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

[Julie Mo]

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.

We just got the call.  We're closing, finally!  We'll probably be moving in 10-12 days.  Lots to do to make that happen.

 

The house only has a one car garage.  So I will be taking one of the bedrooms and making that the hand tool workshop.  Then in the garage, I'll have to figure out how I'm going to set things up there.  Pretty much all my stationary tools are on wheels.  That's a good start.  But it will take time to set everything up.  Power distribution and dust collection first.  No worries about idle time for quite some time. 

[robnbill]

Congrats! I know you have to be excited about having your shop back up and running.

[Julie Mo]

Bill, while I am happy to end this crazy chapter, I feel overwhelmed by what is awaiting us.  30 or 40 years ago, I would have relished the opportunity, but I have found a very nice peace in model building.  I'm not sure I want to tackle another house.  But I will...

 

My therapist, the Endeavour, called me into session again.  The farther I get into the build, the more I enjoy it.  My therapist, Endeavour,  told me I had to take a picture of the real heroes, the ones that make this so much fun.

 

The tools in the photo are the heroes.  They are the tools I used most often to get where I am with this build,  It's coming together nicely.

 

What this venture has reminded me of is when I first started woodworking.  I bought crappy tools and had a crappy experience.  In time, I walked away.  For years.  Working with the wrong tools was frustrating and time consuming.  But I knew there was something I was missing.  Others did it.  Why can't I?  In the end I realized the problem was crappy tools.

 

I'm still working with only hand tools now, but at least they aren't made by Hasbro.

[S.Coleman]

Julie, You are the hero. Without your hands to hold those tools to sand,shape,cut and glue, Then those tools would be just.... Well tools:) Give yourself a pat on the back for a superb job. It looks great.

[ScottRC]

Hi Julie,

I just came across your build and also visited your website and wanted to say that you are a very talented and experienced woodworker. You fit right in with the other extremely talented craftsmen here at MSW and we are glad you have joined us.  This place is great in that no matter what level of builder or what medium you build in, we seem to treat each other as equal.  I really am enjoying this build log and how you are dealing with working without the comfort of your professional workshop. Keith and the others are a wealth of information. We hope all goes well with getting into the new "digs" and trying to get your new studio set up.

As far as finish, I agree, it needs to be natural. A built up frame is such a beauty to look at in its natural state that at times I hate to move on and finish it.  If I was to build a J class and paint it, then I would have built a plug and made it out of fiberglass.

The subject of tools, we progress with the quality of tool as we progress with experience and drive to perfect our trade.  As you have obtained  a higher level of proficiency in wood working, you have honed your skills and your hands expect the feel and accuracy of a good quality tool. S.Coleman is correct, its from the hands of a skilled user of a quality tool that produces fine work, not the tool.  

Scott

Edited December 4, 2015 by ScottRC

[Julie Mo]

Thank you for the support guys.  Maybe I give too much credit to the tools, but they are better than the ones they replaced.

 

Moving day is only ten days away but there isn't much we have to move from this rental so I'm choosing to procrastinate on the packing and see if I can get the model done to at least plank-ready.

 

I did finish the balsa backing (finally!) and took to the fairing.  Maybe it was my impatience but it sees getting down to that last few fractions takes forever.  My goal is to leave a thin bead of laser burn on the frame edges.  That way I know the hull is properly faired.

 

When I got to the keel, I found the mahogany sides of the centerboard assembly protruded beyond the adjoining frames.  So I took a small rasp and worked the balsa down to meet the frames.

 

The fairing didn't go as I had hoped.  Certain areas sanded down to the frames quickly while other areas proved stubborn.  You can see which is which by looking at the laser burn that remains.  I'll work those until I get that thin burn line I'm going for.  I am using my hands a lot to check for waves and high and low spots.  Before I start the planking, I'll shoot a light across the surface and finish up that way.

 

When I went to fit the rudder, I found I needed to do some filing on the frame before it would fit.  I'm still toying with the idea of making it pivot.  To accomplish that. there will have to be some careful profiling of the plywood rudder and I will have to beef up the bottom pivot point a bit.

 

I really don't see how I could have relied solely on the frames to begin planking.  There's too much room for buckling and bowing.  And then you'd have to fair that.  I can see why some modelers have talked about the fear of sanding through the first planking.  I'm glad I did the backing.  And next time I'll know how to make the work flow better.

[robnbill]

Julie, once you think your ready, you can take black pinstripe tape and run along a line of the hull (or use a thin strip of wood). this will show you any dips in the hull.

[Julie Mo]

Thank you, Bill!  I never would have thought of that.

[KeithAug]

Hi Julie

 

You still seems to be going well. like you I find rubbing the palm of a hand over the surface to be a good method of checking the shape.

