HMB Endeavour by MartyB - Corel - 1:60 - Circa 1768

[MartyB]

Hello all,

I started this kit 21 years ago.  Recently, I was inspired by my good friend Banyan and his excellent Endeavour.  So, over the last couple of months, I have been getting stuck in and really enjoying it.  I did have a build log up years ago but that's gone and I have been prompted to start another.  I will appreciate any comments, criticisms, suggestions etc., especially as I am coming into the next phase when I think I'll be asking quite a few questions.  It is a real pleasure to be a part of this online community.

MartyB

[shipaholic]

Hi Marty, I will follow your build with interest

Cheers

Steve

[DaveBaxt]

Welcome to the Endeavour. There are a few build blogs on the go but none better than Steves I think. I look forward to watching your progress 

Good luck with your build. Dave

[BANYAN]

Hey welcome aboard Marty, look forward to your build log.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Dave_E]

Welcome Marty, glad to have you. Look forward to your build. 👍😀

[MartyB]

These are the only photos I have of the planking stage completed many years ago.  Double planking is a good thing as I learned a lot from doing the first layer.  And now, 20 years later, I've forgotten it all ;-)

[MartyB]

I read that it is a good idea to use pins to secure the chainwales to the hull.  Over time, a couple had come loose so I used a hypodermic syringe to squeeze in some wood glue and they are as good as new.

[MartyB]

This is about where I got up to before life interrupted.  I tried a few methods of simulating caulk.  The decking timber supplied was very porous and paint bled into the timber too much.  I think I settled on a 2B pencil.  Once the decking was finished I did a lot of scraping along the grain with a stanley knife blade.  I haven't sealed it - is this recommended?

[BANYAN]

The planking (deck and side) looks good Marty.  I would definitely seal the deck and sides with a coat of something.  I used Testor's 'Dullcote' which is a flat varnish.  I only used a single coating at this stage as you may need to scrape small sections back where you need to glue things to the deck.  

 

I am glad I sealed mine as it really protects the deck from the grime etc while working it.  Dullcote allows touch up that just 'meld' in without any noticeable edges etc.  Some people prefer waxes or oils, but I find the Dullcote easier to work with and gives a fairly realistic finish (not glossy).  I also found you can put heavier duty final coats of finish over it without difficulty if you want a different finish.

 

Choice of finish is yours though; good luck. 

 

I am not promoting Dullcote by any stretch of the imagination; just a happy user.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[MartyB]

These are the stern windows supplied, poorly cast and easily broken.  Not a problem for me as I wanted to replicate in some fashion the Endeavour replica.

[MartyB]

Thanks for the welcome shipaholic, DaveBaxt, Banyan and Dave_E, I appreciate it.  And thanks too Pat for the advice on sealing the deck & side planking, I'll look up that Dullcote. 

Marty.

[MartyB]

This is how I tackled the stern windows:  From the Anatomy book I scanned the picture of the windows then sized it in Publisher, printed out a few copies, glued one copy to a thin ply base and planked it with deck planking offcuts.  I then used another printout to assemble the windows using 1mm square walnut with copper wire as the outside frame.  I had a crack at bending timber for this bit and soldering bits of wire - both dismal failures.  This was the only way I could fashion them so that's what I did.  (I am going to have to master soldering I know).  A few times during this process I soaked the back of the ply base and strapped it to the transom so as to keep it to the correct shape.  I found that wrapping a length of paracord around the ship was a good way of keeping everything in place while the ply base dried and the paracord is soft enough not to damage the wood.  Next I sprayed the windows, applied another layer of planking, then painted it.  I'm not real happy with the window frames, they look clunky but I'm not doing them again!  I used Liquitex glazing medium from Spotlight (thanks to this website) to simulate the glass, a very good product.

[DaveBaxt]

Nice looking work. Not sure if this is a problem with the Corel kit but is with the Caldercraft Endeavour. Check the size of the channels and that the shrouds clear the bulwarks when checked against the hieght of the mast tops. I ended up making my own channels and all the same width. There is also a problem with the height of the mizzen mast being too short.I am sorry if you have already checked this. Hope this helps Dave

[MartyB]

Thank you Dave.  And thanks too for the heads up re the Channels 🙂.  It hadn't occurred to me that the Mizzen Channels would be too narrow.  If I left them as is the shrouds would definitely rub against the railings.  I took the sizing from the Anatomy book and made my own, wanting to be as authentic as I could.  On checking, there is a big difference between the Channels in the plans as opposed to the book.  I will have to remove the Mizzen Channels and remake them.  Thanks again mate.

[MartyB]

Thanks to DaveBaxt I have re made the mizzen channels and avoided disappointment further down the track.  I'll file in the gaps for the fittings when I get to that stage.

[MartyB]

Steps took time but it was enjoyable.  'L' shaped timber is supplied so I made a jig to cut them to size then took to them with mini files.  I think they are a tad oversize so I only put 12 on instead of 13 but they look alright to me.  I used a spacer and was going to pin them but gluing alone seems quite strong.

[MartyB]

And the last couple of days I have been thinking about the stern decoration rails and how to make them a little more interesting than a plain strip of timber.  I put 3 strips of masking tape on my marking gauge so that the spur would make a mark in the centre of my scrap timber and drew them back and forth a few times.  Painted them yellow and super glued them in place and pleased with the result.  Now I have to put my tiny brain to work on how to finish off the stern.  I've been poring over everyones' builds so hopefully the penny will drop soon.  Cheers all,  Marty.