Kitbashing The Model Shipways USS Constitution Cross-Section Model

[Pat H]

Instructions ?
They're more like guidelines.

31 October 2025​

Prebuild Thoughts​

Before beginning the build of a preserved ship model, such as the USS Constitution cross section, it helps to consider what era of the ship's life you want to present.
In this case, I decided to use the 1812 verson as my goal, since the USS Constitution museum is in the on-going process of restoring the ship to that configuration. Trouble is, many of the lower deck areas seem to be inconsistant, especially the hold and orlap deck areas.
One of the great things about modeling the USS Constitution is that you can use Google Earth street view to walk any of the deck levels. ( Though the orlap deck access is limited to the midship area.)
I find the orlap deck area of the present day ship to be confusing, since part of the deck around the main mast area seems to be cut away, exposing the red-painted hold area.
Apparently the kit is based on the ship's configuration when it was launched in 1797.

Two Fer One​

Something to keep in mind with this Model Shipways kit is that it is actually two models in one –– the hull is one kit, the main mast and rigging is another.
I decided to build them seperately.
One version would use the 7" allignment mast base in the hull. The chain plates would be rigged with lower deadeyes. ( Possibly I may use a piece of plexiglass fitted to the short mast to support the lower end of the mainmast shroudlines.)
Another possibility would be to use the lower section of the main mast so the shroudlines could run up to the fightig top. The fighting top would be duplicated to serve as a base for the rest of the upper mast.

Roll Out The Barrels . . .​

I'm dissatisfied with the kit's presentation of the hold area and barrels.
I plan to line each side of the keelson with blackened pig iron, then put stone ballast above that.
I've bought extra barrels to fill up the hold.
I plan to have figures breaking down empty barrels in the hold.
Something that bothers me is that kit represents the barrels as just being stacked on the stone ballast in the hold with no restraint.
Seems to me that would just be asking for trouble in rough seas. Moving barrels could wear holes in their staves that are resting on stones. (Granted, most of the stone ballast photos I've seen are rounded river-run rocks, which are less likely to wear holes in barrels.) Loose barrels could shift, setting the ship on her beam ends. (The present day configuration has rings on the side of the hold area which may have been to used to secure barrels and crates.)
I've been researching how barrels were actually stored in holds. Did they rest on planks with chocks to hold them in position ? Were lines or nets used to secure them from movement ?


18 Dec 2025th

Custom Hold Planking​

The trouble with trying to modify a kit is that one often has to figure things out on their own.
I've been stuck for a couple weeks trying to figure out how to get the proper spacing to simulate planking in the extended hold-orlap area I'm trying to create.

This is what the kit provides


This is what I'm trying to fit in after removing deck beams


I've been making paper patterns of the planking


I think I've finally got a pattern that's workable so I can move ahead at last.
What a frustrating struggle.

23 December 2025tu​

Bracing Progress . . . at last​

With the port-side hold/orlap custom planking scribed, I'm able to move ahead with installing the bracing the way I want it.

kit instructions


actual ship


modified model bracing


My braces are twice as thick as the kit braces.They look a lot better than the kit's original thin strips.
I made the diagonal braces out of pairs of 1/16" x 1/4" basswood strips glued together.
(I suppose 1/8" x 1/4" strips could have been used, but I found it easier to soak and pre-bend the thinner strips before letting them dry, then gluing them together.)
The longer bracing is notched to straddle the shelf plank that the berthing deck beams will rest on.
The extended hold-orlap ceiling does away with a gap that exists in the original kit design.

 

[Jim Fortnam]

Good question.

Huge stacks of barrels are seen in distillery country up in Scotland, where they build mountains of empties by simple horizontal stacking, a barrel sitting in the valley between the two on the lower layer.
Stacking end on would seem more sensible, as the ends are solid construction, and can sit across 2 or 3 on the lower layer. Presumably old rope run around several barrels would serve to prevent them shifting.

Partly depends on the contents too - dry or wet goods?

