Endurance by HakeZou - FINISHED - OcCre - 1:70

[HakeZou]

If you've read my last build log, then you know I had a list of six ships that I was trying to decide between for my next project. You'll also know that the Endurance wasn't on that list. But, well, that's the way it goes sometimes. A little more birthday money rolled in than expected, along with some money from an Easter gig, and suddenly I had a bigger budget to consider. Then I discovered that OcCre had released the Endurance and that, even better, Ages of Sail had it on sale! And so here we are.

 

The story of the Endurance is, of course, well known on this forum, so I don't see any need to rehash it here. But my story with the Endurance isn't. I've been fascinated by Shackleton's journey ever since high school, when I was fortunate to perform Tim Mahr's tone poem Endurance at All-State Band. (Here's a recording if you haven't heard the piece before.) While learning my part, I read Alfred Lansing's book and was hooked. Since ordering the kit, I've been re-reading Lansing's book, watching documentaries, and so on. I've been carefully poring over Frank Hurley's photos from the expedition (especially his color photos!). I've also been studiously watching the tutorial videos posted by OcCre, which are still being posted as I write this. 

 

Before deciding to purchase the kit, I also carefully read Chris Coyle's very helpful review of it. He writes near the end that "I believe this kit can be built by an intermediate builder, and it will undoubtedly produce a nice-looking model right out of the box." I hope I'll be proof of that, though I'm probably closer to an advanced beginner than an intermediate builder

 

And now, on to what you're waiting for—lots of photos! Chris is a better judge than I am of the materials and he's also a better photographer, so I'll just refer you to his review to see the materials laid out. But to my eye things are generally pretty good, with two exceptions. First, there's a packaging issue. All of the plywood sheets and the false keel (made of MDF) come in a plastic-wrapped flatpack. But the false keel is clearly able to move around a bit, which puts it at risk for damage. The portion of it that extends behind the rudder broke off and even escaped from the plastic! Second, one of the sapele planks was broken (shown in the photo after I removed the rubber band around it). I don't think this will be a supply issue, but it was a little disappointing to see.

 

 

Apart from those two issues, though, I'm pleased with what I'm looking at. The hardware, blocks, and deadeyes look much better than some of the other kits I've done. The instructions are only one page in each language, but it's a B3-sized page, so there's enough there to be of some help. The book of step-by-step color photos is also on B3 paper, so OcCre can really pack in a lot of detail. Coupled with their tutorial videos, it's entirely possible that I'm over-confident at this point, since they've made things so accessible. The only weak part of the instructions is that the paint guide lists recommended paint colors for all OcCre models...except the Endurance. The updated sheet is on their website, but hasn't made it into the boxes yet.

 

 

And now, onto the ship itself. Today, my goal was to get the frames onto the false keel. After numbering the pieces and cutting them out, I dry fit the frames and decks. The laser is used a bit generously on some pieces, but the measurements are spot on. Everything slid right into place and fit as expected. The only exception is that there is a little extra space (.5mm or so) on the 9th frame; the red arrows in the third photo here are indicating those gaps. (The 10th frame is in backwards in that photo, so the companionway is blocked...oops!)

 

  

 

After checking the fit I was ready to start gluing in the frames. I used corner brackets to make sure everything was square. Since I didn't have enough brackets for all the frames I worked in shifts, alternating frames.

 

 

Frame #11 (piece A12) needed some extra attention, since I also had to repair the broken piece of the false keel. After a few failed attempts, I ended up securing the false keel, frame #11, and the broken piece using four corner brackets and four clamps. Although the scar looks a bit dramatic in this close-up, it feels smooth to the touch and the poopdeck fits perfectly at its various contact points. By the time I plank the stern, this will be heavily reinforced, so I'm not terribly worried. 

 

 

After the first work session, here are the false keel and frames. This was my first time using the corner brackets (a tip I'd picked up here on MSW), and I'm really pleased with how square and symmetrical everything is. There's a long ways to go, but I feel good about this first step.

 

[clearway]

ouch with the breaks, when planking occres terror i used 0.5 mm x 4mm walnut for 2nd planking rather the the ultra thin stuff occre supplied (looks a lot better too). I have occres beagle but am seriously tempted by this kit too!

 

Keep up the good work

 

Keith

[Tomculb]

As soon as I saw this kit I decided that it would be my next build.  Probably a bit early (I think I have at least a year to go on my present build),but it is different and historic enough that it really grabbed my attention.  And I'm really glad you're doing build log ahead of me; I'm sure I'll learn a lot by following along.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Ahoy mates - I've followed the information available on the new endurance kit, and have recently viewed the entire video tutorial available on it ... all 67 (if I remember rightly) youtube elements that run 3 or 4 more minutes each ... that's around 4 hours of watching.  Of course they don't cover multiples of elements - or every single plank ... but each step is covered.  I have to agree that even for a motivated adult 'beginner', this kit is doable 'out of the box'.

 

  Of course, there have been compromises in 'dead' accuracy of lines and details ... and the result if built 'as instructed' has a certain 'simplicity' to it.  Yet it is quite attractive.  Some of the simplifications involve the rigging and how the lines belay, the use of rigging rope instead of chainplate, the use of brass eyelets for portholes, sealing/sanding the 'jigsaw'-like cabin construction - to name a few.  But the design is well thought-out and is relatively 'fool proof'  for beginner to intermediate (if you watch the you-tube segments there will be an appreciation of how everything goes together in sequence), while en experienced modeler can rectify the above mentioned simplifications.

 

 I note a few points for recommendation:

 

  I don't advise using contact cement for the planking and decking.  If one wants a model to last a long time (and perhaps be a family heirloom), the bond can degrade over time ... I've seen it happen.  I note the clever way the sub-deck pieces key into the bulkheads, and if one uses the 'slow cure' wood glue on the framing, the deck pieces can be used (without glue) to assure squareness and fit without a plethora of angle pieces and many clamps on the bulkheads.

