Building a J-Class Sailboat

[Julie Moriarty]

While waiting for the egg to hatch (buying a house) I've found myself lost without having something to create. So I decided to build a sailboat. It's going to be a replica of this, except how it looked when first built in 1934:

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab233/jules42651/Sailing/Endeavour/Endeavour_01_zpsnoh3b0sr.jpg
J-Class Endeavour
Length - 39.56m / 130ft
Beam - 6.80m / 22ft
Draft - 4.80m / 16ft
Year Built - 1934 / 2012


That should keep me busy for a while :)

[Julie Moriarty]

I should also mention it will be 1:35 scale. ;)
http://www.alwayshobbies.com/UserData/root/Images/hps170082.jpg

[Tom M King]

There's at least one (full sized) still sailing in Newport, RI, or at least it was the last time I was up there.

[Julie Moriarty]

The J-Class (http://www.jclassyachts.com/) boats made a resurgence several years ago and there is now about a dozen racing worldwide. They maintained the look of the hull but opted for up-to-date sailing rigs and sails. The 1934 Endeavour hull was found in a mud pit and brought back to life in 1989. In 2011 a new owner did another major refit (http://www.adamlaystudio.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Endeavour-Boat-International-July-2012.pdf) on her.

I found a website where a very skilled and experienced model boat builder was just finishing the kit I ordered. He modified it to match the 1989 version and machined a lot of the parts himself. His attention to detail is uncompromising. I can only hope to achieve half of what he's done.
324551 324552

[Jim Creech]

http://images.marinersmuseum.org/gallery/ship-models-of-august-f-crabtree/

If you want to see some serious ship models get thee to the Mariners Museum in Newport News Va. This link is to the August Crabtree Collection....My personal favourite!

[Julie Moriarty]

The kit was supposed to arrive today so I took out the few tools that didn't end up in storage and laid them out. When the box came it seemed incredibly small for a model sailboat that's supposed to be 46" long. The box had the model making tools I ordered. The kit didn't make it. :(

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Ready_01.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab233/jules42651/Emoticons/shipwrecked_zpsd8e1de38.gif

[Julie Moriarty]

The kit finally arrived.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_03.jpg

I opened up the plans this morning
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Plans_01.jpg
This should keep me busy for a while. :rolleyes:

[Julie Moriarty]

Here's the latest progress:
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_11.jpg
The bow section

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_14.jpg
Bow, stern and midship slowly coming together.

I am finding I am really handicapped working on an ottoman. :rolleyes:

[George Bokros]

You should graduate to the kitchen table.

[Julie Moriarty]

You should graduate to the kitchen table.We're in a vacation rental. The dining table has been taken over by our computers. There is a better table on the lower level but lighting down there is terrible. Besides, the ottoman workbench provides a different kind of challenge. ;)

[Julie Moriarty]

I got the frame dry fit together. It was pretty cool to see the deck rise toward the bow and stern, and fall from center toward port and starboard, like the real thing.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_16.jpg

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_17.jpg


The time consuming part has been fitting all the joints. Every one of them was too tight to pull out of the plywood parts sheet and simple start assembling. But if they were, I don't think I would have the same sense of satisfaction. I have a few more assemblies to complete in dry fit. Then comes the gluing, the point of no return.

[Bill Adamsen]

Love the shear!

[Julie Moriarty]

The mahogany parts sheet is very thin. The centerboard is attached by a tiny nail. I can see it breaking off very easily.


http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_19.jpg

With the three pieces in the picture in place, I find the centerboard fitting in snugly. There will be a finish on the CB so, before I glue any of it together, I am applying several coats of lacquer to the CB. There is a tiny piece not in the picture that acts as a stopper for the CB but it fits loosely and falls out. That will be tricky to glue in place.


http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_20.jpg

CB down in approximate position. Piece L47 and the other pieces along the keel bottom will need some work after glue up. There is no piece between the CB and rudder. I am probably going to fill in the spaces between the frames with balsa. It could be a challenge to fair them as is.



http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/CB_01.jpg

Fortunately, the plans show you right where to drill the hinge holes.

[Julie Moriarty]

Moving along...
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_22.jpg


http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_21.jpg


Still in dry fit mode.

