Endurance (1912) - Occre, Scale 1:70 - My First Shipbuilding Adventure

G'Day folks :)
Really not that much to report except I did want to say a big thanks to my Mentor Smithy.
He's always been there to help out when I needed it, and even when I didn't realise I needed it he sensed where I could possibly make a lot of work for myself and threw me that life safer every time. Thumbsup;)
In this case it's the secret behind the Titebond (another life saver) where adding a little direct heat gives instant bonding.
Absolutely worked 100% Smithy mate, genius my friend.
My travel iron that I ordered from Whoop-Whoop about a generation ago has never surfaced, so I've ordered one of those plank bender jiggers.
In the meantime, while I was adding the second planking, I found if I use the end of a 150mm stainless rule and gently used it to pull over the strake with adequate pressure, it really helped matching the edges.
I knew of the heat trick from many posts back, but all I had was a soldering iron that had delusions of being a light saber and burned the wotsits out of the wood.
So !
150mm rule - plus a little lighter thingoe I bought for the heat shrink tubing on the LED's.
8 seconds with the lighter thingy on the end of the rule e' voila!
Perfect heat to press against the planking in difficult to stick spots and it works like a dream.
Thanks Smithy, I might be coming over to Pommy in 2026, I'll buy you a pint of mead and a bag of jellied eels.
(I know that's what you lot live on, I've read The Pickwick Papers)
The pic of the day shows exhibit A through C M'lud
The arrow indicates the foul error I had with that "contact adhesive on paper" saga - (yep, another life saver hit me on the back of the scon after that one)
The light blue square is so I can explain this section has only just been attached and not trimmed yet :p

19th Nov 2.JPG
 
The Ships Cat said:
I do ! ;) Thumbsup
Click to expand...

The hull looks very nice. Tanganjika wood looks nothing like oak but it certainly sparkles. I like to think it suggests copper sheathing.

I bet you can fill that tiny gap at the top with a slice of plank used sideways or if not, sand a plank down to make a little pile of sawdust, add a drop of Titebond and mix it into a paste. Push it into the gap with your ruler and sand it only when its set as hard as Uluru. Bingo!
 
Can an old dog learn new tricks?
Absolutely!
Started the Port Side second planking this afternoon, I did in 3 hours what took me 3 evenings on Starboard.
Way quicker and twice as nice, actually could have gone on all night but I was getting too excited at the progress and felt myself wanting to rush to get it finished so I slammed the anchor down a bit sharpish and packed away for the evening.
It felt good I have to be honest.
After all, a large part of starting this love affair with my ship was to get her to teach me patience of which I was born with zilch. ;)

20th Nov.jpg
​
I really enjoy reading posts from experienced modelers, the in-depth descriptions, knowledge and terminology fascinates me.
I don't think for a nano-second I could get to that level but being cursed with a never-ending intrigue for absolutely everything I had to get myself a book so I could at least take my time and understand a little of what goes on, why it needs to be there, and how it works.
It came today Thumbsup:p

20241120_172614.jpg
 
The Ships Cat said:
Can an old dog learn new tricks?
Absolutely!
Started the Port Side second planking this afternoon, I did in 3 hours what took me 3 evenings on Starboard.
Way quicker and twice as nice,
Click to expand...

That’s a good feeling isn’t it? You’ll get that a lot on the first few boats as you find your version each of those baffling basic skills.
The Ships Cat said:
in-depth descriptions, knowledge and terminology

View attachment 485294
Click to expand...

Good luck with that one mate. I liked the pictures but I couldn’t make much sense of the text. Although now I think about it, I might find it easier now I’ve had a couple of attempt at rigging.
 
The Ships Cat said:
Started the Port Side second planking this afternoon, I did in 3 hours what took me 3 evenings on Starboard.
Click to expand...

Some say that doing the planking a whole side at a time will make your ship warp. I’ve never had that happen despite doing it that way on first and second planking and coppering too. I find it the best way to learn.

Maybe it’s more of an issue for people who soak their planks for hours and then glue them on still damp, which is just asking for trouble as they will shrink as they dry, though mostly across the grain, not along it.

However, when it becomes important to you to have the planking symmetrical for that luscious bows-on view, you might find it helps to alternate sides more often.

(Stand by for tales of bent boats from all over the seven seas. Often the, “I knew a bloke who’s brother…” kind. ;) )
 
The Ships Cat said:
20th Nov.jpg
Click to expand...

I see that you are laying shorter lengths. It looks a lot more realistic. Easier too.

I suggest tapering the planks at the bow and (maybe) stern. It looks like you’ll run out of room there soon.
 
At the risk of hijacking someone else's thread, this seems a good place to ask whether most old salts go through the full marking and tapering process for the second layer of planking, or instead use an "abbreviated" process? I'm close to finishing the first layer of a POB build and am trying to figure out how to approach the second layer.
 
The Ships Cat said:
Can an old dog learn new tricks?
Absolutely!
Started the Port Side second planking this afternoon, I did in 3 hours what took me 3 evenings on Starboard.
Way quicker and twice as nice, actually could have gone on all night but I was getting too excited at the progress and felt myself wanting to rush to get it finished so I slammed the anchor down a bit sharpish and packed away for the evening.
It felt good I have to be honest.
After all, a large part of starting this love affair with my ship was to get her to teach me patience of which I was born with zilch. ;)

I really enjoy reading posts from experienced modelers, the in-depth descriptions, knowledge and terminology fascinates me.
I don't think for a nano-second I could get to that level but being cursed with a never-ending intrigue for absolutely everything I had to get myself a book so I could at least take my time and understand a little of what goes on, why it needs to be there, and how it works.
It came today Thumbsup:p

View attachment 485294
Click to expand...
Nice!
 
Smithy said:
Good luck with that one mate.
Click to expand...
That's what I thought when I flicked it open for the first time ROTF
I don't think I will be studying cover to cover for exams just yet, but when you lot chat fluently about "this doo-hickey block will be sheathed with a plummet twist half turn double piked bow-knot" I'll have a reference to turn to :pROTF
 
I remember someone whom I greatly admire and respect on here mentioned to me at the start of my planking to my darling ship that it was a "dog of a job"
Now I can totally agree 100% ROTF
I have learned a lot more lessons than I ever envisaged the quantity of mistakes I was destined for, but I have to say, as much as a dog that it is, the real sense of satisfaction, achievement and those warm fuzzies only come at the very end when you look at the completed hull and just think.........."yeah".......
Would I do it again? I most certainly intend to; would I have a crack at PoF one day? Sure, why not.
A constant reminder to myself that the Hull of the Endurance is painted Black, I didn't stress too much about a few irregularities along the way, knowing I could add wood filler without showing too much sin.
Getting excited now because I will hopefully see fairly swift results from my efforts and start to show progress - don't get me wrong, but you know - jeez - one plank, and another plank, let's do another one, I have an idea, put a plank on, oh what the hey, put 3................

22nd Nov (2).jpg 22nd Nov (1).jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top