HM Bark Endeavour by REXY - Artesania Latina - scale 1:60 - 1768 as she appeared after refit before her scientific observation voyage

[REXY]

Well it seems that this company loves making thing harder than they have to be, i was following the instructions and shaping the frames fore and aft and noticed that the bow filler looked a bit big in thickness so i referred to the plans and sure enough they show the filler hard against stem the instructions say to fit the stem only after planking which sounds fine but the stem wound never have fit / would have had to file a deep grove into the bow filler this would mean loosing much of the stem. Now i debated on how to fix this i figured that shaping the bow filler to the stem would be the best option as this is how it should be. I really do not know how a company that molds the filler pieces can not make them to fit, as now i have to go by eye shaping the rest of the bow using the fore deck and front frames as a guide. well here are some pics of the bow now i have shaped most of it.

 

 

 

 

Cheers Rexy.

[cog]

At least you did a better job on the bow filler than the company which made it ! Fits rather snuggly on top ...

[REXY]

After most of the day filing and sanding, the frames are shaped as well as the bow and stern pieces. Due to the fact that the the Endeavour is a buff bow most of the forward planks will need to be soaked allow them to bend without breaking, this will make planking quite slow as i have to wait for the timber to dry before gluing them on. i have fitted the first plank that intercepts with various spots on the gunwales and stern from which all other planks get there line. And the obligatory photos of my progress thus far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers Rexy.

Edited January 15, 2017 by REXY

[BANYAN]

Welcome to the Endeavour club Rexy; I am sure you will enjoy this build and it appears you have made a great start.  Plenty of build logs on the site to get ideas and resolve issues.  

 

cheers

 

Pat

[cog]

You are quite right to take your time with hull planking Rexy. It will define how you, and others around you, will experience the end result. It sounds you do not like to show photographs of your process, like a heavy obligation pressing on your shoulders ...

 

So far your build looks very promising. Steady as she goes!

 

Cheers

[S.Coleman]

Looking great! I have recently purchased this exact kit, but it will have to wait as other builds are in the line. The Australian maritime museum over in Sydney have a full size replica. I will be looking at this for references. The decks have come up great. Good work.

[REXY]

firstly Thanks Pat, Carl and Scott for the kind words. secondly Carl i if you mean processes as in what tools i used or how i accomplished a task, i think this is mainly because ever since i was young we have had a full workshop and my father taught me what tool to use for each application, i guess i take this knowledge for granted as i am sure not everybody knows what tools to use and when. Lastly Scott in regards to the decks i may later on go and give the decks the extra tree nails that each board had between but joints like in the picture below (found on google taken on the replica).

 

 

Cheers Rexy.

Edited January 16, 2017 by REXY

[cog]

Rexy,

 

I meant more advancement in your build. Although it must be great to have a dad whom instilled the knowledge ...

[REXY]

Planking has been slow going as i have been soaking the bow section of each board so it bends nicely. first of all was the sheer strake which dictates the planking run for most of the side planking as one might assume it is very time consuming to get both in the right place and as close to symmetrical as possible. Up until now i could only do 1 board each side a day as i had no way of holding multiple boards on the bow to keep the shape as they dry, because i can not nail into the gunwales. I have now pinned 3 boards each side on the bow which are drying and i should be able to install them tomorrow. while i am working my way down the hull i am and will continue cutting the stem in. enough chin wagging some pictures are in order.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers Rexy.

Edited January 19, 2017 by REXY

[DaveRow]

Rexy,

1 plank each side per day is about right, same as what I could manage as well.

All takes time measuring, tapering/trimming, getting the bevels correct, steaming and bending, gluing etc.

Oh what memories. 

 

keep up the good work.

 

 

Dave R

[cog]

Slow is fast enough, Rexy. Looks good to me, and it will make the final planking a lot easier when you take your time on this layer!

 

Cheers

[REXY]

small update i have got some more planks on to the point were they bend round the bow and bend round the stern, the stern has some mighty tight bends but we will see how it goes when i get there. well anyway some pics of the current progress. Cheers Rexy.

 

 

 

 

 

[BANYAN]

Hi rexy, great to see you making some progress with the planking.  Could I recommend though that you do not leave the metal pins in as these will cause hard spots when sanding to fair the first planking. You will find that the sandpaper will take away the softer wood leaving the metal with a small surround of wood forming a bump if you have to sand that area.

 

I found it best to use the pins as temp fasteners and not drive them home so that i could remove them once the glue has set.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[REXY]

Ah yes i was debating that, i was thinking of punching them below the surface but after looking at the thickness of the planks i do not think its worth it. So i was planing on pulling them out but not till all planks are fitted, i have a set of really sharp side cutters (for cutting electronic components) that allow me to have the nail in flush but i can still get under the head and flick them out with minimal damage to the plank. Hey i might even put tree nails in there place for strength.

Cheers Rexy.

[DaveRow]

Save the Treenails for the second layer.

