Endeavour by Bill97 - OcCre - 1/54

[Bill97]

Thanks again shipaholic. Here is what I did looking at your photos as a guide. Tell me if this is the right process. I served a length of rope with sewing thread. I then folded each end over about 1/2 inch and served that leaving a loop at the end. I then folded the served rope in half around the block and served it tight and down to the previous two separate servings. I then ran several turns of thread through the two small loops to tie the block to the bowsprit. Again comparing mine to your’s I think I have the served section below the block a bit longer than necessary. 

[shipaholic]

Hi Bill

That looks pretty good. The trick is to just try to make it look right compared to photos or diagrams in books. In my experience kit instructions are not a good reference for details

Cheers

Steve

Edited September 20 by shipaholic
More added

[Bill97]

And then there was a bowsprit. A very busy and time consuming bowsprit!  I had some copper tape left over from my Victory build so I used it to make the 6 hoops around the bowsprit. OcCre did not call for it but I used some oak veneer I had to make the woolding hoops around the woolding. Thanks to Shipaholic I tried, and was successful, in serving and worming the heart blocks and deadeyes. OcCre also did not call for an inner gammoning but ATOS showed there was one so I drilled a hole at the top of the stem to fit the inner gammoning and added the extra roll of gammoning cleats. 

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, you are as prolific with wood as with plastic now. Congrats!

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian. I am finding really enjoy building a wood ship. Kind of brings my woodworking experience to play. However I do miss using my airbrush as much as I do on the plastic. On wood I like using wood stain instead of paint so as to not obscure The grain. 

[Bill97]

A few updates since my last post. The bowsprit installed along with its two yards. Sling and a parrel were used to hang the yards per AOTS. Started construction of the foremast. As with the bowsprit, there is a great deal of detail. A bit is preformed in the kit but most has to be made. Woolding hoops above and below each of the wooldings is not directed by the instructions but AOTS does shows them so I plan to fabricate them as well. The bottom section of the foremast is dry fitted in the deck. I remove it to continue any work on it. 
 

On a side note I have had a personal revelation. As I continued to work on my previous builds in the past, those I did after joining MSW, I found myself eager to frequently post to MSW showing and explaining my gradual progress. I did/do this to get feedback from you guys. Looked forward to affirmation, constructive criticism, advice, and encouragement. I also did it subconsciously for concern that MSW members would think I may have quit my build if I went a long time without an update. As a result I think I found myself feeling some sort of eagerness to work on a build to complete a task so I had something to post. As I have continued my work on the Endeavour, a build that requires a slow steady hand without rushing, I have taken on a new mindset. There is no need to rush!  Take all the time I need on every little task!  Step back a day or so on each completed task to insure there are no improvements I want to make. This new mindset has created in me an interesting new attitude toward my build. As an example the simple task of tying a few blocks to the mast as shown in the instructions is now approached with the idea that the thread for that task needs to be served first. Little details that I now will not rush past but instead take all the time I need with out concern if getting something posted to MSW. 

[Bill97]

Now that I have returned from a short trip to London I am able to get back to my shipyard. I finished the foremast sections. Not sure if I want to work on the foremast yards next or move on to the mainmast sections. 
 

For future reference, I have a question. I plan to furl all the sails on this build. I know in this arrangement the topsail yard and topgallant sail yard are lowered on the mast. First of all am I correct?  Second, if it is correct how do you determine where to place them on the mast?  I am going to dig into Longridge’s book to see if there is anything about this. 

[shipaholic]

Hi Bill

 

Yes the yards are lowered with the sails furled. On the scale of your model they would sit about 1/4 inch above the mast caps. Disregard the topgallant yards in the first pic, they are sitting on the crosstrees because the topgallant masts have been lowered.

 

Steve

Edited October 15 by shipaholic
Extra pics

[Bill97]

Thanks Steve this is helpful. 
Have completed making the mast sections. First picture is the completed sections. 
Second picture is them stacked and dry fitted on the ship. 

[Ian_Grant]

Very nice Bill!  You have definitely transitioned from plastic to wood. Well done!

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian. I am thoroughly enjoying the wood. 

[Bill97]

Steve the photos you sent, especially the third one, really help me understand the placement of the yards when the sails are furled. Thanks again. How the Endeavour looks in that photo is how I plan to rig it for display. Ian I am rereading through all of the help you have given me in the past. I need to again get an understanding of what I do with each of the sail rigging lines when the sails are furled?  

Edited October 22 by Bill97

[Bill97]

Interesting modeling decision. I know in the actual construction of these tall ships the yards were shaped to be either hexagon or similar shape near the center. OcCre does not direct the builder to sand the dial rod being used to make the yard to get this shape at the center. Instead it has the builder glue 1mm wood strips around the center of the yard in order to get the hexagon shape. The kit photos, as well as what other builders have done, show this center section stained a different color than the yard. Looking at photos of the replica show the yards one color, not different at the middle. I am thinking that in order to maintain a since of authenticity I should have it all the same color?

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, if you sanded a hexagon into the middle of the dowel yard the hexagon "tips" would be flush with the adjacent round part ie the flat faces would be recessed compared to the adjacent round part of the dowel. This would make the yard weaker in the centre which is nonsense.