 

  Applying the decking over the sub deck  before assembling back on the frames eases construction.  But perhaps the width of the deck planks are a little out of scale - I'd be inclined to make a jig to cut them in half with repeated light X-acto cuts, then use in 'random lengths' so that actual joints will stagger somewhat - instead of marking them with a pencil.  There may be better means to pre treat the edges of the deck planking with a dark color than just using graphite - and there are some posts about alternative techniques ... but pencil will do.  I saw a post on how to make a jig for more accurately positioning pencil 'dots' on the decking.  One can also 'go crazy' and drill the peg holes and use the tips of round toothpicks to plug them - which is made easier since it all can be done before the deck pieces get installed.  Since the kit makes use of brass 'eye bolts' to belay a lot of the rigging (like on the deck all around the masts), were I to go along with this I'd keep the ends of the brass wire eye bolts longer and apply them before gluing the decks down.  That way, the ends of the eye bolts can be bent over below the deck so there won't be a risk of one or more 'pulling out' when securing rigging ... a bummer were this to happen.  My idea is to research the Endurance and see if there wooden rails with belying pins by the mast.  If so, I'd build and install entirely through the planked deck (for a secure fit) before gluing the decks down.

 

  Being double planked, one does not have to fill the spaces between bulkheads below decks with balsa or basswood to assure the beast fairing - but I'm inclined to go to the trouble.  The way they show to accomplish each planking layer is adequate, since the hull is to be painted, but prefer to taper more of the planks as I went and try to plank in a more period manner - as well as use less wide 'final' planking.  I don't know if the entire hull was black on the original ship, but it may be that anti-foulding paint was used below the waterline.  If so was, this a dark red color?  Again, some research is needed.  Also, I wouldn't use contact cement on the second planking - but to each his own.

 

  On the lower deck house, one can sand the pieces on the exterior by the thickness of any vertical planking (optional) that one might want to use on the outside (the fact of board construction will 'telegraph' nicely through the top coat of white paint), and cut-off rings of thick walled brass or copper tubing might make for better portholes - they could also be 'glazed' if one uses a suitable hole punch on the plastic glazing material provided.  I found a set of 'nested' hole cutters at an antique shop that only needed a little sharpening.  The brass railing stanchions look good, but perhaps using wire instead of rope going through as a railing might look better - the challenge would be avoiding 'kinks'.

 

  The light colored deadeyes can be stained darker, and wire chainplate on the lower deadeyes will make for a distinct improvement.  For display with sails, I'd re-make them from more appropriate (thinner) material.  Also the 1:70 scale can permit one to install jackstays on the yards to bend the square sails. I'd use the Underhill book on Clipper Rigging to make some improvements, as well as use finer rigging rope where needed.  I'd have a look at how the fore-and-aft booms attach to the masts - there might be room for some improvement there.

 

  I won't natter on, but I've ordered the kit on the strength of my observations and study ... there is real potential to improve on what is provided, but 'as-is' it is a good value.  

 

  Fair sailing to all !    Johnny

 

  May 19th 2021 edit: Confirming the 1:70 scale of the OcCre Endurance (now happily received), made me realize that a 'bust' to make a clipper model would change the scale too much (about 1:120) - and details for a much bigger ship would be challenging to work on. The Endurance was 125' between perpendiculars, vs 212' for the Cutty or Thermie.

 

  

Edited May 19, 2021 by Snug Harbor Johnny
recalculation of scale differences

[HakeZou]

Hi Keith, Tom, and Johnny, and thanks for following along! Tom, I hope the build log will be helpful. At the very least, I'm sure you'll learn from my mistakes.

 

Johnny, that's a wealth of information that I'll need some time to digest! Thanks for all of this! Given my current skill level, some of what you are describing sounds like great advice for builders who are better than me. (My plan is to stay mostly out-of-the-box and to use the opportunity to develop my skills, though I love your suggestion to get the eyebolts in the deck before mounting the decks.) The two key differences I'm planning are to taper the planking—something I need practice with. I might use the approach OcCre recommends for the first planking, but the second, I'd rather go for the tapered look. The paint scheme also strikes me as really strange. It's clear from Frank Hurley's photos that the ship was painted black above the waterline, but not below. For example:

 

 

In one of the color photos, this seems to be antifouling "brown stuff"—it's a dark rusty red color, at least. I'd share the photo, but I foolishly forgot to save it and now I'm having a hard time finding it again. My plan for right now is to use red ochre paint below the waterline.

[HakeZou]

Tonight, I finished the "A" steps of the Endurance. After installing the frames, the next step is to install a few blocks that will help when it comes time for planking. There are two on each side at the bow and two on each side at the stern. I decided to sand off the excess char on these blocks and now regret that a little. Apparently, I took off a more than just the char, since there are some sizable gaps (especially at the stern). Although they don't seem to be cut as accurately as the frames were, they did fit a little more snugly before I went after the char. Photos are of the blocks, portside view of the bow blocks, overhead view of the bow blocks (with a gap for the bowsprit), and portside view of the stern blocks.

 

 

The last "A" step is the main deck. Johnny's comments above are a propos here. The planks are much too wide for the scale (5mm scales up to 3.5m!). If your goal is that kind of accuracy, his recommendation to cut planks in half (or more!) is great. For me, my goal is focused on developing skills: I wanted to lay the planks straight, keep the small bits on the edge clean, make the holes without pulling up any boards, and (for the first time) mark the boards and nails. I thought about cutting the planks to 60mm lengths, but in the end decided to keep it simple and just draw the lines with pencil. Note: the deck is just resting in place, though I didn't get it lined up quite right on the after end (right side of the photo); I'm planning to take Johnny's advice regarding the eyebolts, so will hold off on installing it for now. (Sorry for the funky camera angle...it's making those frames look really wild!) 

