Endeavour by Bill97 - OcCre - 1/54

[Bill97]

Anchors made. Also completed rigging the helm. Pleased that it actually moves the rudder. 

[jpalmer1970]

Looking very good!

[Bill97]

Any of you guys know what this builder is using for gluing?  I see this is a number of videos. It looks like a great product for spot quick glue placement. Does not appear there is an issue with the tip clogging. 

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Bill, he is using something like these. 
 

 

I bought them at Lee Valley when I was picking up some Starbond CA. They don’t clog but every so often you have to cut a bit off of the tip

[Bill97]

Thanks Paul. 

[Bill97]

A few more additions to my Endeavour. Added the anchors, stern lantern, and the lifeboat. Wow it was a crowded deck!  

[Bill97]

Ok my friends I have an update and a question. I have added the 10 small cannons around the exterior of the deck. With this addition I have pretty much completed the construction of the hull, deck, and items on the deck. Looking back to my start I have thoroughly enjoyed building this wooden ship. As I now start the turning of all the different mast pieces and yards I am struck by the way OcCre shows to do the end of the bowsprit. On all my previous builds the deck end of bowsprit has been tapered to give the appearance that it passes through the deck and is anchored below deck. The OcCre instructions show the end of the bow split being simply anchored under the forecastle bitt. Would this have been correct?  Does not seem this would have been adequate under the extreme pressure the bowsprit endured. I have searched on line for photos that show this part of the replica to no avail. What are your thoughts?

Edited September 6 by Bill97

[Bill97]

My make shift lathe complete with hands free foot pedal for turning my mast sections and yards. 

[Bill97]

Kevin what is your thoughts about the bowsprit end?

[Kevin-the-lubber]

In what sense, Bill? Taper-wise?

[Bill97]

How the end is prepared?  As in the instructions or tapered to give the appearance it passes through the deck. 

[Bill97]

Never mind Kevin.  I decided on tapering to give the appearance of passing through the deck. 

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, that certainly looks much better than Occre's butt end just sitting there. From the Occre diagram extract, the bowsprit heel would meet the foremast above deck. I assume you increased the steeve (angle) of the bowsprit for it to plunge through the deck ahead of the foremast. Perhaps Occre got the steeve wrong and someone didn't know what to do.....

 

On the other hand, look at the picture of the replica below. The bowsprit certainly looks like it would meet the foremast above deck....🤔

Did you check other build logs?

[Ian_Grant]

Me again. Check out this pic I found; zooming in shows that Occre is correct.

 

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Sorry about the lack of response Bill, a young chap just sent his little motorbike into a hedge in our road when I was about to look at your photo, and once it was clear he was okay I had the pleasure (really, I loved it!) of straightening out all the bent and broken bits on the bike. Took me back 40 years, to what back then seemed to be a weekly occurence. 🙂

 

Anyway, I was going to say tapered to go through the deck, but as Ian shows, that would have been wrong. I can't see how it's held in place on the real thing but imagine there must be a hefty lump of something pinning it down.

 

That is one bluff prow, isn't it. That also takes me back but nearer 50 years, I remember that shape on the airfix kit now.

 

 

 

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian and Kevin. Kevin no need to apologize. From your replies I may need to remake the lower section of my bowsprit. What is your honest opinion?  
Mine is dry fitted so no issue with remaking it. Yes Ian as you can determine from my photos I did increase the steeve to give the appearance it passed through the deck. I spent a good amount of time looking at other build logs and replica photos. The one you found Ian is the best showing the bowsprit end. 

[Hubac's Historian]

The pictures Ian posted appear to be of a second steel-hull replica.  Various aspects of this design appear to be simplified.  The wooden replica, I believe, is more authentically constructed from the original plans.  I am having trouble finding good pics of this replica’s fore deck, but maybe you can find some answers here:

 

 

[Bill97]

Marc what do you think I should do?

[Hubac's Historian]

What you have done to raise the steve and create the appearance of piercing the fore deck looks more plausible than a butt-ended bowsprit nestled between the fore bitts.

