USS Constellation - 1797

[CO Jaybird]

Good Evening fellow modelers! It's time for an update on my mostly scratchbuilt 1797 Constellation. Planking is finished! I'm a sports nut, and there are soooo many distractions that kept me from doing one row of planking at a time. Here are a few pictures of the finished planking job. I will say upfront that the hull will be coppered and painted, so you see some filler "splotches" that are indeed smooth.

 

[WilliamM]

It's good that you are back! I was curious about this build!

Bill

 

[CO Jaybird]

An update so soon! I used the kit provided base to make a temporary cradle for the hull while I make a waterline. Using my blown-up plans from Chapelle, I figured out the distance of the waterline to be 18mm below the low point of the gun deck around frame #4 of the plans (1:85ish scale). Below is my waterline tool, which is a 3/4" thick piece of wood supporting a 3/4" x 3/4" block. I ordered a garbage can hinge from AMZN and wood screwed it to the square block. The hinge is really stiff and will not move as you move the tool around the hull. I zip-tied a 0.5mm mechanical pencil to the long hinge end and, viola! There's my waterline marker. Photos below...

 

[CO Jaybird]

I have finished coppering the hull. It took about 2 weeks. I'm pretty satisfied with the result, although I would choose to use a different product next time. I got this from EBay:


I started at the sternpost of the keel and worked my way fore and up, overlaying about 0.5 to 1.0mm. I found it was best to work for half an hour, then get up and stretch the back.

Here's the finished product:


Next, I will work on the bow, figuring out how the bowsprit mast fits into the fore. From the Chapelle plans, it looks like there is a forward bitt, in between which the spritmast keyholes....



Here is what I'm working with in terms of the bulwarks:



I'll have to figure out the angle that the sprit mast emerges from the spar deck but it looks like I'll be drilling a hole through the peak of the bows to accommodate the mast.

 

[KAYA61]

hello...I have also started to build the US Constellation Frigate 1797 Artesania Latina and I even have a journal about it... but the only problem is that the plans are not detailed enough... the pictures are black and white so they cannot be distinguished... some parts do not have part numbers... how can I get more detailed plans...

 

[CO Jaybird]

hello...I have also started to build the US Constellation Frigate 1797 Artesania Latina and I even have a journal about it... but the only problem is that the plans are not detailed enough... the pictures are black and white so they cannot be distinguished... some parts do not have part numbers... how can I get more detailed plans...

Hello Kaya - just to be clear, are you scratch building the 1797 version? Or are you building the AL kit version, which I actually from 1852. Two different ships, and I am scratch building the 1797 version using some of the AL kit parts. If you are building the 1852 version, I cannot be of much help. The newer version is in Baltimore and there may be pictures available. Best of luck!!

Jaybird

 

[KAYA61]

thank you... not from scratch... i bought the kit from artesiena latina... it says 1797 on it. but as far as i learned, it is actually said to be the 1852 version... i tried to research the differences between them but i couldn't find much information...

 

[Corsair]

Hello Jay !
I would have started following a lot sooner if I had known you were in here.

 

[KAYA61]

I am honored, master.

 

[CO Jaybird]

It certainly has been a minute. Below are update photos of the completed spar deck planking. I used 1.5mm x 5mm limewood strips, conditioned the wood and applied Tung Oil. After 9 months of working on the gun deck, I'm glad to move on.

 

[Rdavey]

I have a question about your tung oil. I’m at a stage where I want to seal my wood but not sure if I can glue to tung oil or Linseeds oil. Just thought I would ask. First build and it’s a huge learning curve.

 

[Corsair]

I have a question about your tung oil. I’m at a stage where I want to seal my wood but not sure if I can glue to tung oil or Linseeds oil. Just thought I would ask. First build and it’s a huge learning curve.

Welcome to the SoS forums !
Your best bet is to test it yourself because your finish may not be exactly the same as another persons. It will be different with even different species of woods.

 

[KAYA61]

@BradNSW and @JerryTodd and @Corsair thank you very much

 

[KAYA61]

Welcome to the SoS forums !
Your best bet is to test it yourself because your finish may not be exactly the same as another persons. It will be different with even different species of woods.

I completely agree with you on Corsair. I also think it depends entirely on you.

 

[Model Monkey]

Below is a 1944 US Navy Bureau of Ships drawing labeled as being that of USS Constellation. This drawing comes from the National Archives.

Click here to download the drawing at full size (22 MB).

The photos of the "yellow ship" Constellation model were taken by me in 1987 at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington DC. I've included two more photos below. The model's placard stated that it was built to 1/48 scale. It is (was) quite beautiful.

The Smithsonian "yellow ship" model is not the large Constellation model scratch-built by C. William Todd circa 1985 that is in the collection of the Naval War College. The equally beautiful "Todd black-hulled model" is based on historical drafts, Howard I. Chapelle’s research, and contemporary descriptions. Click here to see a few photos of the "Todd model".

The Smithsonian's "yellow ship" model is retained in the Smithsonian Institution's permanent collections inventory (Object ID: nmah_1834136), though stored off-exhibit rather than actively shown in the public halls.

Somewhere in my old photo albums is a photo of the "yellow model" Constellation model's transom. If I can find it, I'll post it. I remember the transom as being festooned with carvings and stars.

At that time, the "yellow ship" Constellation model was displayed next to a model of Old Ironsides, also built to 1/48 scale. Below are some photos of the Constitution model taken at the same time, in 1987 for comparison. The Constellation and Constitution models' construction and finish are so similar that they were likely built by the same person or people in the same workshop. The transom configuration of the Constitution model indicates that this model may be the model Revell used to create its classic 1/96 scale kit. It clearly shares some features of the well-known "Hull Model" but more refined so probably was based on the "Hull Model".

I only wish the technology to take better photos was available to me back in 1987.

 

[Model Monkey]

Below is a Charles Ware drawing from 1816 of the sail plan of USS Congress which is likely very similar if not identical to Constellation's sail plan.

The drawing is a scan obtained from the National Archives.

 

[Model Monkey]

Below is a 1794 drawing of Constellation's figurehead design. The drawing can be downloaded full size from the US Navy Naval Heritage and History Command (click here).