[Julie Moriarty]

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_23.jpg
The glue-up begins. Bow and stern sections partially complete.






http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_24.jpg
Bringing the bow and stern together. I found I needed a block under the structure due to the sheer.






http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_25.jpg
I needed clamps to keep things together as I assembled the deck beams. Channel Locks proved to be the best method to seat them fully.






http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_26.jpg
Trying to clamp pieces against the curvature of the hull was challenging.






http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_27.jpg
Centerboard assembly glued in place. 10 Coats of lacquer on the centerboard.






http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_28.jpg
I used the punch-outs as wedged to hold the cabin sole planks in place.

[Julie Moriarty]

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_36.jpg
Glue-up finished. Fairing the deck.

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_45.jpg
The instructions didn't call for it but I have been advised by experienced model builders to fill in between the frames with balsa. Those little L-N planes are great for fairing the hull.

[Julie Moriarty]

The balsa shortage crisis continues to impede progress.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_54.jpg

[Julie Moriarty]

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_56.jpg
Lots of shavings and filings...

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_57.jpg
Looking down at the deck and a shot of the tools I have used mostly to get this far. No power tools were worn out in the making of this model. :rolleyes:

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Hull_02.jpg
With all the balsa backing completed, the fairing the hull is all that is left before planking begins.

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Hull_03.jpg
The bottom of the keel required a more delicate touch.

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Hull_04.jpg
The fairing is going more slowly than expected. Certain areas resist sanding while on other areas it's easy to sand too far.

[Mike Gresham]

The fairing is going more slowly than expected. Certain areas resist sanding while on other areas it's easy to sand too far.

That's a pain. Balsa comes in a wide range of hardness. I built R/C model airplanes for a number of years. Some kits were notorious for having balsa with a mixture of hardness where it was not needed. The only way I know around that is to buy your own balsa so you can select for hardness.

[Julie Moriarty]

Since I'm very new to this, I'm being extra cautious (most of the time) with each step. I have read many stories about modelers sanding through the hull trying to fair it. I have also read how some were terribly disappointed to find wavy hulls only after they applied the finish. This model has two layers of planking. The first one is meant to eliminate the need for backing but that is where modelers have said they sanded through. The second planking looks to be African mahogany. I have read several comments where a modeler finds the finish sunk into the wood pores. They didn't fill before final finish.

I won't be doing any more work on this until after we're moved into the new place and the shop is set up. And when I will have some free time. :rolleyes: HA! This may sit for a very long time...

[Kevin Burandt]

looks challenging. Any progress?

[Julie Moriarty]

looks challenging. Any progress?
Not since we moved into the new place. Too much work here. So far we've painted the exterior; re-landscaped the front with new sod; Gutted the master bedroom down to the block wall and installed new electric; firring strips, insulation and drywall; set up the new shop (still in progress); built a new bed frame (still in progress) and a few other things. And we still have to replace the flooring, do some interior painting and finish the master bedroom. Then I can get back to the model build.

But last week I did set it out to so I wouldn't forget it.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_58.jpg

[Malcolm Schweizer]

One of her sister ships taken off my balcony as she spent the night in St. Thomas, on the way to St. Barths. I believe this was Velsheda.

340756

[Julie Moriarty]

Boats like that are my Sirens - I'm immediately drawn to the sea...

[Julie Moriarty]

I've some catching up to do...
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_70.jpg
The first planking...

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_75.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_90.jpg

Port side...
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endvr_96.jpg

Attaching a shop-made keel
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_002.jpg

1st planking complete
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_013.jpg

[Julie Moriarty]

I am now experimenting with the 2nd planking. I didn't like the dark wood supplied with the kit so I took some mahogany veneer and ripped some 2mm strips.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_018.jpg
The plans call for the planks to run bow to stern but I'm liking the diagonal planking.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_020.jpg
This gives an idea of what it would look like. The rudder is jatoba. I thought I grabbed a piece of mahogany but as soon as I started shaping it I realized it was jatoba. I went ahead and finished shaping it for practice but will make another rudder out of mahogany for the final.

Never satisfied... I'm also looking at using different colored woods to identify the waterline and top stripe/star.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/HullPlank_02.jpg

The curvature at the stern requires some fancy plankwork
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_023.jpg

I decided to use hot hide glue on the 2nd planking. I ordered a glue pot and some hide flakes. Then I can start gluing the 2nd planking in place.

[Terry Beadle]

Outstanding work. Outstanding progress!

What a beauty.

Thanks for posting and photo's. Makes my day!

[Julie Moriarty]

Thanks, Terry. You made my day! :)

[Julie Moriarty]

While waiting for the glue pot and hide glue to show up, the lifeboat won over my attention.