 

Because the balsa sands away more quickly than the frames it is very difficult to avoid some flattening of the profile between frames. Slight flattening isn't however a significant problem as it tends to be compensated by the 1st planking. In the attached photo I have done a light sanding of the 1st planked hull - you can see the areas where the frames have caused the planks to be raised. As sanding proceeds these raised areas are removed - see 2nd photo. 

 

Like you I found the rudder wasn't the correct shape at its upper end. Also the plans show a weird discontinuity between the rudder and hull at the base of the rudder - I ignored the plans in this instance.

 

The instructions don't seem to cover what you do about finishing the rudder. Have you decided what you are going to do?

 

Keith

[Nirvana]

Hi Julie,

I just finished reading through your build log and you have done the right choice of backing between the bulkhead.

You will find the planking easier but also due to the distance of the bulkheads, just regular planking can make the build an even worse headache.

A friend of mine is building the same yacht without the backing and has issues, because the planking is getting extremely thin when sanding.

Your persistence will pay off!

Very nice job by the way!

[Julie Mo]

Keith, again, thanks for your input.   The pictures are very timely and helping a lot. 

 

With the backing you did, I was surprised to see sanding the first planking revealed the places where the frames are were high.  Did you apply glue to the entire length of all the 1st planks?  I'm wondering if you did, did the glue shrink the balsa. 

 

I've been thinking of glue sizing to seal the wood before doing the final sanding.  If my memory serves me correctly, when gluing very porous woods or end grain, you apply some glue sizing, let it dry then do the glue up.  Some of the balsa lifts instead of sanding smooth.  Adding sizing would cure this.

 

I am a believer in throw the most time in prop work and everything is easier after that.

 

Per, thanks for the compliment!  It's interesting to see another modeler is having issues with following the Amati directions exactly.  I see other models that have frames much closer than this model.  At first, it looked like overkill.  But now I really understand why additional frames are necessary.  I'm learning!

 

 

Now, I have another question...

 

When I took the model out of the Bessey clamps and flipped it over, I noticed the tip of the bow went askew.  I had been eyeing a straight edge as I did the backing but I obviously missed the dog in the bow.  I am guessing I need to fix that, right?   

Edited December 6, 2015 by Julie Mo

[Landlocked123]

Hi Jules,

 

As you know, I've been lurking around since your first posts on MSW. My only question is between building and posting when exactly do you sleep?

 

Best,

John

[KeithAug]

Hi Julie

 

I applied glue to the hull for the entire length of the plank so that the back of the plank and the edge of the plank abutting the previous plank was glued. I didn't size the balsa. Not sure if the glue shrank the balsa - I didn't notice it doing this. I did secure the planks quite well during gluing so they were pressed hard against the backing and the previous plank- see photo.

 

if you have distortion in the hull it may reveal itself when you are planking the deck - mismatch between deck planks on either side (which I always think is very irritating on the eye). Better to correct it now.

Edited December 6, 2015 by KeithAug

[Julie Mo]

Thanks for the reply, Keith, but now I'm curious how your planks got the clinker effect.  I see how you pinned them down and it looks like that method would have completely glued the planks down, eliminating the clinker effect.  Am I missing something?

[Julie Mo]

Hi Jules,

 

As you know, I've been lurking around since your first posts on MSW. My only question is between building and posting when exactly do you sleep?

 

Best,

John

I'm retired, John.  We old folks are always looking for something to keep us busy.

[RichardG]

It's funny, I never wanted to retire until I got into this hobby!

 

Even when I do retire, I don't think I'll be doing builds as fast as you though.

 

Your boat is looking good and I will continue to follow along while I slave away at my desk 

 

Richard.

[Julie Mo]

Richard, I used to live not so far from you, Willowbrook.  This is my first winter living out of Chicagoland in 64 years.  I promised myself last winter was the last winter I would endure.  I've found as you age and time goes by faster, you need longer summers.

[Julie Mo]

I began putting her nose back where it belonged...

Being parallel to the straight edge is the goal.  The two wedges on the left are cedar, the other four are balsa.  The tip moved a bit closer but it's still off.  I am surprised how much resistance there is to making it straight.

 

Another realization came about when I tried to work on the deck.  Now that the backing is in, there is no place for those Bessey clamps to hold the hull without denting the backing.  I'll probably wait until I get my shop set up before building a proper cradle. 

[RichardG]

Julie,

 

It's only snowed twice this winter so far ! I do find myself disliking the cold more and more. I moved here from England almost 25 years ago and I'd never experienced weather as hot or as cold.

 

Richard.

[KeithAug]

Julie

 

Re clinker effect. 

