HMS Endurance (OcCre)

[bentderailer]

This is my first build log that I will be sharing with others. I have just completed the Niagara built from a Model Shipways kit. Took just under 5 years as I navigated COVID and other interests that got in the way. As a novice, this was probably not the best kit to choose as my initiation into ship modeling, but it did force me to learn skills I didn't have nor thought I could do. Positive that errors were made along the way and that my methods are probably not generally accepted ways of doing things, but I am open to learning. These are some photos of that build.

 

[bentderailer]

On March 12 I started to build the HMS Endurance that Sir Ernest Shackleton used in his Antarctic expedition. The kit is by OcCre, my first experience with one of theirs. Appealed to me as I am more of a visual person and seemed a better approach for me than the mediocre Model Shipways Niagara instructions and plans. I will try to keep this build log up to date as I progress. Here are a few pictures of the beginnings so far.

 

[GrantTyler]

On March 12 I started to build the HMS Endurance that Sir Ernest Shackleton used in his Antarctic expedition. The kit is by OcCre, my first experience with one of theirs. Appealed to me as I am more of a visual person and seemed a better approach for me than the mediocre Model Shipways Niagara instructions and plans. I will try to keep this build log up to date as I progress. Here are a few pictures of the beginnings so far.


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Good morning. Good luck with this build. Enjoy. PS I love your profile name, although a bentderailer on my bike drives me nuts . Cheers Grant

 

[Tanguy]

Un petit bonjour de Belgique, je vais suivre votre montage !
J'ai commencé ce même kit, mais pour plusieurs mauvaises raisons, je l'ai mis de côté...
Bon démarrage, et merci pour les photos
Tanguy

 

[bentderailer]

Moved past the creation of the frame skeleton and I am now working on planking the deck sections. Slow and tedious but I am trying to create a weathered look. Helps that the pencil shading of the each plank edge bleeds onto the top of the plank along with a little residual glue. As I sand it down it doesn't have that show room slickness and color, which is what I'm after.

 

[bentderailer]

I thought I would jump back in here and give a weekly update to the progress of my build. Things are moving along for me as I had hoped with the completion of the 4 main decks atop the skeleton/frames. I had only a minor misstep, in that on the fore lower deck, I re-planked the entire section, when I discovered I had not allowed the planking to cover the tabs of the frames at the edges. To fix that, I simply flipped the section over and planked the opposite side. I used some scrap lumber I had from previous builds, so that I would not have to deplete the supply of planking lumber from the kit. I also decided to tint/dye the the planking with an OcCre dye to make sure the decking appeared consistent. I am happy with the result and it also helped achieve what I had hoped to accomplish of giving the decks a more weathered and used appearance. As you can see, I had to get a little creative in order to add some weight to the decking while the glue set. It worked. I am now ready to start beveling the frame edges to accept the curve of the planking. I hate this part, but I know it is important.

 

[bentderailer]

I decided to stop and make some repairs. The decking on the aft "main" deck did not come out right and just didn't look very good, so I removed the "offending" planks and proceeded to repair/replace those. It took some effort and work, but I think I managed to get the deck looking right. Excuse the ham-handed amateur here but I am still learning. As they say, you can't learn without making mistakes.





The repairs completed:

 

[swampdweller126]

I decided to stop and make some repairs. The decking on the aft "main" deck did not come out right and just didn't look very good, so I removed the "offending" planks and proceeded to repair/replace those. It took some effort and work, but I think I managed to get the deck looking right. Excuse the ham-handed amateur here but I am still learning. As they say, you can't learn without making mistakes.

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The repairs completed:

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Looking Good. And i, just like you, learn something every time I look at my own work. And then I too redo it.

 

[bentderailer]

Well, ran into another problem. I am working on the bulwarks as provided in the kit as pre-cut laser wood pieces. The broader and longer pieces used for the main and aft decking were not a problem of working with them.

However, when working with the bulwarks for the bow deck, I found out pretty quickly how fragile these are. I was handling one of the two bow pieces and like the loaf and fishes, I now have two pieces where I had one before as it snapped in two at the narrowest part. After the initial shock, I realized that the pieces are not solid wood, but rather a kind of plywood/sandwich construction and must be handled with kid gloves. Following some soul-searching and reaching for a plan B (Including fabricating the piece from a solid wood piece of lumber) I came to a solution. The break was pretty clean and I remembered having a tool in my collection that is basically a crimper that can be used to create a bend in the piece you are working with. After carefully putting the proper bend in the two pieces, I was able to install them on the bow with the break coming together very well. It is now sitting clamped onto the bow and I will let it sit overnight to cure.

 

[bentderailer]

It's been about a week since I last updated on how the Endurance is coming along. If you haven't guessed, I am not the type to give daily accounts of what is going on. I get wrapped up in working on the model, in between having a real life. So here goes on the last few days.


Because of the brittleness on the material of the laser cut wood parts, I was very cautious about the bend needed on the bow bulwarks. I decided instead of trying to bend the whole piece as one, to cut the the piece into two separate pieces at its potentially weakest point. I made the cut as shown below at the notch in the piece and then glued the curved sections with the cut joined. Worked like a charm.


I then did the same thing with the interior painted piece by cutting this long piece in two at the notch. Since this notch sits flush with the deck it caused no problems of making it fit the hole. From my accountant's logical left-sided brain it just made more sense to work with smaller pieces and avoid catastrophe. I try to make the bends of these pieces by soaking for about an hour then clamping into position and let dry for 10 to 12 hours; this was successful for me on the Niagara.
Also avoided having to cut and file that notch on the model as shown in the instructions.