The instructions show to just lay the planks on the form and glue them edge-to-edge. No keel or frames. That didn't seem like a good idea so I took some of the planks, included in the kit for the 2nd planking on the hull, and laminated a keel. Instead of using the same dimensions as the form, I extended the keel out a bit on the bow and took the bow a little out of plumb.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_03.jpg

Then I took an X-acto knife and cut a small dovetail section out of the keel and shaped one end of a plank to fit in it. The dovetail holds the plank in place nicely. Much better than nailing the planks to the form as the instructions call for.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_01.jpg

The keel scales out to about 4.5" x 4.5". The lifeboat scales out to a little over 13'. I do not know if that keel is the right dimension or not. I'll have to go with what looks good.

FWIW, here's what the instructions called for:
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_Instr.JPG

[george wilson]

Great work,Julie!!!! You have done a great job. Especially with the difficult task of planking. The idea of putting a layer of balsa under the planking certainly paid off. It gave a surface that was no doubt exceedingly useful for putting pins in to clamp the planks down. It also gave you a huge increase in the area where you could apply glue to secure the planks.

A good idea for looking for uneven places in dull finished surfaces before you commit to adding a finish is this: Darken the room. Have a light source,especially diffused light such as daylight at the other end of the room. Get opposite of the surface you want to check out,and look at the reflection of the light off of the surface. Any dips or lumps,even small defects will readily be seen.

I was asked how to look at unfinished surfaces by a nearby wind tunnel model maker years ago. Dynamic Engineering. They were making their models from wood at the time,even if the wooden model would be used subsequently to make a fiberglass model later on in the process. They were very glad to get this information. They were using a mahogany like wood called jelutong(sp?),to make models because it was quite stable in changing dimension or warping from humidity changes. Quite an un interesting wood to look at,I must say. But,it did serve the purpose.

They privately invested about $3,000,000.00 in an unauthorized model of an SST(supersonic transport plane). Got their proposed design and model all done. Then,SST's were banned from some airports due to noise,and when the one crashed on take off(from hitting a piece that FELL off of another aircraft that had taken off shortly before,they were permanently grounded. I wonder if the company survived that large loss of money?

You have the skill to equal that professional model that you posted pictures of. You just need to invest in a small metal lathe. Those metal parts look mostly like aluminum was used for them. At least the turned ones do.

[george wilson]

Julie: About those rigging lines; don't they use streamlined wire for some of those lines?

And an advice: If the sea is in your blood,do make sure that your blood is not in the sea!!:)

[Julie Moriarty]

George, I swear you lived a thousand lives! All the things you have done and you're still a young man. What a wonderful life.

Anytime I get that kind of compliment from you, I know I have done well. Thank you.

Today I chiseled off a few chunks of lumber in what is still a purely experimental process. On the keel of the lifeboat I routed a rabbet to accept the garboard planks
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_05.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_04.jpg

Then it was time to address the frames of the lifeboat. The instructions didn't call for this but how can you make a 13' boat without a keel or frames?

I took some strips that were supposed to be for the 2nd planking and thinned them out with a L-N inlay thicknesser
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/thick_gauge_01.jpg

I then soaked pre-cut planks in boiling water (easier than firing up the steam box) but they weren't pliable enough so I nuked them for another 2 minutes. The tannins bled out. So this is how that went
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_06.jpg
Three out of five. Some of the fibers broke but I should be able to work with it.

[george wilson]

Julie: Any hope of getting a small metal lathe to turn out those miniature aluminum pieces? Even a Sherline lathe will do just fine. You will need to buy a 3 jaw chuck for it,at least. A 4 jaw would be more useful,because you can make it hold square or rectangular pieces. Not self centering,though. But,with your skill and thoughtfulness,you could easily learn to center up what ever shapes you chucked in it. Many machinists ONLY use a 4 jaw independent jaw chuck. You can center up pieces more accurately than a 3 jaw chuck will do. I inherited a DREMEL mini lathe years ago,but have long since given it away. It would only run at full speed anyway,though. However,a router speed control box would make the speed adjustable IF enough torque remained. Aluminum can be turned at high speeds anyway. So can brass. I'm always running my Hardinge HLVH lathe at 3000 RPM(full speed) when making brass parts. But,that Dremel lathe must have run at about 20,000 RPM!

Does your kit already provide those turned parts,though?

Just glue those broken away pieces back down on the life boat. They will never show,if not broken all the way through. And,it is only a static display model anyway,not a guitar!