 

 

 

I'm mostly pleased with how it turned out. The boards are almost perfectly straight, though they're at least lined up well against each other. The holes are all filed down well to fit the dowels and other pieces that they will eventually hold. Consistency of the lines and dots is...well...there's room for improvement there. Also, I sanded the deck after drawing them and some disappeared more than others. No finish on it yet, but that will come soon enough.

 

Next step: more practice working on decks. The "B" steps begin with preparing the other three decks.

[HakeZou]

First a correction to my dumb math error in the previous post. At this scale, 5mm-wide planks represent 35cm-wide planks. Missed that easy math problem by an order of magnitude.

 

A little bit of progress over the weekend, chipping away at the "B" steps. First up, I finished painting the portions of the frames that will be visible once the decks are installed and the hull is planked. Then, planking the other three decks. As far as the overall impression goes, I'm reasonably satisfied. A careful eye will note that the planking wasn't perfectly centered (especially on the poopdeck) and so the edges are not quite symmetrically planked. In terms of developing my skills, I'm pleased with how straight the planks are laying; the planks on the fore-, main-, and aftdecks even line up really well with each other! I managed to keep the edges pretty clean (though I'm glad that the bulwarks will cover up the one tiny corner that chipped off while I was sanding). And I like the degree of realism added by marking the lines and dots for the ends of boards. At this point, I just need to apply finish and (following Johnny's advice above) attach the eyebolts, then I should be able to glue them into place.

 

 

 

However, things didn't go perfectly smoothly. I made a boneheaded mistake on the aftdeck and had to fix it. Unlike some kits (including the xebec I recently finished), the frames on this kit do not go above the deck, since the bulwarks are pre-cut plywood pieces that fit onto tabs on the decks. Instead, the subdeck has cutouts for all of the frames. When you plank the deck, the instructions have you lay the planks over those cutouts—which works beautifully, since OcCre has cut the plywood pieces so precisely. But as I lopped the excess off of the planks, I followed the shape of the corners, forgetting that the planking needed to extend over a cutout in each corner. I considered just adding some short bits of planking on top of the frames, but wasn't happy with that solution. Maybe none of my family or friends would notice...but I would know. So, I pulled the outer four planks off on each side. After some clean-up work, I Iaid new planks. There are two spots of damage remaining from the operation, but those will ultimately be covered by the dog kennels. (The spot on the port side is more visible in this photo than the one on the starboard side.) The red rectangles show two of the corners where those overzealous cuts were made the first time. For those doing this kit, this is an easy mistake to make, so please keep it in mind.

 

 

Next steps: After finishing the decks, all that remains of the "B" steps will be to add a few more blocks to the bow and sides to aid in planking the hull.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Excellent work HakeZou - it looks just fine from here.  I await delivery of the same kit ... I ordered one from Age of Sail, as well as another order for extra fittings to augment those I've been saving for future work.  I'll watch your build with interest.  Meanwhile, I've tried scrounging for info on the Endurance and her story (Shackleton had a lot to do with it ... BTW I found out that they were forced to eat the dogs in order to survive).  There is one image of the original profile drawing from the Greenwich Museum (split view fore and aft) of this ship originally built as Polaris in 1912.  It is clearly marked as 125' between parallels - the waterline point at the bow to the rudder post astern.  Other references to her being 144' must refer to a 'bow to stern' overall measurement (exclusive of bowsprit).  I'll mark the 'false keel' part provided with the waterline and parallels placed to get an accurate measurement in inches for the model 'out of the box' just to calculate the scale (to see if it is indeed 1:70 per the box).  Yeah, I know it seems quirky (picky?) to look into that, but as a former Industrial/Manufacturing Engineer (and now a Hospital Pharmacy Technician) I've always exhibited OCD ... but with people's safety and health at stake, that's a good thing.

 

  You are careful and diligent on repairing missteps as you go ... exactly my method.  My Wasa build has been full of them, although work is suspended for the time being (Admiral's orders).  As a friend described artwork (which is sort-of what we're at) - 'There are no mistakes, just happy accidents'.  BTW, Popeye's advice to save the 'surrounding' wood that the laser-cut parts came from is sound.  That way (since your purchase of the kit constitutes a license for personal use of the contents), you can duplicate any part by tracing on new stock around the void left after parts are cut from the sheet (writing the part number on the sheet for reference as you go).  Cutting on the line with a jigsaw should produce a very close copy of the original part if needed.

 

  Fair weather bless you.    Johnny

[HakeZou]

Thanks, Johnny. Glad to hear you'll be building an Endurance, too—I look forward to seeing your adaptations of OcCre's design! As a quick note, I was taking a closer look at the blocks tonight and concur with Chris Coyle's review. They're average fittings. Even though this is only my fifth ship, I've seen both better and (much) worse. I'm going to forge ahead with the blocks and deadeyes in the kit, but a more experienced builder like you may want to replace them. Also worth noting that the plywood is really lightweight...so light I suspect that at least the outer layers are balsa (I'm no expert in these matters, so may be way off on that identification). Those pieces seem sturdy enough, just very light.