 

 

Dave R

[cog]

Hello Rexy,

 

I usually use pins as you have applied for the clippings on the wall. The treenails ... as Dave wrote, besides that it is a waiste of energy

 

Cheers

[REXY]

Ok so in between planks i have started work on the cannons and have run into a little dilemma the instructions are clearly old and say that the wheels should be 4 mm round by 1.5 mm thick walnut which is fine, but in the parts container there are little brass wheels of the exact same dimensions and quantity but i can not find them in the parts list, if anybody has some info on this it will be much appreciated. Anyway i will continue to try make 4 mm walnut ones in the mean time.

 

Cheers Rexy.

 

Edit : added pic

Edited January 24, 2017 by REXY

[BANYAN]

That's unusual REXY, mine was the AL kit (as a starting point) and it had the walnut wheels; i don't recall there being any brass ones.  Could be a later version of the kit?

 

cheers

 

Pat

[REXY]

G'Day sailors.

 

An important milestone has been reached, as per the instructions i have fitted 15 planks including the sheer strake, down. from this point the rest of the planking is done from the keel up, this means i will need to find a way to hold the boat without damaging the decks, some foam will work nicely i think. With a nice sand she will come up nice and smooth. Well anyway some pictures of her with said planks fitted 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers Rexy.

Edited January 29, 2017 by REXY

[hof00]

Looking good Chap!!

[cog]

Well done Rexy. After sanding you'll have a smooth first layer for your finish

 

Cheers

[shipaholic]

Very nice work Rexy

[BANYAN]

A major milestone completed nicely Rexy.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[REXY]

G'Day sailors,

 

i have been working on the planking and in the time when planks are being formed, i have continued work on the cannons which resulted in some research as to if the Endeavour was painted like the replica or natural timber. There a a few paintings that show the ship from the 18th century but none that detail of colour can be taken from. I did find that the salvaged cannons from the reef she ran aground on have been restored and painted with a red ochre colour scheme. from what i have read it was common of ships of that era to have a colour scheme like the replica has. after a little digging i read that when she ran aground and was repaired fully in a dock that she had her hull fixed and "repainted" which may suggest she had a painted hull like the replica. I am debating whether to finish her as a natural timber hull or finish her like the replica, if anybody has any info into if she looked like the replica when she left in 1768 it would be much appreciated.

 

Cheers Rexy. 

Edited February 2, 2017 by REXY

[cog]

You might try BANYAN, as far as I know he has information on the Endeavour ...

[shipaholic]

Hi Rexy

 

Nobody knows for sure about the colour scheme for the Endeavour. At the time it was customary to paint a lot of the deck fittings, bulwarks and cannons red ochre, the ships sides were usually painted with varnish of pine or tar (not black tar but sort of like varnish colour), wales were blackened. So very much like the Replica. However the replica has white below the water line because a lot of ships from that time were painted with white lead below the water line, this may be not correct for Endeavour because historical records suggest Endeavour's hull below the water line was coated in what was called "brown stuff".

I have done a lot of research and studied many paintings and ship models from that era. I think the replica vessel is probably right except for the white. However I suspect that the blue along the sides could have been blue and red, or even blue white and red, as was customary on British naval vessels at the time. I was almost tempted to paint the sides of my model blue and red, just to be different to the plethora of Endeavour clone models out there

 

Cheers

Steve

[BANYAN]

Hi rexy,

 

Steve has summarised it very well.  Exact paint schema could never be known without a Tardis  White stuff (white lead) bottoms were a bit after this but starting to emerge as Steve points out. If I recall correctly,  this particular item was mentioned in some Contract letters and a Log or Journal reference that mentions the Brown stuff.  The brown stuff would not have been readily visible as it was also covered with a sacrificial layer of wood sheathing and this would probably have been painted with some form of varnish of pine also to seal it a little.  I have read somewhere, that as the sacrificial layer was lost and the brown stuff began to wear, it became slightly polished and for a while may have had a buffed creamy colour but very patchy?  So, I think the bare bottom you see for a lot of models is the most popular solution; as Steve points out, the white is incorrect.

 

I followed the clone path mostly as the Replica people put quite a bit of research into the colour schema; I did differ with the boats though.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[REXY]

G'Day Sailors 

 

a major milestone has been completed today in fitting the whiskey plank, thus she is now a complete hull. i was going to celebrate but as she is double planked i will wait to bring out the single malt scotch till her second layer whiskey plank is fitted. the next step will be pulling out all of the nails and giving her a first sand and some filler where it is needed. enough rambling it is time for a few pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers Rexy.

Edited February 15, 2017 by REXY

[cog]

Looking very good for a first layer. Now you make me curious about the second! Enjoy the pulling of the nails (sounds like going to the dentist)

[BANYAN]

Nice progress; would driving (punching) the nails be easier, you would only need to go a half millimeter or so - BUT PLEASE DO a test first.  If feasible, you could fill them as part of the overall fairing  effort?  AL usually uses limewood as the first layer which is soft and somewhat forgiving so should not split if not over aggressive with the punching.

 

cheers

 

Pat