To Constitution and beyond ...

[dafi]

Welcome to the Jungle!

Attentive observers had already discovered the hull of the USS Constitution in my shrubbery for some time.

But who now expects a FITZCARALDOOOO downhill is wrong for the time being, it actually goes on in a civilised way

The kit has been lying around for quite a while, as it is really great in many aspects, such as the hull, but in others it does not fully meet its own claims, especially with regard to the guns.

What could be more obvious than to choose these guns after the purchase of a new printer and to program them in a contemporary correct way. The results were promising ...

... and with a little colour quite convincing ...

... especially compared to the originals from the kit

Grandpa, what big fingers you have

 

[dafi]

And since then, I've been itching to put these parts onto the deck. Since I still have to do some research on my Vic, I simply used this compulsory break and lifted the pretty girl onto the tinkering table.

First I glued the three deck parts together and reinforced them.

Funnily enough, the middle part is 1 mm thicker, so the other sides had to be relined.

Then cut off the rim for the positioning of the guns ...

... removed the gratings ...

... and the stubs for the ropes had to be cut off as well.

Then, while trying to fit the deck, I noticed that the supports were much too far apart and the deck sagged in several places. So I put a small batten atop the supports for alinement and added some extra supports. I dry fitted once more and noticed that the deck did not sit properly. This is probably because the hull is curved at this point and thus the supports were at an angle. But a quick re-pinching quickly eliminated this and the deck could be laid flat.

Then the exciting moment, the guns were put on deck ...

... and they are sitting nicely in the middle of the port

It remains exciting.

Best regards, DAniel

 

[Uwek]

You are really working on a model, that is not showing the Victory in a different shape / time period ?!?
But be aware, (and I am sure you are) that also the Conny was several times changed during her long life - she is now more than 220 years old.....

I am looking forward to see your further progress

BTW: can we expect, that in May in Augsburg we can see also her ?

 

[dafi]

The main deck guns of the kit are even real beauties compared to the carronades of the upper deck.

From a construction point of view, they are supposed to represent the current state of the equipment, but unfortunately their appearance - especially the barrels - is miles away from the original. That's why I took a little break in my day-to-day business some time ago and programmed new ones, but unfortunately I never got around to presenting them due to lack of time. Here is a comparison:

Their construction is based - according to Marquardt's AOTS - to the carronades used from 1795 onwards, which were inspired by the British design.

Also on the bottom one finds everything your heart desires: the two-stage slot and the pivot pin with the retaining washer

And a dafi certainly wouldn't be a dafi if it didn't also play a bit ;-)

The gun above is classically printed as one piece. Of course I couldn't resist to print this additionally as a kit - one is a model builder after all

And that gives a whole new set of opportunities.

According to contemporary plans, the top carriage can also be pivoted, possibly quite convenient for maintenance or in case of problems with loading.

Also the whole gun can now be aligned sideways.

If the gun is swivelled too far, the carriage collides with the ship's side.

That is why there is a second pivot hole further inside to be found on contemporary plans ...

... with which the gun can be elegantly moved to the wall in order to lash it there.

If the slide is pushed further back, even the port can be made clear.

And if you want, you can also depict completely different conditions.

As always: It remains exciting

XXXDAn

 

[dafi]

Meanwhile the hopefully final version of the long guns came out of the printer. All the important details are in place, including the cap square key and the coins's handling cord

Also, the supports are now all in such a way that the part almost falls out by itself after printing and hardly any rework is needed.

If you cut out the coin and the stool bed, the gun can also be secured well over the port.

But other positions also are possible ;-)

Parallel to that I cut planks, glued them on self adhesive foil ...

... and sprayed it black. More about this soon.

Then the grain structure of the decks was smoothed with sandpaper ...

... and I marked the approximate position of the deck beams underneath.

Even if the position of the passages to the orlop deck do not quite match the plans, the concept could be transferred. These beam lines form the alignment of the plank joints, as these had to be nailed into something, as in between the beams the nails would have hung in thin air ;-)

Best regards, DAniel

 

[dafi]

And the next step was planking the deck.

The adhesive foil is placed on the black side and the foil is carefully peeled off ...

... the planks with the black side down are glued on with superglue ...

... and then sanded to the same height with 80-grit sandpaper. And the parquet is finished. And now diligence work for the rest of the deck.

