USS Constitution build II - 35 years later

Thanks Mr. Monkey!  Just trying to do her proud.

Bob

Completed most of the main & mizzen topmast standing rigging.  Shrouds, backstays, shifting backstays, and topmast stays & preventer stays.  A bit tricky getting down to those ringbolts at the base of the fore and main masts, but got it done.  Finishing up the footropes, and on to the topgallant masts.

Bob

Well, I have reached a milestone: the standing rigging is now complete!

It only took me 4 years to get to this point, which kind of bums me out.  Makes me think I will never get this finished.  And then I look at how beautiful she looks and think that four years isn't too bad, considering I only get a few hours a week and the occassional weekend time.  So all in all, not really all that shocking, considering the amount of super-detailing I am doing.  As soon as I clean off the workbench (it is covered in little black snippets of thread & rope), I will take some pictures and post.

ON TO THE YARDARMS & SAILS !!

Bob

Absolutely outstanding work Bob!   

Jim 

Stay Safe.

I think that it looks amazing!  Personally, I love to see sails on a sailing ship model but yours with just the standing rigging installed looks incredible and I'd probably just stop there if it was me.

TJS

Fantastic work. I am not a ship guy but that is very impressive. It looks almost real. Lets set the sails and go for a trip.

Bob

Moving on to yard and mast tackle for full rig sail.  Most of the tackle for the gaff and boom are completed.  Moved to Formast jeer and slings.  Big tackle for holding up foreyard: 24" triple blocks.  Jeer is equally as large (9 1/2" rope), but leads to a bullseye.

Take care everyone.

Bob

Started playing with the sails. I attempted to sew in bolt ropes with cringles & clews into the foresail.  Also started adding the reef lines, when I realized that the glue I was using might interfere with staining/weathering of the sails.  So I decided to stain them using Rob's method of dry tea granules to give a randomness to the staining.  To see his video, just click here.  THANKS Rob!  Worked out quite well as you can see.  Also added the first of four anchors.

Bob

what a beautiful job , bob , you should be proud of yourself , his models sails , they look of a very good quality , are they ? so you have to add in all the , clues , wires , etc .

Absolutely stunning work!  Definitely museum quality.

TJS

Thanks for the compliments.

The HiSModel sails are very close to the actual drawings of the sails from the Constitution Museum (with some allowances for the scale).  They are made of cotton batiste cloth, which looks amazing as a sail cloth.  His sewing is also impecable.  BUT - if you want ALL the details, as I am doing this time, you will need to add the bolt ropes, reef lines, cringles and clews yourself.  I start by making the top cringle into the rope, then attach it to the sail with a tiny dab of CA, then sew it into place.  I then measured down to where the corner clew would be and create that and finish sewing the bolt rope down the side and across the bottom of the sail.  When I get close to the other corner, I add the next clew, sew, measure for the final top cringle, and sew.  All cringles and clews have a drop of CA under them and are sewn into the corners.  Then I add all the other cringles and clews.  Finally finish up with the reef lines.  Adds a couple of hours to each sail adding those details, but the end product is very realistic.

Bob

I am totally amazed . That is some fantastic detailing you are doing. You are doing a fantastic job on the whole thing. I am very impressed. Keep up the great work.

Hi Bob! It's been a while, where have all the Connie modelers disappeared to? We haven't seen any progress on Force9's excellent build in a couple of years now. Anyway, your build is coming along beatifully, I love the work on the anchors and cat heads, and while the work you're doing on the sails is impressive, I must admit I would rather see them furled up in the yards so the wonderful detail in the rigging is more visible. It is the way I will be rigging mine, but hey, everyone has a viewpoint on how she should look and that is what makes it so fun. I did Flying Cloud with full sails 30+ years ago and always thought it hid too much of the rigging detail, and that was OOB, so I did Cutty Sark with furled sails. At any rate, I am starting back on on Connie and hopefully will be posting some progress soon, your work has re-inspired me, beatiful work and I look forward toi your next post!

Dan

I teach in a medical school, and the prep time before my classes begins is grueling.  While most get the summer off, I am prepping bodies (yes, I teach gross anatomy & neuroanatomy), cleaning and restocking the lab, and putting together new lectures for the course.  In about 3 weeks, when the course actually starts, I will actually have some free time again.  I have been dabbling here and there, mostly finishing up the one set of ratlines I missed earlier in the build.  And whoever said to wait until most of the rigging is done to do the ratlines must have had one too many pints of grog.  Everything is in the way: sails, running rigging, standing rigging, my own nose even get in the way.

I have great incentive now.  Our IPMS club will be hosting the midwest regional next year, and Wisconsin will be hosting the Nationals.  So I would love to get it done by then.  Never fear, I will be inundating everyone with photos in a few weeks.

And thanks for the kind words.  Force9 really motivated me to push my build to the limit.  I can only hope that my work does the same for others.  And yes, we all have our own "vision" of how we want our finished ships to look.  It wouldn't be much fun if they all looked exactly alike!  Take care.

