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USS Constitution Night Lighting

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  • Member since
    July 2013
USS Constitution Night Lighting
Posted by vacotton on Saturday, August 31, 2013 9:01 AM

Does anyone know if the 1812-1815 USS Constitution was outfitted with running lights or stern lanterns like I have seen on other contemporary ships?   Also, how were the decks lit at night?

Thanks,  Verne (vacotton)

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Saturday, August 31, 2013 4:41 PM

There are pretty straightforward answers to two of those three questions.  First, running lights (red port, green starboard) weren't introduced until well into the nineteenth century; I've never seen a representation of them before at least the 1850s.  Second, she might conceivably have had one or more stern lanterns (they were in use in the early nineteenth century), but I can't recall seeing any painting or drawing that suggests that she did.  Third, it would be normal to have a few lanterns burning on the lower decks at night - in the officers' cabins certainly, and probably here and there on the gundeck and berthdeck.  But almost certainly not on the spar deck (the weather deck).  The only lights you'd normally see there would be in the binnacles, to illuminate the compasses.

Apart from the stern lanterns (if any) there certainly was no "lighting system."  Things that needed to be illuminated would be lit with portable lanterns; that's it.

Hope that helps a little.

Incidentally, I was interested to read your earlier post about your long-time relationship with the Mariners' Museum.  It is indeed a great place.  But with regard to my having left it, I think all I'd better say is that the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.  I've never regretted leaving.

Later edit:  I got curious about the first appearance of navigation lights, and looked them up on Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigation_light ).  Looks like, as I suspected, they made their first appearance on board American steamships in the late 1830s and sailing ships a decade later.  If I remember, right, the big model of the whaler Lagoda in the New Bedford Whaling Museum has red and green lights in her mizzen shrouds.  That's the earliest example I can recall seeing.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    July 2013
Posted by vacotton on Saturday, August 31, 2013 10:16 PM

Well, John.  I understand what you mean about green grass.  It's one thing to visit a place as a kid, it's another to work there.

This is great information about the introduction of running lights in 1830.  

I have another question that you might be able to answer.  My ancestor Wm. Cotton came to Strawberrie Banke (sic), NH in 1630 and probably on the barque Warwick,10  which was either owned or chartered by the Laconia Company.  Governor Winthrop mentions the vessel in his memoirs.  I would love to run the plans down or any other information about this vessel and then scratch build it as a tribute to the NH Cottons.

If you have any information or leads to find this ship, I would be most grateful.

Again thanks for your helpful information,

Verne

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Sunday, September 1, 2013 10:52 AM

Ships of that era would have oil lamps/lanterns.  Light would be a yellow/orange.  White LEDs would be a little too white- it might be hard to match.  Grain of wheat bulbs would be a better appearance.  Maybe with a small dropping resistance, or lowered voltage to yellow them up a bit (lower voltage would make them last longer too, since GOW bulbs do burn out and need replacement periodically.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    July 2013
Posted by vacotton on Sunday, September 1, 2013 12:01 PM

HI Don,

I was just getting ready to study this today.  I have never really attempted this before.  So it will be yet another voyage of discovery for me.

Your observations are very helpful as I would have never thought of playing with the voltage or resistance values.  

Thanks for your helpful advise.

Verne

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, September 1, 2013 12:55 PM

There are good yellow or amber LED lamps to be found. When I installed lighting in my Victory I ran two strips of that same copper tape that I used on the hull: down the length of the underside of the upper gun decks, about a 1/4" apart. I took my LEDs and determined the polarity, clipped the leads to about 1/4" each, splayed them apart and stuck them across the tape lines with short pieces of tape. The stuff is conductive on the face but not from the sticky side.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    July 2013
Posted by vacotton on Sunday, September 1, 2013 1:37 PM

Hi G,

I am totally at a loss where to begin here.  I downloaded a couple of articles recommending the Velleman MK167 processor which would provide flickering lights, etc.  it seemed that each processor only ran 3 lights.  They spoke of "potting boards" and all such things. This seems a little bit beyond me.

It sounds like your approach is a lot simpler.  Can you give me a step by step?

What I have in mind is at minimum lighting the Captain's after room, the wardroom, and maybe a couple of lights on the gundeck.

Thanks,

Verne

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, September 1, 2013 3:00 PM

Also a well trimmed lamp doesn't flicker so I didn't add any effects

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, September 1, 2013 3:02 PM

Sure I will when I get home.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    January 2012
  • From: Atlanta Metro, Georgia
Posted by fright on Friday, May 20, 2016 8:27 PM

Hello GMorrison - I came across your post about your wiring lights to your Victory model. I'm attempting to build the Constitution as my 1st sailing ship build and I would like to use yellow or amber lights for the Captain's cabin and gun deck. My electrical skills are are pretty frightening Confused. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing  how you did your wiring/lighting with me and/or if you already have it posted? Also, do you have pictures of your HMS Victory posted? I'd love to take a look. Many thanks for your time and I appreciate any tips I can find. Cheers!

 

Robert O

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Saturday, May 21, 2016 12:23 AM

Take a look at the Pete Coleman site, for "Bill's Victory". Thank you for following this.

I used 12 volt yellow LED bulbs, about four per deck. They run off of a DC battery. You are looking at the overhead- the deck is flipped upside down.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Sunday, May 22, 2016 8:00 PM
We had, in another thread here--which I of course cannot find now, where one of our noble group took a flickering tea light to get at how it worked. Turns out that those flickering LED candles use one constant LED, and one flickering to achieve that effect. Given that you can buy the LED candles can be hadrelatively cheaply, that can be simpler than finding electronics kits and the like.
  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, May 22, 2016 8:36 PM

Mayflower, but Constitutions lamps most certainly didn't flicker. Flicker leads to fire.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    October 2005
Posted by CG Bob on Sunday, May 22, 2016 9:36 PM

A good source for LEDs for hobby use is Evan Designs/Model Train Software.  They have several sizes and shapes of LEDs', wire, switches, etc.  I used some of their surface mount chip LED's for the gallery lights on my NAUTILUS model.  I got the ones wired for 6-12 VDC; they have dropping resistors already installed.  It was then just a matter of connecting all the red leads to the red battery lead, and black or green to black.  The LEDs in the pilothouse are standard round ones.

 

Here's a picture with the LEDs and shop lights on.

Here's the same shot with the LEDs on and the shop lights off.

 

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Lacombe, LA.
Posted by Big Jake on Monday, May 23, 2016 12:46 PM

IF I'm not mistaken, the Hull Model of the the ship has stern lanterns, At least from what I remember seeing in the Constitution museum. It was supposed to be the oldest model og the ship given to Comm. Hull.

 

 

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Monday, May 23, 2016 3:35 PM

Jake, I'm afraid your memory's getting almost as bad as mine. I found some photos of the Hull model on the web. No stern lanterns.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    January 2012
  • From: Atlanta Metro, Georgia
Posted by fright on Monday, June 6, 2016 9:49 PM

GMorrison -Thank you for taking the time to share your pics on lighting technique!

 

Robert O

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 12:29 AM

Sure thing. I thought it worked very well.

One little glitch was that I replaced the Heller plastic deck beams with brass tubes (square) that had a camber bent into them. I had to insulate the upper surface where my light strips ran over them- no big deal.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    March 2013
Posted by Marcus.K. on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 3:29 PM

I remember President beimg shown in some beautiful french paintings with a latern at stern .. found it - USS President by Baugean - look at the stern - you see the latern. The sisterships probably would have had the same.

 USS President by Baugean

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