Endeavour: which kit is good/best?

[bigboris]

Hi

 

Having finished the AL San Juan Nepomuceno some years back, I'm looking to build a larger Endeavour- 1:50 ish scale

I had some issues with the Nepomuceno kit.......

I had to double plank the hull, as one layer didn't cut the mustard !

in doing so, I became better at planking than I thought-

 

So I'm after some advice on which kit supplier does the best Endeavour...

Something that is double planked, good fittings,brass/ photo etch etc, good rigging and construction instructions ( and a reasonable price !) 

Not interested in sails or bases-

Occre looks good-

the AL also looks good, good price- but has received some bad press, and from my experience I can see why !

 

Suggestions anyone?

 

Cheers !

 

 

[shipaholic]

I have built the AL Endeavour and am currently building the partwork equivalent of the Occre. The AL was twenty years ago so the kit has changed a bit. The Occre is bigger in size but the wood and a lot of the fittings are poor quality. If you value the look of nice walnut then the preference is the AL, if you want to paint the model then the Occre may be better.

Cheers

Steve

[Cabbie]

Hi bigboris

I am doing the AL endeavour now. Its a 20yr old kit and the instructions are pretty basic.

This is only my second ship build and don't know much about other kits.

 

But model ship building is really all about what you want it to be.

You don't have to just follow the instructions, you can do your own research, look for books, info off the net,

ask questions on MSW. And make the ship what you want it to be,

 

That's why i did an Endeavour, the replica is supposed to be one of the most accurate to have been done.

There are plenty of photos available.

 

For example I have just finished planking the poop deck by copying what they did on the Endeavour, ( I think)

just from what i could see on the photos.

 

Others ditch some of the fittings supplied, and buy items, and ropes for rigging etc

from suppliers and do their own thing.

 

Whatever happens don't rush, and enjoy.

 

Hooroo Chris

[hornet]

I have the Caldercraft Version 'On the Shelf'. I have been through the box. As with all Caldercraft kits fittings and plans are good. Walnut hull planking strips are so so. I anticipate doing quite a bit of scratch work as I have done with the Caldercraft 'Supply' but I'd be happy to recommend it.

[bigboris]

The AL Endeavour does look OK

I like the idea of the double planking............

Edited October 28, 2015 by bigboris

[BANYAN]

Hi Boris; I am also building the AL.  My two cents worth:

 

1.  The hull is accurately proportioned and is double planked as per your preference.

2.  The brass decorations are a mixed bag.  The quarter badges and some scroll/figures are OK but the transom piece and window column scrolls are poor

3.  Plans are OK for what they are but the rigging is not accurate for the period or practice (use James Lees and Steel to supplement).  I replaced all the rigging materials

4.  Instructions are poor but as you are an experienced builder I think you would be OK with them.

5.  I scratch built all the upperdeck fittings and equipment  using the AOTS (Marquardt), Ray Parkin's book and the replica build as source information.

 

Hope that helps you?

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited October 28, 2015 by BANYAN

[donrobinson]

I have the Caldercraft one also on the shelf(just got it) nice looking kit lots of plans and fairly good looking wood. Nice size, 725 cm., It is a good buy as it is four kits in one(three ships boats to build)  

[bigboris]

Hi

 

Thanks for all the advice-

I really appreciate it !

 

whats the AOTS though?

 

I've never been good at acronyms !

[Cabbie]

"Anatomy of the ship" A series of books with plans, etc about various ships.

 

http://www.booktopia.com.au/anatomy-of-the-ship-karl-heinz-marquardt/prod9781844862306.html

 

EDIT This one is not available for some reason, but they have others.

 

I am still waiting for mine from this place but they are slow

 

Cheers Chris

Edited October 29, 2015 by Cabbie

[mtaylor]

Boris,

 

Do some Googling on "Anatomy of the Ship" along with Endeavour.  Depending on where in the world you are, you might find it close by or get it mail order with reasonable shipping.

[maggsl_01]

Hi Bigboris,

 

I am working on my Endeavour by Occre. Well... my opinion is quite  mixed. The kit is full of nice stuff - but as always you will find a lot of not so fine things. I replaced all cannon barrels and svivel guns, I replaced almost all rigging yarn as the supplied material is not suitable, I do not like the photo-instructions so much - wish there would be some real plans as other manufacturers like Corel, Mantua or Euro Model have.

 

But on the other hand: The scale is 1:54 (so they say) and that means you can work on details quite good - eg I rigged all cannons. Try to get the book Anatomy of the Ship and you will have a almost never running up source of ideas and real help to improve the build. I have done the masts so far and will now make the yards and sails.

 

All in all I am satisfied with the Occre kit so far. You will never get a kit that is 100 %, so the compromize you will get from Occre is a good equivalent to the price (about 300 Euro in Germany). I have started to build the Endeavour 11 months ago and it will last approx about 2 month till I will finish. So you see - you get a very nice and challenging kit that fullfills all demands. I would not hesitate to recommend this kit although I do NOT know the other kits. But it will help you quite a lot to take a look at the build logs around.

 

Have a good time

 

Cheerio

 

Max

[dashi]

I'm slowly making my way through the Caldercraft kit and striking some minor and not so minor scale issues. Also the walnut is pretty scrappy as it tends to split. Apart from this the rest of the kit seems well thought out and the parts are of a good standard.

 

The minor scale issues involve not allowing for planking thickness on the bulkheads at the keel and parts of the plans and some lazer cut parts which if they are too big can be reduce but if too small then it's a kit bashing but all seem fixable if you stay alert and check the scale of everything step.

 

The major scale problem I have just discovered is that the main deck is short by 2 - 3feet @ 1:1 or 10 - 14mm @ 1:64. I initially thought just the forecastle was too long, but it appears that the quarterdeck is also equally too long (both by 5 - 7 mm of where they are drawn on the AOTS book and 1768 drafts, therefore making the main deck too short. It's too late for me to fix and it would mean moving the offending plywood frames forward and and aft by a ply frame thickness at the start, then extending the false maindeck ply to cover this gap. Seems whom ever drafted the kit plans drew these frames on the wrong side of the line?

Edited April 16, 2016 by dashicat