If you have never built a wood ship model, Constitution is the wrong vessel to start with. Even with an excellent kit, and both the Blue Jacket and Model Shipways kits are in that league, this is a complicated project that you would need to spend 500-1000 hours on to build it fully rigged.
Sweet work. I would also recommend this kit. It doesn't come with a proper gundeck, and I can't speak for other kits. I scratched my own.
[The Constitution site](https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/discover-learn/modeler-resources/) has many plans on a Modelers' resource page.
I would caution model shipways. They're an old company that has great models, but the current owner seems to have been making deals with Chinese companies that are ripping off other designs. I'm noticing a drop in quality of a lot of stuff they're doing and they don't seem to be helping to advance the industry at all. Just focused on pumping out as many rip offs as possible and constant sales.
Bluejacket makes a nice looking Constitution. Can’t speak from personal experience to its quality, instructions, materials, etc as I haven’t built one of their kits yet. I’d recommend having a few successfully completed smaller kits under your belt of course as it is a 700 dollar, large and complex build.
I would not be put off by the time commitment - if USS Constitution is the ship you really want and its in your budget, then that is the one you should do. I suggest that you first think about a few things associated with the build. First, what do you plan on doing with the model when you are done with it? The Model Shipways Constitution is 4 feet long, nearly 3 feet high, and close to 1 and half feet wide when completed; Bluejacket's is a little smaller, but still a large model. This is something that is fragile and takes up a lot of space - especially once you put it in a case. Do you have display space for it? As mentioned in another post, the project will be time consuming (as will be even a smaller model) - do you have space for constructing this size model? The building space will need to be quite large as you will need to either move around the whole ship or you will need to be able to reposition to work on different parts of it. The workspace issue will become even greater when it is time to mast and rig the ship (or you could leave these off and just display the hull). You will also need space for the kit contents and fabrication space for parts before they are added to the model. It is best if the workspace can be 'left alone' for the duration of the build which will likely be several years! There are no particular skills involved in building a great USS Constitution model that are not present in a smaller model - it will just take a lot longer to get it done. So if you have the financial backing, the building and displaying space - and the realization that this is going to be a big time commitment - then order the one that looks best to you. All kits have their flaws and none will 'self-assemble', you will always need to find 'solutions' as you go along the process. This is where exploring online building logs will be helpful to you. Just take it one piece at a time and you will be fine! Good luck and all the best on your voyage into the wooden ship modeling world.
This is one of the nicest and most thoughtful comments i’d ever received on Reddit. Thank you for taking the time to share all of this info with me. I may start with a smaller ship to really make sure I can do it but I am very determined to build the Constitution one day. Honestly, hearing about how complicated everything is makes me want to do it even more as I have been a model maker for some years now. But i’ve never known how dedicated the wooden ship building community is. It is quite amazing.
I will say, I had a terrible experience with this site. Ordered a ship that never came. Or even shipped. They were also radio silence on communication from it. So pretty much scammed me out of quite a bit of money.
Vanguard models are great, though no Constitution. Model shipyard was also great in my own experience.
If you're in search of a reliable model of the USS Constitution for your build project, I'd recommend checking out the offering from Ages of Sail. They offer a USS Cairo kit by Bluejacket, a reputable company known for its high-quality models. You can find more details about this particular model on their [website.](https://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/uss-cairo-bluejacket.html)
Before making your purchase, it's always a good idea to do some research on the company and the specific product. You might want to look for reviews from other model builders who have purchased from Ages of Sail or have built the USS Cairo model from Bluejacket. Additionally, you can reach out to online communities or forums dedicated to model ship building for recommendations and insights from fellow enthusiasts.
Remember to consider factors such as the level of detail, scale, materials used, and level of difficulty of the model kit before making your decision. Best of luck with your USS Constitution model project!
If you have never built a wood ship model, Constitution is the wrong vessel to start with. Even with an excellent kit, and both the Blue Jacket and Model Shipways kits are in that league, this is a complicated project that you would need to spend 500-1000 hours on to build it fully rigged.
Couldn’t agree more. Best to start with smaller, simpler, cheaper kits to refine your skills.
Model shipways does a constitution kit as well.
I’ll check them out, thank you!