THE BEST WAY to bend wood is to get it wet,and bend it around a HOT PIPE(If you don't want to spend $$$ on a ready made electric bending iron from Stewart MacDonald! You can clamp a pipe in a vise,and put the end of a propane torch inside it. A 2" dia. copper pipe is good. I used one for years.) Actually,if I could find the old one,I could send it to you. But,my wife insisted on a major basement clean out this Summer,and no telling what got tossed. Mine had an electric element inside it and a flat plate welded on the bottom to clamp in a vise. Worked fine for many a guitar! I'll have to look around the shop. You want the hot pipe about as hot as a clothes iron. My old one did not have a rheostat,though. I had to be careful to not leave the wood against it too long.

These days I use a side bending machine anyway,which I made years ago. How time flies!

READ THIS: Try using a piece of spring steel against the convex side of the ribs you're bending. An old piece of large clock spring will do. It keeps your wood from splintering out of the convex side while you bend it. Keep it wiped clean,though,to avoid rust setting in to dirty your wood.

A pair of KEVLAR gloves are GREAT for working with very hot stuff,as long as you keep them DRY. They aren't real cheap. Can be bought from Manhattan Supply Co.(MSC).

[Daniel Smith]

Adding to George's suggestions, I've used a soldering iron with an old feeler gauge as a backer to bend inlay. A combination of soaking the strips in water for a few minutes and the backer eliminated any splintering.

[george wilson]

A good suggestion,Daniel. Especially if you had a rheostat to regulate how hot the soldering iron(or PENCIL in this case) might allowed to be.

About the kevlar gloves: I bought a pair for my wife to wear while handling VERY HOT plastic molding dies. They worked very well,indeed. They were about $14.00 plus shipping at the time(abt. 10 years ago.) Actually,$14.00 isn't that expensive.

[Julie Moriarty]

George,

The only lathe I own is a 36" Delta. With all the work the new old house needs, I don't think I can spring for a mini lathe. But the kit does come with the small metal parts. As long as I'm okay with how they look (I haven't even opened them yet) I shouldn't need a mini lathe. BUt I have seen what they can do. Some of the modelers are masters at making small metal parts. Maybe someday...

I do have that StewMac bending iron though, and the spring steel they sell, but it's much too large for what I'm doing.

Tonight, I zapped the last two pieces in the microwave. The first one went on fairly easily.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_08.jpg

The bow frame was a different story. I tried using the same method as with the others but the plank split and finally broke in two. So I cut and boiled another piece and let it sit an extra 5 minutes. Then I took it out and squeezed the center in my fingers and began bending. As soon as I felt resistance, I tossed it back in the hot water and let it sit for another minute or so. Then I took it out and repeated the finger squeeze bending technique. I did this two more times and by the time I placed it on the form, it made the sharp bend easily.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_07.jpg

Daniel,

When I first jumped into this hobby last November, I bought a plank bender. I had completely forgotten about it until I read your post. I'll have to take it out and see if it actually works. The owner of the model building website is partial to placing planks in a form and using a hair dryer to heat it up and let that be the heat bender. He seems a big fan of the method.

I made a steam box for forming the hull planks
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/StmBndr_01.jpg
but it takes so long to heat up, it's not worth it for these small pieces. When I made it I cut up a wire hanger to use as an interior rack. Soon the paint fell off and they started staining the wood. I bought some small dowels I will have to install before using it again.

[Julie Moriarty]

I made up another form section so I could shape a 6th frame in the wide gap toward the stern.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_10.jpg

Here's how the five formed frames look so far. The sharpest bend came out the best.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_09.jpg

I have another frame being formed on the new form section. Then I can dado the keel section and glue that on before beginning the planking.

[Julie Moriarty]

All was going well until I introduced CA glue into the mix.

I notched the keel to accept the frames, making sure the rabbet I made on the keel still had enough room to accept the planking. Then I set up the first frame, at the bow, and opted for CA glue to secure it to the keel. I thought I was pretty smart after having applied 5 coats of shellac and 3 coats of lacquer to the hull form, but the CA glue won the day and ignored the 8 coats on the hull form.

I pried the bow frame off and applied painter's tape to the entire hull form. That's what the instructions called for and when in doubt, refer to the instructions. Then I set up the next 5 frames and CA glued them to the keel. But the CA stuck to the tape too.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_12.jpg
This was after about 30 minutes of cleaning up the mess.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_13.jpg
Along the way, I broke one of the frames so I CA glued that together.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Lifeboat/LB_11.jpg
The hide glue pot arrived and the kitchen reno started. I think this little project will have to wait.

