USS Constitution build II - 35 years later

Glad I could be of service.  Good luck with your build!  We want to see pics.

Bob

Thanks Bob. You have provided me just the info and confidence I need. I hope to do an OOB build!

Shipwreck,

Also, if you are using the original deck that came with the ship (3 pieces), you can reinforce the joints underneath using sheet styrene.  Just leave them short of the mounting points on the inside of the hull so it doesn't change the height of the gun deck relative to the spar deck.  Since it is below, it will never be seen and can be fairly beefy.  I did this to the plastic deck so I would have an accurate template to make my wooden deck from.  I have test fit both the glued-up OEM plastic and my reinforced (single piece) wooden deck several times with no major problems.

Bob

Shipwreck,

The gun deck is the tricky one, since it is wider than the spar deck and doesn't seem to want to fit in the hull.  You can NOT slide it in from the back, unless you are really brave and want to spread the stern apart that wide.  With all my wiring below the gun deck (and berth deck, which I added), there was no way to slide in from the rear anyway.

I have test fit the gun deck a couple of times by putting it in at a slight angle side-to-side, with the bow end just an inch or two from the head area.  You will have to spread apart the sides of the ship to get it to drop in, and then slide it forward until it reaches the front of the hull.  The first time I did it, it was a bit scary.  Make sure your hull halves are WELL GLUED, especially near the stern.  I used the plastic styrene cement to get the hull halves together, then ran a full bead of clear gorilla glue down the whole keel.  Twice.  With a 24 hour cure time in between.  Probably overkill, but I didn't want the hull ever coming apart.  I used the small metal office clips to hold it all in place the whole time.  Then sanded off any irregularities in the keel and rescribed the copper plating where it got sanded off.

I can send or post some pictures this evening of the extra mounting points I added to help support the gun deck.  Just 3/16" styrene strips since the three or four molded points just seemed a bit weak to me.  I also beefed up the thickness of the hull, but left the final plank next to the gun deck off until after it is permanently mounted.  This will make it easier to slip in place AND lock it in place once added.

Hope that helps.

Bob

Luvspinball

Installing the decks is next, since I have everything (I hope) I need to get that done.

Bob thanks for your comments on mounting the guns to the deck. You mentioned that you will be working on the decks. I just can not figure out how to assemble (with fixed seams) the decks, especially the wide gun deck, and get them into the hull. The kit instructions say to snap each section in individually, a book on the subject says to slide them in the stern! Do you have any ideas on this? Thanks For your consideration.

Gene, thanks for the compliments.  If I built it a few more times, I could certainly come up with a "system" that I could pass along, but since this is really just a single build for myself, it would be a more time than I have.  I used to do that for the pinball stuff I built; one or two for myself to get it down, then semi-mass production for sale at my cost plus a bit extra for the effort.

Shipwreck, I plan on stealing Gene's idea/method of inserting a rod through the cannon stock and a small hole in the deck.  Just have to watch out for the lantern lighting  on the gun deck hanging from the ceiling.

Installing the decks is next, since I have everything (I hope) I need to get that done.  Then it will finally look like a ship!

Bob

Bob, All your work is really beautiful. The lighting I will have to do without (unless you do it for me) because I have trouble turning a light on. In reguards to your wifes shoes & wine, she will wear the shoes out & drrink the wine, but you still have all your models left.

   My wife loves flowers & every year they die, but I still have a house full of models & have fun too.      

     Gene

Been quite busy with work and holiday prepping, but managed to get a few small items done, such as the spar deck cannons.  Started working on the port side gun deck doors as well.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Bob

 Still a bit of sanding to do.  And I need to screw & glue the two sections together.

Bob

So I need to finish the mounting for the ship so I can start putting the decks in the hull.  Not finding anything I liked out there at a reasonable price AND the size and shape I wanted, I decided to build my own.  I stopped by the local Woodcraft store, where they have a huge variety of unique and special sizes of all types of wood, I found a gorgeous piece of mahogany (10" x 36" x 1") with straight grain and no knots.  Picked up a second piece (6" x 36") so I could double-up around the edges (and make it look 2" thick).  Trimmed the 10" piece to 34" and routered a nice edge onto it.  Then I cut the 6" piece into 3 @ 2" wide, and mitered the corners, so it sits proud of the large piece by about 1/2" all around.  Now the tough part: What stain or oil finish to use?  Pics to follow shortly.

Bob

Nino

 What else can you do with your time and extra income that might otherwise be spent on womens shoes...

     Jim.

 

Last time we went on vacation, there was a separate suitcase for shoes and make-up.  Not sure what you mean by "extra income" though.... My wife's hobbies appear to be collecting wine and shoes, while mine are golf, pinball and modeling.  At least she can wear the shoes and drink the wine!

Modeling definitely keeps me out of trouble.  The other benefit is that it keeps my fine motor skills up to par, which is important for my job.  So there is a side benefit for me.

