Endeavour J Class by cdrusn89 - FINISHED - Amati - 1/35 scale

[cdrusn89]

Got the main sail mounted in preparation for securing it to the mast and rigging the main sheet tackle to the boom.

[cdrusn89]

Rigging the main sail to the simulated mast "cars". I had to put the model on the floor as standing on a ladder to rig the last ten or twelve was too hard on my back.

[cdrusn89]

Finished with the main sail attachment and the main sheet tackle. Here is a shot of the port side. I suspect that the pronounced wrinkle starting at the aft end will relax as the sail and sheet tackle stretch out some. I put a good bit on tension in the sheet tackle to try and pull the sail away from the mast at the top. Now the lower attachment points are now below the mast eyebolts where they were more or less level until I tensioned the main sheet tackle. I guess "you pays your money and takes your choice."

 

The starboard side is the one that will be the most visible as this will be displayed against a wall.

 

Also a shot of the main sheet tackle. The clamp and weight are holding the sheet tackle and rope coil while they dry.

[KeithAug]

Gary - I thought the set of steps were one of the more unusual workshop tools I have seen on MSW. Well done on the sails.

[cdrusn89]

Thanks Keith - need the ladder to see in the top most shelves of the cabinets - there are all sorts of forgotten items up there. 😀

 

I am gluing the main sail - mast connects 6 or so at a time using white (PVA) glue and letting each group set before moving to the next. I am trying to avoid moving the sail any more than necessary so as not to disturb the other connections to the mast.

 

While waiting I recut a new jib since I am going to use brass eyelets and split rings the existing jib had to go. I used it as a learning experience as they say and there was plenty of already prepared sail material left over from the main which essentially used a bit more than half the rectangular sheet I prepared for it. Anyway, on this version rather than provide the seamstress (aka girlfriend) with a stiffened piece of line to sew into the luff as the bolt rope I decided to glue the line into the crease where the seam will be. I noticed on the other sails the bolt rope seemed to meander around inside the seam, sometimes close to the edge others further back. It makes getting a consistent distance from the eyelet to the edge more of a challenge than I had hoped. Anyway, now the bolt rope is firmly (hopefully) at the edge of the sail and it should be easier to sew the seam without having to contend with the rope moving around.

 

Here is the new jib hanging up to dry after applying the reinforcing strips and gluing in the bolt rope.

 

Also two shots (port and starboard) of the main sheet tackle with the rope coils in place (and glued down). I moved the cleats where it belays forward about 3/4" on both sides because I did not have much room between the fairlead block and the cleat. I probably should not have blindly followed the drawing for the cleat layout. The blocks I used are considerably bigger than those provided which probably accounts for the problem. I also should have moved the blocks on the boom further apart as they almost touch as they are mounted now, another example of blindly following the drawing after changing the materials. I may learn my lesson someday, but not today.

[cdrusn89]

I got all 33 eyelets in the Flying Jib without any difficulties. I did as someone in an Amazon review suggested, used the setting tool from the 2mm kit with the mandrel for the 1.5mm eyelets and had no problems. There is a screw on the bottom of the mandrel that controls the tension on the spring that retracts when the setting tool is struck. I initially had this as tight as it would go as it came from Amazon. After having to remove this to get the pin in the mandrel to reset I loosened it a b it and that seems to at least reduce the number of times the pin would fail to reset. I also adjusted the number and strength of the strikes on the setting tool. I finally arrived at four "medium" strength hits with a 22oz framing hammer would compress the eyelet enough without causing the pin to hang up.

 

So the Flying Jib is ready to have the split rings installed b ut I am going to do the Jib first as I think it will be easier to do that without having to worry about the Flying Jib getting in the way.

 

With any luck I will get both jibs hung tomorrow and then reset the back stays. After that it is jib sheets and DONE!

[cdrusn89]

The seamstress sewed the bolt rope seam on the jib and did a great job ironing it so I could put the eyelets in. Again I got all 29 in without incident. I think adjusting the tension on the internal spring (and not hitting it too hard or too many times) was the key.

 

With the eyelets installed I copied the seam lines from the plans onto the sail being careful to keep the side of the sail with the marks on the same side as the others.