[Marshall Mosby]

Whether it is the scaled down version or the real boat, these look amazing and give a royal look

[george wilson]

So you are giving the kitchen a RENO look? Why not a Las Vegas look?:):):)

You'll have a jolly time cleaning up the frames in that life boat!! Might prove to be one of the most challenging parts of the whole project. How are you going to curve the outside surfaces of the ribs to mate up to the planking?

[Julie Moriarty]

Vegas is too theme oriented. I'd have to make the kitchen into a pyramid or a mountain and then where would I place the dishwasher?

The frame issue is solved. It's going to the the bone yard.

I got back to the big boat yesterday. Cooked up the glue pot and baked me some hide. First time using hide glue. I like it!
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_026.jpg

46 rows of planks in maybe two hours. When I was laying the 1st planking, best I could do with PVA, in an entire day, was 7 or 8 rows. Glue. Pin it. Wait for the glue to dry. Repeat. PVA took about 1/2 hour to dry. Hide glue takes a few minutes. Nice.

[Mel Fulks]

The last time I read about boats and hide glue in same paragraph was when Nero tried to kill his mom with the gift of a dissolving boat. She swam to shore. I saved the newspaper clipping.

[Julie Moriarty]

Now that's a really clever way of getting rid of someone, Mel. Those emperors knew all the diabolical tricks. ;)

I've been discussing the beauty of hide glue on the ship modelers web site and I keep thinking if it catches on, someone might build an RC model using it. Maybe I should warn them.

[Julie Moriarty]

Using mahogany veneer for the 2nd planking has presented a challenge or two. I've been using a Dewalt jobsite tablesaw with a StewMac fret slot blade to cut the veneer. The veneer is anything but flat and that causes binding and burning. But I pushed forward, literally.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_030.jpg
Mineral spirits applied to see how it might look...

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_029.jpg
This shot convinced me the angled planking was the way to go.

[Julie Moriarty]

Don't know if anyone noticed the light band of planking toward the bow but it has been bothering me. Since I glued them with hide glue and since hide glue is supposed to be "ungluable" by applying heat and/or moisture, I decided to give it a try so I could re-plank with mixed toned woods.

So I soaked a few planks on the bow and tried to ease off the first plank. No luck. Then I took a hair dryer to it and blasted it until the soaked planks were bone dry. A little of the glue on the edge softened up but that was it. No matter how long I held the hair dryer there nor how close to the wood I had it, the rest of the glue remained put. I had a chisel on it and even the hot edge of the chisel couldn't soften the glue.

Since this was a purely aesthetic move, I abandoned it. This hide glue isn't about to be unglued.

[george wilson]

Julie,not being familiar with this class of sailboat,is there another layer of planking going over the diagonal one? By the way,the word is "reversible" amongst the museum weenies ( The conservation techs).

Vinegar is good for getting hide glue loose. But,it sounds like you need to resort to a chisel to remove the offending planks. But,remember vinegar , if you ever have to loosen an acoustic guitar neck. Vinegar and steam. You have to drill a small hole down each side of the neck dovetail, and insert a steam pipe made of model airplane brass tubing. Inject vinegar first and re supply it for a few days. Then steam. There are different ways to remove necks. I made my steam "boiler" from a 1 gallon size powder holder from a tank gun (as in war!). Apparently some do not use FIXED shells (those with brass casings), and the powder is loaded separately. I'm not sure how that works. I had thought that only larger caliber cannon aboard ships used separate powder in bags. Anyway, I sit it on a hot plate. It has a thick,black rubber hose with a brass nozzle I turned on a lathe. I only had one powder can,though. They are VERY heavy duty!! And GREAT for storing things.

[Julie Moriarty]

No, George, this is the final planking. If this was a real sailboat and the cold molding process was used, it would be done very differently than what I am doing with the model. But what I am doing with the model probably could never be done with cold molding without great difficulty. The original Endeavour was built out of aluminum and the entire hull is painted. For some reason the model manufacturer chose to show the completed model with wood planks. Being appreciative of the beauty of wood, I decided to create something aesthetically pleasing to the woodworker's eye rather than staying true to the original boat.

Thanks for the tip with vinegar. I had no idea removing a neck was that difficult. Ol' Dan Erelwine talks like it's just another day in the shop.

I ran into the inevitable buckling of the planks (known in ship building terms as the "clinker effect"). I was able to pin down the planks for a few rows but it was getting to the point a correction had to be made. So I inserted a "spile" (another ship building term). This one had to be wide in the middle and tapered to a point at both ends. This put the planks back to laying flat but altered the angle of the planking. As I make more adjustments down the line I will have to make sure to adjust the angle so it looks the same throughout.

