the stained decks were also painted with sanding sealer. The side walls were then painted with some thinned coats of white paint like the bottom deck.
The two waterways appear to be a bit asymmetric with each other so it is probably a good idea to mark the port and starboard side in an unpainted area before you paint them. The side walls were primed with sanding sealer and the stained decks were also painted with sanding sealer. The side walls were then painted with some thinned coats of white paint like the bottom deck.
For Christmas the Admiral bought me a Proxxon disk sander (I was giving out hints for months). I am delighted how well it takes char off the surfaces. A light touch is needed in order not to sand too fast.
I noted when the two sides of the orlop deck were fitted together there did not seem to be enough gap for the mast and the mating surfaces were a bit uneven.
I carefully sanded some high spots until things fitted better. I then took the mast dowel and wrapped some 100 grit sandpaper around it and sanded the holes for the mast. I did this by rotating the sandpaper as to make sure the deck did not break from the torsional forces.
I noted when the two sides of the orlop deck were fitted together there did not seem to be enough gap for the mast and the mating surfaces were a bit uneven.
I carefully sanded some high spots until things fitted better. I then took the mast dowel and wrapped some 100 grit sandpaper around it and sanded the holes for the mast. I did this by rotating the sandpaper as to make sure the deck did not break from the torsional forces.
I also sanded out the hole in the mast surround using a bit of sandpaper wrapped around an xacto blade, until the dowel slid through easily.
I also checked the holes where the pipes for the bilge pumps would be threaded. They were more than adequate. The two sides of the orlop deck were then glued together.
I also checked the holes where the pipes for the bilge pumps would be threaded. They were more than adequate. The two sides of the orlop deck were then glued together.
Happy and healthy New Years to everyone on SOS!
nice job!
id love to scratch build this model. i wonder if i can buy only the plans?
great way to kick off a new year.
enjoy
id love to scratch build this model. i wonder if i can buy only the plans?
great way to kick off a new year.
enjoy
You can down load the instructions. They are having a nice sale going on now.
thanks for the instruction link.
once upon a time modelshipways use to sell just the plans for almost all their ships. i see they dont do that anymore.
anyway, enjoy building this beautiful cross section of an amazing ship. im going to make a point of visiting her in boston this year.
happy new year
once upon a time modelshipways use to sell just the plans for almost all their ships. i see they dont do that anymore.
anyway, enjoy building this beautiful cross section of an amazing ship. im going to make a point of visiting her in boston this year.
happy new year
Remember they are closed on Mondays! Don't ask me how I know.
I next fitted the orlop deck onto the frame of the ship. As suggested by Tom Culb, instead of taking time to cut a tenon in the bottom of the temporary mast I simply used a screw.
This worked quite well to help with alignments of the decks. The mast fits into an alignment hole in the temporary brace and slides into the mast footing.
As you may note, I did not glue into place the barrels on the forward starboard side of the kit. This was from another suggestion of Tom Culb. It will allow me to make sure the mast is in alignment with the mast footings when the other decks are placed on, obstructing the view. I may not place the barrels there at all so people can look inside.
Dry fitting the orlop deck with the mast in place I discovered a mistake. With the mast properly fitted into the mast foot, the orlop deck was about 1/8 inch out of position rearward.
This worked quite well to help with alignments of the decks. The mast fits into an alignment hole in the temporary brace and slides into the mast footing.
As you may note, I did not glue into place the barrels on the forward starboard side of the kit. This was from another suggestion of Tom Culb. It will allow me to make sure the mast is in alignment with the mast footings when the other decks are placed on, obstructing the view. I may not place the barrels there at all so people can look inside.
Dry fitting the orlop deck with the mast in place I discovered a mistake. With the mast properly fitted into the mast foot, the orlop deck was about 1/8 inch out of position rearward.
I believe the mistake is that I glued the mast footing about 1/8 inch too far back on the keelson. It was obviously too late to move the mast footing. So taking a #11 xacto blade I carved out a long slot in the front of the hole of the mast footing.
Of course doing this I again snapped the brace holding the mast alignment. Taking a tip from Jeff Ts build log I used some scrap to re-enforce the braces. You can note the mast alignment guide on the brace.
While this was going on I was also concerned that the berthing deck could also be out of alignment. After carving out the extension in the front of the mast footing I dry fitted both the orlop and berthing decks. The hole for the mast was also too small at the berthing deck so I enlarged it the same way I did the orlop deck. Doing this everything fell into alignment.
Of course doing this I again snapped the brace holding the mast alignment. Taking a tip from Jeff Ts build log I used some scrap to re-enforce the braces. You can note the mast alignment guide on the brace.
While this was going on I was also concerned that the berthing deck could also be out of alignment. After carving out the extension in the front of the mast footing I dry fitted both the orlop and berthing decks. The hole for the mast was also too small at the berthing deck so I enlarged it the same way I did the orlop deck. Doing this everything fell into alignment.
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There are lots of resources for the Constitution available. Especially useful would be the "Modeler Resources - USS Constitution Museum". Between the (free) ME instruction pdf and the Modeler Resources, I suspect that you could obtain what is necessary to scratch build this kit. I used the section "Masts, Yards and Sails" during my build of the kit.
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You've got to love wood and how forgiving it is to our mistakes. Nice recovery. Not having the barrels in place may make it easier to fill some of the extra mast slot you have now.
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
This is the good info I need to be aware of when I build my cross section.
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
You might ask Model Expo, they sell plans to some of their kits separately.