XXXDAn

 

[Uwek]

Very good idea with the planking - interesting method !!!
Your latest guns are "great" - äh "small" - äh better "great small"

echt gut !!!!

 

[dafi]

So, continued with some gardening

When gluing, finger cots are recommended, just cut off the tips of an old rubber glove and put them on again individually ...

... but how do I get all the cherry blossoms off the deck afterwards?

After gluing, the whole thing looks very messy at first, so I first go over it with the scraper to remove the worst of it.

Then comes the sanding block with the coarse 40 grit sandpaper ...

... then the 80 grit and individual planks that are sitting too low are scraped off with the thin chisel.

Here are the two states side by side ...

... but slowly it becomes a deck ...

... if I hadn't run out of planks ;-)

Happy Easter!

XXXDAn

 

[dafi]

I had already used this technique on my Victory.

Here on the left is the picture from which my avatar comes and next to it a picture of the lower deck of the Vasa

Coming in the right direction for me.

Just a 100 times smaller ;-)

XXXDAn

 

[SigEp Ziggy]

I can't wait to see more! will you have a crew, like your Victory?

 

[dafi]

Hello Ziggy, thak you

As always no idea where this will lead ...

Captn dafi supplement:

After my computer was in a reconvalescent home for a few days due to an "eternal boot loop", here's what's been happening lately.

Last status was that I ran out of planks. New planks were cut, the old Ikea-shelf has become a bit smaller again

Meanwhile the deck is finished and test fitted.

Even with guns this fits

But in the manger area I had to discover that the deck stands up a bit. But a bit of finger pressure ...

... was remeding it and tamed it and it should be not a problem.

While I was at this, I noticed that the entire hull was also totally warped. Midships there was a gap of almost 5mm on both sides in the battery deck. And I had done nothing that could have provoked this - no paint, no glue, no other immoral things that could have sprung from a sick modeler's brain.

Hence some bondage ...

... to eventually discover huge gaps on the spar deck aft as well. More bondage then this means.

So with this realized, this is truly no longer a shake and fit kit.

After that a careful look inside

At least this fits reasonably well.

Here at the upper deck the carronades of the kit ...

... and then in comparison the English classics from 1795.

And from close up you can see the possibilities of the new modular construction

Even from the outside, the guns give a completely different picture than the kit parts.

XXXDAn

 

[dafi]

In parallel, I continued with the periphery of the guns. A first test of the blocks was still a bit too big, but the brown drybrushing did as expected a good job.

Therefore the whole thing was redaone a little smaller. Surely another 20% smaller is possible. Note the one double block in the "C" of "Cent"

And then the question, are they also rigable?

Oh yes we can! Here again the dimensions of the smallest, scale was my thinnest rope in 1:100:

Thereupon tried some sizes ...

... and the 3 hottest candidates on the model.

I then reworked the rigged version with the smallest blocks a bit. Looking at the picture ...

... and realized, crap, the lanyard is twisted. I did not see that in the original, despite strong magnifying glass.

So the whole thing decuddled and it fits much better.

XXXDAn

 

[kirill4]

Bravo Daniel!!!
They Looks really Great!!! Sky and Earth compare to kit parts...
All those fine parts which You redesign and shown us, cannons, sets of blocks,etc., coud it be ordered as addition for the model kit, same as parts which You offer as additional for Victory model?

 

[Uwek]

I am so happy, that I work in 1:48 - I have still some chance to see my blocks
Very good work my friend

 

[dafi]

Weichei/Whimpy ;-)

Lieber Gruß, all the best, Daniel

 

[Uwek]

Weichei/Whimpy ;-)

Lieber Gruß, all the best, Daniel

du bist noch jung und hast bessere Augen -
Komm du mal in mein Alter .....

 

[waynesbea]

Do you sell your cannons and blocks?

 

[dafi]

Hello Wayne, thank you you for your interest, soon to be shipped, still some minor modifications to be done

Etch Parts for HMS Victory 1:100 (Heller Kit)

XXXDAn

PS: Do not mind the titel of the link - it leads to the Constitution guns

 

[dafi]

Small sign of life from Danmark

Frigate Jylland!








XXXDAn

 

[Uwek]

I am jealous - but I am happy for you to make this experience