USS CONSTITUTION Build the The world s oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat 04
Build the USS STAGE CONSTITUTION Contents PAGE Wooden strips and a ladder 63 9 Wooden strips and nails 6 30 Wooden strips and nails 6 3 Wooden strips, grating strips, a cannon and fittings 69 3 Wooden strips and nails 33 Wooden strips and nails 3 34 Wooden strips and a ladder 3 Grating strips, wooden strips and a ladder 36 Wooden strips and nails 9 3 Wooden strips and nails 3 Bow frames 3 Editorial and design by Continuo Creative, 39-4 North Road, London N 9DP. Published in the UK by De Agostini UK Ltd, Battersea Studios, Silverthorne Road, London SW 3HE. Published in the USA by De Agostini Publishing USA, Inc., E. Calhoun Street, Woodstock, IL 6009 All rights reserved 0 Warning: Not suitable for children under the age of 4. This product is not a toy and is not designed or intended for use in play. Items may vary from those shown.
STAGE: Wooden strips and a ladder C. x x 300mm wooden strips. x 4 x 00mm ramin strips 3. Ladder sides C Glue two of the mm lengths into the slots at either end of one of the ladder sides. D 3 A Take the ladder sides and A 3 cut away a section at the end of each so that only six slots remain, as shown. D Glue the other upright onto the free ends of the two end lengths. E B B Cut six mm lengths of x 4mm ramin strip. E Glue the remaining four mm lengths into the other slots in the ladder sides. 63
F When the ladder is F G Remove the section of G I complete and the glue has dried, apply a coat of stain to it and leave to dry. I Insert the ladder into the beam that is obstructing the opening forward of the mizzenmast hole. opening next to the grating, and apply a little glue to secure it there. J Here you can see how the grating and ladder should look when in place. J H H Take the grating assembly K K This stage is now (Stage ) and glue it onto the deck, positioning the larger section over the opening indicated in the previous step, as shown. complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages. 64
STAGE: 9 Wooden strips and nails C 9. x x 300mm wooden strips. Nails 9C Fit another two strips in the same row, one from frame to, and the second from frame to 9. D 4 9A Shape one of the strips A to fit from frame forward to frame. Glue and nail the strip into place. 9D Start a new row, ftting the first strip from frame to frame 4. 9E Fit a second strip to the row, from frame 4 to frame. 9B When the glue has dried, B cut away the excess of the strip extending forward past frame. 6 E 4
F 9F Fit a third strip to frame I H, continuing aft to frame. This will create a gap (arrowed), which will be filled at a later stage. 9I Fit another strip from frame to frame, continuing on from the strip in the previous step. 9J Complete the row aft to frame. Repeat Steps A to J on the other side of the hull. G 9H Now start a new row, fitting the first strip from frame to frame. 9G Cut the section of the strip K J 9K This stage is now extending past frame. complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages. 66
STAGE: 30 Wooden strips and nails C. x x 300mm wooden strips. Nails 30C To complete the row, apply another continuation strip to the previous one. After fixing it with the nails, cut it flush with frame. D 4 A 30A Shape one of the strips to fit from frame forward to frame. Glue and nail the strip into place. 30D Start a new row, fitting a strip from frame 4 forward to frame. E 4 B 6 30B Continue the row aft, fitting a strip from frame to frame. 30E Fit two more strips in the same row, from frame 4 to 6, then 6 to. 6
30F Fit a final strip to F complete the row, from frame aft to frame. 30I Complete the row by fitting a third strip from frame to frame. 30G Start a new row, the first strip from frame to, the second from frame to. G I J H 30H Cut any excess from the K 30J As with the bow, cut any excess strip away at the stern, flush with frame. 30K This stage is now front of the row, flush with frame. complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages. 6
STAGE: 3 Wooden strips, grating strips, a cannon and fittings. Grating strips. x x 300mm ramin strips 3. Cannon 4. Cannon wedge C. Carriage base 6. Carriage. Double blocks 3C Cut two more lengths of x 3mm walnut strip to fit along the longer sides, and glue into place. 6 A 3D Glue two lengths of x mm ramin strip along the longer sides of the assembly. 4 D 3 3A Remove a 4 x -square section of the grating. Smooth the sides with sandpaper. E B 3B Cut two lengths of x 3mm walnut strip to fit the shorter sides of the grating piece. Glue into place. mm 3E Cut 4 lengths of x mm ramin strip, each mm long. Glue them to one of the strips fitted in the previous step, as shown. 69
