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USS Constitution - Model Shipway’s Kit No.: MS2040

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bensid54

Wed Jun 20 2018, 02:59am

Registered Member #2957

Joined: Wed Jun 13 2012, 05:43am
Posts: 932

Nice work. I was looking at the last picture and thought to myself why is his ladder sitting on some sort of tile floor? I just needed an adjustment in my perspective then I figured it out.

jacknastyface2

Wed Jun 20 2018, 05:21am

Registered Member #5239

Joined: Sat Apr 21 2018, 05:29pm
Posts: 72

Years ago I did a "how to" on this subject. I am lucky to have a Preac and will try to dig it up later. However you are on the right track. Keep it up!

Keith.

bensid54

Thu Jun 21 2018, 05:31am

Registered Member #2957

Joined: Wed Jun 13 2012, 05:43am
Posts: 932

I'll do my best Jack!

Jonathan G

Sat Aug 04 2018, 09:06pm

Registered Member #4155

Joined: Thu Mar 14 2013, 09:01pm
Posts: 862

It’s been over a month since my last post. My life has been turned a little topsy-turvy due to my back issue. I’ve been diagnosed with a curvature of the lumbar region of my spine with degenerative disc disease and at least one herniated disc so now I walk with a slight hunch and a bit of pain (sometimes more, sometimes less). The CAT scans and X-rays were not pretty. The good news is that the physical therapy has helped reduce the pain, so I can stand and walk for longer periods of time. Thankfully I get almost total relief when I sit. I was told that if surgery is in my future, it will be complicated and very risky. Oh joy.

That being said, I did manage to move forward with build by completing all the stairs going to the berth deck. For something most viewers won’t even see unless they look really close, Still, I had to put in a fair amount of detail. I even prepared the forward-facing wall of the Captain’s cabin complex. It is like the transom cabin with printed detail due to its inaccessibility to the viewer.

Jonathan G

Sat Aug 04 2018, 09:09pm

Registered Member #4155

Joined: Thu Mar 14 2013, 09:01pm
Posts: 862

Cannonball Racks

After I added the printed detail on the Captain’s cabin complex, I realized I hadn’t installed the Wardroom skylight grating. I then realized that now would be the most opportune time to add the cannonball racks to the skylight.

Because the kit did not provide anything to construct the gun deck, I needed something to represent the cannonballs. Taking a cue from xKen’s (a.k.a. Ken Forman, ModelShipWorld.com) build, I purchased some black 2 mm ball ball-chain from the jewelry section of Hobby Lobby. The ball size is close enough for this scale.

Jonathan G

Sat Aug 04 2018, 09:14pm

Registered Member #4155

Joined: Thu Mar 14 2013, 09:01pm
Posts: 862

Since the chain was already colored black, no color preparation was required. All that was needed was to cut the appropriate length of chain. When laid down on the side of the skylight, the chain was push together so that the links were not visible. In fact, the links made handling quite easy.

At this point I had a decision to make: add the ball racks or not. My modeler’s gut reaction was to at least attempt to make them. The practical side said no, no one will see them due to the awkward viewing angle and lighting, not to mention how difficult and delicate they would be to make; at least not on the gun deck, maybe on the spar deck.

That was all fine and good for the skylight, but if the cannon balls are to be installed there, I should also install them on the other appropriate hatches. They, however, would be a bit more difficult since they were already installed on the gun deck. By tipping the hull frame on its sides I was able to place and glue the balls into position with CA glue. For those balls which had to be installed on the for and aft sides of the hatches, the hull frame was supported on its transom and stem

Jonathan G

Fri Aug 10 2018, 08:12pm

Registered Member #4155

Joined: Thu Mar 14 2013, 09:01pm
Posts: 862

I thought I was done with the gun deck gratings, but upon checking the Navy plans, it seems I missed one. This was labeled “scuttle” on the plans and it is just aft of the bowsprit support. This one’s a little different from the hatchway gratings as its grating is raised above the scuttle side walls and is painted.

Jonathan G

Fri Aug 10 2018, 08:14pm

Registered Member #4155

Joined: Thu Mar 14 2013, 09:01pm
Posts: 862

The beveled frame pieces were glued individually to the inner frame. I know this could have been done with four pieces of stock instead of eight, but my problem was the bevel. I don’t have a proper tool to cut a bevel along the length of a piece of wood accurately. I was able the cut the bevel on the outer frame with my disk sander.