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

[ca.shipwright]

Used you masking tape idea for the gangway ladders. Worked like a charm. Thank you.

[dashi]

Glad that worked for you ca.shipwright :-)

 

Update: Channels, chainplates, scuppers and quarter badge following the NMM 1768 as fitted draught.

 

I used to the kit parts for the chain wales and chainplates with the exception of the mizzen. The mizzen kit channels and links were way too small so I bashed some replacements. The kit says to us ca glue for the deadeye brackets! I couldn't see how this would hold so soldered these and the chains instead. I mocked up the masts with a clamp at the height of each top and used a string to get the shroud angles for the chainplates. I thought it might be easier to paint the deadeyes first and then fit the chains into to the channels and glue on the retaining strip then paint the chains, seems to have worked ok. 

 

Channel eye bolts: These have been glued with a short tail bent over under the channel so they won't pull out under tension.

 

Scuppers: I didn't like the kit or AOTS layouts for these and a little research revealed they were likely lead pipes running down at an angle through the waterway/deck out to the hull, possibly with leather spouts. I've positioned them where I think they would have been needed most including a pair midway along the quarter deck coming out just below the sheer strake. Not sure if this is how they were done, but they aren't marked on any of the original draughts so just my best guess.

 

Quaterbadge and window were fairly straight forward. I've bashed some window shutters which I'll add later and used clear projector film for glass as I've done with all other windows.

 

The plates look like they should have been only 6mm long instead of the kit supplied 10mm. Too late now to do anything about it.

 

Today I was looking at the sketch of the larboard quarter of Endeavour by Sydney Parkinson (AOTS page 32) and noticed he has drawn the medium light port positioned abaft and just below the fore channels which has been left off the kit and AOTS draughts. As I've mentioned earlier it is drawn on the 1768 as fitted draught. 

 

Next is the lantern and then finishing the deck fittings, but I might take a short break before these as I have other things I need to do which means temporarily packing up the ship yard so I can use the table and space.

 

Cheers Dashi

Edited August 19, 2016 by Dashi

[DaveRow]

Hi Dashi,

You have successfully navigated your way through a lot of fiddly work their.

All the channels look really well presented.

 

 

Dave R

[dashi]

Thanks Dave and everyone for the likes. Will have to wait until I put the masts and shrouds on to find out if the plates line up or solder joints hold.

 

cheers Dashi

[Mindi]

Looks terrific... as on other post I am just resuming the same kit. It's a fun boat to build.

[dashi]

Cheers Mindi and thanks for looking in. Do you have a build log?

 

Edit: Scratch that I've just found your log and your build is looking good. Looks like we are almost at the same stage.

 

Cheers Dashi

Edited August 21, 2016 by Dashi

[BANYAN]

Hi Dashi,  I am just back from a long road trip (holiday) and find some great detail added to your "Endeavour".  You have done a very fine job with those channels which should allow you to properly set up your shrouds.  One thing to try and 'future proof' for is the siting of some of the swivel guns in relation to the shrouds.  I thought I had it right, and having set up the shrouds with the dead eyes as I had positioned the channels/deadeyes, meant that one or two of the swivel guns had a very narrow arc and sat a little too close to the shrouds (potential heat/fire issue as the barrels warmed).  Have you checked the angles WRT the lay of the shroud and the tops of the swivel gun posts?  Better to check this now as I left it too late

 

She is looking very good.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited August 24, 2016 by BANYAN

[dashi]

Thanks Pat and for the heads up re those swivel guns. When marking the chainplates for the mizen I noticed a pair of shrouds would come too close to the swivel gun post, so I moved the channel aft by about 1.5 to 2mm. On a couple of recent photos with out the mizen channel in place you can see the extra pin holes I drilled in the sheer strake.

 

Another note re the mizen channels. The ones I bashed are a 1/3rd wider than the kit's and even then the shrouds will just clear the rough tree rail.

 

cheers Dashi

[dashi]

The shipyard is open again for a short while so here's what I've been upto.

 

Flagstaff step, eye bolts and helm.

 

While gluing eye bolts all over the deck and in some stanchions for the 4 lbr carriage guns I got a little carried away and fitted the mizzen horse before realizing I still needed to fit the flagstaff step and bracket... oops. I couldn't find the instructions in the kit for the flagstaff bracket except on the plans which doesn't include a step. So with some mutterings I managed to assemble and paint the bracket and bash a step and carefully glue them in place (bracket under the rail) checking the flagstaff for plumb with a 3mm dowel and without needing to remove the horse. For the horse I used card for flanges where it meets the deck.

