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    Constellation
    61 Posts ยท 16 Followers ยท 676 Photos ยท 373 Likes
    Began 8 years ago by
    Sub-Lieutenant
    United States
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    Latest Post 17 hours ago by
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    Most recent posts shown first   (Show Oldest First) (Print Booklet)
    ๐Ÿ“ Bulwarks done-ish
    17 hours ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 6 Views ยท 4 Likes
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    The port-side pin-rails are on, and the trim-boards, inboard and outboard, installed. I still need to find, or mix, a paint color that look like canvas for the hammocks; I don't like the gray.
    Now I've got to make the rest of the chainplates for the shrouds so actual rigging can start.

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    ๐Ÿ“ Paint and glue and paint and glue...
    6 days ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 26 Views ยท 8 Likes ยท 1 Comment
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    With the starboard bulwark pretty much done, I ground the outboard edge of the port-side hammocks trays flush and turned the boat around. I then ground the inboard side flush and installed the trim-board. Some painting was done to the hammock trays as well.
    I printed a spider-band for the mizzen mast.
    Painted the gratings in the boats.
    Attached the boat cradles to the main hatch-cover.
    Glued on the other bow pin-rail.
    Did a test print of the spray-screen on the enclosed head, adjusted the 3D model and printed it again, though I may have to adjust the port-side one some more to make it work as my sloppy workmanship left it a bit asymmetrical.

    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Paint and glue and paint and glue...
    5 days ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ ToraDog ( Commodore)
    โœง 26 Views ยท 1 Like
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    So... how old are you, how much time do you have left, and... what kind of drugs are you taking?๐Ÿ˜‚
    Amazing work. There is no other way to describe it.
    ๐Ÿ“ Back to work watching paint dry
    16 days ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 29 Views ยท 4 Likes
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    Made boat cradles for the ship's boats, blocks, and new bitts. Some of the blocks are shells meant to get 8mm brass sheaves for use on moving things like the braces, etc. The others are "static" that don't move, much; for things like halyards. I couldn't find anyone with 8mm sheave in stock, so I printed some in resin. I also printed a set of smaller blocks; some will use 6mm brass sheaves, and some are static.

    Next was installing the pin-rails from the prior post, but some work had to happen first;

    First was dusting and cleaning them model and positioning it so I could get at where I needed to work.

    The Hammocks were made as trays a little wide to accommodate any irregularities in the bulwarks, this excess needed to be grinded down flush with the inside surface. The any gaps were filled with a putty of epoxy and sawdust.

    The inside surface and the hammocks all got painted, and when dry, a covering board of stained basswood was glued on to cover the seam between hammocks and bulwark. I'm not happy with the hammocks color, it should be leaning more toward tan than gray, but work on that later.

    I had already drilled the pin-rails for mounting pins, those holes needed to transfer to the bulwarks. I made the 3D pin-rails based on measurements taken from the actual ship, but my "covering-board" is a little thick, so there's not much room between the belaying pins and the bulwark. I addressed this by padding the pin-rails with 1/16" basswood.

    This is as far as I've gotten on the starboard side. Installing the pin-rails is next, then it's spin the hull around and do all that for the port side.

    The boats got paint and clear-coat and one even got to go for a swim ๐Ÿ˜Š

    Work-log on my site:

    http://todd.mainecav.org/model/constellation/model.html
    ๐Ÿ“ Pin-rails
    6 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 39 Views ยท 2 Likes
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    Still working back from the stroke in June, and as I feel like I can work on the models without lopping off a finger or two, it got cold (no heat or AC in shop).
    Well there's 3D work to be done, and as I want to get the rigging started there's once item on deck that has to be done first; pin-rails.
    The photo shows (top-to-bottom) the 3D printed pin-rails for the bow, fore, main, and mizzen. These are shown just sitting where they'll be installed after they're drilled for mounting pins, primed, painted, and UV coated.

    ๐Ÿ“ Constellation's Cousin
    8 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 52 Views ยท 9 Likes ยท 3 Comments
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    After having a stroke, my lady figured a month-long trip would be good therapy for me - such as walking up and down Myrtle Beach for miles!

    Part of this trip was going to Savannah Georgia to finally see the Ships & Sea Maritime museum.

    There they have a 1:32 scale model of the sloop of war Savannah a contemporary of Constellation, originally built as a 44 gun frigate and razeed to a 24 gun sloop of war. I found out about this model years ago during my regular scans of the Internet for information on ships contemporary to Constellation, and it's been a big influence on how I want my model to appear. Mind you their model is NOT radio-controlled, or meant to operate at all.

    Relative to each other:
    Constellation was launched: August 26, 1854, Displaced: 1,400 tons, 179 feet log with a beam of 41 feet, drawing 21 feet. My model is 1:36 scale.
    Savannah was a Brandywine class frigate launched on May 5, 1842, converted to a sloop of war in 1857. She displaced 1726 tons, was 175 long with a 45 foot beam. I guess drew between 21 & 24 feet. The model is 1:32 scale and depicts the ship during the US Civil War about 8+ years after the point I'm depicting Constellation.