 

With that done I threaded the split rings into the eyelets. After using handmade 3/16" split rings on the first jib, I decided to see if 1/8" would work and show less gap between the stay and the sail. Looks like that will be the case although the jib is not mounted yet.

 

I have decided to thread a new stay through the split rings and re-rig it on the model rather than trying to thread the split rings onto the existing stay. My experience with the first jib has convinced me that this is the path of least resistance and least manipulation of the sail.

 

So here is the jib with the eyelets lines and with the split rings. I cannot account for the yellowish tint on the second shot - they were taken with the same lighting about half an hour apart.

[cdrusn89]

The jib has been successfully raised.!😅

 

I have not trimmed the extra wire off the lower end of the shroud or tensioned the turnbuckle but the jib is flying.

 

I am using Britannia metal shackles (from Bluejackets) for the attachment of the halyard, tack and (eventually) the sheet lines. I tried making my own from brass but when I used 1/16" rod as the starting point it was too massive and when I used 1/32" rod it was too small and very hard to get holes drilled in as the bit would wonder and using a center punch bent the end so badly it would break off when drilled. So I have ordered some 3/64" rod which should b e here shortly. I will try again but may have to stick with the Britannia metal (I may blacken it but am still on the fence. Black or silver it still introduces another color onboard ☹️.

 

So here is a shot of the entire model with the main and jib up and close-ups of the attachment points.

[cdrusn89]

I found a short piece of 3/64" brass rod this morning so since what I ordered will not be here until tomorrow at the earliest I decided to try my hand at making a shackle. The overall length of the piece of brass is 19mm which yields a shackle about 6mm X 3mm. At this scale that would be just over 8" tall. Probably not too out of scale as these sails are pretty big. I will make as many as I have material (and patience) for now and finish when I get the rest of the 3/64" brass.

I will use the Britannia metal ones as place holders and not secure any of the lines where they are used. I may have enough to do the main and flying jib but that will depend on how many I ruin in the process.

[cdrusn89]

As it turned out I had just enough 3/64" brass rod to make nine shackles, one spare over the eight required (main sail, jib and flying jib halyards, jib and flying jib tacks and jib sheet and flying jib sheets (two).

 

So I went ahead and made them up and installed the three on the main and jib.

 

Here is a new picture of the jib tack with the new shackle, the tack belayed on its cleat and the rope coil and the main halyard belayed with its rope coil.

[cdrusn89]

Although not without drama (a block came apart on the tack) the Fly Jib is flying.

 

I am going to quit while I am ahead tonight and rig the sheet lines tomorrow along (hopefully) with getting the back stay retensioned. Then it is adding the remaining rope coils and cleaning up a few odds and ends.

 

Completion is in sight😊

[KeithAug]

All looking very nice Gary. The problem with making such quick progress is that you have to start thinking about the next build sooner.

[cdrusn89]

Keith - I have been thinking about the next build for some time. I would like to do the Charles P. Notman (4 masted schooner from early 1800's) kit by BlueJackets. I have not seen it done before on MSW so no "cheating" by looking at previous build logs. My only reservation is that it is 1/96 scale which is smaller than I have done before (with the exception of Endeavour all the kits I have built were 1/48 or 1/64) and I kind of like the larger scales which allow more detailing. I thought about just buying the plans and trying to sort of scratch build by replicating the center keel/bulkheads at 1/64th but the 1/96th kit is 41" overall so a 50% scale up would make the model almost 5' long (bigger than Endeavour!) which would be a problem to find a place to display.

 

I have the brig Syren (Model Expo) on hand but do  not want to do another square rigger this soon after doing Niagara. As much as I like rigging it seemed to never end on the Niagara and I am sure the Syren would be the same.

 

So I will just have to press on with Endeavour and then tend to the Christmas decorations and think some more.

[cdrusn89]

Hey all you sailors out there here is a question. The Amati instructions for the Endeavour kit show (see photo below) pretty clearly that the line goes around the winch starting at the top in a clockwise direction. Thus the line feeds off the winch at the bottom as the winch turns clockwise. That is contrary to the limited experience that I have had and the You-Tube videos on sheet winches all show the line feeding off the top of the winch not the bottom.

 

I am getting ready to rig the jib and flying jib sheets on my Endeavour and would like to do it correctly (in spite of the instructions).