 

In other research, anyone building this should hunt for George Marston's paintings of the expedition; here's a sample of them at art.com, if you want some cheap print reproductions. Marston was one of the artists brought along to document the journey and his paintings are very striking. The painting entitled "The Endurance Crushed in the Ice of the Weddell Sea, October 1915" is the best view that I've found so far of the hull below the waterline. My conclusion (guess) that the ship had antifouling "brown stuff" comes from this image. Note that the ship is painted in full sunlight, so the black of the hull appears lighter than in other images, from which I assume that the antifouling paint also appears lighter than it really was. I've also discovered that the University of Missouri (M-I-Z! Z-O-U!) has a nice LibGuide on Shackleton's expedition; even though it seems to be a student project, there are some helpful resources, including a great gallery of photos, a link to the deck plans, and recommended books and films.

 

A small progress update: I have installed almost all of the eyebolts on the decks and have put some satin finish on them. The first photo shows the decks laid side-by-side (top row: fore and main, bottom row: aft and poop). In the detail of the foremast, you can see the mast partner (at least, I think that's what the round wooden piece is called) and the eyebolts installed around it. The plans call for the eyebolts to all be parallel to each other, running fore-to-aft. But that looked really strange to me, so I turned them all to be parallel to the mast partner, making a more pleasing circle around the mast. Hopefully, I still feel good about this decision once I'm attaching the rigging to them! The eyebolts that I've attached so far will all be bent under the deck, per Johnny's suggestion. The remaining eyebolts need to be driven into frames under the deck, so I won't add those until the decks are installed.

 

 

[HakeZou]

It's been a really busy week here, so I've been glad to squeeze in some time working on the Endurance. I finished the "B" steps, which involved attaching the four decks, along with six additional blocks that will help once it comes time to do the hull. I've also spent time browsing GettyImages.com for more of Frank Hurley's photos of Shackleton's expedition—there's a treasure trove in there, especially for those looking to upscale this kit. This link will take you to a gallery of photos tagged with "1914–17 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition," but a more general search for "Shackleton" and "Endurance" brings up 800 hits; some repetition of images, and not all directly related, but some additional treasures for sure, including some photos while the ship was still in drydock (even some before it was painted!). Of particular interest for me this week are those showing the bulkheads on the main and poopdecks:

• A photo of the crew posing on the foredeck, seven days before the ship was stuck in the ice; the forward bulkhead on the maindeck is visible.
• A photo of several men working to break up the ice, just before the ship was stuck; again, the forward bulkhead on the maindeck is visible.
• A photo of Tom Crean taking care of the dogs, in their kennels on the aftdeck; the forward bulkhead on the poopdeck is visible.
• A photo of the Endurance being crushed by the ice, the after bulkhead on the maindeck is visible.

After studying these photos, I decided I had to upscale the kit a bit by lining those three bulkheads. The bulkheads are, of course, the upper portions of three frames. The instructions call for them to be sanded smooth, then painted white. Crosspieces at the top and bottom, portholes, doors, and other bits are added later on in the build. That looks a bit like this shot of the forward bulkhead of the maindeck (the paint job looks so bad because I had already roughed it up a bit in preparation for gluing planks onto it).

 

 

The flat white look is okay, but after looking at the photos, I just wasn't satisfied anymore. I'm using the same sycamore planks used for the deck, since the kit generously provides a few extra meters of these. However, I'm also slicing them in half to reflect the narrow boards shown in the photos that I linked to above. The exercise has really stretched the limits of my skills. I did the forward bulkhead on the poopdeck first, figuring it would be the easiest. I'm pretty sure I was wrong about that, since I broke a few planks while drilling and filing the portholes and since these very small pieces (2.5x12mm, 2.5x1.5mm at the hatchway) were a real pain to work with. For that bulkhead, I laid all of the strips, then did the portholes. For the bulkheads on the maindeck, I'm laying strips only up to the portholes for now; once I've cleaned that much of the portholes, I'll add the rest of the strips. These portholes will be a little bit of a challenge—since there are extra blocks behind them to give more purchase for the bulwarks and hull planking, I won't be able to run the file all the way through the holes. This way, I can hopefully do most of the work with my Exacto knife.

 

The next two photos are of the partially lined after bulkhead on the maindeck and of the forward bulkhead on the poopdeck, which already has primer on it. The top and bottom edges look a little rough, but those will be covered soon by crosspieces.

 

 

Edited May 15, 2021 by HakeZou

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Ahoy HakeZou !  My OcCre Endurance kit came by FedEx late yesterday (from Age of Sail in California), and the feeling was almost like Christmas Day.  I've since opened the box and everything looks in perfect condition (no broken false keel as some have posted - admittedly, careful handling is in order due to the configuration of cutting in the stern).  I will resist the urge to dive in, as I still must finish (as far as I want to take it) another model ... but then I suppose there is no prohibition in having more than one in progress.

 

  I made light marks on the false keel to correspond to the waterline (from images of original drawings) and (allowing for the keel to be added) the distance 'between perpendiculars' (bow at water line to center of rudder post) was about 21 1/4".  Compared to the original ship having 125' between perpendiculars, the scale is about 1:70.5 ... so rounding to 1:70 was appropriate.  

 

  'Great job of vertical planking you've chosen to do ... and I plan on doing the same when I get into it.  The sides of the stern cabin are horizontal (seen in photos of the Endurance), and are planked with the hull.  Your secure eye bolts on the deck around the mast locations will take whatever tugging is needed to tension the lines later - without risk of pulling out.

 

  I'll have to look at the photos per your reference sites.  One I've seen already of the smokestack (as well as a post by another modeler on making steamboat stacks) gave me an idea that wrapping card stock around the funnel stock (instead of formed brass wire rings) would make flat bands as seen in the photos (all gets painted white).  Then wire drilling four peripheral holes into the flat band will permit insertion of 4 eye bolts where the guy wires attach to stabilize the funnel.  The extent of tweaking just depends on the inclination of the modeler, and I certainly have my limits.

