USS Constipation 1/120 scale Imai long suffering build

[Steve Jones]

Your as mad as a box of frogs. This modelling lark makes us do some insane work. Good luck with the rest of them my friend

[Airborne01]

No problem Steve, better to learn than be ignorant. The breeching is clear but capsquare is still vague. So fat the kit doesn't give the hinge that secures the barrel to the trunnion. For now its just glued on. I could make them from foil and pierce to simulate staples or nails.

Cheers,
Richard

Richard
Attached schematic for your delight, edification and education - at the cost of more chewed fingernails and grey hair of course!
Steve

[Airborne01]

PS Richard,
Same for other navies although there are minute detail differences for each; although the title states '32 pdr' the details are generic - even on mortars and carronades the cap square detail applies!

[rtfoe]

Richard
Attached schematic for your delight, edification and education - at the cost of more chewed fingernails and grey hair of course!
Steve
[ATTACH]449572[/ATTACH]

Thanks for the reference Steve, I thought as much that that was what a capsquare was. My gun and carriage is so small I may just use painted tape to simulate it. The bolts will be too small. As it is my side tackle loops are slightly over scale...so are my blocks but it gives at least an impression of a secured cannon emplacement on the deck. Shepard Paine's version of gyzmology with thread. I like a cluttered deck.

Cheers,
Richard

[Airborne01]

Thanks for the reference Steve, I thought as much that that was what a capsquare was. My gun and carriage is so small I may just use painted tape to simulate it. The bolts will be too small. As it is my side tackle loops are slightly over scale...so are my blocks but it gives at least an impression of a secured cannon emplacement on the deck. Shepard Paine's version of gyzmology with thread. I like a cluttered deck.

Cheers,
Richard

You're very welcome mate- I'm a bear of very little brain but if I can help please ask, I'm more than happy to help!
Steve

[rtfoe]

Hi, I've just spent the day finally finishing the ratlines I started years ago. They're for the upper masts sections and should have been done first and attached to the masts.

Lucky for me my jig survived the flood in 2006...



These are the final seven pieces...



This shows how I attach the ends to the stays firstly by drilling a groove to take the thread and attaching with CA. I then snip off the excess.



Still working on the gun ropes and blocks and listening to some authentic chain gang music with some hint of early blues.

Monkeys and the desert stuff are keeping me company...so is the harbour which I'd like to re-visit.

Cheers,
Richard

[Jim R]

Hi Richard
2006 or earlier - that's quite a stalled build. Good that you just had to finish them off. Those rat lines do look excellent.
Jim

[Tim Marlow]

Rattling good ratlines there Richard. Some of the best I’ve ever seen to be honest. Love the way you’ve got the foot rope sizes different as well.

[rtfoe]

Hi Richard
2006 or earlier - that's quite a stalled build. Good that you just had to finish them off. Those that lines do look excellent.
Jim

Thanks Jim, definitely earlier as I had done one half of the bottom set of ratlines when the floods hit.

Rattling good ratlines there Richard. Some of the best I’ve ever seen to be honest. Love the way you’ve got the foot rope sizes different as well.

Thanks Tim, that was the idea as the given plastic ones were the same size all round. What's missing is the sag though...but I've seen some that don't have any.

Cheers,
Richard

[scottie3158]

Richard,
Lovely work mate.

[rtfoe]

Richard,
Lovely work mate.

Thanks Scottie, been busy giving the ratlines a coat from the rattle can. Didn't dust for cat fur so ended up picking them off bit by bit. Here's the lot...I missed out one that fell on the side.

Now looking all even in black. Will airbrush shades and dry brush highlights.

Cheers,
Richard

[wotan]

More great patience and skill Richard. Remember shrouds and ratlines were heavily painted with tar on the real ships so the colour would be pretty much slightly shiny black. The lanyards (that is the thin lines that tie through the dead eyes would be regular oakum coloured since they were worked and renewed more frequently.

John

[Guest]

Great work Richard, looks very realistic.

[rtfoe]

More great patience and skill Richard. Remember shrouds and ratlines were heavily painted with tar on the real ships so the colour would be pretty much slightly shiny black. The lanyards (that is the thin lines that tie through the dead eyes would be regular oakum coloured since they were worked and renewed more frequently.

John

Thanks John B, the info confirms what I read about the shrouds and ratlines. I was in two minds about painting the lanyards a lighter shade in oakum(gotta look that up)
I thought I had finished with the ratlines when I noticed more needs to be done. Just as the ratlines reach the platform there's an extention that attaches to the outside of the platform so it's back to the jig just to make only the sections needed. The land lubber in me doesn't know what it's called.

Great work Richard, looks very realistic.

Thanks John R, hope you're feeling better.

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Hi, I didn't waste time in getting the ratline extentions done...

Cheers,
Richard