 

Anyone see things differently or is this the British way of rigging winches?

[KeithAug]

29 minutes ago, cdrusn89 said:

That is contrary to the limited experience that I have had and the You-Tube videos on sheet winches all show the line feeding off the top of the winch not the bottom.

Hmmm! Well spotted - it is wrong. The tail has to come off the top - even in Britain.

Edited November 20, 2019 by KeithAug

[cdrusn89]

Thanks Keith - not the first error in the instructions.

[cdrusn89]

Working to rig the sheet lines for the jib and flying jib. The instructions show the sheet lines on one side (presumably the leeward side) but there are sheet lines that run to both sides of the ship. On the leeward side the sheet lines run through blocks at the deck edge and around the indicated winches and terminate at the indicated cleats. On the windward side the sheet lines run through the corresponding deck edge blocks and I think they would go directly to the indicated cleats rather than around the winches.

 

Here is the Flying Jib tack going around the forward winch (and feeding from the top not the bottom as shown in the instructions) and termionating at the forwardmost cleat.

[cdrusn89]

Here is the first leeward sheet line, the jib sheet around winch and terminated at cleat with rope coil.

[KeithAug]

Gary - all very nice - but!!! - the sheets normally go round the winches in a clockwise direction. The winches turning clockwise to wind in the sheets in. 

[yvesvidal]

14 minutes ago, KeithAug said:

Gary - all very nice - but!!! - the sheets normally go round the winches in a clockwise direction. The winches turning clockwise to wind in the sheets in. 

Very true. Nice catch Keith.

 

Yves

[cdrusn89]

Yes Keith thanks - I caught your note just before I did two out of three incorrectly on the windward side.

[cdrusn89]

 Working to "undo" the my mistake on the winches I wanted to get a picture of the windward sheet lines (which I have decided to also rig around the winches (in a clockwise manner of course) - thanks again Keith) as they are seen from the windward side.

 

So here it is!

 

Admittedly it is a little hard to find the jib sheet as it goes pretty close to the deck but I think I got the arrow pointed in the correct spot.

Edited November 22, 2019 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

Windward side lower flying jib sheet (forward most of the sheet lines) going around the winch clockwise. Line is not tight as this side sheets lines and not holding the sail. I used a smaller coil of line since some of the line is used to carry the sheet around the jib stay for the flying jib or mast for jib.

Edited November 22, 2019 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

Windward side jib sheet and upper flying jib sheet lines in place around winches, belayed to cleats with rope coils.

[el cid]

Very nice work, beautiful boat.  I’m not familiar with competitive practices at the time, but at 1:1 scale I’ve always put a figure-8 “stopper” knot at the bitter end of my jib sheets to prevent them running loose through the block or fairlead.  If a confirmed practice for J-class it might be a nice (and easy) detail to include.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

[cdrusn89]

Starboard side deck is complete😀

 

Now to fix the port side winches☹️

 

Here are some closeups of the starboard side.

[cdrusn89]

A full shot of the starboard side in the kit supplied stand. I have to clean up the one used in construction to use as this one is too unstable to use for the long term. I am trying to figure out if I can get/make a case for it that will not cost an arm and a leg and be so heavy it will need a "ten man working party" (old USN term) to move it.

 

This is the side that will "show" where she will be displayed.

Edited November 22, 2019 by cdrusn89

[yvesvidal]

So impressive. It is gorgeous.

 

Yves

[KeithAug]

Deck looking lovely - I should have said this earlier and in fact it probably does not matter on the model. Sheets go round the winch a minimum of 3 times. If they go round only twice insufficient friction is generated to hold them in place as the tail is released from the cleat. A lesson I learned the hard way when the sheet pulled through my hand and took all the skin off my palm and upper part of my fingers, not much fun when medical facilities are many hours away. The other lesson was always wear sailing gloves.

Edited November 22, 2019 by KeithAug

[cdrusn89]

Keith - I had enough trouble getting the two and half turns around the winches that I managed. The line kept working its way off. I finally used tweezers to move the line down the winch drum and hold it between turns. I too have had a line "get away from me" while on a winch - no fun indeed.

 

Port side is complete now. Am working on the final cradle (not nearly as nice or inventive as Keith's) varnish now so it will be another day before she m akes it in to the house. More pictures then