The spile in place and a few rows of full planks added
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_032.jpg

A closeup. The spile is about 9 planks to the left of the last plank laid.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_033.jpg

And again from the bow
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_034.jpg

The spile is barely noticeable but if you look you can see the diagonal angle has changed a bit. Gotta keep an eye on that.

[george wilson]

Julie,beautiful planking job! I finally managed to make out the spile. As you say,it is barely noticeable. But,you made the model,and your eye will go right to it when you look at it when finished,just as my eye will go to something I did on a project.

In Williamsburg,we have a pond behind the "Governor's mansion". In it is a small planked row boat of 18th. C. style. I saw it in the millwork shop for a repair years ago. Usually it is not viewable closeup in the pond. That little boat is such a beautiful piece of woodworking! It must have been made in the millwork shop many years ago. They even made a few fine carriages back in the 50's in that shop. They must have had some really fine woodworkers!! Even today,they do great work that very few appreciate. Some of their fine paneled doors are so nice! They make many things there. I think they always deserved more credit than they ever seem to get. My Toolmaker's Shop was just a few yards from them,and I saw some great work come out of there over the years I was nearby. Their machines are mostly quite old,and I think I must have repaired or made new parts for most of them. They bought a $1400.00+ special kind of fence for their old shaper. It wasn't quite SQUARE!!!! At that price,I'd have expected better from the Germans,especially!! I took the thing apart and re milled all of the out of kilter places on the fence. Good thing I was there,or they
d have been forever shimming that fence with pieces of paper.

But,I have again gotten way off topic. You are doing beautiful work!

[Julie Moriarty]

Thanks for the kind words, George. :)

Since starting this little project, I have learned a lot about boat building. Internet searches to help me along the way often turn up results for full size boats. Curious, I usually go to them and that takes me on a trail of interesting boat building websites. I find it fascinating and I soak it up like a sponge.

I agree with you about the skill of craftsmen in the pre power tools era. I'm sure there were apprentice programs and, since you couldn't go to the Internet, you had go to the boat builder if you wanted to learn something. Instead of one person sitting on a computer trying to learn something, you had people gathering together in one place to watch a master. Certainly a much better option to the Internet.

You never realize just how difficult it can be to even plank a boat until you see it done. And when it's done to perfection, it is a sight to behold. I've always had a love of the water and boats. I started drawing boats in grade school and continued to do so for many years afterward. If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have gone into sailboat design and build, in some fashion or another. I guess this model satisfies a little of the desire that has burned in me for so long.

[george wilson]

Julie,after building and planking the sailboat,you would be primed and ready to build a lute. If you want info on how to make the staves,I'd be glad to help. Over the years,we figured out how to build lutes WITHOUT a mold. The mold is a considerable amount of trouble to make.

If I recall correctly,in the sailing era,war ships had 3 or 4 layers of planking.Maybe more? I think the "Constitution" had a hull about 2 feet thick,of oak,which is why a cannon ball was seen to bounce off. Hence the name "Old Ironsides". I think it took 2000 oak trees to build the HMS "Victory",which I visited in Portsmouth,England. It is sitting dry in a dry dock. But,disappointingly,the hull appeared to have been replanked with pine. On the other hand,the Tower on London was just full of English brown oak. The stairs were made of oak 2" thick. The ceilings were all oak,with great big beams. They must have used up all the available oak when they restored it. The Tower was gutted by a fire long ago. Somehow,they still had a LOT of armor. Henry VIII's armor was seen there. One outfit was an elaborate,fluted suit that Maximillian of Australia sent him. It even had a pair of fake eye glasses on it! A true masterpiece of armor making. It was sent to mock the fact that there were no armor makers in England ! Just to aggravate Henry! After this,Henry got a bunch of Flemish armor makers and set them up in Greenwich. Greenwich was pretty run down when I was there. At least the part I saw. In History it had been a very important place. Greenwich mean time was set there. The Royal College of Astronomers and other things were there. They don't have the money to do much in England these days though. There was only ONE working flintlock cannon firing mechanism on the Victory. By that date,cannon were fired by flintlock locks. They fire a salute every day at noon,and use that flintlock to do so. If I were there,I'd make or repair their flintlocks for them. Surprising that no English hobbiest with a few machine tools has not already done so.