    The first four pictures are of Constellation's new 3D printed pivot guns and tracks painted, the rest are of the Savannah model that I took during my visit on September 12.

    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Constellation's Cousin
    8 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น AlessandroSPQR ( Admiral)
    โœง 46 Views ยท 2 Likes
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    Thanks for the info Jerry.
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    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Constellation's Cousin
    8 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 48 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    The color of the carriages is right from the Naval Ordinance manual of the period 1852-1858ish
    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Constellation's Cousin
    8 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น AlessandroSPQR ( Admiral)
    โœง 52 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    Hi Jerry, these cannons are masterpieces within a masterpiece.
    Of this era and type, they are the most beautiful, well-made and accurate that I have ever seen to date.
    A question: is this type of green the result of historical research or is it your personal choice?
    ๐Ÿ“ Painting Guns
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 63 Views ยท 8 Likes ยท 2 Comments
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    Airbrushed on a couple of coats of olive on the gun carriages and slides, then went at the hardware with Testor's Flat Steel. The US Navy kept the hardware bare metal and well greased. The gun tubes too, were kept greased and shiny.
    I never have much luck paint just the tiny thing that needs painting, so I paint it, and around it to get in all the nooks and crannies, then cut in the base color to neaten it all up.
    Unfortunately the gun tubes are painted satin black from a spray can, and I don't have any brush-on to do the above mentioned cut-in on them. The stores don't seem to carry anything smaller than quarts now-a-days, so I had to order online.
    The other guns I've printed got some paint too.

    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Painting Guns
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น AlessandroSPQR ( Admiral)
    โœง 62 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    Masterpiece.
    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Painting Guns
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ LewZ ( Rear Admiral)
    โœง 62 Views ยท 5 Likes
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    Gotta love those pivot guns and tracks! Great job Jerry.

    Lew
    Florida, USA
    ๐Ÿ“ Replacements progress
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 69 Views ยท 7 Likes ยท 3 Comments
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    The new tracks for the pivot guns were remodeled, printed, primed, the old ones removed from the hatches, the hatches sanded and refinished. The tracks are painted, glued in place, painted some more, and clear coated. It's a matter of painting the guns then screwing them to the hatches. Details such as tackles, eyebolts in the deck, etc, will come after that.

    When I made the boat howitzer, I modeled it based on an original in Fairfax Virginia with iron wheels. Looking at all the images from 1850's manuals, drawings, photos, and even artwork showing them in Japan; they nearly always have wooden wheels. I started thinking it was probably more appropriate for Constellation's boat howitzer's field carriage, in 1856, to also have wooden wheels. So I modeled a set, and printed a new field carriage, and today, got it painted, though it needs to be clear-coated yet.

    BTW: The STLs for these guns and more are available on Thingiverse, for free; which is about $50 Canadian

    I kid

    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Replacements progress
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ LewZ ( Rear Admiral)
    โœง 70 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    The Dahlgren firing video is at:
    https://youtu.be/OYOJ2mEha_Q?si=ttrrVEsYtbL_FXXX
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    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Replacements progress
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ LewZ ( Rear Admiral)
    โœง 70 Views ยท 4 Likes
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    Jerry - Some photos of the 12 pounder (USCG) I took in 2007 at the Mariners' Museum's Monitor Center are attached. (My son is the marine sergeant at the breech of the gun.)

    I also found my old video of the gun firing and will upload it to YouTube ASAP.

    Lew
    Florida, USA
    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Replacements progress
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ LewZ ( Rear Admiral)
    โœง 70 Views ยท 4 Likes
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    Jerry, the Dahlgren boat howitzer is an amazing artillery piece. Years ago I had the opportunity to discuss it with the "reenacting crew" in Virginia. ( This particular one was owned by the USCG.)

    There are several histoy accounts on how it was used with naval "infantry" ashore and transported in pieces across rough terrain. There was also a mount on some of the launches.

    Brings back some neat memories of my Civil War naval reenacting days. Thanks for sharing this. Without a doubt, you are the best modeler of that period, period!

    Lew
    Florida โ›ฑ๏ธ, USA ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
    ๐Ÿ“ Pivot Gun rails, tracks, circles, etc
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 74 Views ยท 6 Likes ยท 2 Comments
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    I made a copy of the file for the tracks I had made before, and remodeled tracks for these new, shorter, guns. I also made them thinner to be more scale than the old ones.
    It took more than 5 hours to print because I had to make then in halves, and stand them on edge to fit in the printer's space.
    Part of the forward circle didn't print, so I set up to reprint just that, plus a few extra pieces, just in case.

    I scraped off the old tracks on the model's fore and aft access hatches, sanded off the scars of the old tracks, and laid things out to check the fit. There's some more sanding to do, and then put the finish back on the deck, before gluing the tracks down after they're primed and painted. The bits of track hanging over the edge will be sawn off and glued to the deck across the hatch seam.