 

If you try to bow a plank in 2 directions at once (i.e bow in the weak and strong direction) the wood tries to deal with the stress by twisting. This causes one corner to press in to the backing. In my case the upper edge was trying to dig into the backing. The zoom on the photograph and the sanding exaggerates the effect. In fact the step between planks was at worst about 1/3 of the plank width. The only way to eliminate the clinker is to taper the planks and by doing so only have bending across the weak direction. Of course tapering takes a lot more time. On previous builds with more complex hull shapes I have tapered the planks. With Endeavour I felt the lines were fine enough to get away without tapering albeit at the expense of sanding about 1/3 of the 1st planking away in some areas. I wouldn't however have used parallel planks if I hadn't backed with balsa.

 

The good news however is that the 2nd planks bing very thin bend very easily and in consequence exhibit no tendency to clinker.

 

I like your wedge approach to straightening. Did you do the wedge cut outs on both sides before installing the wedges in the 1st side (important as the compressive strength on the 2nd side will be high without the wedge cut outs).

 

Keith

[robnbill]

Julie, you might also try to take a thin saw and remove balsa next to the frames on the other side. It would not take much. The the bow has a place to move. Otherwise you are putting it under compression and as Keith said, wood doesn't bend in two directions well.

[mtaylor]

Depending on the severity of the edge bend, you can sometimes get away with soaking and heating the plank.  By pre-bending, you'll also reduce the stress the framing, etc.

[Julie Mo]

I began the bow straightening process by making cuts on both sides of the bow.  That way when I insert the wedges on one side, there will be room to move on the other side.  But I didn't make the cuts all the way to the plywood beam.  The cuts I made on the compressed side weren't butting up when the wedges were inserted on the other side.  I probably need to cut all the way to the beam and eliminate any resistance to bending. 

 

The lack of anything that could hold the hull firmly in place made cutting difficult.  I dented the balsa at the deck rail while holding down the hull for cutting.  I need something with give so I don't do any more damage.  It's a different game w/o the clamps.

[robnbill]

Hang in there. As you already know from your past projects (but sometimes it is easy to forget) is that wood is very forgiving. Worst case scenario, is you cut something off and remake it. Not the optimum solution but one that we al have done one time or another. 

[Julie Mo]

I managed to get the nose back into alignment.  Then I applied CA glue in the joints and hit it with an accelerator. 

 

I come back this morning and check it against a straight edge and this is what I see:

The tip of the bow bent a bit too far the other way.  Maybe I missed it or maybe the wood swelled after gluing.

 

If you look at the mid-section beam on top of the straight edge, you can see a slight dip down as it runs toward the bow.  When I was assembling the skeleton I noticed the plywood wasn't perfectly straight but I hoped once it was all together they would straighten.  Before I began installing the backing, it looked pretty straight, but not perfect.  I couldn't do anything to make it perfect.

 

This is to show how I made the nose adjustments.

[Burroak]

Julie Mo your ship looks great. I guarantee when you finish your ship no one is gonna notice that but you.

 

Greg H.

[Justin P.]

Some very clever stuff going on in this build.  Very interesting!   I have found the Amati keel clamp to be really useful.   Would'nt really help with your backing issue as it does need a place to grab on, but has much smaller jaws than the Bessie Clamps and can accommodate odd locations much more easily.   

 

Besides...  who doesn't need another excuse to buy some bench tools?

Edited December 7, 2015 by maturin

[Julie Mo]

I found another newbie boo-boo.  I was sighting down the rails and noticed on the starboard side a dip about midships.  I was using a small rasp when trying to fair the deck and must have faired a bit too much.  So I am gluing on some cedar wedges to fill in the depression.  Note to self: When you don't have the right tools, leave it alone.

[KeithAug]

Hi Julie

 

One of the benefits of backing that I didn't mention is that mistakes are buried under the following layers. One of the things I most like about model boat building is that its new every time. No two boats are alike and in consequence each one throws up new challenges. Overcoming the challenges and correcting mistakes is a key part of the fun and satisfaction. 

 

I did wonder about the rasps - I have never used them and in fact don't own one. I tend to use coarse oxide paper (60 grit) on a sanding block for roughing out  - followed by progressively finer grades for finishing. However inspired by you experience I have just ordered a set of rasps.

 

Keith

Edited December 8, 2015 by KeithAug

[Julie Mo]

Rasps are a bit of a hit and miss.  The machine made rasps frustrated me.  I have a couple of Nicholson rasps that were a waste of money, for me anyway.  Some people are OK about working with them but I'm not in that group.  When I got into building solid body guitars, I bit the bullet and bought a couple of Auriou rasps.  It hurts once, then you enjoy them for life.  They are hand stitched and simply a joy to work with.  They are locked up so I bought an Iwasaki rasp for this build.  It was better than the Nicholson but I missed my Auriou rasps. 

 

After the longing for those rasps got the better of me, I bought a couple more.  I closed my eyes at the price once again and hit the order button.    Liogier is said to make equally good rasps but I have never used one.  They are a little harder to get in the US.

 

If you want to see how the Auriou are made...