There was a long row of "Kings" sitting astride full size wooden horses,all in full armor. One horse was carved by Grinling Gibbons,the greatest 17th. C. English wood carver. His horse made the others look bland. His horse's neck was sassily curved to one side,the nostrils flared and mouth open,as if letting out a loud whinny . The mane was tossed about. The horse was very spirited looking. A front foot held up as if to stamp impatiently. A remarkable job indeed. Gibbons was a true artist. He had a good size group of carvers working for him,doing large jobs,like outfitting St. Paul's in London. Gibbons made many of his own tools like I do. He forged them out rough,only making the cutting end to the shape he needed for some special job. He carved a delicate wooden "cravat",or neck tie,of white wood. It was as delicate as Dutch lace,which it imitated. The customer wore it to a party,where everyone was amazed by it!! Fortunately,it survived the party intact,and can be seen today.

[Julie Moriarty]

A lute? George, you have great faith in me! I'll have to think about that. I still need to figure out how to build an acoustic.

The planking was becoming a race against time with the hide glue drying before I could finish laying the plank. The problem was trying to secure it at the bottom of the keel. It's almost all plywood there and that makes using push pins difficult. Then I remembered I saw Rockler had come up with band clamps. So I fashioned up a couple of clamps with rubber bands and ty-wraps.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/BandClamp_02.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/BandClamp_03.jpg

They solved the push pin in the plywood problem. :)

[Julie Moriarty]

Final pics for the day
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_036.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_037.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_038.jpg

[James Waldron]

By George, I think she's got it! She's laid out the spiling lines directly on the hull! Very nice; they will help a LOT, since you plan to stay with the diagonal planking.

It's a lot easier with (most) longitudinal planking. The lining out can be done directly on the frames for single planked hulls. The spiling lines are normally very gentle curves and easy to cut into planking. With normal beam, extra spiles aren't generally needed. Diagonals can sometimes have tighter curves and challenge the boatwright. You are fortunate to have such a favorable length/beam ration to ease your task.

Enjoying your build and your thread quite a bit. Keep up the good work.

[Julie Moriarty]

I've gotten this far...
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_042.jpg

But then I had to get back to the house. Painting, new flooring and cleaning up the construction site.

[george wilson]

Julie,you are an amazing woman! My wife is very spirited too. But she doesn't have your various carpentry skills. She is good at ripping out baseboards that I later found out I could not buy replacements for!! 6" high,beaded top.

[Steve Schoene]

I've been passed by one of the J-s outside Newport in Narragansett Bay. In my 30 foot sailboat the J boat was a gorgeous, impressive monster.

[Julie Moriarty]

I guess you could say I've finally turned the corner
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_051.jpg
A little mineral spirits to highlight the definition at the transom.

[Malcolm McLeod]

I've been following along, fascinated. I do wish you'd hurry this along 'tho ... so you can start on my 1:1 scale version.:D

[Julie Moriarty]

When you start on that 1:1 scale model, build one for me too. :)

I wish I'd hurry up and get moving on this, too. I started building the thing 11/15/15. It's been over a year and I'm not even done with the planking!

[Julie Moriarty]

The cool weather has made working on the house so pleasant I often forget about the model. But one day it got back into the 80s so I got back on the model.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_052.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_053.jpg

[Shawn Pixley]

Really beautiful work. I just caught up on a year's worth of progress. Impressive!

[Julie Moriarty]

More catching up to do...

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_054.jpg
After a few months of ignoring the model, I started up the planking again.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_056.jpg
It seemed to be pretty slow going with only about 15 or so planks getting laid in a day.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_057.jpg
Getting back into the groove...

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_060.jpg
The planking at the bow and transom extend beyond the plywood deck that came with the kit. Once I glue the deck down, I'll have to figure out how I'm going to address those issues.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_061.jpg
In my haste to see what it was going to look like, I shaped the keel before the planking was done and took too much off so I had to glue down thin strips of mahogany and reshape the keel.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_062.jpg
I sprayed a few coats of lacquer to protect the planking. I was getting stain marks on the bare wood. Next step is gluing the deck down and fine tuning the planking around the rails. I also have to make a repair on the transom. I lost some planks on it when trying to slide rubber bands over the hull.

[James Waldron]

Very nice work.

Next time [?] consider shellac to seal such a surface rather than lacquer. It gives many more finishing options as you go forward and, in my opinion, is better at "popping" the grain of the planking. The lacquer looks very nice, tho'.