 

I used the AOTs and kit plans for the eyebolt locations, can never have too many eyebolts as it's harder to add them later. Plus I've added one pair of eyebolts for each of the carriage guns with an extra set on the quarterdeck. The Endeavour was originally fitted with x6 4 lbrs on the main deck and was supplied and extra 4 after she had left dock. In Tahiti Captain Cook mounted 2 of the 4 lbrs on the quarterdeck leaving 4 on the main deck while four were taken to guard the shore fort. Thinking about it this makes sense because the guns on the main deck won't be able to fire on the side you are lowering a boat from, which would leave you exposed to attack.

 

Finished the helm. Thanks to Jud's help in working out the math for the helm tackle in my tiller question regarding the tiller transom, I can confirm that not only does the tackle clear the flu, but it remains at a constant tension throughout its sweep as you can see in the photos (I believe someone asked for a proof of concept). I used brass wire around the helm blocks soldered with one end shaped into a hook and then strung them on a wire and soaked them in dark mahogany stain. Will trim the helm ropes later. I've pinned an axle through the wheel and drum so it can turn and be removed should the need arise. 

 

Cheers Dashi

 

 

[DaveRow]

Well done and functional Dashi.

[jud]

Looking good Dashi. 

jud

[BANYAN]

Looks good Dashi.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[ca.shipwright]

Nicely done!

[RGL]

Really nice work, lovely clean lines.

[DaveRow]

2 months Dashi ? what's cook'in.

 

 

Dave R

[dashi]

2 months Dashi ? what's cook'in.

 

 

Dave R

Hi Dave,

 

Thanks for looking in. As you have noticed I've been away from this for a while and it looks like I could be absent for sometime to come yet as I have some urgent life matters to attend to. Nothing serious but I've had to mothball the build for a while.

 

cheers Dashi

[russ]

I have caught up on your build log and the work is wonderful. I appreciate not only the craftsmanship, but also the research that you are doing to achieve more accuracy. Well done.

 

Russ

[dashi]

Cheers Russ

 

Update: I've managed to progress a little with the build since my last update which was a while ago sorry. It's slow going due to constant headaches and migraines from a pinched nerve in my neck due an old injury aggravated a couple of years ago. 

 

Masts completed according to Steel and original draft as best I could. Bashed top trestle trees as the kit were both the same size.

 

Main head platforms completed from kit supplied parts with a little bashing. Thinking about adding netting to the railings.

 

Anchors, ground tackle, cable completed and clear the boom-kin stays. Replaced the kit anchor cable for smaller as it was way too large.

 

Tiller platform bashed with plain table and surveyors compass which is just my idea of how Cook might have surveyed from the ship. 

 

Compass housings bashed from kit with compass needles agreeing with Cooks surveyors compass. Sailing down the east coast off the South Island of New Zealand after leaving Queen Charlotte Sound where Cook modified the tiller.

 

Guns fitted with breach ropes and 2 mounted on quarter deck which was done before reaching New Zealand. Added stocks to swivels with two swivels set aside for the boats as indicated by Cook in his log.

 

Deck fittings finished. Bashed a fore hatch coning and re-rigged the tiller to match contemporary drafts. Set the wheel forward of the drum so it doesn't fowl the new tiller rig and which is in accordance with the Woolwich plan draft. Re made the gallows with smaller stock to scale as the kit supplied were too heavy.

 

Emergency steering tackle rigged and belayed to aft rail ready for deploying in the event of tiller failure which had happened several times according to Cooks log. I added the chain as there was none in the kit.

 

Ok that's it for a while. Next will be the boats and yards I expect.

 

Cheers Dashi

Edited October 17, 2017 by dashi

[russ]

Wonderful job. The details are really quite good. Good to see you back at the bench.

 

Russ

[GMO2]

excellent workmanship!

[DaveRow]

Hi Mr Dashi,

It has been some time since your last post.

Good to see you have progressed some on the model.

Looking very impressive, with some fine detail on the rear deck.

 

Health issues seem to play a part in the things we enjoy the most as we get older(or from past wounds).

What a bugger I reckon.

 

 

[BANYAN]

Welcome back Dashi, glad to see you were able to make some progress - nice work BTW.  I can empathise as I had a neck operation for similar nerve issues a couple of years back - wishing you well.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[zappto]

Excellent Bark build, i like it is looking like real, keep good work!

[dashi]

Thanks everyone for looking in on my build even though it's on a go slow.

 

Update: Ships boats [finally!!!]

 

Well after a break and some health stuff I've managed to complete the ships boats. Probably not as good as I'd like, but I can't sit at it for as long as I used to and having trouble holding things in my left hand, so pushing this body to make some progress as I'd like to eventually complete it.

 

Boats: Basically I've followed the kit and added tholes and swivel guns to the longboat and pinnace and painted the pinnace hull lead white as per Endeavours log. In hindsight I should have lowered the floors as per Rods build log and I wasn't happy with the shape of the pinnace hull but after some filler and several coats of lead white it looks ok if you stand back and squint. The yawl is stowed under the gallows instead of overhead, to allow clear access to the waist hatch. I was constantly conscious of how tight it all is around the 4lber deck guns and know that gun drills were carried out according to the ships log, so hope there is just enough room. Also I think the longboat and pinnace may have been towed seas permitting.

