Revell U.S.S. Constitution Build 1/96 Scale

Watch my build of the challenging Revell 1/96 scale U.S.S. Constitution (without rigging). Check out my other video for foot ropes and stirrups.
I do not monetize my videos. If you see ads, it is because of copyrighted music or KZbin just being evil.

[@ronbork684]

My Father built this kit about 50 years ago when my Brother and I were kids. He even painted little murals inside the captain's cabin. Sadly our cat did a number on it. Thanks for the memories.

[@331SVTCobra]

Cats and model ships.... matter and anti-matter. My sister's kitten jumped into the middle of my Constitution while it was under construction, caught her little kitten claws on the rigging, and panicked because when she mover her paw a mast would bend somewhere else. Panicked myself, I ended up grabbing that thing and just ripping her out from the ship. It must have looked funny, but I was annnngggrrrryyyyyyyyy.

[@LilJerg]

@@331SVTCobra I'll testify to that too. Cats just LOVE the Revell 1/96 Constitution.

[@jamesvinski1623]

I built one like this years ago, using the black rope for standing rigging and "standard" color rope for running rigging. It was tedious but the finished result was very impressive. I learned a lot about sailing ship rigging on the way. Made a lot of sense afterwards. I visited the real ship in Boston more recently and I think I appreciated it better after having built the model. The real ship is awesome!

[@AN-PE-KA]

I had build this beautyful model 40 years ago. It was 40 years in my living room. And then I gave it away. In perfect condition. Many thanks for the great memorys. ( Sorry for my bad grammar )

[@lloydknighten5071]

Thanks for the informative video. I attempted to build the Revell U.S.S. CONSTITUTION at least twice. It is a true pain in the ashcan!

[@lloydknighten5071]

That Revell U.S.S. CONSTITUTION is a pain in the tookis! I have attempted it 3 times . . . w/o success!

[@frankdoyle3716]

I built two of these over the years. I replaced most of the plastic masts and spars with wood and also did the decks in wood. One was destroyed in an earthquake in California. Not sure where the second one ended up....Lots of fun to build.

[@sonomawinetourdrivers3895]

Excellent video..I can tell the modeler has great passion for the art of modeling and finishing

[@tbd-1]

If you're building this kit and you haven't glued the hull halves together yet: Note there are two "pockets" in the keel on each half that will fit a #10 nut. Drilling a hole through the keel in the center of these pockets (I believe there is a dimple showing where the hole goes) and sandwiching the nuts in the keel when assembling will allow you to use those nuts as mounts for a display base. I picked up a pair of wooden "keg" replicas at Hobby Lobby which are about 1 1/2" tall, cut a groove to fit the keel across one end of each, drilled a hole through the "keg" and used those as pedestals to screw the model down to a wooden base, also picked up at Hobby Lobby. VERY solid mount. Use G-S Hypo Cement to secure knots. Superglue (CA) soaks into the thread and makes it hard and brittle when it dries. G-S is more of a gel glue jewelers use and retains a bit of flex when it sets up without letting the knots unravel. Takes a bit longer to set up than superglue but there's plenty to work on while you wait 😊 The tube has a nifty needlepoint applicator tip too so the glue only goes where you want it. Just resumed work on mine after a 3 year hiatus. Currently rigging Mainmast and spars, hoping to start the Mizzen next week. I want to get this one done because the Model Shipways kit is waiting...

[@ronmarlett1704]

After watching your video on the USS Constitution, I wish that you would do more large scale plastic sailing ships. Airfix has a 1/72 Golden Hinde that I'm enjoying assembling at the moment. I like your narration while you're building the ship.

[@asdasx392]

Thanks for the comments. I wish I had time. I would like to build another sailing ship. It amazes me that the Constitution video is still my most viewed video and it is really the first one I did.

[@edwardquin4464]

This kit came out way before the 70s. Thanks for the video!

[@philRminiatures]

Impressive build, great job!

[@lhunter325]

Nice ship, I too built this. Note that your railing in the center was placed toward the stern closing the acces point of the laters on the hull. That section should be open for crew access. Keep going with the rigging.

[@kentdavis9348]

Good job. I have done this kind for the last 60 years and a lot of scratch built.

[@Redhand1949]

Built this in the 70s. Got it done. Quite a task!

[@frankwhittemore9149]

very helpful videos .thank you for sharing.

[@willmansell]

I'm halfway through this same build, stalled though. Need to finish.