For the plank ends: consider painters tape on the surface of the deck, butting to the plank inside. Shave down the plank ends with a VERY sharp block plane, leaving a tiny bit of overlap corresponding to the thickness of the tape. Remove the tape. Then you can use, say, 320 grit paper on a cork block to hand sand the edges flush.

[Julie Moriarty]

Thank you, James.

I was going to do French polishing because I wanted to fill in some of the grain but my lack of confidence in French polishing talked me out of it.

I fixed the broken planks on the transom yesterday.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_063.jpg
There is a crack at the bitter end of the centerline planks that can't be seen here.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_064.jpg
When I went to remove the top planks, some of the sub planking came with it.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_065.jpg
I got it cleaned up and pared away the sub planking so the new top planks will be slightly higher than the existing.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_066.jpg
I couldn't get all the new planks to stay in one gluing.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I love this build. Very nice work. I love the lifeboat- great attention to detail.

[Julie Moriarty]

Thank you, Malcolm! Sure wish I could sail her when finished. :rolleyes:

Next up is the cradle
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Endv_067.jpg
Working on the hull with the new cradle told me I'll need additional support closer to the bow and stern.

I'm going to add some ballast (in the form of lead shot) to give it a more natural feel. That and some epoxy are on order. While I wait for that...

The deck cabin:
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_000.jpg
The inner section parts.

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_002.jpg
I was a little disappointed in the tolerances. With computer design and lasers they could have been better.

Gluing them up wasn't fun. The slop in the tolerances created problems in making sure all the joints fit correctly.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_004.jpg

[george wilson]

Very nice work,Julie. It would be well to put some hard maple jaws into your vises before they get messed up from use. Then,you can reline them as needed.

[lowell holmes]

I have nothing to add except we visited Newport many years ago. I sailed locally 40 years ago and I had several boats.
When I drove into Newport, the masts on the boats reached into the sky taller than anything I have ever seen.
That being said, we have made five Gulf crossings under sail. Three of them were on our boat.:)

[dave gruver]

Looks like a fun project. If you ever feel the need for some additional inspiration. look here: https://vimeo.com/220510301

[Julie Moriarty]

Thanks for the link, Dave. I never get tired of seeing J boats. :)

I have made some progress but the house remodel has been stealing my time from the model. One thing that kept nagging at me was building yet another kit model of Endeavour. I wanted to do something a bit different. A friend showed me a deck layout that grabbed my attention.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Ideas/spirit-130-deck_cutaway_02.jpg

I took that and created a CAD model and scaled it to 1:35 then fine tuned it to match the deck of the model.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Ideas/Spirit130-Int_01.png

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Ideas/Spirit130-3D_Cockpit.png

Next was to print it out and see how it fit on the deck of the model.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_005.jpg

And then came the no-turning-back decision to cut the deck...
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_006.jpg

Routing out the frame for the cockpit and balsa fill...
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_007.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_010.jpg

[Julie Moriarty]

I filled in with balsa where needed and fitted in the floors to the cockpit and helm station
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_011.jpg

More balsa fill for the cockpit
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_012.jpg

So far, so good...
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/ModelBuild/Endeavour/Topsides/DeckWdwrk_015.jpg

I've done a bit more but don't have pics loaded in yet.

[George Bokros]

Julie, your attention to detail and quality are beyond amazing. I enjoy watching this ongoing project.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

377247Love the deck amendment. Also I saw your kitchen island build and it is very well done. No wonder you haven't finished this yet! Looks very enjoyable. I want to build a wooden model with one side just a skeleton and one finished. One day!

I'm in Barbados all week and saw this old gal who roams around the islands a lot. Not a J, but lovely lines.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Look what just pulled in to Charlotte Amalie this morning. How is yours comin. Along?

382153

[Julie Moriarty]

Malcolm, I'd say you are trying to keep the juices flowing to help prod me along with the model. :) I've been working on the kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts. All the pieces are milled. All the doors are glued up and the panels have one coat of whitewash. I am so tired of making cabinet doors. I've reached the century mark and right now never want to make another 5 panel door.

As for the model, I realized yesterday why it hasn't drawn me in lately. Every time I look at it, as it sits on it's own work table, I think of how, when it's done, it will just become a dust collector. And with the salt air and dust combination here, it could become very difficult to clean it. That's depressing. I don't want to seal it in a glass enclosure, in part because it doesn't seem right and in part because I don't have a place that museum kind of display would look right. So I'm stuck.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I have a few sailboat models and they aren't too hard to keep clean. You sound like me- too many irons in the fire. :-)