    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Pivot Gun rails, tracks, circles, etc
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น AlessandroSPQR ( Admiral)
    โœง 71 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    These cannons are true masterpieces.
    I am progressing very slowly with my much smaller Dalghrens.
    I wish I had learned about this site and your work ten years ago, instead of just now.
    Excellent.
    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Pivot Gun rails, tracks, circles, etc
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Hhager2 ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 78 Views ยท 4 Likes
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    Any chance of stl file being posted? Iโ€™d like to scale to the Revel Constitution kit I think itโ€™s 1:96 scale. Tnx it looks great
    ๐Ÿ“ Changing the Pivots
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 84 Views ยท 9 Likes ยท 4 Comments
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    Doing some research about Naval Guns in the 1850's for another project led me to thinking Constellation was armed with something different than the pivot guns I armed her with.
    I decided to replace my 10 inch 82cwt pivot guns with 10 inch Dahlgren guns she more-likely had.
    The 3D model is based on Dahlgren's own sketch made in 1850, which matched a diagram of a Traversing Carriage and Slide printed in the 1852 "Instructions."
    I printed two of these 10 inch pivots, but because their slides are shorter than the guns they're replacing, I need to make need deck tracks to go with them.

    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Changing the Pivots
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 79 Views ยท 5 Likes
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    I was aboard when she came back from dry-dock in March 2011. I lived in Baltimore city from 1969 to 1989, and in it's suburbs, since. I worked on the water on tugs, a skipjack, the first Pride of Baltimore's construction, and later as crew. My best friend, who I've sailed with since we were teenagers, is a tug captain on the bridge site right now.

    When I was volunteering at the Naval Academy Museum, I got to see a glass-plate photo of Constellation on the Severn in 1879 where you can see the widened gun-port for the XI Dahlgren (port-side). The "proposed" set-up was marked on her original gun-deck plan from 1854, I put a portion of it here.
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    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Changing the Pivots
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ LewZ ( Rear Admiral)
    โœง 82 Views ยท 4 Likes
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    Jerry, I found this in the US Navy records:

    Recommissioned on 25 May 1871, she took midshipmen (also classed as โ€œnaval cadetsโ€ at varying periods) on their summer training cruises for the next twenty-two years. In 1871-1872, she received further modification so she could also be utilized for gunnery instruction with a main battery of eight 9-inch Dahlgren guns, plus one 100-pound Parrott Rifle and one 11-inch Dahlgren gun.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Side note: The photo shows the USS Constellation sailing under the Francis Scott Bridge in Oct 2022. The bridge collapsed last week after being struck by a 900+ ft container ship.๐Ÿ˜”

    Lew
    Florida, USA
    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Changing the Pivots
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 83 Views ยท 6 Likes
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    The Constellation folks showed me plans for a 30# Parrott pivot carriage and slide. They said that Constellation had that and a 20# pivot during the Civil War, which they said was the time frame they were working toward restoring ship.
    My model is of the ship in 1856, when she was new. They said she was armed with 10" shell-gun pivots then, and showed me plans for a 10 inch gun & pivot carriage for the Mississippi dated .
    I made that gun by hand for the model, intending to learn to photo-etch to detail it, but then I got a 3D printer and 3D modeled and printed both guns with all their details.

    The Mississippi gun is 8,600 pounds, the 10 inch Dahlgren is 12,000 pounds; but the Traversing Carriage and Slide modified for the Dahlgren is shorter, but wider, and the Dahlgren mounts lower, lowering the center of gravity. It actually fits Constellation's better fore and aft.

    Constellation was the last sailing warship the Navy built, launched in August 1854, and commissioned in July 1856. The Mississippi gun plan is dated July 1855, and Dahlgren's drawing is dated July 31 1850. Both guns are referenced as "10 inch shell-gun on pivot."
    The frigates and razzees, such as Cumberland, were all armed with 2 10 inch Dahlgren pivots on their spar decks.

    I'm still looking for data that will confirm things one way or another, or yet another, as it may turn out, but I'm acting on a hunch that she should have 10 inch Dahlgrens.

    BTW: if you notice the last image attached of the new deck tracks being worked on, you can see the back ends of the old guns slides in the image of the deck, and see the difference in the length of the old and new guns.
    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Changing the Pivots
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ LewZ ( Rear Admiral)
    โœง 84 Views ยท 4 Likes
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    Wow!!! Jerry, it looks like you came out of the wood work with this project. I'm a big fan of American Civil War naval ships and technology so I appreciate, even envy, what you are doing and have done.

    Out of curriousity, I see you have been registered here for about 7 years but have not shared that much with this
    community. I sincerely look forward to seeing more of your progress on this little seen aector of model boats.

    Now about the 10in Dahlgren and the Constellation... the pivot gun takes up a lot of deck space so I am not sure about compatibility here. I would like to see the results of your research on that.

    Your 3D resin prints look great. Lots of details.

    Lew
    Florida โ›ฑ๏ธ, USA
    ๐Ÿ“ Whale Boat
    1 year ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jerry Todd ( Sub-Lieutenant)
    โœง 93 Views ยท 7 Likes
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    The last boat for Constellation is modeled and printed. The whale-boat will hang from davits on the stern of the ship.

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