Revell 1/96 USS Constitution

Please show us some of your work.

Hi. I,m 75 and also have type 2 diabetes. Right now I am finishing the Trumpeter 1/200 Uss Ariazona and have the Revell 1/96 Connie as well as the Billings Boat plank on frame Cutty Sark in the process of rigging. I am sure I will get them finished and have plans to start a 1/48 B17g, a 1/48 P51, and a 1/48 0s2u Kingfisher. Beyond that who knows!. I have built numerous HO scale buildings and cars but never had room for a layout..

OK, thaks again CapnMac.

Chuck

You had asked about "pdr" (either here or the other thread).

That is an abbreviation for "pounder" which is a reference to the shot size used by a given cannon.  It's also a "left handed" way of referring to bore size as well, since a given number of pounds of iron must needs be a given diameter in spherical form.

24pdr fired a 24 pound shot, a bit bigger than 4" in diameter.  Want to remember that took 5-6# of powder, and the carriage and gun runs to about 2000#.

Ditto to both Cap'n Mac's and Rich's responses.

Bill

You have Capt Mac's reply which is far more sophisticated and detailed than anything I would come up with. I just replaced all the spars 1/8" or less with dowels, which I tapered by hand. I didn't replace the plastic ratlines. I installed LED oil lanterns on the fighting tops and mast bases, so I used the hollow plastic masts to carry the wiring.

The other parts I replaced: The plastic dolphin striker, with dowels, the forecastle & quarterdeck plastic stanchions and amidship rails with formed copper wire, and the gun barrels with blackened brass. 

Everything else was as supplied.

Boy, do I have some ship vernacular to learn. I will by the time I complete this.

Well, I never managed to bend the lower or top masts, or their yards.

Topgallants and above, I'm not sure that it might not be easier to set up RTV moulds to the kit parts and cast them with steel or brass rod for the cores.

Worst parts for breakage (as I remember it) were the pole mast above the 'flying' royals, the 'flying' jib boom, and every stunsail part bar none.

Were I doing an OOB, I'd leave off topgallants and royals and the flying jib boom, and all the stun'sail parts, and rig everything else first.

Mind you, Connie was the first kit i tried rigging "backwards"--that is starting from belaying pin to the other termination.  This tends to take excess pressure out of the process, and also keeps ham-sized mitts out of spaces crowded with breakable bits.  not perfect, not imperfect, either--just something I do/did.

Thanks so much for your wise suggestions. One more thought- to reduce the time and risk it would take to get the wooden masts and yards shaped just right, I could mill a slot along the bottom of each mast and yard, insert a small steel rod and then fill and paint. No one would be the wiser Ollie. What do you think?

Chuck

If you go with wood, it's better to find fin grain wood like bass, lime, apple, and dowels are not your friend.

Yards are tapered, and also have a number of faces and flats on them.  Masts are also tapered, with even more faces and flats upon them.

Those tapers can be hard to achieve on die-drawn dowels, for the way the drawing process compresses the wood fibers.

It's actually mush simpler to take a square, and plane it to an octagon, then a "16th-agon" then "32nd-agon" and then to round than to plane flats on round dowel, then taper the dowels to need and suit.

You can make an appliance, by cuting/routing a 90º "V" in a block of wood and installing a screw or pin as a stop.  Clamp the fixture to the bench, place the square stock in, and plane the top edge down to need.  Rotate to work on the next edges.  A router ot table saw will make the "V" cuts, you probably need 1/16"; 1/8"; and 1/4" deep cuts to handle Connie's spars.

Really, the plastic masts on the connie are good to the topmasts.  The topgallants get skinny, and, you then run into the issue on whether or not the royal masts are stepped the way the kit has them.  (Similar issue with whether there is a stepped flying jibboom over the standing jibboom.)

Unfortunately, I've managed to misplace my 'crib sheet' of the 6/8 sizes of line wanted for connie.  Having eight "feels" very nautical for being rivet-counter precise, but the sizes can be hard to keep straight on the bench, let alone the rigging diagrams.  Six sizes can be simpler, it being hard to discern the differences in 7, 8, & 9" circumference line at 1:96--and IIRC there's like 20, 22 different sizes of line "to spec" on a ship like Connie.

To your specific question, the rat lines probably ought to be visually 1/4 or smaller than the main shrouds.  So, if you were using  0.08" shrouds (about 8" dia), you'd 'want' 0.02" ratlines.  The ratlines should be a constant diameter for all the masts, even though the shrouds (might be) are smaller.

In some ways, this kit is tough on a rivet-counter.  Details that matter, like the hull thickness at the gun ports, the shape of the gun carriages, the whole port lid controversy can get in a person's way of completing this kit.  Change just one thing, and a body will start going, "Well, now I ought change [that other]" and you wind up with most of the sprues still left in the box <G>

Rich, in the many articles I've read on the connie, modelers suggest that I replace the plastic masts with wooden dowels for strength, which makes sense. What diameter dowels would be appropriate? Also, what type and what diameter thread should I use for the rat lines?

Chuck

Mike, in the many articles I've read on the connie, modelers suggest that I replace the plastic masts with wooden dowels for strength, which makes sense. What diameter dowels would be appropriate? Also, what type and what diameter thread should I use for the rat lines?

