USS Constitution Question

nfafan

So how do you like your Big Connie?

Wow, wow, wow is all I can say.  This is my very first sailing ship and so I feel somewhat intimidated right now.....but when I do start building, I am sure I am going to enjoy it as long as my sanity stays with me.

RODC

So how do you like your Big Connie?

Well, a rather large package arrived for me today from the ebay seller I won the USS Constitution from.  Box was never opened with original shrink wrap still on it and in great shape.  This is a beast! Box measures 29" long!  I was actually shocked at how big the box was.  I had a feeling it would be a fairly large kit, but didn't realize exactly how big!

Even better, the original sale sticker was still on the box......$74.99!  I won the kit for $30.00 + $20 shipping so I think I did alright!

The kit is Revell # 85-0398.  Although I have not done a lot of research, it would seem that there were several Revell Constitutions sold at this scale.  Were they all the same and just different reboxes or do the various kits have different features/qualities such as a deluxe kit versus a standard kit?  If so, where would the kit I purchased fit into that scheme?

nfafan

Gotta wonder if anyone makes turned brass cannons in 1/96th...  

Keep in mind that the large cannons on a ship like the Constitution would not have been made from brass, they would have been bronze or iron.  Bronze looks quite a bit different than brass.  There are some available (don't know if sizes are appropriate) that are some sort of metal with a bronze plating.  Cast bronze is not super shiny nor glossy, so can be duplicated with paint reasonably well.  Visit bronze statues in your area to study the appearance of bronze.  Iron cannon were pretty much a solid black.

Anyone know whether period Constitution cannons were bronze or iron?

I ditto Mark's comments.  I did plank my decks; it is so much better than the plastic ones.  And, I used wood blocks and metal eyebolts.  One basic modification that should be made is to "thicken" the gunports with plastic strips as in the recent HMS Victory thread. It adds a tremendous amount of realism.

Good luck and you made a terrific buy!

Bill Morrison

nfafan

Gotta wonder if anyone makes turned brass cannons in 1/96th... 

Lots of places do, the trick is finding the right "look" of cannon.

A 12 pounder cannon in 1/48 scale is not a 24 pounder in 1/96.  And, to keep things muddy, the cannons are sold by some sort of overall length, and whether that includes or excludes the cascabel appears to be the subject of whim and catalog copy authors.

If any go the mail order route, please, learn from my travails, and get them one (or one package) at a time until you find the one you like best.

Note that, for Connie, you'll need Blacken-It to get the barrels the right color.

And, with that much effort invested, you will then face the fact that the gun carriages are supposed to taper to match the gun, and not be parallel as the kit's are.

Rivet-counting gets to be nesting-dolls cans of worms on kits like this. 

Like the hull is no where near thick enough at the gunports (ought to be 1/8 to 3/16' thick, round numbers)--check out the thread on building the Airfix Victory here for some efforts to correct  the "look" of it.

Now, one way to cope with the complexity of rigging is to leave a bunch off.  Now, that means wandering a long way off the kit instructions.  But, it's really not too far.  Rather than assemble all of the mast parts, just start with the lower masts, just the bowsprit.  Then, install just the standing rigging for those parts.  This will make a pretty impressive and nautical-looking display.  It also gives a very achievable goal, one with about elbenty-dozen fewer fragile and easily broken bits in the way.

Further, if a person wanted, a person could then raise and rig the topmasts, the jib-boom.  Which also allows for stopping and studying all the various books on rigging and the like.    Let a person decide if they really want to rig that flying jib-boom, or the pole Royal mast arrangement Revell uses. 

But, that's me; others differ.

nfafan

Gotta wonder if anyone makes turned brass cannons in 1/96th...  

Cornwall Model Boats, in the UK. You can google their web site.

Hmmmm.....I think I now know why I got this kit so cheap

Thanks for all the info guys.  I'm sure that once I start to build, I will have many more questions.  This is what I like about FSM Forum, not matter what the question, no matter how stupid it may be, someone will have the answer.  What a wonderful forum to be involved with!

RODC

A full sailing ship (especially a true ship- three masts all square rigged) is a lot of work, but very nice when it is finished.  You may risk burnout, however.  If you start feeling overwhelmed, especially when rigging, find a good shelf to store it on for awhile and do something different for awhile.  I almost never finish a major ship in one time on the bench. It is on bench for a month or so, then on the shelf for a couple of months, then back on the bench for awhile, and so on.  Rigging a ship like that will take more time than all the assembly and painting leading up to rigging.

However, be aware that rigging involves some learning of your fingers.  Sort of like sewing, knitting and such.  The first couple of hours of rigging will be very slow, but the work then will accelerate considerably.  If you take a month or more off, then when you pick up, it will take some time again to train the hands and fingers.  However, the risk of burnout is high enough that I still recommend putting it on the shelf for awhile when you sense your patience wearing thin.

There have been numerous threads here on this kit over the years, which you can find using the seach function.  Lots of good information if you take the time to read through them,

One of the more challenging aspects of the kit is dealing with the multi-piece decks.  I've toyed with the idea of replacing the plastic decks with single-piece wood or plastic subdecks and then planking them with wood.

The most tedious part of the kit is definitely assembling all the guns

I'd suggest replacing all the eyebolts and blocks with metal and wood replacements from someplace like Model Expo.  The plastic pieces aren't very strong and require a lot of clean-up.

For a kit in this scale I'd also suggest tossing the pre-formed shrouds and ratlines and actually rigging them yourself - it takes some time, but will look infinitely better.

Good luck.  This kit can be build up into a beautiful model with some time and patience.

Mark

I now have 2 of the 1/96th Connies; one with vacuformed sails, and an even older kit to be built at anchor, "standing rigging". I had no idea this Revell boxing existed, it even included a booklet on the history of the Constitution. This kit was tossed in with an eBay win (unopened Monogram/Imai 1/120th Connie) as a surprise bonus kit.

Anyway, from handling the two different 1/96th Revell Connies - I can see where getting the hull halves to fit will be a challenge. That plus the multi-part deck sections and the seams of the cannon halves - even on the ancient kit - that will need some work as they are assembled.

Gotta wonder if anyone makes turned brass cannons in 1/96th...  

RODC,

I should add that I paid $75.00 for my kit. I bought it at a hobby shop here in Oregon, U.S.A. Assuming your kit is complete (If it's unopened then it sounds like it would be) you got yourself a bargain!

Mike S.

RODC,

I have been trying to build the 1/96 USS Constitition since last December. I've made a major mistake in the build and several minor ones but I'm on the last page of running rigging and should have her finished by the end of October.

I haven't tried building a plastic model since I was a teenager (50 years ago). So, I am not sure what you are looking to find out but there are several on this forum who are experienced modelers and who have built the model of which you speak. I'm sure if you ask specific questions someone will help you. Several people have been very helpful to me in my build.

Mike Stolting