HM Bark Endeavour by dashi - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - 1768-71 - bashed kit

[shipaholic]

Hi Dash

 

Wow, I haven't seen that watercolour by Parkinson before, it definitely shows the blue only on the top part of the stern.

 

Nice work on your stern too, looks good.

[Cabbie]

Good Evening Dash

The stern is coming up an absolute treat, looking very right indeed.

Your carvings look a lot more correct than mine. ( do you think that you could find a set for me? )

With all the fine detail work that you are doing she will be

a top example of an Endeavour model.

Thanks Chris

[BANYAN]

Nice find with that watercolour Dashi; wish I was aware of this when constructing my stern works.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[dashi]

Thanks for the likes and very kind comments. Sorry I didn't find it sooner Pat.

While researching information regarding the Woolwich Yard Navy refit of Endeavour into a navy transport, which I still haven't found I stumbled across a very interesting brief of Cook's log regarding the repair and replacement of the wooden tiller transom which I hadn't seen before. Following this trail took me to page 272 in 'First Voyage Around the World: Captain Cooks Journal During his First Voyage' . https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=WT4zDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA272&lpg=PA272&dq=endeavour+tiller+transom&source=bl&ots=OmVlEi3R_k&sig=1CYoj3AIkymFXQddNKV3njef8h0&hl=en&sa=X#v=onepage&q=endeavour%20tiller%20transom&f=false

From the entry for Saturday 27th January from the book, Cook writes:

"Saturday, 27th. Fresh gales, Westerly. This day we got the Tiller properly secured, which hath been the Employment of the Armourers and part of the Carpenters since we Anchor'd at this place; the former in repairing and making new Iron work, and the Latter in fixing a Transom,* for the want of which the Tiller has often been in danger of being broke; the Iron braces that supply'd the want of a Transom have broke every time they have been repair'd."

*The reference at the bottom of page 272 states: * A transom is a curved piece of wood which supports the end of the tiller.


Here is my interpretation from previous posts and a discussion http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13109-hmb-endeavour-tiller-and-steering-question/ of that 'curved piece of wood which supports the end of the tiller', which Cook is reffering to as a 'transom' in this context and which is drawn on draught zaz6494 of Endeavour 1771 Woolwich Yard http://collections.r...ects/86385.html .

Edited June 6, 2016 by dashicat

[kiwiron]

Very nice great job.

[dashi]

Thanks for the likes and thanks Ron. I think Pat has offered a really good interpretation of this log entry to my question in the discussion I started on this and which could alter my representation of that tiller transom as Cook calls it. Certainly worth dropping in to check it out http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13109-hmb-endeavour-tiller-and-steering-question/. 

 

Cheers Dashi

Edited June 6, 2016 by dashicat

[DaveRow]

Going along very well Dashi.

I am nearly convinced to add a "transom" under the tiller of my build.

If I can get it under their now.

 

Dave R

[dashi]

Thanks Dave. Your build is looking good too.

 

Update: Plugged old stanchion holes and dremeled new ones to match 1768 as fitted draught. After fitting the fore rails the yard boss noticed some of the holes were in the wrong places so remeasured and very carefully re filled and dremeled. Stripped back the supposed 'tiller support' to bring it to what I think might be more acceptable for Cooks New Zealand 1770 jury rig. Not sure if the armourers could have forged an iron runner so at this stage have left it off. I'm also not sure whether the tiller braces that it replaced would have been kept on or removed. Logic tells me they would have been taken off as they might interfere with the sweep and cause the tiller to jamb. I'm still thinking on that. One thing I'm reasonably sure of is that Cook wouldn't have sailed until he was certain it would last the rest of the voyage through uncharted waters.

 

Painted rails and dry fitted everything to see how it looks.

 

Cheers Dashi

[BANYAN]

Nice neat fit Dashi - looking very good.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[dashi]

Thanks Pat and everyone for the likes and interest. I'm looking at this photo and wondering if I should have painted the great cabin window frames white now that I've removed the blue paint?

Edited June 11, 2016 by Dashi

[dashi]

Update:

 

Stanchions, bits, seats of easement and knight heads bashed and fitted according to the shipyards interpretation of the draughts and allowing for a shorter waist.

 

The stem:

 

To work out their positions I first fitted the fore tack bits for the cat heads to sit against. Then with cat heads dry fitted in position to the plan, I bashed the seats of easement to the 1771 draft and glued in place. Taking another look at Sydney Parkinson's sketch I now could just make out what I think might the boomkins running over the false rail up against the seats because of a difference in height of the false rail.

