Endeavour 1934 by Julie Mo - Amati - Scale 1:35 - America's Cup UK J-Class Challenger

[dgbot]

Keith is right on the mark Julie.  By filling both sides at the same time you are assured of getting a straight hull with no warping.  I also have a couple of their planes as well buried somewhere in the closet.  They are expensive but well worth the price.  When I received mine I through my X-Acto in the waste basket.

David B

[Julie Mo]

Good point about installing the backing on both sides.  Thank you!  I have a few pieces glued in on the starboard side but I think I need to rotate the hull and work from there until the backing is balanced. 

 

I will be out of balsa today.  So far I can't find any stores close by that sell balsa.  The nearest one is about 30 miles away and their selection is very limited.  I may have to order online again.

[michael mott]

Julie very nice way of working, I particularly like the use of the small bench vises, funny how I had never thought of that, and yet I have all sorts of clamps, and the vises are just a different clamp.

 

 

(I know Endeavour had an aluminum hull but we'll pretend it was wood.)

 

Here's the thing why don't you finish this one with a painted hull as the original and with your skills at getting you feet wet with the "kindergarten" tools I know you can use the "grown up" ones looking at pictures of your shop.

 

The get the plans for Shamrock V which was another one of the Americas Cup yachts and had metal frames but was planked with wood then you can show them side by side.....just sayin'

 

One has to plant a seed every now and then.

 

Michael

[dgbot]

Michael has a good idea.  I have seen the Endeavour with a glass smooth hull sitting alongside the Shamrock V and the difference was striking and a lot of discussion about racing yachts and their construction.  I wish I had a photo to show but my batteries died on me.

David B

[KeithAug]

I think the problem with painting the hull relates to the Amati kit. It gives the option of leaving below the water line as mahogany while at the same time providing mahogany planking for the entire hull. The quality of the mahogany is good and when varnished it produces a beautiful rich finish. Lovers of natural wood tend to baulk at the thought of burying it under layers of paint. 

 

Also the creation of a mahogany finish provides an added challenge for the modeller. Inevitably the finish has to be achieved without recourse to filler. The care and attention needed to achieve a high quality mahogany finish can be the added challenge that the modeller needs to test their skills and deliver the satisfaction they desire.

 

Where the accuracy of reproduction is not the primary aim the finish is really a choice for the modeller. The advice posted on finishing options may be very useful to Julie but the advice I would give is - "follow your heart".

 

Keith

[mrjimmy]

 

Most carpenters, and that would include Julie, love the beauty of the wood and are not impressed with a beautifully painted finish on metal.

 

Jim

[Julie Mo]

The hull will be left natural.  No paint for this girl!  I was drawn to woodworking because I love the natural beauty of wood.  When I made new cabinet doors for our kitchen, I chose Honduras mahogany (HM) for the rails & stiles and African sapele for the panels.  I got the HM for a song!

Sapele has a beautiful chatoyance.  Most mahogany family woods, less so.  I've worked a lot with African mahogany (AM) and I am reasonably certain the mahogany that comes with the Amati kit is AM. 

 

AM is very porous and it can be hit or miss, depending on the tree and what part of the tree the wood comes from.  Some AM can be really pretty and some can be downright ugly.  I redid the cabinets in the bathrooms of our old house.  Like the kitchen, the panels were sapele but I used AM for the rails & stiles.  I started with a very nice slab of AM yet it was just not as pretty as the HM.  But on another shopping trip, I picked up an AM board, took it home, shaped it, finished it and ended up throwing it away.  It was flat out ugly!

 

The quality of the Amati AM seems to be fairly good.  But I can see the dark flecks inherent in the species.  You usually can't tell how attractive the particular AM is until you apply a finish.  If what you see doesn't dazzle you like you hoped, it's probably AM.  It can be pretty but you know there's something lacking.  You usually don't get this with HM but HM is becoming endangered and rapidly more expensive. 

