The Ship Model Forum

As I was installing the poop deck ladder railings I was sighting one in and looked down the deck from the bow and noticed the stairs were slanted, forgot to allow for the curve of the deck, so, i am readjusting them now. Photos will be coming soon.

Spar deck furniture is done not sure if I should move on to the gun port doors or the deadeyes and chain, either way one is going to get in the way of the other. Going to put rudder on I guess, I dont know why I have not done it by now, lol.

been working on deadeyes and chain. the bones had to be cut down 3/16 of an inch and resoldered, now I need to file them smooth and paint them. 'I did a simple twist of copper wire around the deadeyes, soldered them and drilled the holes by hand. The loop chain are 1/2" long and also soldered at ends and hand drilled holes. There is one more section of chain, but, it is just square stock. I am going to cut sown stick pins for the "bolts". I am also putting the rudder on and smoothing out the copper tape where it peeld back from handling.

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I was looking at the top half of the chain connected to the dead eyes, and I don't think it is square stock like in the photo of the side of the Constitution's hull.
I think the blue Print view shows a side on view of another link of chain, a skinny oval like on the Pennsylvania. The way it attaches to the bottom chain link and the Dead eye just does not look like it would work with square stock. What do you guys think?

22 views and not one reply that says I am on the wrong track, so i am going to go ahead. I am going to make and install the first sections of mast then make shrouds, then lay down the dead eyes and chain. Happy to be working with wood again constructing the lower masts and platforms.

You might try asking on modelshipworld.com. That site has a very large sail following with many members very knowledgeable about rigging.

Your model is superb.

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The crown molding above the windows and below the windows lines up with the bottom of the spar deck and the top of the middle gun deck. I copied the stern quarters directly from the Chappel plans of the Columbus as launched in 1819. I do not know what else to tell you. Posting some photos of the upper chains here. They need some smoothing with a dremmel tool and some straighening.

Just a side note, I got my USS United States plans reduced to 1/72 and I am going to start slowly framing the keel and bulkheads so I have something to show the folks at the fair in April. A lot of folks want to see what the framing looks like that I plank up. Should I start another build log for it and post my progress there? Yeah, Probably, lol

.....>>>>> Just a side note, I got my USS United States plans reduced to 1/72 and I am going to start slowly framing the keel and bulkheads so I have something to show the folks at the fair in April. A lot of folks want to see what the framing looks like that I plank up. Should I start another build log for it and post my progress there? Yeah, Probably, lol......<<<<

yes please!

Your articles are very informative and show huge tenacity in the pursuit of a high quality result



Jim Baumann

I have somewhat cut a pattern for the United States Keel bulkhead, I cannot decide if I want to make the lower gun deck the "top" of the keel piece, or, install a bulkhead wale for the gun deck once the cross piece bulkheads are in place and put in a few beams. Seems every time I try to make the Keel top at the lowest gun deck, I get it wrong, maybe 3rd time is a charm? lol

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I will have more time to work on the ship now, I broke my ankle 3 days ago, lol. Surgery in 2 days. I chased a dog running in traffic to a house about a mile from me, I let him in the gate, he had dug a huge hole under the gate, so I put a couple head sized rocks in the hole, but, it looked like he could still get out, so I went to the front of the house and got a big 100 pound rock and as I was rounding the corner I stumbled on a drip irrigation line. I drop the rock to keep from going face first into the iron rail side fence, and, pow, landed on my ankle. I will still help dogs get home though, life happens, and you deal with, move on I am making the double door gun port hinges now, the single door are done. Then the hull hinge gun door pieces will be made with polystyrene.

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Yes, I even have a mug that says so, my brother gave it to me when I was 18 and had a jar of gunpowder go off in my left hand. It is fine except for no feeling in the tip of the middle finger. Cant feel the keys under it so the way I type is odd. Have all the hinges shaped, need to cut to proper size and drill a hole at the end of each one for and eye bolt to pass through, then need to solder a short piece of brass rod to the other end of each piece, so lots of tedious work to be done.

Just a note to compliment you on this beautiful model. My great-grandfather sailed on the 1842-1845 voyage of the Uss Columbus, so the ship is very special to me. I hope someday I can see this model in person. A few years ago, I spent several hours in the National Archives photographing the Deck Logs from the Columbus. You can find all the images here (who knows, there may be some useful information from your model in the logs...):

http://hanksplace.net/raw_data/

Each page in the log provides descriptions of the weather from the day in question, notes on location, notes on what sails were deployed, and notes on punishment meted out from time to time (one poor guy got lashes for simply being dirty...).

Also on that page linked above is a link to images from the "Watch, Quarter, and Station Bill of the USS Columbus," a book which was made on the same voyage, and which contains hand-drawn images of the ship.

The book "Man of War Life" contains the firsthand account of a 16-year-old boy who sailed on the subsequent voyage of the Columbus. You can find the book online here: https://books.google.com/books?id=X9YLA ... fe&f=false

I hope this info is useful.

Thank you for posting the pictures of your build! It's beautiful.

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dahanks, thanks for the links I will try to look through them as time goes on and my ankle heals, but not til after Christmas I don't think. Mean While I have all my gun port door hinge straps installed, I am working on the eyebolts and rings inside and out. As I work on the half doors, I cannot find anything regarding a method they would use to pull the bottom half back up. Is there a system on the inside like the one on the top half has on the outside, or do they just reach outside and pull it up into position and dog it down?

......... >>> when I was 18 and had a jar of gunpowder go off in my left hand <<< .....

Cripes !! ==thats a whole new thing !!!!

how did that come to be?

Intrigued !!

JIM B