 

Edit: How to make the boat keels are not in the kit instructions, so I  laminated 2 layers of 3x0.5 split lengthwise and shaped and glued one layer at a time. Then sanded and stained each boat with a pigmented stain and finished with Matt polyurethane. 

 

Oars: After building the boats there was plenty of 4x.5 mm veneer left over so I laminated this to both sides of each brass oar using ca glue, then cut out, shaped and and painted. For the oar stops [not sure what they are called] I wrapped a couple of layers of masking tape cut to the width and then trimmed to simulate two wrapped layers. 

 

Stowing: I've added some spare lengths of timber on the gallows just in case of hitting a reef etc... I couldn't see how the gallows could secure all that without it slipping off until yesterday I discovered and old photo of model gallows with a hollow carved in the outer ends to seat the spare top masts. So following this practice as can be seen in one of the photos I've managed to tie and secure everything down while keeping it clear of the pumps.

 

Cheers Dashi

 

Edited October 30, 2018 by dashi
Added more info regarding keels see 'edit'

[BANYAN]

Very nice Dashi; some superb detail there.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[rvchima]

I like what you did with the oar handles. The notches in the gallows make a lot of sense. I wish I'd thought of it.

Rod

[jud]

Just found your log active again, glad to see the progress. Your build is beginning to obtain that cluttered look that would have been necessary to sustain Cook and his crew, on that voyage. Surprised and pleased to see the plane table, few even know what they are. I was an instrument Man for a company that had two different Dam projects, they had flown and photographed the route for a relocated road system around the expected lake pool and they plotted all on drawing sheets and wanted us to run the Preliminary Line using the 'Plane Table and Alidade', one of the telescopes had a right angle prism for an eyepiece which minimized the squats but increased the bending over, that work is hard on backs. Anyway I did get about 6 weeks of experience with that technology. Read a book about an American that went on a mapping voyage and although not noted, two plane tables, one on each end of a base line would have allowed them to survey prominent points and prepare a good map with some precision. It was interesting because they used the speed of light and the speed of sound to measure the length of the base lines between boats. They would do the preliminary scouting and choosing the control points for the two boats that were collecting the angles, did not say if they used a sextant or angles from a Compass orientated along the base line. They could easily obtain the Bearings of those Base Lines by several means. The length was needed with precision for determining the positions of their points of interest on the shore. To obtain distance between the anchored boats, they placed small cannons in each boat, the mappers would have stop watches.  When all was ready, one boat would fire their cannon, first smoke from the bore was the signal to start the clock, the sound of the shot stopped it. Several shots from each boat would provide an average time to compute distance from, follow up surveys years later revealed accurate work was done using that method. 'Welcome back,', thinking you did some digging to come up with the Plane Table idea, I not only like it, I suspect you are correct.

                   

[dashi]

Thanks for the interest and comments.

 

Thanks Judy that's really interesting. I got the idea for the plane table as it was a listed item for the endeavour and read that Bligh one of Cook's understudies mentioned Cook surveyed by drawing lots of triangles. So putting that all together and with my military navigational experience of triangulation wanted to show Cook as the expert cartographer he was and represent Endeavour as a science vessel.

 

Interesting point about using sight and sound to guage distance. Makes me wonder if the boat mounted swivel guns were used for that purpose also?

 

To make it work the platform Cook built over the tiller needed to be fit for purpose. Considering that Cook also refers to the mast tops as platforms in his log I took that as my guide for its construction.

 

Cheers

 

[BANYAN]

Hi Dashi, the mentions of the Plane Table above set me looking back through your recent posts and I must admit I missed this.  That is a very interesting interpretation of the tiller 'bridge' and I think you have arrived at a very creditable representation.  From a navigation and Survery perspective alone, Cook would have need some sort of work area to achieve the high standard (and accuracy) of his surveying.  I had given that some thought during my build but did not put in the same level of effort you have.  Congratulations: I think this idea is worth much further discussion in an academic study.

 

Your solution also makes better sense of that log entry about a bridge over the tiller.  In the past this has been interpreted literally; that is, a means of crossing from one side to the other.  Your interpretation provides for the other sense also, that of a 'bridge' as we know it in modern ships; while also providing a very 'workable' surveying station.  do you think there would also have been a large chart table?

 

cheers

 

Pat

[dashi]

Thanks Pat. As for a chart table I'm not sure, but I'd imagine it would be in the cabin safe from wind and weather. Possibly the survey was plotted on the plane table and then transferred onto the chart in the cabin? 

 

Here's a link to National Museum Australia which has some info and a couple of Cook's navigational instruments http://www.nma.gov.au/explore/collection/highlights/captain-cooks-navigational-instruments .

 

Cheers