HMS Endeavour's Longboat by Dougal Mack - Artesenia Latina

[Dougal Mack]

OK, so here we go, this is my first ever wooden ship model, so be gentle with me!!

I'm 58 this year and have been building plastic model kits since I was a wee one, mainly military vehicles, Tamiya 1:35 scale.

After many years away from modelling (family, kids and all that), I started again about 10 years ago but this time with big stuff - 1:14 scale RC trucks mainly.

I was keen to start another kit but found the new Tamiya 1:14 truck WAY too expensive at £900 - they don't even have opening doors for goodness sake!

Looking around I stumbled on wooden ships and decided to try my hand.

I also found this forum which has been a blessing, with lots of build logs and useful tips.  I also realised through the forum that it was a good idea to start with a smaller kit, so it was I bought the Endeavour Longboat.

 

Very impressed on the unboxing, some nice looking wood and wire cut frame pieces, the instructions are pretty clear too and some good quality colour photos.

 

I soon had the basic frame built without much trouble.

 

[Dougal Mack]

Goy myself a selection of clamps, elastic bands, a kettle, one of the wife's (old) baking tins and used the hot water method of soaking the planks to bend into shape.  I was pleased and surprised how well this worked!

The difficulty I had was where to start, top or bottom!

I used all the build log photos and the instructions to sort of mix it up and find what worked best!

Patience is certainly a virtue here - soaking a couple of planks at a time, clamping in place and leaving to dry.  The following day glueing in place and leaving again for another 24 hours!

[Dougal Mack]

Sorry, but my photos would be better if there was a space between each - can anybody help me with a tip on how to do this?

[Dougal Mack]

Whilst waiting for some planks to dry, I made the oars.

Here I realised my first mistake, but not until later - I used the 4mm sapelly instead of the 3mm for the main arm.

I realised this when I ran out of 4mm for the masts - more about that later!

 

[Dougal Mack]

Continuing with the planking....

 

[Dougal Mack]

Now, I'm afraid to say, I was so keen to proceed with planking the hull that I forgot to take photos!

Needless to say I finished the base layer and was quite chuffed with it, after all it was going to be filled to cover any mistakes!

I realised, perhaps a bit too late, that some of the base layer of planking would be seen from the inside, although it wasn't too bad.

I kept telling myself not to worry, it is after all my first kit.

I have always been a bit of a perfectionist and so did remove a few planks to make it neater.

I've been using Gorilla wood glue and soon found out that it's really good stuff!

After filling, I sanded down, filled and sanded again, filled and sanded a third time - good (Ever-Build Multi-Purpose Wood Filler)

 

I then started with the top layer of planking, much easier to bend and apply being so thin.

This was may second big mistake.  I wished I had been a bit neater here.  I sanded very lightly this top layer of planking but of course it is really thin and did in a couple of places go too far and reveal an odd nail from the base layer of planking!

 

I fit the gunwale covers next as per the instructions but then realised what a job it was to then fit the benches!

Knowing how well stuck the gunwales would be, I wasn't going to try and remove them and so managed!

 

[Dougal Mack]

Here is a picture of my 'workshop' - we live on a hill so the garage is under the front of the house.  This room I dug out 20 years ago which is under the hallway.  It made a great playroom for the kids, a storage room for long enough and has now become my man-cave!

I'm wondering if my bench is going to be big enough if I fancied building the Bounty or something like that?!

I can shorten the height of the drawers and extend the worktop.

 

[Dougal Mack]

By the way - the best money I spent was on a cordless Dremel Lite and an accessory set - VERY handy and useful!

[Ryland Craze]

15 minutes ago, Dougal Mack said:

Sorry, but my photos would be better if there was a space between each - can anybody help me with a tip on how to do this?

Good start on your longboat and a very detailed build log.  When you are inserting pictures in your build log, you can place your cursor at the bottom right corner of the picture and hit the enter key twice.  This will leave a blank space between the picture and you will be ready to post text or another picture where the flashing text cursor line is located.  The good thing is you can place pictures wherever the flashing text cursor line is in your text.  Experiment with this as you can always correct your document before you hit "Submit Reply".

[Dougal Mack]

Next was the rudder - ooh this was fiddly!

I'm not sure I should add these photos as it doesn't look so good close up, but what the heck!

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by Dougal Mack

[Dougal Mack]

Onto the masts, booms and gaffs.

As earlier this was when I realised that I had used up a fair bit of the 4mm dowel for the oars - should have been 3mm!

I would have been OK but the instructions said 110mm long for the mainsail gaff - this is way too short by about 20mm.  It was here that I realised I didn't have any 4mm left over!

I have ordered some 4mm hard wood dowel from Cornwall Model Boats, but I also complained to Artesenia Latina themselves.

I have ordered another kit direct from them (Virginia Schooner) and they said they will ship some 4mm sapelly with it.

 

 

 

Spot my deliberate mistake in the next photo.....I glued the bowsprit strengthener in the middle - doh, didn't read the instructions!  Hey I'm a trucker not a boat builder, I didn't know 😄

 

 

 

[Dougal Mack]

Thanks Ryland for you tip on the photos - it worked at my end, I hope it looks better at your end ! !

[Dougal Mack]

I'm now onto the rigging 🤔 this is the bit I have been dreading!

Like I said, I'm a complete novice to boat building and here the instructions are not that clear!

Could be a while before I post some more photos - for one I need the extra 4mm dowel for my gaff and some more thread (ordered).

Oh, I have this photo for now, quite pleased with my needlework skills....

 

[Dougal Mack]

Any constructive criticism would be appreciated and taken on board!

[Mike_H]

Just found this - or rather something you posted elsewhere.  Looking though your log brought back great memories of building my version last year - and we are both in Yorkshire! Anyway your work looks very clean and the hull looks very fine.  How are you getting on with the rigging?

 

cheers

 

Mike

[Mike_H]

On 2/9/2021 at 3:17 PM, Dougal Mack said:

Sorry, but my photos would be better if there was a space between each - can anybody help me with a tip on how to do this?

After you insert the photo just hit the return key.