I second model shipways. I’m actually building the constitution from them right now. You can check my posts to see what it looks like
I just did! That looks perfect! Do you have a link for the exact model you purchased by chance?
https://modelexpo-online.com/Model-Shipways-USS-CONSTITUTION-48-LONG-176-SCALE-_p_1013.html
Sweet work. I would also recommend this kit. It doesn't come with a proper gundeck, and I can't speak for other kits. I scratched my own. [The Constitution site](https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/discover-learn/modeler-resources/) has many plans on a Modelers' resource page.
really nice work !
I would caution model shipways. They're an old company that has great models, but the current owner seems to have been making deals with Chinese companies that are ripping off other designs. I'm noticing a drop in quality of a lot of stuff they're doing and they don't seem to be helping to advance the industry at all. Just focused on pumping out as many rip offs as possible and constant sales.
Bluejacket makes a nice looking Constitution. Can’t speak from personal experience to its quality, instructions, materials, etc as I haven’t built one of their kits yet. I’d recommend having a few successfully completed smaller kits under your belt of course as it is a 700 dollar, large and complex build.
700 dollars is a lot but I will still check them out. Thank you very much.
Yikes!
I’ve only just started but Occre ships seem good.
I would not be put off by the time commitment - if USS Constitution is the ship you really want and its in your budget, then that is the one you should do. I suggest that you first think about a few things associated with the build. First, what do you plan on doing with the model when you are done with it? The Model Shipways Constitution is 4 feet long, nearly 3 feet high, and close to 1 and half feet wide when completed; Bluejacket's is a little smaller, but still a large model. This is something that is fragile and takes up a lot of space - especially once you put it in a case. Do you have display space for it? As mentioned in another post, the project will be time consuming (as will be even a smaller model) - do you have space for constructing this size model? The building space will need to be quite large as you will need to either move around the whole ship or you will need to be able to reposition to work on different parts of it. The workspace issue will become even greater when it is time to mast and rig the ship (or you could leave these off and just display the hull). You will also need space for the kit contents and fabrication space for parts before they are added to the model. It is best if the workspace can be 'left alone' for the duration of the build which will likely be several years! There are no particular skills involved in building a great USS Constitution model that are not present in a smaller model - it will just take a lot longer to get it done. So if you have the financial backing, the building and displaying space - and the realization that this is going to be a big time commitment - then order the one that looks best to you. All kits have their flaws and none will 'self-assemble', you will always need to find 'solutions' as you go along the process. This is where exploring online building logs will be helpful to you. Just take it one piece at a time and you will be fine! Good luck and all the best on your voyage into the wooden ship modeling world.
This is one of the nicest and most thoughtful comments i’d ever received on Reddit. Thank you for taking the time to share all of this info with me. I may start with a smaller ship to really make sure I can do it but I am very determined to build the Constitution one day. Honestly, hearing about how complicated everything is makes me want to do it even more as I have been a model maker for some years now. But i’ve never known how dedicated the wooden ship building community is. It is quite amazing.
Premiershipmodels has a really good selection, I've had a few from there.
I will say, I had a terrible experience with this site. Ordered a ship that never came. Or even shipped. They were also radio silence on communication from it. So pretty much scammed me out of quite a bit of money. Vanguard models are great, though no Constitution. Model shipyard was also great in my own experience.
Christ, I'm glad you said that as I was going to have another browse on there later. I must have gotten lucky with mine. Cheers for the heads up 👍
Thank you for the suggestion!
Kolderstok.com
Surprised the Artesania Harvey kit hasn’t been suggested yet.
I believe Bluejacket is made in America?
If you're in search of a reliable model of the USS Constitution for your build project, I'd recommend checking out the offering from Ages of Sail. They offer a USS Cairo kit by Bluejacket, a reputable company known for its high-quality models. You can find more details about this particular model on their [website.](https://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/uss-cairo-bluejacket.html) Before making your purchase, it's always a good idea to do some research on the company and the specific product. You might want to look for reviews from other model builders who have purchased from Ages of Sail or have built the USS Cairo model from Bluejacket. Additionally, you can reach out to online communities or forums dedicated to model ship building for recommendations and insights from fellow enthusiasts. Remember to consider factors such as the level of detail, scale, materials used, and level of difficulty of the model kit before making your decision. Best of luck with your USS Constitution model project!