[dgbot]

Years ago at one of the clubs we had a member bring an Endeavour and asked the same question.  We told him that it was what he thought would look better.  He did a wonderful job of planking and when he was done with the finish the planking was fantastic and beautiful.

David B

[Julie Mo]

Starting backing fill on the starboard side

 

This is as far as I got before running out of balsa wood.  Two (2) 2x4x12 inch blocks of balsa are pretty much used up.

 

You can see the frames just being touched by the fairing..

 

The last fairing was done with that 3M sander.  This is the first sanding I have done.  I'm going to need a respirator!

[Julie Mo]

I guess you could call this an "off" day.  I ended up ordering the balsa wood and it is supposed to be here tomorrow, but I was getting itchy so I worked on some fine tuning.

 

After I flipped the boat, I worked on fairing the deck.

 

I began wondering if the build would be better if I also backed up the decking

 

Looking down, you can see the variation in backing thickness.  I'm still learning...  The deck structure looks sufficient but the plywood sub-deck that comes with the kit is cardboard-thin.  I am enjoying the fairing process.  I feel like I'm actually working on a real boat.  So the prospect of adding backing for the deck doesn't bother me.

[KeithAug]

Hi Julie

 

I had variations in backing thickness - Its difficult not to have this and it does not matter. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

I know that the deck plywood is thin but if its like mine the quality is good. I din't find any need to put backing underneath the deck and the result was perfectly solid.

 

Have a think about the sequence of attaching the deck.

 

I did:-

 

1, First planking.

2, Attach the deck.

3, Deck edge plank,

4, 2nd planking.

 

I can see pros and cons for reversing steps 1 and 2 but would probably keep this sequence if doing it again. Steps 3 and 4 need to be the final operations so the mahogany planking goes right up to the deck edge (covering the plywood and deck plank edges).

 

Keith

[S.Coleman]

Well done. I do like the look of the hull, looks real neatly constructed. How have you been using the planner on the con caved curves by the keel?

[Julie Mo]

Keith,

 

Thank you for the sequence.  I have said before that while the instructions are reasonably good, I could not build this model as well were it not for the help of the members here.  You, in particular, have been an enormous help.  Going into this build, I wanted something of which I could be very proud.  Thanks to you and other here, I can see that coming to fruition.

 

Well done. I do like the look of the hull, looks real neatly constructed. How have you been using the planner on the con caved curves by the keel?

Thank you, S.

 

As far as using a plane on the con-caved hull surfaces, I have been using a convex sole block plane thus far.  But it can't get into some of the tighter curves.  For those areas, I have been using a curved Microplane rasp.  It's good for roughing out but still leaves more work to do.  I bit the bullet and ordered some Auriou rasps (that I don't have locked away).  They are supposed to be here Tuesday.  I will fine tune the hull with the rasps before going to a fairing sander. 

[Julie Mo]

I know that the deck plywood is thin but if its like mine the quality is good. I din't find any need to put backing underneath the deck and the result was perfectly solid.

Keith, when you say, "perfectly solid", do you mean there are no weak points, such as when pressure is applied and there is no give? 

 

My thoughts on backing the deck were along the line of the deck passing, not only pressure tests, but tap tests, so it sounds solid, too.

 

Another question, I was considering running the sub-planking at around 45⁰ to the finished planking.  I know this will create more work but the finished planks won't be running parallel to the sub-planks.  I believe this should make laying the finished planks easier.

 

Your thoughts?

 

BTW, I got the idea from this build:

 

Edited November 28, 2015 by Julie Mo

[KeithAug]

Julie

 

Clearly the deck will flex under undue pressure. What I mean by perfectly solid is that it took the deck planking without any distortion and the finished deck (with planking) exhibited no perceptible deflection under thumb pressure. I have just rechecked the thickness of a scrap piece of deck plywood and its thickness is 1.02mm or circa .050". I have also done the thumb check on my model and I can't detect any weak areas.

 

Regards.