H 3H Cut three lengths of x mm ramin strip to close the three remaining sides of the assembly. 3F Continue gluing the mm strips to the side until it is covered, as shown. F I 3I Smooth the piece with sandpaper, rounding the edges slightly. Then apply clear lacquer and stain, as with previous pieces. G J 0mm 3G Once the strips have K 3J Glue the piece 0mm forward of the central opening, as shown. dried in place, smooth the side so that they are flush with the walnut. 3K This stage is now complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages. 0
STAGE: 3 Wooden strips and nails C 3. x x 300mm wooden strips. Nails 3C Start another row, fitting a strip from frame to frame 3. Fitting this strip will create a gap, as shown. D A 3A The line of the frames will now begin to curve more, resulting in wider gaps between the strips. This is not a problem, as they will be filled at a later stage, so do not force any strips to fit. Fix a strip from frame to frame, as shown. 3D Fit the next strip from frame to frame. E 3B Continue aft, fitting a B strip from frame to frame. Don t force the strip to fit the curve of the frames. This may create a gap between it and the previous row, but all gaps will be filled later. 3E Fit a strip from frame to frame. This will create another gap at the bow (arrowed).
3F Continuing aft from the F 3G Complete the row with a strip from frame to frame. G previous step, fit a strip from frame to frame. I 3I Continue the row from frame to frame. 3J Complete the row with a strip from frame to frame. Repeat Steps A to J on the other side of the hull. H J 3H Place the next strip from K 3K This stage is now frame forward to frame. complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages.
STAGE: 33 Wooden strips and nails C 6 9. x x 300mm wooden strips. Nails 33C Continue the row aft, fitting a strip from frame 6 to frame 9. D 3 A 33A Cut a strip to fit from frame to frame. Glue and nail into place. 33D Fit another strip from frame to frame 3. You should notice that there are now a few gaps forming between the rows. E B 4 6 0 33B Now cut another strip to fit underneath the one from the previous step, from frame 4 to frame 6, as shown. 33E Continue the row aft, fitting a strip from frame to frame 0. 3
F H 33H Complete the row with a strip from frame to frame, as shown. 33I Now place two strips, the first from frame to frame 4 and the second from frame 4 to frame. I 33F Start another row by placing a strip from frame to frame. 4 33J Complete the row with a strip from frame to frame. Repeat steps A to J on the other side of the hull. G 33G Continue the row aft, J K 33K This stage is now fitting a strip from frame to frame. complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages. 4
STAGE: 34 Wooden strips and a ladder C. Ladder sides. x 4 x 00mm ramin strips 3. x x 300mm wooden strips 34C Create a frame around the assembly with x 3mm walnut strips, as shown. 34D Now frame the rest of the assembly with x mm ramin strip. Prepare the grating assembly in the same way as the others. D 3 A 34A Remove two 3 x 3 sections of the grating. Then smooth the sides of the pieces with sandpaper E 34B Cut a piece of x 3mm B walnut strip twice the length of the grating piece. Glue the two grating pieces on either side of the strip, aligned along the centre. 34E Then test-fit the grating over the opening, as shown above.
34F If any part of the opening F it obstructing the spaces in the frame where the ladders will fit (Step J), then file it away. When the fit is correct, glue the frame in position. 34I Glue the other ladder side onto the free ends of the steps. When dry, stain the assembly in the same way as the previous ladders. I G 34G Cut away the ends of the two ladder sides so that there are only six slots remaining in each. 34J Insert the ladder into the opening in the frame, as shown, and secure it with glue. 34H This is a different way H J to make the ladders from the method shown in Stage. Cut six 6mm lengths of x 4mm ramin strip, and glue them into the slots in one of the ladder sides. 6mm K 34K This stage is now complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages. 6
STAGE: 3 Grating strips, wooden strips and a ladder 3C Glue the remaining 6mm strips into the remaining slots in the ladder sides. Stain the ladder in the same way as the others. C. Grating strips. x 4 x 300mm ramin strip 3. x 3 x 300mm walnut strip 4. Ladder sides. x 4 x 00mm ramin strips 3 3D When the ladder is complete, glue it into the remaining opening in the grating frame. D 4 A 3A Prepare the ladder sides and cut one of the x 4mm ramin strip into six 6mm lengths. E B 3B Glue a 6mm strip into the end slots of one of the ladder sides, then glue the other side onto the free ends, as shown. 3E Assemble the grating strips, and fix them together with glue.