 

Tack Boomkins or bumpkins: After several failed attempts at seating them under the bowsprit as the kit plans and AOTS have I gave up and tried a different 'tack'. Influenced by HMS Victory I decided to try them stepped in the fore topsail sheet bits. Taking another look at the as fitted 1768 and 1771 draughts I noticed attached to the fore part of the sheet bits an extra thickness which gave the wood needed to step or seat their heals here. Also I was having trouble using the square bumpkins provided in the kit so made some replacements out of bamboo skewers. With them in this new position I took a Sydney Parkinson shot. Don't know if I've got it right but am happy with that.

 

Knight heads: I took one look at the kit ones and put them aside to bash replacements. The top block is dry fitted and held in place by pins and eye bolts and drilled with fairlead holes so I don't think I'll need the fairlead saddle which then will allow the jib boom to run in further if that makes sense.

 

Cheers Dashi

Edited June 21, 2016 by Dashi

[BANYAN]

Very nice work Dashi; that looks great!  I like the arrangement for the boomkins and seats of easement.  I have not done the latter yet as I was still trying to ascertain the most likely arrangement - I think I will copy-cat from you (if you don't mind )

 

cheers

 

Pat

[shipaholic]

Nice work Dashi, those bumpkins look exactly right, they are the same angle as the ones in Parkinsons sketch, you might have convinced me now about the existence of bumpkins. But I think the knightheads are little too tall for my eye.

Cheers

Steve

[dashi]

Thanks for the likes.

 

Thanks Pat :-)

 

Cheers Steve and I think you might be right about the hight of the knight heads. From the draught I've measured their hight to around 1'6" or the diameter of the bowsprit from the top side of the bowsprit which could be wrong, so I'll take a closer look tomorrow. Thanks for pointing this out and could I ask you to double check my measurements for me please as I don't want to sand too much off?

 

Cheers Dashi

[dashi]

Knight heads: A closer inspection this morning revealed that the shipyard had erred too much on the side of caution not wanting to make them too short and had inturn made them too tall as Steve had rightly spotted.

 

After a series of careful sandings and measurement checks I think they should now be within a gnat's whisker of the right height, that's assuming I've got my measurements correct.

 

Cheers Dashi

[BANYAN]

That looks a lot better Dashi; that looks pretty close by eye.  You must have had a lot of fun measuring that gnat's whisker  

 

cheers

 

Pat

[DaveRow]

Hi Dashi,

Like the Bow layout.

Good thought bringing the fair lead saddle back >> will allow the jib boom to run in further if that makes sense. Sure does.

Lowering the knights looks better as well, like the Replica has.

 

 

Dave R

Edited July 1, 2016 by DaveRow

[dashi]

Thanks Pat and Dave and all the likes.

 

From here I started researching the positions of eyebolts on the deck and especially those running next to the bulwarks before I fit the rough tree rails which will be in the way if I don't do this now. By bashing the stanchion positions to match NMM draught ZAZ7844 I've deviated from the kit and AOS which has thrown up a bit of a research challenge for me. One thing I'll mention now is that I've noticed a timberhead lurking behind the forward quarterdeck stanchion which looks like it might be there for belaying the forecourse sheet to. To clear the carriage guns and give the 5-6' room needed to allow enough hands to belay the forecourse sheet I might lead the sheet through the chess tree (Ship Model Builder's Assistant p.153) below the main tack fairlead and then up and rove through a block on the second forward quarter deck stanchion then forward belaying to the timberhead. This would be instead of the sheaves shown in AOTS and NMM draught ZAZ6587. But more on that later after more research and I've finalized and drilled those eye bolt holes in the deck.

 

I wanted to have a go at making my idea of the tiller braces so re-made the rudder head straps using brass and card to facilitate this. It appears that initially Cook had ordered the Armourers to 'repair the tiller braces' when they set up the forge at Queen Charlotte's Sound New Zealand. I assume this last repair didn't work, so then he ordered the wooden tiller support to be made to replace them. I won't include the tiller braces in the final fit. I've also included an iron rail on the wooden tiller support and skid under the tiller made from card because I believe these would be needed.

 

Cheers Dashi

Edited July 1, 2016 by Dashi

[DaveRow]

OMG Dashi,

You must have trouble sleeping at night over the tiller design,   and fixes cook instructed during the voyage.

 

I'll stick with a conventional "as left the dock" version, ready to be tested on the high seas.  

 

However I do like the effort you go to.

 

 

Dave R

Edited July 1, 2016 by DaveRow

[dashi]

Roughtree rails and swivel gun posts.