 

Keith

[KeithAug]

Julie,

 

Re diagonal planking.

 

I did try out diagonal planking of the mahogany second planks. I convinced myself that it would work but in the end decided to go with planks parallel to the deck because I thought it looked better. 

 

I didn't consider diagonal planking on the 1st planks because they are thicker (less flexible), changes in curvature are significantly more pronounced and double curvature ("s" shaped) occurs in the area of the keel. This isn't the case on the picture you have posted. However try it with one or two planks as I did with the second planks.

 

An advantage of the deck attachment sequence mentioned previously is that the 2nd planking is displaced by 1/2 a plank width from the first (because of the thickness of the deck and deck edge plank. This means you don't get seam on seam even though the planks are parallel.

[Julie Mo]

Maybe I am taking this whole fairing thing too far but I'm having fun. 

 

I had a cheap ruler that had some good flex to it so I decided to see if I could make a fairing tool.  I cut a dowel for handles, drilled and countersunk holes in the ruler and screwed in the handles.  Then I sprayed some adhesive on the back of a strip of 80 grit sandpaper and gave it a try.  The smaller piece just behind the fairing tool will be an attempt at a smaller version.

 

I ran the fairing tool back and forth several times, paying attention to when the sandpaper started to contact the plywood frames.  I found it a much better tool for fairing than anything I have used so far.  And I'm finding this phase of model building the most enjoyable to date.

[Julie Mo]

Julie

 

Clearly the deck will flex under undue pressure. What I mean by perfectly solid is that it took the deck planking without any distortion and the finished deck (with planking) exhibited no perceptible deflection under thumb pressure. I have just rechecked the thickness of a scrap piece of deck plywood and its thickness is 1.02mm or circa .050". I have also done the thumb check on my model and I can't detect any weak areas.

 

Regards.

 

Keith

Keith,

 

The deck flex issue was a concern, in part, when thinking about banding around the deck during the glue-up.  I would have to make sure the bands were on the frames and not half way between two of them.  To a lesser degree, I wanted a solid feel when the boat was handled.  Since it won't have raised sails, I can see the model being handled more often.

[KeithAug]

Julie

 

Another option (and possibly simpler) is to buy a sheet of 2mm ply and use that instead. However if you want to use backing I think you could restrict it to the larger openings on the centre line. 

 

I was careful to make sure that I applied ample glue to all surfaces - including the hull backing balsa. And I did use a lot of elastic bands to hold it in place. I also used a scrap piece of wood to make sure that the centre line contacted the frames. - see photo.

 

The blue and white headed pins are the temporary location pins.

 

Keith

[Julie Mo]

The biggest obstacle thus far has been a balsa shortage.  I have been spending more time thinking than doing.  The piece that arrived Saturday was quickly used up.  It doesn't look like any progress at all.

[yvesvidal]

Did you check Michael's or Hobby Lobby shops for balsa? They usually carry some.

 

Yves

[S.Coleman]

I do like your new Fairing tool. Good thinking.

[Keith_W]

Julie, please let me assure you that your time spent doing this is very worthwhile. As others have said, this process will simply result in your frames sitting better. If ever any doubt creeps into your mind, you will be reminded what a good idea this exercise was when you start planking. Keep it up. I and others are watching your build progress. I think it looks great! 

[robnbill]

Hi Julie,

You are doing a great job and I am watching your progress with interest. I wanted to let you know that once the planks are glued on they are very strong. Even a single layer of planks, when glued to the bulkheads and edge to edge to each other are strong. When you have a double layer it creates a very resilient shell. Since you also have a balsa inner core, this hull will be very solid once all the layers are glued in place.

 

As far as handling, once you have your boat fully rigged, even without sails, it will be very easy to snag the rigging on things - hands, clothes, kids fingers. On my Connie, I actually snagged the jibboom and snapped it off while wearing magnifying lenses and focused on another area of the ship. The rigging and spars are what are delicate in the final model. So if you are like me, once the ship is rigged you will not want anyone touching it. 

