Constitution. Installing the Channel Deadeyes.

It was a hot day in southern Oz today. Almost cracked the Fahrenheit century. So I stayed indoors and spent the day doing something which i had been avoiding on the USS Constitution model… yep. Installing the channel deadeyes.

If you have no idea what I am talking about, check the picture below…

These are the lateral supports of the masts, and are therefore, very important.

The shrouds are the lateral supports of the masts. They are attached to the hull by pairs of deadeyes (blocks-pulleys), which are held away from the hull by large planks called channels. The blocks allow tensioning of the shrouds. The actual attachments to the hull are metal plates named “preventer links” which in the model are nailed to the hull, but in the original ship would have been bolted.

So today I attached the preventer links, the nails, and the lowermost deadeyes. There are 62 of them. I spent about 6 hours on the job, then started making errors so I stopped at 52.

As you can see in the above drawing the links and deadeyes are at different angles, depending on the position of the mast and the particular deadeye.

Every modeler has their own method of doing this job, I gather.

I had used very thin copper wire to fix the masts at the correct angle fore and aft, and centrally. I also held a length of copper wire from where the shroud is attached to the mast, and at the bottom, where the shroud ends in the deadeye.

This was the first block, with me holding the bottom end of the copper wire to establish where the metal fitting should be nailed to the hull. Note that carronades above are not fixed in correct position.

Then I used a 0.5mm drill to predrill the nail hole into the hull. Then nailed it, twice. And added CA glue so it does not loosen.

Some of the attachments are at more acute angles. When the shrouds are attached above, the metal fittings will be straightened.

The main thing is to not cover the gunports, or block the scupper drains. I imagine that the gunners would not be popular if they shot away their own shrouds bringing down a mast!

The foremast and mainmast are done. Mizzen next session.

Then for some light relief I glued the 20 carronades to the spar deck, using CA glue, after sanding flat spots on the carronade “wheels”, to glue them to the deck.

Note in the photos the dust and swarf sticking to the Constitution. I am planning to make a case for the model, and will probably take another diversion from the modeling to do so, to avoid more crap sticking to the model while I am working on it.

Discussing the case plans with SWMBO, but at this stage it will be 3mm Lexan on 4 sides and the roof, with a wood frame and fluting. And LED lights! Watch this space.