[@slawimenet]

Nice!!!... I bult one back in 1982-83... took almost a year and a half because of my commercial fishing,,, BUT!!! ::-))))) a ton of fun, which is legal and with your clothes on...:-)))) i displayed it very proudly until my sister in law accidentally droped down stair well... I felt more sorry for her tears than the model... Brother!... it takes a shitload of patience to tie alllll of the knots... I used candle wax to point end of rope and ease it throu the bolt eyes... But your job is great and looks like you had a lot of fun... and that is the end of it...:-)))

[@billhuber2964]

I'm working on her now. Starting on the research. Makes it more fun. The flags I'm going to have those fun. Fair winds and following seas from a fellow seafairer.

[@dirtwaterfox5074]

your doing great job on it for your first square rigger

[@PiperStart]

Excellent work.

[@9999plato]

Those pieces that hold the ratlines will easily get knocked off with butterfingers. I did it a bunch of times since I built this twice. Also those lower parts he pointed out, they were not alligned to the parts moulded to the hull. Masts were crooked but can be straightened with the rigging. It's so easy to pull things out of allignment, to break the pins off where the lines get tied off. I would look into finer scale thread if possible for some areas. I did only standing rigging bercause the sails were a complete soup sandwich.

[@billhuber2964]

I'm starting on this kit today.im going to see if I'm as good as you are sir. It's a birthday present from my wife and son. They know I'm a lover of navy ships especially sailing ships. ARRGHH matey.

[@raymondblanchard2213]

Have you the Black Pearl in your collection yet? since you wrote about your love of them, just wondering. The 1:72 seems to be the largest available presently from Russia, Zvesda took over Revell. Mine will be here beginning of March. Perhaps a hint to your Son to tell your wife😁

[@tapewaves2783]

I glued the gun deck down. Had no problems installing the spar deck. Don’t like the idea of decks just sitting loosely.

[@neilrazdan1457]

Nice job. Would you please share the link for the second part. I'd like to see the masts and sails. I am planning to do the sails unfurled but still attached to the yards.

[@robhill8894]

Send me your email and I can send you pictures of this model complete with rigging and ALL of the sails that I did back in 2012. [e-mail]

[@paulferry7791]

My dad also has this model. He never got the masts installed but the rest was pretty much complete.

[@DoItYourself-DIY]

Its really nice

[@Jigsawman1943]

My suggestion to anyone who plans to build this model, leave the gunports until everything else is done. I keep breaking off.

[@berndlottes9940]

Bow: Bowsprit and above mounted Jib-Boom, .........Squarsail for the Bowsprit :Spritsail // Squaresail for the JIB-Boom:Spritsail-Topsail, .............first lower small Staysail is Fore-Stay-Sal, the next one is Fore-Topmast-Stay-Sail, the outher one Staysail is called only JIB..

[@thebobloblawshow8832]

Try super glue on the knots. Saves a lot of time on all that rigging.

[@robhill8894]

I used the gel superglue for everything when I built mine.

[@panzerwolf494]

I remember building this kit in my teens. Even took it to work from time to time to work on it during break. Started rigging it and one night heard a crash, woke up to find the cat had shoved it off the table.

[@ringo2797]

So where is the cat buried?

[@CaptainColdyron222]

I had a 1/700 Hiei and my cat smashed it.

[@MrHans818]

I tried making this model in 1985 and never finished because of lake of time on my part but it would had been awesome.

[@a1ar127]

I’ve rigged a lot of models, (at about 16:20) rather than trying to fit thread thru those little eyelets I have used the needle-threading wires you can get at any sewing supply, or Amazon etc

[@keithmartland6463]

Of all the models i have built over the years, i have never scrapped paint off a piece before i glued it to where ever it was supposed to go, never had a problem

[@Jigsawman1943]

What adhesive were you using?

[@keithmartland6463]

@@Jigsawman1943 That would be the normal plastic glue for plastic kits, it melds and bonds, get it in any model shop

[@williamgrimberg7722]

Flashing along the parting lines most times is from the molding process like too much injection pressure, too much heat for material, mold is warm , or heavy use of the tooling or a combination of any of the for mentioned. It’s great that some of these companies will take the time to send individual replacement parts . Since I did a lot of molding from 1966 to 1977 for many companies including Revell , it’s really satisfying and impressive to see people create master peace’s with these kits .

[@asdasx392]

Thanks for the information. Building the kit, I couldn't stop thinking what it was like for the team at Revell when they were creating it.