 

I well executed model REALLY makes people want to touch it - especially kids. That is the reason so may are safely ensconced in cases.

[Julie Mo]

The last of the balsa I need arrived yesterday.  Thank you, Rick, for your kind offer.  I should be good now.

 

Things here have been crazy lately.  I feel like Dorothy in the tornado.  But I did get a chance to spend a little time on the build.  It's such a peaceful escape from what life throws your way.

 

Instead of fill and file, I've been trying to hone my skills and get the balsa boards to fit as if building a boat I will actually sail in.  So I am making the joints like they would be if watertight was important.

 

The red outline is a piece I just fitted and glued.  It took me about 15 minutes to get it fitted so that it seats fully on all four sides.  There are no 90⁰ angles in that piece.  The piece sitting on the hull is what I started out with to fit into a similar void, like what the arrow is pointing to.  I'm fooling myself into believing I'm building a real boat.    It's therapeutic.   

[KeithAug]

Hi Julie,

 

Well done so far. I am assuming you will soon starting 1st planking so here are a few pointers assuming you are still planning to start at the deck and work to the keel.

 

I am going to split the advise into 3 parts.

 

Part 1 - the first 1/3 of the hull from deck to waterline. The planks tend to want to curve in their most flexible direction. You should find that these planks go on quite easily and that with care you will get good plank edge to edge contact.

 

Part 2 - the second 1/3 of the hull from waterline to the merging of the hull and keel. As you progress you will find that the planks become increasingly difficult to hold flat to the backing. This is because they naturally want to bend in 2 planes at the same time - bowing in their weak direction to follow the backing and bowing in their strong direction to butt to the previous plank. This double bowing is generally seen as undesirable as it can lead to twisting of the planks resulting in a "clinker" type effect. I had some of this on my build. However being aware of the problem before I did the planking enabled me to control it to a level that could be sanded out. I have attached a photo of the "clinker" area after a light sanding.

A way of avoiding the "clinker" is to abandon parallel planing in this area and start tapering the planks. This inevitably leads to a lot of shaping and the need for closing triangular fillers. 

 

Part 3 - the third 1/3 of the hull from the hull / keel merge line to he base of the keel. As you progress beyond the hull / keel intersection the need for bending in 2 planes diminishes and bending in the weak plank direction becomes dominant. Planking therefore becomes easier once again. However  the bulb of the keel starts to make its presence felt and bending the planks around its leading edge becomes impossible because of the sharp change in curvature. It is at this pint that you need to start laying the thicker bulb planks along the length of the keel (on the centre line). I have attached a photo to illustrate.

 

[Julie Mo]

Once again, Keith, thank you!  I will be going back and reading that again. 

 

The balsa backing is still going slowly, in part because I'm playing with different methods but equally to blame is the lack of power tools and proper tools, like using a crosscut saw to do rip cuts.  But there is a possibility the build will soon have to be put aside.  We may be moving.  If so, I'll probably set up the shop before continuing the build.

 

I caved, once again, and purchased some Auriou rasps.  They really make the work enjoyable and long ago erased my apprehension about shaping wood.  They came in handy shaping the plywood point on the bow. 

 

It's easy to tell I have an aversion to tackling the more difficult parts.    But I will get it done...

[mrjimmy]

I don't think it will take all that long for you to set up shop; you've been there before.  The hard part will be finding the basement.

 

Jim

 

p.s.  She's really looking good.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2015 by Uncle Si

[Julie Mo]

We just got the word, closing on the new house is back on.  Time to shift focus to all that has to be done, again...  The model will be the last thing I pack.  I'll need it to counter the insanity.

[Justin P.]

I just went through the packing up and moving the 'yard into a new house.   Was a headache, a blessing and huge distraction...    Just got things back up and running.  Good luck with yours...   Your work is great, and Im an especially big fan of the team-o-vises you got goin on to keep that hull up.   Just something about seeing them makes me smile...