 

  Once the fateful voyage was underway, Shackleton likely figured that it would a very long time before the ship would anchor ... some of the photos show the anchors stowed over the catheads on the fore deck with the anchor shaft lashed where the beam extends beyond the hull, and chain used to secure the bottoms of both anchors to each other.  That's one way to show them, as well as secured at the bow as seen in the instructions.  The forward capstan provided is a simple turning, so an aftermarket capstan (of the same size) with greater detail is another easy upgrade.

 

  Fair weather and smooth sailing ...  Johnny

[Ian_Grant]

I highly recommend "The Endurance" by Caroline Alexander for those interested in reading about Shackleton's greatest test.

[HakeZou]

Johnny—I look forward to your build log! Glad to hear that the false keel arrived intact for you, too. By the way, for those interested, the Royal Museums Greenwich have poster prints of the original drawings of the Endurance; you can find them here, along with a few of Frank Hurley's photos.

 

Ian—Thanks for the recommendation! That one's on my list, though I haven't gotten to it yet. For other recommended books, here's a list put together by Shackleton's descendants. 

 

This has been a lovely weekend for working on the Endurance. With thunderstorms rolling in and finals week ending, I got the mowing done early and then spent the rest of the weekend taking breaks from grading to work on the ship and vice versa. So, some nice progress to report!

 

After finishing the lining on the bulkheads, I added crosspieces at the top and bottom. The top pieces are part of the "C" steps, but the bottom pieces are actually part of the "E" and "F" steps, after the bulkheads have been added. I'm really not sure why the delay is recommended—it was certainly easier to put them in now and sand the ends down to match the frames, than it would have been after the bulkheads were already in place. (Note: I realized that I had been messing up my terminology. From here on out, I'll correctly be using the terms "quarterdeck" instead of "aftdeck" and "aftdeck" instead of "poopdeck." Still learning...) The instructions never call for a lower cross piece for the bulkhead on the aftdeck, but that just didn't seem right to me, so I added one. Compared to the real ship, these are probably all out of scale, so they may be an opportunity to consider for those interested in upscaling the kit. The photos are of the forward bulkhead on the maindeck, after bulkhead on the maindeck and the forward bulkhead on the aftdeck.

 

 

 

 

The other part of the "C" steps involved fairing the frames in preparation for lining the deck. Fairing the hull is one of the areas in which I'm trying to improve my skills with this kit. (I've learned a lot in the last couple months by watching Leo Goolden's rebuild of the Tally Ho and so I feel like I understand the process a LOT more than in my previous kits.) The instructions wisely call for using a test strip to check as you work. They don't call for balsa blocks to fill all of the gaps at the bow and the stern, but instead the kit does add several plywood blocks in those places. For now, at least, I am thinking that those blocks will be enough, but we'll see. For those doing the kit, frame #9 (piece A10) was a bit undersized through the bilge, requiring me to really sand down frames #8, 10, and 11. I also recommend a rounded sanding black, as shown in the tutorial videos; sanding those extra plywood blocks at the stern is very awkward! 

 

I'm sure there's more sanding to do once I get down to the nitty gritty of planking, but for now I'm reasonably happy. I'd love to sand a rabbet line into the false keel...but I just can't make a dent in it. The material is MDF, I think, but it's resisted my sanding efforts so far. Photos are close-ups of the port bow and port quarter. (Note, the black paint is for those spaces inside that have portholes. I'll be adding more in the main cabin soon. This is my own aesthetic, rather than anything in the instructions.)

 

 

 

Finally, I moved on to the beginning of the "D" steps by attaching the bulwarks for the main cabin. Photos are a detail of the portside bulwark and then a shot of the whole ship as she currently stands.

 

 

 

Next steps: continue working my forward with the bulwarks. 

[HakeZou]

A bit more steady progress to report. I've attached the bulwarks on the main and foredecks. This was one of several steps that I was nervous about, since the risk of breaking pieces is high. In fact, I did snap in half the portside bulwark on the foredeck—yikes! The break happened at a skinny point under the cable channel. After panicking and looking up the possibility of replacing broken parts (the form is here if you need it), I decided to put on some Gorilla glue and see what happened. As luck would have it, the glue held, even through the shaping process! *phew*

 

Apart from that scare, this process went more smoothly than I anticipated. The maindeck bulwarks have to be shaped with a pretty significant twist (nearly 45º), which I accomplished by soaking the plywood pieces and then borrowing the Admiral's clothes iron. The foredeck bulwarks, unsurprisingly, have a dramatic curve, which I handled in the same fashion. When I attached the maindeck bulwarks, I had another crisis moment—after lining the bulkheads, I had had a sneaking suspicion that something was out of alignment. Once I started dryfitting the bulwarks, I confirmed that suspicion. One corner of the quarterdeck was about a millimeter off of the frame to which it had been glued. After considering my options, I decided to just live with it and to cover it as best I could. The alternative would have involved pulling off one of the main cabin bulwarks (both glued and nailed into place) and stripping the lining on the bulkhead; way too much potential for irreversible damage there. So, I put in a shim to fill the ~1mm gap between the two bulwarks. Given how the planks lie on the hull, there will be a very small and (hopefully) subtle adaptation that I make, but this shouldn't pose any serious problem down the line. (Famous last words, I know...)

 

Photos are of the maindeck bulwarks, the shim on the portside (which still needs a bit of clean-up before hull planking begins), the foredeck bulwarks, and an overhead shot of all four pieces. 

 

 

Next up, I needed to line the foredeck bulwarks with pieces of 2x5 limewood. Another round of soaking and ironing made pretty quick work of this, though I also clamped them into place when I installed them. The next challenge was shaving, sanding, and filing them down to match the precut plywood pieces. Then, I added the stem head (the stem itself is a precut walnut/plywood piece that comes later). The instructions call for this to be cut as a trapezoidal prism, but that left a pretty big gap between the bulwark pieces. Instead, I sanded it into a triangular prism and it slid satisfyingly into place.