3F When the grating is F 3I When the assembly has dried, stain it in the same way as the previous pieces. complete, remove two 3 x 3 sections. Smooth the sides with sandpaper. I 3G Cut a piece of x 3mm walnut strip twice the length of the grating piece. Glue the two grating pieces to either side of the strip, aligned along the centre, as shown. G 3J Test-fit and glue the grating frame over the next opening, just aft of the mainmast hole. H 3H Frame around the J K 3K This stage is now assembly with x 3mm walnut strip, then frame the rest of the assembly with x mm ramin strip. complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages.
STAGE: 36 Wooden strips and nails 36C Complete the row by fitting two more strips, from frame to frame and then from frame aft. C. x x 300mm wooden strips. Nails D A 36A Fit a strip up against the false keel, from halfway across frame forward, as shown. Make sure to secure it with nails. 36D When the row has dried, cut the end of it flush with the reinforcements and the bottom of the frames at the stern. E 36B When dry, cut the forward 6 B end of the strip flush with the false keel. 36E Fit another strip from frame 6 forward. When dry, shape the front of the strip flush with the false keel. 9
36F Place another strip from frame 6 aft. When dry, cut the end flush with the line of the reinforcements and frames. F 36I Here is a close-up view 6 36G Start a new row, placing I of the row at the bow. As you can see, gaps have appeared between the strips at the bow. Cut all the strips flush with the false keel and frame. G a strip from frame forward. When fitting it to the hull, you may find that it creates a gap (arrowed). Any gaps will be filled later. H J 36J Here you can see the strips at the stern. As with the bow, there will be gaps between them. Cut them all flush with the line of the reinforcements and frames, and the edge of frame. 36H Complete the row, fitting one strip from frame to frame, then another from frame aft. Then complete two more rows. K 36K This stage is now complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages. 0
STAGE: 3 Wooden strips and nails 3C Start a new row with two strips, from frame to frame, and frame to frame. C. x x 300mm wooden strips. Nails 3D Complete the row, fitting a strip from frame to frame. D A 3A Fit a strip from frame 4 4 forward to frame. Remember to secure the strip with nails. E 3B Complete the row with two more strips, one from frame 4 to frame, the second from frame to frame. B 4 4 6 3E Fit two new rows into the space indicated above. One row from frame to, then to, and the second row from frame 4 to 6, then 6 to. Repeat Steps A to E on the other side of the hull.
3F Fit another row from F frame 6 to frame 4, and frame 4 to frame. Repeat on the other side of the hull. You will now start to fill in the gaps in the hull. 3G To fill the gaps, hold a strip next to one of them, and mark the length of the gap on it. I 4 6 G 3I Test-fit the wedge in place. If it fits the gap, then glue it into place; if it doesn t, proceed to the next step. 3J If the wedge doesn t fit the gap, adjust the shape slightly with sandpaper until the fit is correct, then glue into place. H 3H Using a knife, cut the J K 3K This stage is now strip from the line marked in the previous step to the end, shaping it into a long wedge. complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages.
STAGE: 3 Bow frames 3C Using the same technique, fill the larger holes toward the stern with wedges. C. Bow frames 3D Use a sanding block to shape the wedges, running the wedges along the length of the block. D A 3A Mark a line on some wooden strip to fit the gap indicated. Cut the wedge from the strip. E 3B Test-fit the wedge into the B gap. If the fit is correct, then glue it into place. If not, adjust with sandpaper, then repeat. 3E Create wedges to fill the gaps at the bow, as shown. You may need to shape them to fit the curve. Do this in the same way as you shaped the strips. 3
3F Fill the smaller gaps at F the bow with thinner wedges, as shown. 3I Once all the gaps are filled, remove the two projections from the false keel, as indicated here. 3G When the glue on the wedges has dried, cut away any excess extending past frame or the false keel. G I H 3H Fill the smaller gaps J 3J Use sandpaper to smooth the areas of the false keel from which the projections were removed. K 3K This stage is now toward the stern in the same way as those at the bow. complete. Store any materials that you haven t used, because they will be needed in future stages. 4