Chuck

Bill, in the many articles I've read on the connie, modelers suggest that I replace the plastic masts with wooden dowels for strength, which makes sense. What diameter dowels would be appropriate?

Chuck

Chucker

I know this is late Rich, but thanks.

Chuck

U R Welcome!

I know this is late Rich, but thanks.

Chuck

OK Bill. I just got my computer back up after ferreting out a nasty virus that crept in.

Chuck

I've also just begun this kit, lol, several months ago, so far, well the cannons are assembled and painted.  Truth is I've only just gotten back in the hobby, and I started with a bang, got the 1:96 constitution off Fleabay for $30.  Also have the big Cutty sark, not sure which of those I should be tackling first, but ships with cannons are just so appealing. I'm still gathering info on this, we should trade anything we find.

I'd love to post pictures here, but don't see anyway to accomplish this.  Am I missing something, there is a insert media button, but all it wants is urls. Certainly you can post pictures.

Chuck,

I teach U.S. and World History, and Civics.  I also play bass guitar and I sing.  I own a Peavey BXP5 5-string and a Hoffner 4-string, with a Line 6 300 watt amp.

My diabetes has affected my eyesight to the point that I have difficulties building a 1/700 scale ship with PE.  I build 1/150 to 1/96 scale sailing ships and 1/350 scale modern ships.  I am currently scratchbuilding a 1/96 scale HMS Cleopatra, 28-gun frigate, using the plans by model shipyard.  It is my first attempt at scratchbuilding, but since the manufacturers will not provide us with new kits, I am trying this approach.

Anyway, please keep us informed about your progress on your Connie; many of us are willing to help!

Bill

Bill,

I too have type 2 diabetes which has progressed to daily insulin shots. The worst of my conditions with respect to modeling is know as "Essential Tremors" which make the hands shake like a feeble old man. I take medication for this that helps, but still it takes me longer than most to product a quality model.

I was a teenager in the middle 50's to the early 60's and had my own rock band for four years while in high school. I not only played guitar, but bought a Fender Jazz Mater Bass with Baseman amp. Quite spendy for a teenager (I always had a part time and summer job), but I could always find a gig when my group wasn't playing.

What subject do you teach?

Chuck

Chuck,

I believe that age is a state of mind; I tell my high school students that I am 57 going on younger than they are!  Yes, I too have a debilitating disease (Diabetes, Type II), but I'll be damned if I let it get me down.  I have my own rock band (suitably called "Midlife Crisis"), and I stay as active as various injuries and poor eyesight allow.  Unfortunately, I never seem to have as much time as I want for my models (I work on them one hour per day).

Anyway, good luck on your "Connie"; if you need any help, just ask.

Bill

Thanks for the offer Bill, but I'm focused on the Constitution. It's my greatest challenge yet.

57? You're just a kid! I'll be 70 next month. Yep, you'll finish them all and what an heirloom to pass on to your kids one day.

Chuck

Chuck,

I have built aircraft and armor, and I sold my unbuilt collection of those types of models to concentrate on my vast ship model collection.  The aircraft and armor kits numbered over 80; my ship collection is over 250 (it includes wood, plastic, and resin).  Anyway, at 57, I believe I have an outside chance to finish them.

I will be happy to copy and send the other chapters on sailing ships from the Wilkins book.

Bill

Bill, I don't know if you have also built model aircraft, but if you have then you know that ships are much more difficult. Because of situations in my life, I have twenty-eight 1/48 plastic aircraft kits (mainly Tamiya and Hasegawa), three quality 1/350 ships, 1/35 armor and both 1/350 and 1/48 figures, several dioramas, photo=etch frets and other kits I purchased over ten years ago that have never built and I'm at the age where I will never be able to build them due to health conditions. 

This USS Constitution will be one of my last models and my most ambitious project. In addition to what you where so kind to send me, I have scowered the web for all articles, ideas and tips on how to build the kit which will surely save me a lot of headaches. I'm retired so the connie will be my cold Minnesota winter project. I will have the time to take my time if our country hasn't gone under by then.

Thanks again,

Chuck

Chuck,

It is my pleasure!  I will do anything I can to advance the fine art of modeling sailing ships!

Bill

Hello Bill,

I received the article you sent and I want to thank you. It has great tips in it to avoid mistakes and make a better model. I am indebted to you.

Chuck

Jake, went to your site and saw all of your photos. Thanks for the show.

Chuck

Thanks so much Bill. I'm going on a fishing trip in northern Minnesota in the morning and won't be back until Sunday. I'll look forward to seeing it. I will compensate you for it.

Chuck

Chuck,

I sent the chapter on building the USS Constitution as USS President.  You might not want to do that conversion, but the build is very much the same.  You should have the chapter on Saturday.

Bill

Chucker

Thanks Rich. What great support I've received on this site for both aircraft and ship models. I have quite a collection of WWII 1/48 Aircraft and 1/350 Ships fron all nations envoled. Looks like you're just about 40 miles east of Springfield. Hope you're having a cooler summer than most of the nation.

Chuck in Minnesota

Terrible! Triple digit temperatures, no rain, pond drying up.