 

[bentderailer]

Now on to the main deck "trim" pieces where the main deck meets the bulwarks.




Because the curve was harder to attain due to the bend being against the grain of the wood, a little harder to obtain. The width of the bulwark on the main deck precluded me using any of the clamps I had on hand, so I used a couple of scrap pieces with right angles allowing me to clamp down the trim strips. Painted the pieces prior to gluing to the deck; less chance of messing up or requiring masking tape around a difficult curve. Keep it simple when possible. Then glued the vertical pieces to the interior surface of the bulwarks. Then I painted the interior sides of the bulwarks, again without using masking tape. Only had a couple of misguided paint onto the deck, which I immediately used a smaller brush dipped in water to clean up the mess. I am using artist's acrylic paint, titanium white. I really like working with this type of paint. It did require 3 coats of paint on the interior side because of the nature of the surface of the pieces.





According to the instructions, it is time to start planking the hull, starting at the bulwarks. This is one of those stages in construction that I take some time to think about the task at hand, look at the videos online and check other people's posting on SOS before plunging into the task. Check with you later.

 

[bentderailer]

I've started on the planking. The kit is a double planked model and the OcCre instructions indicate a black brush painted hull. I had good luck with the Niagara using Krylon spray paint and I really liked the look, so I am going with that as my goal. We'll see as I get closer to that stage.

For now, I am proceeding with the the 2 mm x 5 mm provided wood strips. 2 mm seems a bit thick to me, but I'm sure I can sand down as needed. The instructions indicate using nails hammered all the way to the surface after applying glue to the strips. I have found on some other logs that having to file all of those nail heads flush after the glue has set is a little excessive. So I am trying a suggestion to use nails to keep the strips in place until the glue sets but not driving the heads all the way to the surface. Then when glue has set, I am pulling the nails out. The nail pusher I bought from Micro Mart is very good for this; not only to drive the nail in as far as you want, but also is very good in pulling the nail out later.

Here I have soaked the planks for about 2 hours, then temporarily set them on the frames. Nails are driven to hold the piece in place, and once the piece has dried in place, then nails are removed and the plank is removed to apply glue and attach to the frame.



Planks have been installed back on the frames and glued (I am trying WeldBond PVA suggested in a log). Nails are inserted only to keep in place, then using the nail pusher, I remove them leaving a nice clean nail hole. No filing needed on the heads when I come back later to lay on the exterior veneer strips.

 

[bentderailer]

Inspired by Kramer on his Endurance log, I have decided to build a rack to hold various pliers and tools in an organizing effort. Here is my completed project on that. I did use a display stand I had in my stash to use to make the base. Seemed a very stable choice. Also scrap lumber from my previous build.

 

[bentderailer]

I am now on to seriously lining the hull with the 1st layer of planks. Soaking the planks in water for at least 2 hours, makes them much easier to work with. I attach them to the frames with clamps, then nail in place. Leaving them in this state overnight will allow them to dry into the desired curve. Looking at OcCre's instructions and videos implies that I should be applying each plank dry and holding in place by glue and nails. These strips are just too stiff IMHO and will put too much stress on the piece. Curving the piece prior to glue and nails just seems a less "stressful" way to approach this. I have a utility sink in the laundry room just steps away from my workshop/office that makes this very easy to do. Working in our previous house, I found a large painters tray that worked, but it was always a trip upstairs to refill with water.

 

[bentderailer]

Last weekend our local ship building club, Rocky Mountain Shipwrights, held its annual show at our monthly meeting location in Rocklers Woodworking & Hardware - Denver. About 50 ships including my just completed Brig Niagara and we drew about 170 people during the 3 days. A good show and lots of amazing models.

 

[bentderailer]

It has been a few weeks since I last posted anything on my Endurance build. It's not like nothing has been done, but I am in the middle of the first layer of planking and this tends to be a bit "boring" but productive. I will try to catch up to the current state.

4/27/24:
Soaking for about 2 hours, attach to the frame with clamps and nails, let dry, repeat. See what I mean. I don't try to rush this step and I work for short periods of time to let the planks time to dry into the curved shape I want. I try to make sure each plank is marked as to its placement on the frame, this keeps me organized as to the approach of getting the planks into place. The slightly darker planks are the ones I have just pulled out of the water bath and attached wet to the frame. I am not worried right now, about sanding the planks until I get them all glued onto the frame.

 

[bentderailer]

4/30/24:

Moving right along. Still nothing too exciting and no major problems. Some pretty severe curves and bends at the bow and stern, but nothing unexpected. Using wet planks helps a lot with those, only keeping them in place to dry can be challenging.

 

[Kurt Konrath]

What talent to be able to take a photo and have both your hands in it as well!

As for the looks of deck repairs, two issues, when all is said and done, your probably the only one to notice. and if asked, say the crew made repairs at sea!

 

[bentderailer]

5/1/24 to 5/9/24

I am getting to the point of having the 1st layer of planking about 95% in place before sanding. As happens this time of year, I have other things come up that I would rather be doing like going to my granddaughter's volleyball games, riding my trike, playing pickleball, etc. So the model may suffer a little bit in the coming days and weeks, but "I will return".

 

[bentderailer]

As to the hands free photo, credit to my digital camera mounted on a tripod. It was an experiment to see if it would work. Will try it again as I go along.