 

Photos show the two lining pieces clamped into place, then two different angles showing the shaped lining and the stem head (which at that point still needed a little sanding attention on the starboard side). 

 

  

 

Finally, I've painted the foredeck bulwarks. Still a bit of final sanding to do after the last coat of paint dries, but I'm overall pretty pleased with how this turned out. 

 

 

Next steps: I'll wrap up the "E" and "F" steps by lining the edges of the decks against the bulwarks and by adding the support ribs to the maindeck bulwarks. After that, the hard work of hull planking begins!

[clearway]

coming along nicely- i have actually started this kit myself, but will build and finish it in a similar style as my ongoing HMS Terror with walnut 2nd planking and varnished wood finish along with upgrading of some fittings (steering jumps straight out at me). 

 

Keith

[HakeZou]

A bit more progress to report this evening, since I've now finished the "E" and "F" steps. Thus far, things have been rolling along pretty quickly. Chris Coyle described much of the kit as being "rather like a large jigsaw puzzle"; this is definitely true of everything up to this point and that feature makes the kit pretty accessible for even my modest skills.

 

The last part of the "E" steps involved two small pieces lining the deck at the stem. There's a handy template for them in the instructions, but I found the forward angle to be off. While the template has you cut each piece to 45º (so they make a 90º angle, the foredeck bulwarks meet at a somewhat more acute angle. With a little bit of sanding and trial-and-error, I managed to get them in well. (Of course, with the close-up photo I now see that there are gaps between these pieces and the bulwarks. I hadn't picked that up with my naked eye!)

 

 

The "F" steps focus primarily on finishing the interior of the maindeck bulwarks. The instructions begin by recommending that you paint the full planks before cutting all of these pieces to measure. I'm not sure what some the more experienced builders think of that, but it did help me achieve a more consistent paint job. Two long pieces line the sides of the deck, then there are nine vertical ribs. As elsewhere, the instructions give generous measurements, so I had to trim everything down to fit. As you can see in the first two photos, the forward-most and aft-most ribs are cut to fit around the lining on the bulkheads. I did pretty okay at that, but was able to very carefully fill those gaps with wood filler. After those were solidly in place, I painted the inside of the bulwark and touched up the other painted bits around the maindeck.

 

 

The last part of the "F" steps calls for placing three planks on each side below the cabin. These run from the after end of the maindeck bulwarks to the last frame (the stern is planked separately). At this point, I'm following the instructions closely, but for more experienced builders, there's an opportunity here to do better. Since there's a definite curve over the last three planks and since the planks are 2mm thick, it took a little work to get these planks to lie well...and there's still just a little bit of a clinker effect that I'm going to have to sand down.

 

 

 

Next step: First planking of the hull. Things have come together quickly so far, but are going to slow down now. As Chris Coyle mentions in his review, the instructions call for a "Mastini-like simplified method"; I'm still enough of a beginner that I have to take his word for that. But it is definitely a different approach than what Chuck Passaro recommends in his planking tutorial (text/photos and video). One of my goals with this kit is to have a better hull than I accomplished in my previous kits; since I'm painting the hull, I know I have a bit more flexibility in terms of planking method. I think my current skill level is probably better suited for the simplified method, which requires less planning up front, but Chuck's method seems to make it easier for me to see the hull before I build it.

 

I managed to line off the largest frame on each side; conveniently, they fit exactly 17 planks. However, I'm confused about how to line off the frames as I approach the curves of the bow and stern. Still a bit for me to work out in my head before I attach any planks, so advice is more than welcome!

 

[clearway]

divide the length of the other frames by 17 and that will give you the width of planks at that point- If you are going to add 2nd planking layer don't get too technical with first planking- just make sure it follows the hull form so the 2nd layer has a good base.

 

Keith

[HakeZou]

Thanks for the suggestion, Keith! I'm definitely taking to heart the importance of making sure the 1st planking provides a good base. 

 

I had a little bit of time last night and played around with the shear strake and the garboard strake. I realized that 1) I had done a great job of fairing the frames and 2) the planks had natural lines to follow that allowed them to lay flat pretty easily. So, I went ahead and attached them. Then, after playing around with the next planks and getting a feel for the lines earlier today, I decided tonight to dive in to the "G" steps (the first four hull planks on each side, #5–8 in the numbered photos below). I worked on the port side first, then starboard...and the improvement from the first to the second was pretty noticeable. I'm particularly pleased with the starboard side, which so far looks better than the final planking on any of my previous kits! It's very gratifying to see my skills getting better.

 

First, some shots of the overall impression: port, starboard, stem, stern. 

 

   

 

In the shot of the bow, you can see that the garboard planks are not sitting flush at the stem. This wasn't clear until I trimmed off the excess length, so I'd love to know if there's anything I can do about it now—an iron? clamping them with a wet paper towel? just falling back on wood filler and sanding? The shot of the stern shows my improvement from the portside to the starboard. Although the instructions and tutorial videos suggest that these planks can be installed without any shaping, that didn't work for me. The bottom two planks on both sides are trimmed in order to lay flat (or mostly flat on the portside...). However, apart from those two issues, I'm pleased with the symmetry of alignment that I've achieved so far.

 

On to some detail shots of the three critical sections: the bow, under the cabin, and the stern; portside first, then starboard in each case. The natural line for my bow curves upward a lot more than in the instructions or the tutorial videos, but everything's laying flat and reasonably smooth. There's definitely still some sanding to do, but I think this will look pretty good in the end.

