USS Constitution Build; Model Shipways; Stutz Wimmer

This is my second model ship build.  (I first built a Constructo version of what we think the Mayflower looked like.   It is also posted:  Mayflower Ship Model Build; Construct...

The music I've used has nothing at all to do with either the historical timing of Constitution's construction, or the composer's relevance to anything American, aside from our enduring love of his music.  But it does feature cannons. And I hope the piece is at least recognizable by most who may wish to check it out.  It also, I think, provides a suitable sound-vibe for viewing this build log.

I set out by purchasing the Model Shipways kit.  Its creators have done a really good job of supplying the materials and plans necessary to get underway.  But, as is generally experienced by builders of advanced models from kits, there remain a significant number of head-scratching problems to solve, accessory materials to supplement, and a whole host of solutions to improvise your way through in getting to the end.  I have to admit that the plans included are pretty darn good, so far as two-dimensional plans go...there are 8 pages of drawn-to-scale blueprints in the kit.  But still,  in many cases I was unable to determine what was being described by studying the prints alone.  I discovered Model Ship World www.modelshipworld.com.  which was truly liberating.  There, I found hundreds of detailed explanations posted by builders from around the world who had faced similar challenges.  Without the guidance this community of modelers enthusiastically share among their tribe,  I probably would not have been able to complete the model.  

All told, it took 2 1/2 years to build, more or less.  I was in no hurry.  (I am on old-guy time... purely a labor of love.)  I worked most mornings for a couple of hours.  The routine I established became a pleasant and rewarding way to start my day.  Oh...one important credit:  my wife Carla hand-painted all the intricate scrollwork you see on the bow and stern, which required such small detail that she used a brush with a single hair.  A  local jeweler and good friend Pat, created the 1/4" gold-plated catheads on the anchor davits.  It takes a village, and I am grateful to them both for doing what I have neither the patience nor the skill to do.

I built the case after the ship was done, designed to fit the designated space in our home. It's made mostly of poplar and oak plywood, ripped, cut, routed, drilled and sanded to shape . The job required lots of power tools and finishing products.  I used tempered glass, knowing it would be in such close proximity to a billiards table often used by our unbridled and not always spatially aware grand kids.  So far, so good.  She still stands...and they do stop to another, and another look as they play.  Good, I think....