Bob

Luvspinball

Flint,

... I have also had my fair share of experimentation and starting over on things that didn't quite work out.  But that is part of fun, right?

 

Flint,

As I may have mentioned before, I have a lot of experience lighting very small toys on pinball machines.  I even lit up the ships I have on top of my "Pirates of the Caribbean" machine.  Most are tied into specific game circuits, so they relate to your progress in the game.  Just what everyone needs on a pinball machine - more blinking lights!  I have also had my fair share of experimentation and starting over on things that didn't quite work out.  But that is part of fun, right?

Great work Bob. Very impressed by your lighting rig. I spent 2 months trying to rig a ludicrously ambitious lighting setup into my Black Pearl which included mast lanterns and flickering candles in the cabin. Alas it all had to be ripped out as the effect wasn't strong enough. Yours looks really good. Look forward to seeing it all finished.

nice of you to think of the crew bob  , and an excellent job of hidding the switch .

Finished the head timbers and painted them.

Installed the switch for the cannons in the head, and added additional seats.

Bob

Thanks Robert.

Some fantastic work, ideas and wiring skills going on here with your build. Congratulations on a very, well thought out adventure!!! 

Trying to finish up all the wiring so I can install the gun deck.  I believe I have all the circuits run and just need to double check that my power supply will handle the necessary mAmps required for everything. Since I want the guns to fire only intermittently, I have decided to install a subminiature push-button switch and install it in the head.  The switch I found is the exact size of the head that comes in the grate, so I will be able to just cut it out, and slip the switch in place.  Since it is all black, I doubt anyone will notice it there.

In the mean time, I have added all the gun doors and installed cleats for tie-down of the gun door ropes.  When playing with the head timbers, though, I noticed that they do not look like those on the ship.  The "panel" fill between the timbers just looks wrong.  So I decided to build my own.  Traced a template of each, then using .03 x.06 styrene, I added the timbers, paying particular attention to the spacing so that they can be properly painted white.  When I finished with the timbers, I added .015 x .025 strips to simulate planking between the timbers.  On the reverse (inside) I added vertical timbers that the planks would be nailed to.  Lower timbers will be next.

Bob

That is the first thing I thought of myself!  Where's the boom?

I can't imagine the tremendous thunder those things put out during a battle.  And unless you shoved some cotton or cloth in your ears, I don't know how those guys got through a battle with their hearing intact.  OHSHA would have shut them down for unsafe practices in a heartbear. 

Different times.

that is so cool bob ,when do the sound effect's go in ? 

Video of cannons installed (not glued to deck yet) with fiber optic lighting from a 10 LED high output chaser circuit.

https://youtu.be/02YECR2b-6o

Pictures of the finished fiber optic runs and the circuit board with all fiber optics attached.

Bob

Went to my first meeting of the IPMS here in Chicago.  Butch O'Hare chapter meets in Downers Grove so I thought I would check it out.  Interesting group of older gentlemen.  Had fun.  Not many ships tonight (1) which was an old paddleboat from early 1800's, probably because the theme was the Viet Nam War era.

This is what happens when you succumb to peer pressure:

Bob

Bob - your work on this ship is truly outstanding! Your attention to details with everything are precise and expertly crafted and, I am in awe on your knowledge when it comes to wiring lights, circuit boards etc. Like someone else has already said, 'thank you' for sharing all of this information and knowledge on this build. Tagging along in the wake of things lol

bob , what you are doing is extrordinary , just loving this build . keep up the great work .

steve5

Bob,  Thank you. You have a fantastic treasure-trove of info and How-to's  for us.... But watch out.  next thing you know we'll be wantin' Smoke from the guns and we'll take away points if the guns firing have not recoiled..... LOL.

Again,  Thank You. I am about to re-read this thread again. It is a Pleasure!

   Jim.

First video shows the board and a single cannon.  You can see the board sequencing and the cannon flash when it hits that position.

Second video is just a close-up of the cannon (bit out of focus, but you get the idea).

https://youtu.be/DTfefOiKMfo

https://youtu.be/UwRhoHegk8E

I have also bowed to peer pressure and lit the entire port-side cannons on the gun deck with a random firing pattern (15 guns).  Two will fire simultaneously on the even numbered LEDs and 5 will fire individually as the sequencing board progresses.  They will only fire when I flip the switch which I will hide in the crews head at the bow.

Bob

Giving the video thing a try.

This is a video of the camboose lit with flickering orange LED.

https://youtu.be/WprsG512yFQ

Decided to put together a little "How To" on adding flashing cannons.  Enjoy.  Please note that I did NOT rig this through the deck.  I did this on the bench for clarity.  You will have to run the fiber optic cable through the deck and to the board with the LEDs on it.  The board is quite small, and can easily be hidden in the bowels of the ship.

Hope that all makes sense!

Bob