[@johns9153]

Thanks for the video. Nice work. I am now trying to figure out getting the lines around the wheel to make the rudder turn. Any tips or video from that?

[@asdasx392]

I question whether it is possible. You have to have a rope coming down each side of the wheel and have them move equal lengths in opposite directions as the wheel is turned. That is quite a challenge. I ended up gluing mine in place. I noticed on the build on the box cover, they did not even wrap the ropes around the wheel.

[@johns9153]

I am trying it now and agree, seems very undoable. I am going to try, though. I pulled up pics of the actual wheel and think the real life method of one rope coming wrapping around the wheel and going back down might work. That is effectively what they describe in the directions but draw it incorrectly. I’ll post something if I pull it off. Thanks for replying.

[@johns9153]

Did it! Will try to find a way to post pics.

[@mikearakelian6368]

I made this model as a teen long time ago. All revell ships model s need to form fit before assembly; like sanding deck before gluing in... On all ship models, one has to rig from inside out; make sure all blocks are in place on the tops or on standing rigging research rigging plans and paint schemes. Note topside gunwale is painted greenNOT white! One can buy better deck parts on line... Where those who build wooden ship go. Remember, anchor cable was rope, not chain! One can make one scale to be more authentic. Build your shroud's n rattlines...

[@mikearakelian6368]

One other thing... Before you paint the bottom copper, prime it with flat white...makes the copper stand out better...

[@pelmen1294]

I had this one as well.

[@richardfarabaugh7604]

Use beeswax on your ropes. Just get a chunk of wax and run the ropes ver it a few times. It gets rid of any fuzz and makes them much easier to deal with.

[@AFV85]

Hi see for your copper if you have a craft store called the Works in your town you get a big tube for £99p makers name Crawford and black fine artists materials and its copper they have loads iv had the same tube 2 years and it's still near full it's quite thick but once watered down it doesn't loose its effect atoll it's really good just a wee tip might save a few pennies or check on ebay if you done have The Works shop in town! Its 100ml tube it's good for doing fine work on figures making rust adding other normal paints even oil paints mixes in with this stuff its really good iv never really gave a tip on it before but the amount of time iv had it the amount of different things its transformed just a tad of it in with a normal paint it's great I'm using it alot for my ww2 trenches at the moment and watering it rite down you can make a wash rust adding abit of fairy up dish was liquid tips and trick on youtube are great aren't they

[@cherifbar]

i built one of these 45 years ago as a teenager. i had dexterity then. i certainly could not do it now.

[@dkstryker]

Awesome job! Did you complete the rigging? I'd love to see it all done. I just bought this and the USS United States 1/96 scale models and I'm starting on the United States this week. Cheers!

[@asdasx392]

Thanks for the comments. I have not done the rigging yet. Just too many other projects that are more interesting. I expect I will make a video of the rigging, but probably not anytime soon.

[@mikeholton9876]

i built one back in the day.

[@williamn5680]

This is probably too late to mention, but running the rigging line over some beeswax will help with routing and fraying. Check your grocery store.

[@exilfromsanity]

Bee's wax available at Amazon.

[@Ramiiam]

My dad built that kit back in the late 60s.

[@dynd]

How did you paint the wood on the rudder? Exactly what I am looking for

[@asdasx392]

The wood on the rudder is basically the same black as the rest of the ship - Tester's Aircraft Interior Black. Then a wash of brown artist oils if I remember correctly.

[@jng99]

Army painter and citadel miniature paints are also great to use. Use a little water (if they are water based paints) to keep the coats thin and not lose the detail

[@phantombullet]

Same here rigging is a pain

[@twlang03]

Hi I'm wondering what the differences are between the Constitution 1:96 and 1:196.

[@davidmcleod7757]

I built that model in 1970 it was a challenge i went into the navy my parents moved and left all my models behind and the Constitution was left at a friends house in the cellar and their German Shepard got a hold of it and mangled real bad there was nothing i could do for it so it got tossed

[@vindicari]

if you put a little super glue on the ends of the rigging lines they don't fray. ditto the anchor hawser.

[@achenakes]

Sounds like you put the galley stack backward! it should point toward the aft. easy to fix.

[@dr.johannesmunch891]

well done. Did you finish it in the end? Revell has many great model kits for sale, but also some terrible low quality ones... :(

[@asdasx392]

Thanks for the comments. I have not finished it. I will eventually and I will make a followup video when I do.

[@daveweiland8808]

What combinations of colors did you use for the wash over the Copper hull please?