Bob

Hello Bob -

Just dropping you a quick note to thank you for the excellent rigging tutorial and to let you know that I'm still puttering away on my build... Just had to slow things down while family life got busy during COVID days.

I will certainly leverage your insights when I get to the rigging of my build.

Awesome effort you have going!

Cheers

Evan

So!

 I took over five for the Clipper, Eagle! No, not a plastic kit. I picked her up in Rota, Spain when I traveled through there for a Company called B.P./Shell. She was by a company that does not sell here in the States at all. Shoot they still don't, if they are still around. Anyway, you had to build ALL the Frames and the keel as sub assemblies and then, Put, not only the planks on her but also the Floors(Inner run of planking!.

 All hardware was provided by patterns and teensy blocks of some hardwood seemingly as hard as RedHeart Wood! Broke many a drill bit and dulled saws getting those holes in there and then cut to size. Rounded them by putting them in my rock tumbler with a cap of salt! Used the Tumbler for short runs of cleaning paint off old Tin Soldiers! Glad I had it!

Happy to oblige, Evan.  Once my course gets going next week, I will have some time again to work on her.  I really look forward to building - even rigging - as it helps clear my mind for a few hours.  I get crabby when I can't build! 

Bob

Hi!

       When you have a full schedule, the mundane things like Rigging and building Gratings has a tranquilizing effect on a person, doesn't it?

Yes it does!  And two fingers of a 16 year old Balvenie doesn't hurt either. 

Bob

Been a tough year for getting much modeling done.  Lots of other commitments, mostly at work, but a few at home as well.  I also was appointed VP of the Midwest Model Shipwright's Club, which requires me to put together the online "Ships On Deck" portion of our virtual meetings every month.  Anyway . . . .

Starting laying on sails and hoisting yardarms, so the running rigging has commenced.  Headings on the images describe what I am doing, but I am trying to be as realistic as possible.  This meant using robands for the sails, as well as slings, jeers, trusses, lifts, sheet, clew, tack and bunt lines.  Lots of lines to figure out.  Tying to the sail & yard are the easy parts; finding the correct pinrail is another thing!

Enjoy:

Bob

Hi Bob,

I was a public school teacher for 30 years and know how little time there is for modeling.  A favorite you tube modeler was working on a 1/96 Constitution and sadly he passed away this past week.  His passing has motivated me to get both my 1/120 and 1/196 Constitutions done this year and then I'll move on to the 1/96 kit.  Are you planning on attending the Region 5 regionals in Eagle River in 2023?  I hope to see your model on the table in Madison in 2024.(I live only 80 minutes away)Take care

I am realistically shooting for the Madison Nationals in 2024.  Good motivation.

I've also got a wooden Victory under construction, but that will have to wait a bit more.

Bob

After a lengthy hiatus, which I did not enjoy (work related), I am back at it. Took a few hours to clean up the ship and assess where I left off, then decided to ease myself back into it by prepping the fore topsail. Sewed the brass wire into the bottom of the sail and the bolt rope over it. Not my favorite look, as it was close in color, but not close enough, so I gave it a bit of a paint job to better disguise it. Back to coving with string next time to better simulate rope.  Added all cringles, and started on the reef ropes. Using a scaled image from the US Archives to get accurate points for all cringles and reef points. Then back to finishing the rigging of the fore mainsail - still have a few lines left on the port side to finish.

Bob

Hmmm:

     I love that you are going to such detail, good on you!

Thanks, Tanker.  I told myself that this one would be special.  Frustration level is slightly higher with the increased number of running rigging I have to do, but getting there. 

Went back to finish off all the missing lines on the fore mainsail, including buntlines, clews, etc.  Almost done.

Bob

If you take it to the Nationals, you can tell everyone else to go home.

Unbelievable work! 

Stay safe.

Jim 

Thanks for the compliment, Jim.

I live in Chicago, and Nats are in Milwaukee next year.  2 hour drive.

Now HOW do I transport something of this size, weight and delicacy safely?  Haven't even taken it to a local meeting since the masts went up.  I cringe at the thought!

But I do want to take it there (assuming I ever finish it!)

Bob

After several tough days of threading rigging blocks and such, the fore topsail is done.  A few sample pics below.

Now on to the Topgallant sail & yard!  Yard has had all blocks attached, stunsail irons, and footropes.  Sail was completed like all the previous ones (just a lot fewer reef lines!).

That's it for now.  Getting the hang of this again.  Plus fewer ropes the higher you go.

Bob

I just stumbled on your thread, was about halfway through it when I realized you started this over 5 years ago! But with the level of detail you’ve poured into her, you’re actually making pretty good speed. I couldn’t accomplish half of this in 20 years.

This truly is a work of art worthy of a museum, and not just any museum!

With this build you’ve inspired me. Inspired me to never, ever, start the one I have in my stash! Mine would be such a pale shadow, it’d be practically invisible!
So thanks for that!

Please keep up the amazing job and posts, I look forward to seeing her done!