 

The end of a bowsprit, in actual practice for sea-going ships, usually had a square tenon that keys into a heavy balk of timber (itself, secured between the lower legs of the fore bitts), before the foremast.  With your present arrangement, I can at least believe something like that is happening below deck.

Edited September 6 by Hubac's Historian

[shipaholic]

Hi Bill

Re your question about the bowsprit here are the drawings in Marquardt's AOTS book, plus a picture of the Replica vessel but the base of the bowsprit is obscured by ropes, The are both the same.  Also a photo of the base of the bowsprit on my Endeavour

[Bill97]

Thanks Shipaholic. I looked in my AOTS (which I had not thought about looking in before) and see the same photo you have. It appears that a section of the bottom is tapered. Not the whole thing under the bitt. Interesting. That is some beautiful rigging in the close up. Great job. Would you have a photo from the foremast side of the bitt?  Did you just taper the bottom half of the end so part of the round bowsprit end is still exposed under the bitt?

Edited September 7 by Bill97

[Bill97]

Thanks Marc. Shipaholic’s definitely matches what is shown in AOTS. 
 

“The end of a bowsprit, in actual practice for sea-going ships, usually had a square tenon that keys into a heavy balk of timber (itself, secured between the lower legs of the fore bitts”

 

Trying to visualize the carpentry of what you said above. Are you saying the actual practice was for there to be a solid balk of timber filling the space under the bitt and that bulk of timber had a square hole cut in it to accept the square tenon on the end of the bowsprit?  Looking at the top photo from AOTS that shopaholic attached you can see the end of the bowsprit with the tenon carved into it and the bottom portion of the end of the bowsprit is shaved off to be flush with the deck. 
 

I can do this. I really need to refer more to my AOTS book I spent so much for 😊

Edited September 7 by Bill97

[Hubac's Historian]

Hi Bill - what Shipaholic has shown, here, is essentially what I was talking about, it’s just set-up above the foredeck.  I would go with that

Edited September 7 by Hubac's Historian

[Ian_Grant]

Bill; as always, consult Longridge. Plate 31 shows the heel of Victory's bowsprit tenoned (though you can't see it) to a rather massive timber upright "attached to deck beams above and below".

[Bill97]

Ok. New bowsprit made in accordance with ATOS. I filled the area in the forecastle bitt with wood and carved a hole at deck level to accept the tenon on the end of the bowsprit. 

[Bill97]

Shipaholic I am so impressed with the rigging of the heart blocks in your photo. I am looking everywhere I can think of for some sort of tutorial on how to do it. You have any idea where I can find something.  Or, if not too much trouble, possibly tell me how you do it. 

[shipaholic]

Hi Bill

I can't remember exactly what I used to make the heart blocks, it was a few years ago and there have been many blocks done since then. I have accumulated quite a collection of different blocks over the years from different sources, previous builds and blocks I have purchased. Anyway I always have sanded blocks to get the correct shape then lacquered each one. The hearts I sanded to the correct shape and also made the cavity correct using needle files. I have a lot of reference books on rigging and also lots of photos of the Endeavour replica here in Australia to use as reference. Anyway here are a few pics for you.

Steve

[shipaholic]

[Bill97]

Thanks shipaholic. These are great. I was more talking about the beautiful serving and worming of the block in the photo. But all these photos are helping me. Also helpful in determining the order the 3 hearts and 2 deadeyes go in. I tried a few different things and here is what I have so far. May go back and shape the actual blocks as you did. Thanks again. 

Edited September 13 by Bill97

[shipaholic]

Hi Bill

Sorry I misunderstood your question.

A lot of my ropes are served. I have a Domanov serving machine. I used sewing cotton because none of the ropes supplied by Occre are suitable - all too thick and fuzzy. I didn't use any of the Occre rope, I either purchased it from Syren Model Ship, made my own with my ropewalk or used different sewing threads. I wanted to get all my ropes the correct scale thickness

 

Cheers

Steve