[@asdasx392]

I think I described it in the video. As I remember, it was the Vallejo copper metallic acrylic paint and then a very light wash of dark brown artist oils. I don't think there was anything more than that.

[@exilfromsanity]

So where's the other video????

[@DavidRLentz]

This has a fascination to me I can- not quite identify. History is what actually happened, for good or ill. I would like to build a diorama of the ship in close-quarters battle with a foe. Ideally, one that is historically accurate. The HMS Guerriere comes to mind as an eminently satisfactory example. However, finding a kit of this in the same scale I expect would be improbable. Would you know if any kit maker produces such? I lack the skill to scratch-build one. Alternately, could one credibly modify another kit of the Constitu- tion? This might work if one altered the rail- ings: painted the hull, the deck fixtures, etc., differently; repo- sitioned some features; changed the sails, the yardarms, the masts, the rigging, etc.; posted different pennants; altered the uniforms and attire, especially their colours, and the like. Toward this, I have several ques- tions: 1) What would serve as a sui- table counterpart in an engagement on the high seas? 2) How would one set the sails? I understand that the crews would have furled the lower set, that they could see to fight. 3) How many crew figures would this entail? I am estimating at least a couple hundred per ship. The gun crews would be busily at work, likely sharply increasing this number. 4) How would one represent battle damage? This would entail more than just cutting away some of the hull and bits of the deck fix- tures; one must dramatise how the cannonball struck, including collateral damage. I want the enemy vessel to be the worse for it, with one mast fallen diagonally across the deck, its rigging and ratlines entang- ling things. 5) How would one present the crews in fighting? This also would include the dead and wounded, which to be accurate would be grim (to say the least!). The next alternative would be to consider the Barbary Pirates. However, I know even less of that setting. Would any of you lot?

[@cjdavis2684]

My first question into 2.30 into the video why didn't you just use model Master are Tamiya or one of the other model brand whites is there a thinner finer ground paint and would have been a lot better than using artist paint which is way too thick for models? As for the hatch covers over the cannons they're not white on top they're actually black if you look at pictures of the actual ship where she is docked as a museum you will see that the doors are actually painted black and not white that is something that Revell got wrong and it's instruction sheet.

[@asdasx392]

I am sure I tried Tamiya and Vallejo and they would not go on. I tried the acrylic heavy body somewhat out of desperation. Even then it took two coats to get solid white. The wash of artists oils may have made it difficult for the paint to stick although I am not sure which went on first. Perhaps white enamels would have worked but I didn't think to try. When I started the build, I did zero research and just followed the instructions. Later on when I looked at some pictures, it was obvious that the painting instructions did not match the current ship. I assumed that maybe they were using historical records and that the current ship does not look the same as it did during the war. Also note the comment below about the model being very inaccurate so perhaps the painting instructions are not accurate either.

[@russia1594]

За сколько покупали?

[@tarzan8575]

In the pictures i saw the head timbers are trimmed in white.

[@asdasx392]

The instructions say gold. Some of the other comments discuss the accuracy of the kit.

[@v8cool231]

Why didn't you paint it all black and then mask off the main body and use matt white primer spray can ?

[@asdasx392]

1. I didn't think it would be that hard to get good coverage. 2. I had not built models in awhile when I started. For the models I typically build, white on top of black does not come up often. 3. I planned for more weathering that would cover any brush marks. Actually, I think it would be better to paint the white part, mask them off, and then paint the black.

[@JJawsyW]

I would have weathered the wood deck.

[@daveweiland8808]

Sorry, I think you did say in the video the wash on the hull was a mix of artist colors

[@asdasx392]

No worries. Thanks for watching. By the way for anyone reading this, I am rigging this ship right now. Video coming eventually.

[@jimmyg.comicguy3621]

😃👍👍👍👌

[@MrJuvefrank]

I don't think Popeye has a prettier boat than you do.

[@rickdesign]

It would have been nice for you to position the camera so that the work you’re doing is not completely hidden by your hands.

[@asdasx392]

I agree, but it is not so easy to build a model and film it at the same time. There are only so many places I can put the tripod.

[@zee-lv4jh]

The rigging. If you have started the rigging have you noticed how difficult it is to make the lines taught? Masts want to flex

[@asdasx392]

I won't get to the rigging anytime soon, but that will give me time to think about how to solve that problem.

[@Endgame711]

I saw in a store once this type of elastic like thread but I never saw it in another store and I don't remember the name of it. You could stretch it and it wouldn't pull any of the masts at all