 

Pre drilled eyebolt holes in the deck before fitting the roughtree rails and pre drilled swivel gun mounting holes in posts before fitting. Glued a length of 1x4mm walnut on the top of the main deck rail to give it the extra thickness and overlap onto the quarterdeck bulwark capping as indicated in the draughts. 

 

Cheers Dashi

[BANYAN]

Nice work on the roughtree rails Dashi; I wish I had researched them a bit more as I have a step rather than the straight run.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[DaveRow]

Like the roughtree rail layout Dashi.

Nice touch on the stern rails, flush.

I made my stern like the Replica, stepped at the corners. Also it lifted the rail slightly higher over the bashed stern on my Endeavour.

I completely redesigned it from the Corel plans.

 

Dave R

Edited July 15, 2016 by DaveRow

[dashi]

Thanks for the likes and thanks Pat your boom fixes look good.

 

Thanks Dave I like the work you have put into those ankors and cat heads with the crowns.

 

Cheers Dashi

[dashi]

Hull Fittings

 

Light port lids: First clamping a string to each mast at the height of the top and using a sharp very soft lead pencil I lightly marked the chainplate postions to ensure I didn't put a lid in the way. For the positions of the large and medium lids I used the NMM '1768 as fitted draught' zaz7844. For the positions of the small lids I used NMM draught zaz6587 because they aren't shown on the other draughts. Both the 1768 proposed and as fitted draughts have a medium lid slightly down and abaft of the fore channels and a large lid midway under the main channels which differs to the AOTS. I have removed a part section from the main channels to allow for this large lid which is my interpretation of the 'as fitted' draught. As I'd given the hull a coat of poly I needed to sand the position of each lid for the white glue to hold. So in total I have 15 port lids per side, 5 of each size.

 

Blooper: I made the large lids several weeks ago and forgot I'd used the ca gel for the hinges so when I tried to glue the medium hinges on with the liquid ca it didn't stick very well and soaked into the wood. Silently cursing my stupidity I soaked the hinges off with acetone, cut some new medium lids and started again.

 

Navel hoods were fairly straightforward requiring a slight soak and bend introduced to follow the hull. The horse holes have a downward curve and flare.

 

The hull looks a bit rough at this stage which should eventually be fixed with a coat of poly after completion of the hull fittings. Now on to those steps...

 

Cheers Dashi

 

 

[BANYAN]

Very nice work Dashi; the hull doesn't look too shabby at all. 

 

cheers

 

Pat

[DaveRow]

Must feel good getting the ports out of the way Dashi.

Keep the shipwrights on their game.

 

Dave R

[dashi]

Thanks for the comments and likes.

 

Hull fittings continued:

 

Gangway steps, skids and main course tack chess trees.

 

Trimmed the kit gangway steps width down to match the Navy draughts @ 2.5 feet. Marked the plumb or vertical line on the hull and fitted the top and bottom step then used masking tape for measuring and lining up the rest of the step positions. Each step needed it's back edge slightly bevelled to ensure it's upper edge was horizontal from the hull. Of course the shipwrights managed to knock a couple of the port lid hinges off while measuring (better we find the loose hinges now than later). The kit skids actually fitted after measuring and slotting the shear strake, but needed a little soak and pinning overnight to the form to the hull then rounding off. The kit chees trees were too short and narrow, while the kit plans had them too long when compared with the draught @ 3.5 feet with a slight tapper. Luckily the disused kit knightheads were the perfect shape, thickness and length after a little trim and tapering, so recycled and bashed these into the chess trees.

 

Cheers Dashi

[BANYAN]

Neat solution to the spacing of the steps Dashi, I used a spacer which got a little messy at times.  Looking good.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[DaveRow]

Steps done, what's cooking in the shipyard next Dashi ?

 

Dave R

[dashi]

Thanks for all the likes and cheers Pat. 

 

Thanks for looking in Dave. I have the yard busy with the chainplates and completing the channels plus repainting the main cabin window frames white. I'm using the kit parts for most of these except bashing the mizzen channels (shown in earlier posts) and chain links which were way too small. The mizzen top and main gallant back stays are shown hooked on eye bolts in the hull and sheer strake in the kit plans and AOTS. But this doesn't work in practice because they are then fouled by the quarterdeck rough tree rail. To fix this I may hook them into eye bolts through the channels, which is what it looks like they have done on the replica. I'm also not sure about the main lower stunsail boom attached to the fore part of the main channels according to the kit plans.

 

Then when that's done I'll post some pic's and an update and it's on to the quarter badge and finishing the hull. 

 

Cheers all Dashi