 

Adding six strips to make the hexagon is the solution; this way the hexagon area is stronger. That said, I don't like Occre's picture; it looks like the yard has been broken by a cannonball and they've fished "splints" around it. Make it all the same colour. And I'd be tempted to sand the flats thinner than they are, until the centres of the flats are only a little proud of the rounded part.

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian as usual. Your thought is kind of who I was leaning. I am thinking still have the flat surfaces as I go around. Just narrower and closer to the mast diameter?  

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Just to add to Ian’s wise words, I would fill and sand the gaps where the flats meet and also blend in the hex at the ends, so that it all looks like one piece of timber. If you look back at your Victory you’ll see that hex centre on the lower yards, and I think the distance across the hexagon is only very slightly larger than the diameter of the yard where it meets the hex.

[Bill97]

Thanks Kevin. Good suggestions. 

[Ian_Grant]

1 hour ago, Kevin-the-lubber said:

Just to add to Ian’s wise words, I would fill and sand the gaps where the flats meet and also blend in the hex at the ends, so that it all looks like one piece of timber.

Good catch.

 

[Ian_Grant]

Struck me afterward that it's octagonal not hexagonal, or it should be.

[Bill97]

Yes Ian is is octagonal, or mine is anyway. 

[shipaholic]

Hi Bill

Good work

Yes the yards were usually entirely blackened including the battens. Its a pity the Occre instructions have the yards so thick compared to real ones 

 

[Bill97]

Thanks Steve. I actually looked at your’s to confirm what I thought to be true. I had not realized until you mentioned it that OcCre has the yards thicker than scale would have them.  Yes that is also true now that I look closer. For comparison what would you estimate the thickness of your foreyard to be?  Of course being a little thicker does prevent me from breaking them accidentally. 
By the way, how are things down your way?  I have only been as far south in Australia as Sydney. Wow! That is a long flight from the USA! Would do it again in a minute!  Loved my time there. 

[shipaholic]

Hi Bill

My fore yard is about 5/16" thick at the centre. When I built mine I enlarged the diagrams in the AOTS to 1:51 scale using a photocopier. You can see my yards and the diagrams on page 16 of my build log.

 

Yes Australia is a great place, and yes a long flight from USA, 14 hours from LA I think, even further to Kentucky. Sydney has the Endeavour replica berthed there at the maritime museum

Edited October 24 by shipaholic

[Bill97]

Based on your recommendations I sanded down the wood strips at the center of the yards and stained them a solid color. Steve my foreyard measure a slightly bigger than your’s. Mine is 6/16” at the center. While I wait for the stain to thoroughly dry so to begin rigging the foreyards I am working on the redundant job of making chain links. OcCre has just a wire wrapped around the deadeye and then runs straight to the side of the hull. I plan to have 3 chain links plus a preventor plate as shown in the AOTS. 

[Bill97]

Made the chain links and blackened them. Have not attacked them to the hull yet. Will do that after I get the correct angle from the line of the shrouds once I start adding them. As I zoom in on my photos I can see I need to tinker a little more with some of the center links to get a tighter fit to wire ends. May even add a touch of solder. May also make and add preventer plates. Still debating that. 

[Bill97]

Fore yard rigged and looking pretty good I think. Glad I took your suggestions and sanded down the wood at the center. 

[Bill97]

I am planning to furl all my sails on this build. In preparation for that I have been curious about what I am to do with each of the sail running rigging lines. I imagine some stay attached to the sail and others are disconnected from the sail. I found this extremely helpful post here on MSW that I think will be my guide. Thanks for your post Tom. 
 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/27248-furled-sails-rigging/

Edited October 30 by Bill97

[Bill97]

Ok here is a topic for discussion I can’t seem to settle on. I understand the frequent answer is “it is your model do what you want”. But the problem is I can’t decide based on my limited experience what is best. I am trying to decide the sequence to follow in building my complete mast with furled sails. I see other builders follow several different sequences all ending in the same final result. Which do you find the best for you?

1.  Place the bottom mast section then its shrouds. Followed by the next section and its’s shrouds, etc?

2.  Place the completed mast and add all the sets of shrouds?

3.  Add the yards to the mast section(s) before they are placed or stacked?
4.  Add the yards after the mast and shrouds are in place. 

5. If sails are to be added (either furled or unfurled), do you set them to the yard before or after the yard is added to the mast?  
 

As I said all of these sequences will ultimately end with the same final result. A ship with masts, yards, and possibly sails. As I am going through the steady process of making all my mast sections and yards (nothing added/placed on the ship yet) I am just curious what your preferred sequence is for putting them together on the ship?
 

[Veszett Roka]

I think the sequence is differs for every model, regarding the scale, the shrouds, etc. My general sequence is to erect the mast, add lower level shrouds, then lower yard with its attached ropes (footropes, parrals), add yardlifts, then attach sails with its ropes. Then next level shrouds, yard, sail up to the top. But this is general practice only, sometimes i have to follow a different path if the scale is too small and better the result if i build the mast separately with sails, then put it into the hull in one piece and attach the standing rigging and running rigging thereafter. My 1:250 Cutty Sark built this latter way, the 1:144 Wasa built by the first method. Both have furled sails. Now i'm following the bottom-to-top mode building the 1:150 Pamir. Please consider that smaller scales tends to have more ropes and details missing, thus easier to build.

[Bill97]

Thanks for your comment Veszett. I am really debating which way to do this. Is your 1:144 Wasa the Airfix?  I built that model and really enjoy the ship’s history.