 

    

 

Below the cabin. You may recall from an earlier post that I had discovered that one corner of the quarterdeck had lifted up by a millimeter, requiring a minor adjustment to compensate. That adjustment is here, with plank #4. You'll note that plank #4 is wider where it abuts the bulwarks on the portside than it is on the starboard. You'll also note I did a poor job of shaping that plank on the portside...sigh...it's not the final planking, so I'm not sweating that. In the instructions and tutorial videos, all of these planks are full width, except for #4, which is fitted into the gap between #3 and #5 (the shear strake). In my case, planks #7 and 8 are trimmed to fit the curve.

 

   

 

The stern was the most difficult part of the planking for me and there will be some serious sanding needed to smooth these sections. The planks are trimmed at the last bulwark. After finishing the planking, I'll add 16 pieces of plywood to form the rounded part of the stern. 

 

   

 

Next step: Finishing the first planking. 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

Great going, HakeZou.  I've delved a bit into the hull geometry (kit versus surviving plans) and found the kit largely accurate.  Some details and photos can be found in the kit review thread on the Endurance that was initiated by our moderator.

 

Johny.

[HakeZou]

Thanks, Johnny! And thanks for your research and study that you shared on the kit review thread! 

 

I think I've found my rhythm on the hull planking. I've decided to not follow the instructions. The approach in the manual and the tutorial videos involves laying all of the full-width planks, then filling in the gaps with wedges (see the image for representative photo instructions). I'm sure this works fine, but I've had a hard time seeing this in my mind and on the ship in my hands. 

 

 

Here's the method I settled on after a bit of playing around and experimentation. First, I lined out the hull on the frames. Well, most of the frames. I'm not quite sure how to handle frames #1, 10, and 11, since they don't extend all the way to the keel. While Chuck Passaro and others recommend dividing the hull into quarters, that's not quite how I've marked it, since I had already laid the planks for the top quarter of the hull. The full width lines are just reference points 5 strakes below the top quarter and 5 strakes above the garboard strake. I've also written the approximate width of the planks at each frame (for example, the "4.8" that you can see on frame #6 in this photo).

 

 

I mark each plank with a vertical line at the forward edge of each frame, to help me with both shaping and final alignment (there's a bit of glare on the wood, so you can only see the first three vertical lines). I've marked a scrap plank with the required widths at each frame and transfer those points onto the plank being shaped. Next, I connect the dots to mark the shape I need. (The arrow on the right-hand side is to help me remember which end is forward.)

 

 

A bit of glare again, so the vertical lines are hard to see, but here's the forward end of this plank after cutting and sanding. (The planks are 600mm long, so it's hard to get the whole thing in a single shot.) 

 

 

Next, I dry-fit the plank to check the shaping. One thing that has really surprised me is that I haven't needed to use either heat or soaking to get the planks to lie flat. They just go straight on after being shaped. I'm assuming that this is some combination of: 1) doing a good job of both fairing the frames and shaping the planks, 2) limewood that is both thick (2mm) and of good quality, and/or 3) the absurdly high humidity in my basement after all the rain we've been getting over the last week. Although the dry-fitting doesn't look great here, it's an artifact of using one hand to take the photo. Normally, I spread the fingers of both hands out across several frames to check how the plank is laying.

 

 

When I attach the plank, I use a generous amount of glue and nail the plank in to each frame, working outward from the center. I've been drilling pilot holes for the brass pins, which I had never done before—this really makes it a whole lot easier and has meant that I haven't broken any planks in the process! Instead, I can hold the plank in place with my left hand, insert the pin into the pilot hole, and then hammer it home. Here are the finished views of this plank at the stern and the stem, where the curviness of the hull make things more interesting; the plank that has been in the previous photos is the bottom one. Still some sanding and clean up to do but that's for another day.

 

 

 

Next steps: 10 more planks on the starboard and 12 more on the portside. Since I'm approaching the bilge curve, I'll start working my way up from the garboard strake once the portside catches up to the starboard.

[Cathead]

Just found this build of a kit I'm very interested in after reading about its release. Great work so far and a useful early tutorial for later adopters. I second the Caroline Alexander recommendation, by the way.

[Stephen Walters]

HakeZou, congratulations on starting your build of the Endurance!  I look forward to your posts.  They are always informative. 

 

In the meantime and when you get a minute or two, could you let me know where you purchased your bulkhead corner braces and the clamps you used on the bow of the Endurance?

 

I hope to get my Occre kit soon and would like to order these items as soon as possible so I could have them ready for use when my kit arrives.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Stephen Walters

[HakeZou]

Hi Cathead and Stephen, thanks for dropping in! I'm glad to hear the posts are helpful, since I'm the first one to do a build log of this kit. I hope there will be others soon, especially from some of the more experienced builders who'll be able to bring a lot more "extra" to this kit than I can. 

 

Stephen the braces I use for the bulkheads are 1-inch inside L corner braces, something like this. The clamps are fairly simple plastic spring clamps, but I really like the variety of sizes (which are also stronger or weaker as they get bigger or smaller) and the rotating gripping plate (which allows for more flexibility in how they're used). These are pretty similar to the ones I'm using, though mine came as a set of 20 or so in 4 or 5 sizes. I have several tools on my Amazon wishlist (including these); last Christmas, my in-laws generously sent me everything that was sitting on the list, so I'm assuming they actually purchased everything off of Amazon, where you'll find hundreds of options like what I have. As the links show, however, there's nothing fancy about either and you should be able to find something comparable at your local hardware store. Enjoy your Endurance! I've found the kit gratifying so far and hope that you will, too.

[Stephen Walters]

Thank you so much for your fast, informative, and kind reply.  I wish you much success in your build.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Stephen Walters

[clearway]

As an aside the national maritime museum greenwich has various plans of endurance (as polaris) and i have just ordered the one showing rig and deck structure/ fittings for when i step up a gear with my build after finishing hms terror, did set me back £51 with the P&P though!

