December 17 2024: Today it warmed up to 61 degrees outside, so I took that opportunity to drill the mounting holes and prime all the pin-rails, except for the bow rails, which I'm going to run and do right now!

May 27 2025: Most of the winter and cold part of spring went into making 3D models to print for all three models, including Constellation. Cradles for the ship's boats; blocks, new crown-bitts; then, of course, the 3D printer sprung a leak.

A hole opened up in the Mars 3's FEP (the clear plastic bottom of the vat holding the resin). It appeared the resin leaked inside the machine, and the LCD screen was all black. Thinking it wasn't repairable, I went after a replacement. The Mars 3 wasn't available any more, so I got a Mars 4 for the same price instead, and before the Stable Genius' tariffs went into effect. With the new printer on-line, I examined the old one and found that the LCD screen was the only thing actually damaged. With that replaced, the Mars 3 is now up and running as well. ...not that I needed two printers, but when a model can take 4 to 7 hours, and more, to print, having two printers doesn't hurt.

So, into the shop I went and took down Constellation's masts, dusted and vacuumed her, and listed her hard to starboard to start finishing the starboard bulwarks. When I made the 3D hammocks, the trays they're on were made slightly wide to accommodate irregularities in the bulwarks.

This meant grinding the trays flush with the inboard surface. Then any gaps in the seam between bulwark and hammock trays was filled with epoxy and sawdust putty. The inside got a coat of paint, as did the hammocks, then a basswood plank was glued on to cover the seam between hammocks and bulwarks; much as had been done on the out-board side a while ago. The diagram shows how the bulwarks are built. The final step is to drill the bulwarks for the pin-rail's mounting pins, then epoxy the pinrails in place. With that done, I'll spin the model around and do the port side. Most of the time involved in this has been painting the hammocks and waiting for paint to dry.

May 30th-June 2nd: The pin-rails got epoxied on and the extra epoxy got put on Pride's ballast bulb. I ground the outboard edge of the port-side hammock trays flush with the bulwark, cleaned up the dust, and painted the outboard side of the starboard hammocks. Then the hull was turned around on the workbench, and I ground the inboard edge of the port hammock trays flush.

More dust to clean up, and the port hammock trays and outboard side of the bulwark were painted black, and the inboard side painted white. While that was going on a spider-band for the mizzen mast was printing.

June 3: The other bow pin-rail was epoxied and pinned on, and the port bulwark's inboard trim pice was attached.

June 5-7: The gratings in the boats were painted.

I made a card template for the head spray-screens a while back, and started a 3D model. I printed a test copy of one to trail fit. I made some adjustments to the 3D model, and here it is printing, and test fitting. The two sides of the head aren't symetrical, so I had to adjust the model further to close the gap at the bottom. Hopefully this is the last one as they take 6+ hours to print.

June 9-12: The port-side pin-rails were epoxied in.

and then the outboard trim boards were installed. I made a card template of the shape of the rail forward where the panels are. Adjusted it, and cut the rail in one piece from a 3/16" sheet Mark left me from a musical instrument he made here a while back. The rail was glued on with Titebond II and drilled and pinned with round tooth-picks. It was scored where the panel break would be, but not cut through. The end=board in the pic is just sitting there, I need to make thicker ones. The spray-screen is also just sitting there.