ScottRC

That is good that you are giving youself a deadline to complete a model. You are doing the right thing by not putting a YEAR to the month, it makes it easier on your sanity. You need a shop huh? No you don't, trust me, we are like goldfish, the bigger the tank, then more we expand. You no longer work in 1/100th of an inch but in 1/10th's of and inch and the shop is never large enough.

I just found your build log and your work is beautiful. Scott

Thanks, I hope to get pics ready over the weekend to set up a build log. However it is getting busy for me at work, It would be nice to see both our kits progress through the rigging process together. Scott

Railings??????????????? This kit has railings? Man, and I tought I would go insane doing railings and photo-etch in 1/700. Great job!

Steve, Not to worry about how long it takes to complete the kit. I think these old kits require one to take time off from them and come back later. I am glad it is taking the time it is because if I rushed a kit like this, it would have been in the trash long ago. I found I must really think through each step, which has been a great learning tool. Scott

Yes, the Endavor was a Barque rig in later years but was ship rigged under Capt. Cook, She has slightly raised prowl and poop. Designed as a collier with a blunt bow and shallow draft, not a real pretty ship is you ask me. Here is it in need to some future attention. I plan to start back on it after the Constitution is done.

Agree with Steve, Spray is not a good thing, you cannot control the thickness which ends up with runs, cracking, and orange peel effects. It also draws dust onto the model, and a wood ship is a incubator for dust. I prefer to use brush, cloth, and small sponges to apply stain and sealer. Yippee, a stick is protruding.

No, just a few pics from later in the build that survived from an earlier HD crash. This is the earliest pic I have and need to take some updated pics. I have been doing so much experimentation with this kit such painting and rigging that I was hesitent about a build log. I'll be keeping an eye on your Morgan build. Looks fun!

Yes Steve, Kansas it is. I am a draftsman by trade so the instructions and plans had enough for me to get by and kinda made it fun in a demented sort. The kit was just like the old Comet airplane kits except the parts were printed on 3 ply instead of balsa. I wore out a few jigsaw blades cutting the kit. Many of the kit parts just ended up being used as patterns to fabricate new parts from solid hard wood. I think I am about at the same stage you are at so I may start a log so we can compare notes. I am impressed, the Serapis is a much more traditional build than the Endeavor. The Endeavor was more an entry level kit and really is just a shape that needs a lot of scratch building in order to represent a decent finished model. I think it will look nice with a second planking of hardwood, say Cherry. I cannot wait to see your Bonhomme Richard. I did inquire at Nature Coast awhile back and the Essex was no more. I continue to check around for an Essex kit but the ones I have seen for sale are priced much more than I can pay, or am willing to pay, for a kit of this quality, especially with a new Blue Jacket Essex just around the corner. Regards, Scott

Folks, we will need to be sure we are her support group throughout the up and coming phase of shrouds and ratlines. A phase in which she will endure hours upon hours of tying one knot after another, working up one mast, then the other, and through each individual eyebolt, a shroud will be formed and every turn of the thread counted to be equal to the last. All the time, she will be yearning for the smell of fresh wood being glued to newly sawn timbers and missing the feel of a hull coming together beneath her fingers. She is going to be tempted to be drawn away from the current build, with its tedium and redundancy, an off to the young, newly acquired, and ready to be laid up and planked kit, until it too may be drawn off to a lesser priority in order to have a new curiosity pursued. This, my fellow modelers, is how we become masters of many builds at one time. We do not want her to go into this dark side of our hobby. Or do we?

Great build log. I am so glad to see a kit by this company posted. I have been building their Endeavor on and off for a few years. Instructions???? If I could read Italian, or is it Portugese? And the drawings are pretty generic. But overall it has been a good build despite no detail (great practice for scratchbuilding) and the use of pressed sawdust and resin bow and stern sections. I also have the book "Building Period Ship Models" put out by Aeropiccolla that has all these kits shown in it. Two models I have always been intrigued with were the Serapis and the Essex.

What you are showing is how I like to present the sails. Enough to show to ship is being worked yet not so many that it detracts from the other details. I also do not like to rig up every sail nor to I like to rig as if the yards are drawn down in ordinary.

That would be my dream place to build. To be able to look out at the water. At present I have to build in my basement. Not to complain mind you, it is a very nice shop, just a little dark for my tastes. Then again, I just picture myself in below decks.

Lookin great Tex. I am also working on this kit and am about finished with the standing rig then will start on the yards. Thanks for the pics. pretty motivational. Scott

Cannot wait to see more. Especially when the deck housings wheels start to take shape.

I also prefer PVA (Gorilla or Elmer’s Tight bond is common locally) for general building. Easy to clean up, no odors or fumes that burn the eyes, much less expensive, and can be diluted with water or isopropyl alcohol and ran through a syringe to get into really tight areas. I use CA when I need a really fast, strong joint made. And two part epoxy for high stress joints.

Wow, this is new to me. I have built cast 1/1200 and this looks very interesting. Keep up the posting Sara.

She looks about ready for some lines to be run out and belayed.

Thank you sir!

What are these? How many before one is voted off the island?

This is going to be an interesting build. Look forward to it. Also good job on emphasizing the need to do a good check of the contents against the BOM. Better to settle up early with the vendor/manufacturer early after the transaction than much later, when the parts may not even be in production or inventory.

WOW! An this coming someone who uses 3D modeling daily.

Hello Robbyn, I just re-joined MSW after a long hiatus and found a number of subjects within your build log interesting and easy to relate to. First and foremost, it is so great to see another person from Kansas in this hobby, I live in the Southeast part of the state and its interesting to discuss the reactions I get from members of my community when they find out what my hobby is, Yes, I like ships, the ocean, and I live in Kansas, so the point is? I am in the middle of two builds, HMS Endeavor and Constitution, of which both got put on hold as of last summer because of an injury to my right index finger. I slipped with a screwdriver, yup, a tiny flathead screwdriver, which dig into the finger right at the knuckle and cut through two tendons and into the bone. After surgury, some rehab, and a rather large withdrawal from my bank account, I now have full use of the finger, which comes in very handy when tying up Ratlines and shrouds. On the subject of stain, I have the problem when I apply it in that it is too light, too dark, too sticky, or just right. Your’s came out just right. I like the dark look. Regarding dogs, I have four of them ranging from a Shitzu to a Labrador. Yup, they keep the floor very clean and they find that Basswood is quite palatable. Yet these dogs are not as dramatic as the cats, who do their best at keeping me busy with repairs and rebuilds. I leaned one thing building with cats, NEVER PUSH A LONG HAIRED CAT OUT OF THE WAY WITH SUPERGLUE ON YOUR HANDS! Almost needed stitches after that incident. I look forward to seeing you work at fitting out and then rigging the San Francisco. Regards, Scott

Lookiong good on the paint job! I use acrylics extensively. Mostly cfat paints because that are easliy available. they do require primer to be applied first over the plastic.