Wilhelmshaven 1:200 scale USS Constitution

Why thank you very much for the generous words, Bill! :D
I hope you enjoyed the photos, although I'm still a bit in the dark, so to speak, on how to take photos as crisp, bright and clear as you other guys. :?

I've got to do something about the focus on some of the photos...that photo Barry mentions should have been in focus all the way to the stern. :? I guess I'll just have to play with them a bit...one thing I learned this weekend is not to shoot photos of a black hulled vessel on a white or very light background! It seems to throw off the color and exposure on my digital camera...sure would be great if someone who knows about these things would post a little primer for us photographically challenged. :D

Cheers!

Jim
 
Well, gang, it's been a while since the last post...Holidays, work and playing Santa have taken up a bit of my time. :roll: I did manage through it all to do some little things, none of which warranted an update as such, but I figured it was high time to post another update just to show you all where I am at this point. :D

I have been working on the gun deck gunports on the port side...same procedure as the starboard...but it did take me a little time to remember how to thread those little laniards into those little holes. :lol: I also spent some time punching out the portlight rims and water deflectors and installing them on the port side, as well as the mooring rings. Now they're all done! I still have to finish up the gunport with the stubby barrels; I started making the tubes, punching out the ends and gluing them in place, so maybe I can get them done tomorrow. :D

I also built the anchor port supports, which the kit does not provide for, so I scratch built them. They came out fairly well and didn't take as much time as I had thought they might. I also started the catheads, but so far only got the starboard one almost done...I need to figure out the cat face that goes on the ends and to finish them up on both sides. I also added the striped trim sheets to the port head rails in the same manner as I did on the starboard side. Next up in the head rails are the fore tack bumkins that fit into and through the head rails...another feature the kit doesn't show. :?

I've also been playing around with the rudder chain. The smallest I was able to find was 42 links per inch chain, but after fooling around with it I thought that chain still looked too out of scale to use, so I ended up using some knoted thread instead. Not exactly the way I wanted them to look, but I feared if I borrowed the small chain I saw in my wife's jewelery box I would be pulling an angry tiger's tail, so I settled for the thread. :lol: It was a bear to fit the "chain" under the transom, but I figure it looks somewhat convincing even though it's not the way I really wanted them to come out. :(

I also played around with the carronades, which will be the first things I install on the spar deck once the hull exterior is just about done. Instead of using the barrel parts from the kit, I decided it would be easier and hopefully come out better to roll my own, so to speak. :D This is one of those tedious parts of the build...it will take twenty carronades and two bow chasers to fit out the spar deck battery...so I figured no time like the present to start playing with a construction method. Luckily I have a few photos of the real thing, so I have been modifying the kit parts a bit...surprise, surprise. :lol: In the last photos of tonight you'll see the barrels under construction and the carriages beginning to take shape. I also posted a few photos of the prototype used to work out the construction method. They will each require a breech rope (it runs through the ring on the back end of the barrel and is bolted to the bulwarks), and four sets of tackle, two each for the lower carriage and two for the slide (that's the upper part that holds the barrel). Each tackle is supposed to be made up of a single block with a becket (that's the little eye to which the line is spliced and is the beginning point of the line used in the tackle) and a double block. I'm going to be busy, once I figure out how I want to make the blocks, because I'll have to make up 80 of each. :shock:

So, I've got my work cut out for me...and I haven't even started the rigging! Something tells me this one is not going to be ready by New Years Eve. :lol: But it's a blast figuring out and making all of these little bits.

I hope you find something of interest in this update...sorry it took so long to get something posted. :roll:

Cheers!

Jim
 
Hi Jim

A fine set of guns, cracker thread Jim and I do realy look forward to your next set of photos :D

The detail for such a small model is fantastic.
More as soon as you can mate

Rob
 
Way to go, Brother! The Carronades are awesome....the scale you're working at blows me away! I'm busily working on Cleo this weekend, also....I'll post some pics in a little bit! Can't wait to see how you're going to handle the blocks!!!! I haven't quite figured that one out, either!

Max
Captain, HMS Cleopatra
Paper Navy of the Bear Flag Republic

P.S. It was 82 degrees and sunny here in Corona, yesterday and so far today! Merry Christmas!!! :D
 
Thanks for the very generous words, fellows, and I do mean generous! :D I really do appreciate the very kind replies, particularly since I left you all in the dark for two weeks. :lol:

I did want to get much more done this weekend, but I had to keep an eye on the wife and little one, both came down with a cold at the same time. They seem to be alright now so that's the important thing.

I've found it works out so much better now that I have the work area in the spare room. I can putter around for a bit whenever the chance presents itself, pretty much why I was able to finish the gun ports despite everything else going on the last two weeks. A good deal of time has been spent these last few weeks trying out different ways to make the carronades, long guns and the tackles as well as other little things that I hope to share with you all shortly...some good results, others still under development, so to speak. Right now I'm toying with the tackles. I'm not sure I can pull this one out using "working" blocks made out of card stock or not, but we'll see (no, I'm not planning on having working sheaves, just nice little holes for the lines to run through...I'm not that crazy! :D ). Boy, they're small! :shock:

Hope to post more stuff later this week

Thanks again, guys!

Jim
 
Hmmmm...I do believe you mock me, Sir! :lol:

Seriously, just a quick note for the "unbelievers" out there... :wink:

Part of my playing around with a block construction method. I think this is the direction I will eventually go... :?

It's a small nichron wire loop to which I've glued paper disks and then hardened with a dot of CA for strength...busted a few trial runs when making the hole for the line to pass through before this last step was tried. :oops: Well, okay, so there's no sheave :roll: , but at least the line goes through a hole and it has the basic shape of a block. The first photo shows the loop, the next with one disc, the third with the second disc on the opposite side of the loop, a painted block and finally one in which the hole has been added. I figure if I enlarge the loop slightly I can make a double block in the same way. Good thing about this is the nichron wire gives it some lasting heft for the installation and rigging...and it gives me a nice base from which to add the discs.

Well, at least it's a start! :lol:

Cheers!

Jim
 
Hi Jim

A great way to do them 8)
I will have a go at this at the weekend, Or even tomorrow since I just done my last days work until the new year :D :D Loads of build time :D

A realy good idea Jim, one or two hundred by lunch time I think :lol:

Great thread mate

Rob
 
Hi Jim!

Really nice work here, the carronades are astonishing, a real microsurgery work.

As for the rigging, well, that's something I'm very interested as I have never done any rigging to my ships, but may be I'll give it a try on my current project.

Cheers!

Erick
 
Thanks, Rob! :D
Well, I could use a few hundred of those blocks you're making by lunch, mate. :wink:
There are a lot of blocks to be built just for the carronade tackles. :shock:
You lucky dog...you have the rest of the year off! :lol:
Of course, we expect to see more on your build of the Missouri and Arizona, right? :wink:

Thanks, Erick! :D
What type of rigging are you looking to include? I have been using fly tying silk for some of the smaller lines, but I saw Scorpio has done an outstanding job using stretched plastic sprue...and you get to create just the right thickness you need using sprue. Let us know how it works out, mate!

Cheers!

Jim
 
Hi Jim,

Well, I have a very thin nylon that seems to be the approrpiate gauge for this job, but I need to find out two things first...

a) What kind of glue should I use to make it rigid, I don't think I'll find CA here in Venezuela

b) I'm looking for pictures of the ship to see how the rigging goes so I can plan how to do it, as I didn't open any holes to fix the rigging in the deck :oops:

Cheers,

Erick
 
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