I suspect (no proof) that rows on end may have been separated by lines on their sides. Air circulation would be a thing, and I think it unlikely that they would put wooden barrels haphazard onto stone because of the potential for point contact becoming abrasive, as you say. Maybe some planks loose laid first?

At any rate, you can be sure it was neat and tidy. Shipshape in both senses, as they would use every bit of space.

J

 

[Pat H]

Kitbashing The Model Shipways USS Constitution Cross-Section Model​

10 Dec 2025wed

Revolutionary Ideas​

At some point, inspired by Charles Davies' ideals, I decided to try my hand at recreating the kit's bow frame usng traditional ship-building techniques.
I used 1/2 x 1/16 inch strips for sections of the frame. (One inch wide for the floor.)
After gluing and tree nailing the pieces together, the original kit frame was laid on top, traced, then the built-up piece was cut and sanded into an excellent frame which is surprisingly sturdy.





Upon gluing in the keel, I discovered that it was an absolute delight to be able to work on the bow end of the model without deck beams being in the way.
One thing I disliked about this kit is the way each deck has a gap in the ceilings between deck beams. Notice how extra planks have been added to either side of the keel area. That gave room for the kit-supplied ceiling pieces to be notched, doing away with the original gaps.



But I was having problems configuring the hold and orlap areas so the diagonal bracing could be installed correctly.
Realizing that the orlap and berthing deck beams were in the way, I decided to label and mark their positions on the end frames, then removed them. The spacers can still be used to maintain frame allignment.



Now there was room work.
New ceiling pieces were cut from 1/16 inch basswood, 4-1/4 inches long with the grain running length-wise. They were trimmed to fit, then both sides were sprayed with water and left to soak for a few minutes. When they became flexible they were clamped to the frames and allowed to dry overnight.

Brace Up, Ol' Man​

One aspect of this kit that bothered me is that the diagonal hold bracing angles were different than the real ship. (Not mention that it was too thin.)



( Note that the side view above shows shot lockers fore and aft of the main mast.)



With the larger ceilings in place, I was able to sketch in where the bracing should be.



After wetting 1/4 inch strips of basswood, I bent them around a water-filled plastic bottle, securing them with wide rubber bands, then letting them dry overnight.



Damping a strip in the morning, it could be shaped and clamped to the ceiling, being left to dry.
Each brace will have at least two layers to make them look more like the actual bracing in the ship.
Before the braces are glued into place, the ceilings will be scored and drilled to represent planking.
When the ceilings and bracing are glued up and dry, they will be painted with Tamiya flat white (XF-2) before final installation.

 

[Pat H]

Kitbashing The Model Shipways USS Constitution Cross-Section Model​

13 Dec 2025sat

A Pig's Eye​

In its present day configuration, the USS Constitution is carrying less weight than when it was an active war ship, so its ballast load has been reduced considerably.
But when fully manned and armed with real cannons, it required quite a bit more ballast, the heavier the better.
In addition to damaged iron objects, one of the most favored ballast items was pig iron. (A low grade iron ingot.) Apparently pig iron was three feet long and six inches on a side.
As an experiment, i used some solder that had been blackened with a Sharpie to simulate pig iron ingots.





Iron ballast was laid down next to the keelson, then covered with rock ballast.
Rather than using lead-based solder, pig iron could be simulated with square wood strips an inch or so long painted black.

 

[Pat H]

Kitbashing The Model Shipways USS Constitution Cross-Section Model​

27 Dec 2025sat

Braced Hold / Orlap Ceilings​

Here are the hold/orlap braced ceilings painted at last with two coats of flat white Tamiya acrylic paint.
It may be difficult to see, but the braces have drops of glue on them to simulate the bolts holding the bracing on the actual USS Constitution.



One thing that puzzles me about the present day Constitution is the state of the hold and orlap deck.



I believe the red area shows the original hold area and how little room there was on the orlap deck. In fact, I gather that even though people were shorter when the ship was launched, apparently they found it easiest to move around on their knees in the orlap spaces.
You can see how the present day orlap deck has been lowered about a foot into unused hold spaces fore and aft, while the area around the main mast has virtually done away with the orlap deck altogether.