 

Keith

[HakeZou]

Thanks for the tip, Keith! Here's the link for others looking for those plans: https://prints.rmg.co.uk/search?q=endurance+polaris&type=product.

 

I thought I'd post a quick update while the glue dries on the last of the stealers for the hull. The first planking is done, though there's still a lot of clean-up, sanding, and fairing to do. Everything went really well from the bulwarks to the bilge curve. Coming up from the garboard strake to the bilge curve...well, I'm just not as happy with my work. Because of how rounded the hull is amidships, the shaping of the lower planks is much more challenging at the stem and, especially, in the deadwood at the stern. I've sanded down some egregious spots, but there are some gaps that will have to be dealt with using wood filler. That said, I'm pleased with the symmetry and alignment. This is a case where I think the photos make my work look better than it actually is! Shots are of port, starboard, and overhead (under keel?).

 

 

Two last notes on the hull, particularly for others who will be building this kit. First: The counter stern is rounded in multiple directions and OcCre has designed it with sixteen plywood blocks that are not covered until the second planking. Once I do the sanding, these will be sanded smoothly with the base planking on the hull. However, since the plywood is so light, you need to be very gentle sanding off the nubs from the laser cutting; I was a bit too zealous on a couple of the blocks and so they don't line up as well as they should with the false keel and the last frame. Second: Some of these blocks look symmetrical, but aren't quite. Specifically: blocks H2 and H3 (the two closest to the aftdeck). Blocks H4 through H8 are clearly not symmetrical, while H9 (the smallest) is a symmetrical right triangle. Keep a close eye on the corners when you dry fit and install these pieces. You'll note that the starboard H2 and H3 blocks (circled on the left side of this photo) are flipped, so the corners don't correctly match the planks and the false keel. I didn't realize that I'd made a mistake here until it was too late and would have had to remove all of the blocks. Things should work themselves out in the sanding, but I will need a bit of wood filler to get the right shape for the corner where the H3 block meets the hull planking.

 

 

Next step: Trim off the extra bits of the last stealers, then sand and fair the hull.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Overall, a great job so far.  Thanks for the tips on symmetry (or lack of it) on the stepped stern filler layers.  One possible assembly technique might to 'dry fit' all the pieces to see if they are stacked correctly, then mark the top surface (actually that which faces the keel since the model is flipped for this assembly) plus R or L as each piece is removed sequentially - layed out to either side so they can be put back in the proper order with glue.

[HakeZou]

Yes, exactly, Johnny. My carelessness came because I went pair-by-pair. But I think it would be better to dry-fit all 16 pieces first, since the alignment of the corners will be more visible. And it's definitely important to mark both left/right and top/bottom. (Although I kept the pieces consistently on each side, I didn't think to mark top/bottom, since I didn't realize that the symmetry of those two blocks was only near-symmetry.)

 

Sanding is coming along slowly and steadily. More photos to come soon(ish).

[HakeZou]

The sawdust has been flying here and I've lost count of how many sanding sticks I've worn bare. But I'm about halfway done sanding the base layer of the hull. Per the recommendations in the instructions, I started with the stacked blocks of the counter stern, then worked my way forward. Looking back at the mistake I described in the post about the counter stern, I'm pleased to say that wood filler did the trick! Two photos here to show the rounding, first an overhead shot with the ship inverted and then a profile shot from the starboard side. The second shot also shows the rounding of the space where the propellor will eventually be installed; this was a tricky spot, but I used a combination of a round file, a wider half-round file, a screwdriver handle wrapped in sandpaper, and my finger wrapped in sandpaper. The space around the H9 blocks (the two smallest in the counter stern, which are sanded away to almost nothing) was also pretty challenging. At this point, the multidimensional curves of the counter stern meet the lower curve of the stern and the deadwood; I found that wrapping my fingers in sandpaper was the best solution here, since they could follow all of those lines as they came together.   

 

 

I've worked my way to the stem on the starboard side. No surprise that the two really challenging portions to sand were the stem and stern. But you can see how those have turned out in the next two photos. One of my goals in this kit is to make a better hull than in any of my previous kits. Now that I understand the principles and practices of rabbet lines, I feel like I have a good shot of that. With the second planking in mind, I'm these planks down from 2mm to almost nothing at the edges where the stempost, keel, and sternpost will be installed. You will hopefully be able to notice a pretty significant difference between the port and starboard sides, even though I've already done some preliminary sanding on the port side.  

 

 

Finally, a shot of the starboard broadside. Next step is to sand down the portside to match, then to start fairing the hull.

 

Edited June 2, 2021 by HakeZou

[HakeZou]

A quick update after some recent frustrations. I finished sanding the base layer of the hull and have started installing the second layer. First, the good news. The sapelli wood used for this step is the best example of that species I've worked with. Admittedly, I still have pretty limited experience, but I'm used to sapelli being very fragile and brittle. In this case, it's supple, flexible, and very easy to work with!

 

Now to the frustrations. My initial plan was to follow the instructions (as illustrated in this video), but I just wasn't pleased with how the shear strake was laying. I couldn't get the lines quite right, it needed edge setting, and it wasn't laying flat. After installing and removing a couple planks, I threw my hands up and decided to start from the garboard strake instead. Here, things are going much smoother! I'm having a little trouble getting the planks to stay down at the stem, so that's why you see the rubber bands in this photo. I've applied a little bit of extra touch-up glue there and so will leave the rubber bands on overnight. By the morning, things should be fine there.  

 

 

5 planks and 2 stealers on. I'll do 1 more plank from the bottom, then will need to go back to the shear strake and work my way down.