USS Constitution 1:70 Scratch

Uwek said:
maybe interesting to read for you

ussconstitutionmuseum.org

Through the Hawse Hole - USS Constitution Museum

Join us on July 23, as we celebrate “Old Ironsides’” much-anticipated return to the water! On that night, Dry Dock 1 will be filled and USS Constitution will. . .
ussconstitutionmuseum.org ussconstitutionmuseum.org

The photograph below, taken on November 11, 1974, after Constitution had been refloated from Dry Dock 1 in the Charlestown Navy Yard, shows what appears to be a Navy Yard worker (in the hard hat with number “63”) installing an inner flange on the port hawse pipes. The cast iron hawse pipes are, essentially, sleeves that fit into the holes cut through the three layers of oak that make up Constitution‘s hull structure. The outboard flange is cast to the body of the hawse pipe. However, there is no inboard flange cast to the pipe body, which may be one reason the 1971 drawing was made. At that time, in the early 1970s, it may have been determined that the hawse pipes needed to have inner flanges that could be through-bolted to the outer flange, thereby locking the hawse pipe securely into the ship’s bow.
View attachment 428043
Charlestown Navy Yard workers on USS Constitution’s gun deck, November 11, 1974. The worker in the hard hat may be setting an inner hawse pipe flange in place. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]
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A very interesting document, Uwe. Thank you for sharing.
 
Since I don't have a detailed plan, I have to build the ship by looking at the images on the internet. While manufacturing each part, I take the measurements from the model, first draw the manufacturing drawing and produce the parts accordingly.

In this case, I now have to build the gun deck and spar deck together to ensure the stuff on th gun deck are in proper position with the spar deck beams. As a strategy, I chose to start from the bow of the ship and move towards the stern.

To ensure the stability of the ship, three different knees are used between the decks: vertical, horizontal and diagonal. I will need to manufacture each of these knees by taking measurements on the model.

It will be a long and difficult journey. :)


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Mastery is not something that appears fully formed, like Athena from the mind of Zeus. It kind of creeps up on you after years of practice so you hardly notice. It begins with a sincere appreciation of what it is you're working on. You clearly have that.
So, it's no wonder that you're surprised when others take notice of your accomplishment, having caught you unaware, as it were.
I've spent my working life around examples of fine woodworking spanning several centuries. (I had the good luck of walking into the right antique furniture dealer in the right place at the right time around 1980 and they gave me a chance, liked what they saw, and put me to work.) So please accept my sincere appreciation of your skills.

Pete
 
Peter Gutterman said:
Mastery is not something that appears fully formed, like Athena from the mind of Zeus. It kind of creeps up on you after years of practice so you hardly notice. It begins with a sincere appreciation of what it is you're working on. You clearly have that.
So, it's no wonder that you're surprised when others take notice of your accomplishment, having caught you unaware, as it were.
I've spent my working life around examples of fine woodworking spanning several centuries. (I had the good luck of walking into the right antique furniture dealer in the right place at the right time around 1980 and they gave me a chance, liked what they saw, and put me to work.) So please accept my sincere appreciation of your skills.

Pete
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Thank you again for your nice thoughts. It's an honor to hear these from a master like you.
 
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As I install the vertical knees, I will also add the gun tackles. I couldn't do this before because the tackle hooks are connected to the eyebolts attached to the knees.

I don't plan on adding rope coils to the gun tackles. Maybe I'll add these to the guns on the spar deck.

Of course, like everything else, I am making the blocks and hooks myself. :)

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The bowsprit bitts and the beam to which they were fixed were painted and mounted in place. The beam at the forward end has been prepared.

In the meantime, I continue to prepare the gun tackles and add them to the guns.


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