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America’s Cup Endeavour Racing Yatch (1:75) from Occre - Build Log

This kit is an example of requiring you to do things the hard way. Double planking? Endeavor had a steel hull!

For a high quality yacht like this there would be no lapped joints like normal riveted construction. Rivets would be driven thru an internal backing strip. Or, as she was built in the 1930’s some seams might have been welded. In either case, great would have been taken to obtain a perfectly smooth hull.

If I were building this model, I would skip the second planking layer and would “butter” the hull with Bondo to end up with realistically smooth hull.

Roger
I am thinking along the same lines, I am planking with as minimal gaps as possible. I will sand smooth to get all planks on the same plane, and set the curvature up. Then putty, bondo or simular until I have an absolutely smooth surface. I am going to airbrush the hull, and mask between colors, and finish in a clear coat. As the real ship would have been polished to reduce drag. This is my step up learning model on the way to the USS Constitution. My current path is this, then a USS Constution Cut away, then the HMS Victory, then a full USS Constitution. Each model up the chain is more complex from a build perspective and I'll new skills honed on the model before.
 
I am going to search for it. I found and ordered a book from Amazon with a ton of photos that I thought would help
I searched for my article at the time I saw your work. But I didn't find it. I don't know if this site archives such things. I'll check again and send you the link, if possible. I do still have the pictures I took somewhere; I'll try to post some for you.
 
This is nowhere near the standards I have seen others achieve in SoS. However, I need to temper my expectations since this is the first time I've done Plank on Bulkhead. And it will all be hidden under the next layer. I learn something with every plank I lay, slowly improving. I think for me, that is enough for now.

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Although the planking is rough, it gives you a layer that defines the hull shape. Unless your vision of the finish modeI involves a bright finished wooden hull, I would liberally “butter” the hull with a surfacer that cures. Bondo automotive putty, or Durham’s Rock Water putty would work. Now you can sculpt the hull smooth to its proper shape. Now why add the second planking layer? Either of the surfaces mentioned above will provide a better surface to paint than the kit supplied second layer mystery wood.

Roger
 
Although the planking is rough, it gives you a layer that defines the hull shape. Unless your vision of the finish modeI involves a bright finished wooden hull, I would liberally “butter” the hull with a surfacer that cures. Bondo automotive putty, or Durham’s Rock Water putty would work. Now you can sculpt the hull smooth to its proper shape. Now why add the second planking layer? Either of the surfaces mentioned above will provide a better surface to paint than the kit supplied second layer mystery wood.

Roger
All very valid points. I'll put the putty layer, no matter what, to give me a very smooth, paintable surface. If I do the mahogany layer, it will just be for the practice of double planking the hull.
 
Dr. Mark, I'm enjoying your build and your frustrations as well. Planking a hull can be so tedious, but you are doing a great. Take your time and visualize the beautiful end result! Magic Mike
 
That’s looking much better
It’s getting there, I have a bunch more sanding to do, and the fill a few low spots. And then finish by hand sanding in finer grits. I am hoping my new air compressor and air brushes arrive on Friday and she is ready for a coat of primer. Seeing as the original is steel hulled, a second planking really does not do anything, putty and a smooth sanding will be a far more accurate portrayal.
 
Don’t be surprised is you wind up sanding almost all of that first coat of primer off. That’s normal. One of its jobs is to highlight little imperfections that you don’t see.

Roger
 
Not much progress, sanding continues. I think the last of the putty will go on today, and get a final smoothing tomorrow. I ended up pulling every brad as it was interfering with leveling the finish. I am waiting for my compressor and airbrush to arrive, I’ll prime and then a final putty on any low spots. As very accurately pointed out by another member, the Endevor was steel hulled, so really no need to plank a second time. Just do a very good job at putty, smoothing, and painting to be reasonably accurate.

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Puttying and sanding. It is starting to look like a proper sailing vessel. I imagine I have several days of sanding and puttying to go to get a near perfect finish for prime and paint. I also think I need to pull the few remaining brass brads out to get a smooth finish.

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It’s interesting to read what you say regarding pulling out the nails as when I built my first model, not that long ago, I too had issues with all of the nail heads when sanding. Therefore I intend to push the nails in only half way instead of all the way. They are there only to hold the planks in place until the glue sets. Once the glue has set ie, about one day, then I will pull all the nails out.
That surely has to be better than all those nails for sanding flat
 
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