HMB Endeavour by bluesy76 - OcCre - 1:54

[bluesy76]

Greetings all. Yet another HM Bark Endeavour build - there are quite a few of them in this community which I have enjoyed perusing - hopefully I can produce something that is worth your time 🙂

 

This is my third build and I gravitated towards it as it's a very recognizable ship, has a painted hull which is a first for me and there is a huge wealth of information available to help me with any doubts I have.

[Ian B]

good luck  

[bluesy76]

I started on this build Easter 2019, the following pictures are from that time when I got up to just before the planking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bluesy76]

After a year of the build sitting around neglected I decided (or compelled by quarantine!) to revisit in May and start the planking. The kit instructions advise not to plank the bow and stern but rather fill those areas with balsa and sand those to shape. The rest of the hull would be planked stopping just short of the bow and stern. The second layer of planking (with sapelli colored material) would then cover everything.

 

I was keen to stain the entire hull and paint the different areas directly on the first layer. So I decided to make the effort to lay down a clean and good single layer of planking. Apart from the aesthetic preference I was also worried that my sanding of the balsa on the bow and stern would be unnatural.

 

I should have done more research on the structure of the hull as I soon realized that the shape of the bow conditioned the laying of the planks from early on. Once you approach the bottom then it is impossible to lay the planks parallel to the planks above without virtually destroying them at the bow. In addition building up/down from different positions in the hull and -  critically - not using filler in the bow at all - resulted in a distorted shape at the bow.

 

So I had no choice at this stage but to remove all planking up to the very top and start again.

[bluesy76]

I re-started the planking from the top going down. Once I reached the point where I couldn't lay the next plank in a natural position I then laid the plank at an angle with respect to the previous plank so that I could place it flat, i.e. "where it lay". According to this guide this is a "directional change". After laying a couple of planks following the placement of that plank I ended up with this situation:

 

 

So this was ok to work from but I wish I had encountered the guide to buff-bow planking earlier as I would have started modifying the orientation of the individual planks earlier in the process.

[bluesy76]

After several iterations of "directional change" I finally managed to finish the first layer of planking and am pleased with the results. Up till the point where the bow drastically changes shape the planks are completely parallel to the bottom. After that it's more like a jigsaw, with single planks partially laid across the full length of the hull and slotting around eachother. I tried to avoid extremely thin pieces and planks with sharp endings and by and large I managed that except at the bow itself. I am disappointed somewhat by the finish at the bow but when I get to sand and paint that over it should look better.

 

This is the point I have reached as of present day and the next steps will be filling in any gaps (thankfully not too many), sanding and cleaning the wood. After that I will stain the entire hull with light oak stain.

 

 

 

 

[bluesy76]

First phase of cleanup now complete. First rubbed in some alcohol followed by grease remover mixed with water. 

 

After removing all moisture with a clean rag I proceeded to sand the hull working my way up to 240 grit. 

 

 

 

Now all I have left is some localised sanding to remove those stubborn bumps and imperfections. My end goal however is to give the boat a used and weathered look so I am not too concerned with very minor irregularities on the surface. 

[shipaholic]

Welcome to the Endeavour club, I will watch with interest. Don't be afraid to get agressive with the sanding of that first layer of planks, use some fairly course grit on a wooden block and get it free of any bumps, doesn't matter if they get a bit thin in spots, I even used some filler on mine to fill the dips.

Believe me the smoother you get it the better the next layer of planks will go on. The second layer planks are very thin and warp and buckle easily and they won't sit right on an uneven base.

Cheers

Steve

[bluesy76]

Was away down in south of Spain visiting family last several days. Today I got back to finishing the sanding. Practically all the surface is even now. 

 

 

Note the use of different sources of wood for the planking 

 

After completing the sanding I gave it a good once over with a soft brush and a rag to get rid of all the dust. 

[bluesy76]

I also completed the first staining pass using a flat brush.

I used light oak stain from valmour which turned out a bit darker than I thought it would but I still like the result. 

 

After staining I polished the entire surface thoroughly with a clean rag to get rid of the excess. 

 

I will need to give it one more light staining job. 

[bluesy76]

Making progress very slowly this week as I'm in the middle of my sixth house move in six years 😒. Painting the ship exterior now, starting with the deck. I've painted the bulwarks red matte with a matte varnish on top. 

 

 

Onto building the stern cover next. I've built an interior here just for fun. I added gloss varnish and painted some areas white, hopefully once I build the windows (using microscope slides) I can see what's inside relatively clearly:

 

 

After the stern cover is done I'll add the wales, finish off the bulwarks, add the keel and finish painting the rest of the hull.

 

Still debating in my mind whether to paint the lower part of the hull white or just varnish it as is. I bought a really nice white luminos paint/protector from lasur for that purpose but I really like the look of the oak stain and I think it will look great on its own with the blue and yellow ochre decorative paint to be added...we'll see.

 

[clogger]

Funnily enough I was thinking about the hull painting on my Endeavour and think will go for the natural wood look.

[bluesy76]

2 hours ago, clogger said:

Funnily enough I was thinking about the hull painting on my Endeavour and think will go for the natural wood look.

80% probability I'll follow your lead clogger.

[Bill97]

Good afternoon. I am giving some thought to building the wood model Endeavor. I have built several very detailed plastic models and have the logs here on MSW. The Heller HMS Victory and Le Soleil Royal are just two. Both of which took or will take a couple years to complete. I have decided I want to attempt a wood model and really like the Endeavor. For some reason I am really drawn to the OcCre version. Before I make such a huge purchase I am curious what you he builders if this model think and recommend. Would you mind to share your general review? It would be greatly appreciated. 

[bluesy76]

Hi Bill97, I would give this kit a favourable review. The instructions are very good and they even helped me out sending them to me in pdf format. From what I can see, the order of the steps in the instructions make sense. The quality of the materials is good, complete and nicely packaged. Occre have a pretty good reputation here in Spain and it's well-deserved I think. I personally don't agree with some of their artistic choices regarding the selection of some materials but that's a matter of taste. Overall, I'm happy I went with their version and you have room for maneuvre if you want to do things a bit differently.

[bluesy76]

It's been a looong time that I've left the model sitting in a closet unattended. Life happens...

 

During that time, I've installed the wale and progressed on the stern. I've now resumed where I left off at the stern. I had installed the windows ages ago. Unfortunately can't see anything inside but I may get a chance to let more light in as I progress. This time round I've finished off the ledge under the windows and the top border upon which the leaf decorations will be placed.

Due to me straying from the design, it's a bit crammed under the windows but I think it'll look better once all the bits and pieces are installed. I have to extend the border down to reach the ledge and clean things up before placing the adornments and statuettes.

As shown above I've extended the ledge around the sides of the stern with a rounded finish to support the statuettes.

Edited April 16, 2023 by bluesy76

[bluesy76]

I've also gone ahead installing the keel. The skeg fitted in almost perfectly which I'm proud of. Filled in the inevitable gaps (not too bad). All that's left now is to even out the keel at the bottom.

 

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by bluesy76