bradleygolding Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Let's be clear right away, I normally build plastic planes, but if you are interested in Sir Earnest Shackleton's 1914 expedition and his ship the Endurance, this kit from OcCre is the only game in town. I expect it will take a while so don't expect any quick updates. Steve. 13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faraway Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 As the saying goes.....'you are a braver man than me, Gunga Din'. I'll tag along if you don't mind as I've always had a vague thought of building a sailing ship, not of wood I hasten to add, it'll have to be plastic. Good luck. Jon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 GREAT subject! I was unaware of this kit but will watch progress with interest. Does the kit come with general arrangement drawings? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adm Lord De Univers Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Now that's a proper ship, tagging along for this one. You seem to be a far way into it already and she is lookin' good. David 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted February 20, 2022 Author Share Posted February 20, 2022 10 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said: GREAT subject! I was unaware of this kit but will watch progress with interest. Does the kit come with general arrangement drawings? Only some very basic CAD ones. You can search on the net and find some, 'Polaris' was the original name of the ship. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JagRigger Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 Was thinking of this as my next wooden ship - the seemingly too cheap to be true had me wondering though, so be interesting to see how you get along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted February 24, 2022 Author Share Posted February 24, 2022 On 2/22/2022 at 11:09 PM, JagRigger said: Was thinking of this as my next wooden ship - the seemingly too cheap to be true had me wondering though, so be interesting to see how you get along. Well it's my first wooden ship and I have to say I am quite enjoying it so far, although it's a long journey. The kit seems okay, if a little 'stand off' scaleish. The sails are not good and some components are not quite the right ones either. There are some other build threads around as well which are worth looking at. I think a really nice model can be made from this kit with some care and consideration. If you look at Hurley's photographs and read some of the expedition literature there is a wealth of detail that can be added. Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted February 26, 2022 Author Share Posted February 26, 2022 Okay, time to get the reference material out! Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 (edited) So it's been sand, research, sand, research,sand, research, and so on. With good results in both areas. After looking at a couple of other builds, one modeller with some original drawings showed that the hull shape, basic superstructure, and masts are very accurate indeed and could make a really accurate model. It's the details that are going to need work! Although Hurley's photos and film are good, there are some excellent press photos from the time when the ship was in drydock at Millwall and at Plymouth. So below is my list of changes that could be made. 1, Decide when your model is set. The Endurance was only black after its stay in Benous Aries on the way to the Antarctic. Before that it was white. 2, The deck planking is too wide. The real Focsle has 44 planks across its width, the model only 18. And in no photo can you see any joins in the planks. 3, The real decks are curved, the model's are designed to be flat. Too late for me to change this but others? 4, Under the Focsle is open to access the Anchor winch. However I did after looking and adjusting some of the photos notice that there are doors there as well. 5, All of the walls on the superstructure are planked. 6, The hull has a sheathing of Greenheart Oak up to a couple of feet above the waterline. This can be seen very clearly in some photos as a ridge. 7, After South Georgia there was an extra small dingy attached to the rigging. 8, The Ship had four life boats, two were ex whalers supplied with the ship and had inboard mountings a midships. These were 21 feet in length. What became the James Caird was a 22.5 foot specially designed lifeboat, and a smaller 21.5 ish motor boat. All had covers on for the journey. The ones in the kit really bear no resemblance to reality at all and will have to be scratch built/sourced elsewhere. 9, Two tall chimneys are supplied in the kit, these were never fitted to the real ship. There was a small one on the bridge above the Galley, and a removable one for the Captain's cabin. 10, The Stanchions in the kit are flat PE ones. Others will need to be made. And most had solid railings, not cable as indicated in the kit. 11, The top stern hand rail is wood and not cable. 12, There are some extra portholes near the bow, not on the kit. 13, All cabin entrances have a curved roof, the kit suggests flat. 14, There was a Map table and extra Binnacle fitted on the Bridge. 16, There were raised roof supports on the Bridge to hold a canvas roof, and canvas sides fitted from Millwall Docks. 17, The Focsle Capstan is too tall, and will need replacing. 18, The entire steering gear at the Stern will need to be manufactured. The kit has a shed over it, which was not fitted until the ship was trapped in the ice. 19, The Portholes are a mix of black and white surrounds, the kit leaves them brass. 20, Most of the fittings supplied seem to be slightly out of scale, ie to big. 21, The prop should have two blades only. 22, There are small mushroom shaped air vents in the deck for all cabins. My solution for the Focsle, to save cutting two bulkheads. After much sanding we are nearly there. Steve. Edited March 5, 2022 by bradleygolding 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephLalor Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 On 2/20/2022 at 10:03 PM, bradleygolding said: Only some very basic CAD ones. You can search on the net and find some, 'Polaris' was the original name of the ship. Steve. Was she purchased in Sandefjord, Norway, or am I thinking of Amundsen's Fram? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 Certainly Norway. Wikki will know! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL67 Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 Have you considered overlaying the wood kit decks with scribed plasticard sheet so yo get the correct 44 number planks…it would also mean doing the same for the shelter deck and stern deck…good luck with your build… Paul 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 (edited) 25 minutes ago, PAUL67 said: Have you considered overlaying the wood kit decks with scribed plasticard sheet so yo get the correct 44 number planks…it would also mean doing the same for the shelter deck and stern deck…good luck with your build… Paul Hi Paul, I have considered many ways, but have made no decision yet. It may be a bit late for this build. I guess it depends on just how much it gets to me over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for the idea and the luck! You have set me thinking though. Steve. Edited March 5, 2022 by bradleygolding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 So these are my possible decking correction choices if I am insane enough to try. 1, Do nothing (this is my Son's favorite, he says I am mad to change it, and he may be right!). 2, Scribe a centre line down each plank to double the number. 3, Put down new planks 2mm wide. 4, Put down Paul's thin plasticard, or 0.5mm Micro ply with new planks pre drawn. 5, Carfully sand each deck to be curved and then add either option 3 or 4. I would be interested to hear what others think? Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 Hi Steve, Great work so far but the deck will probably bother you for ever (well it would bother me for ever...) 2 mm x 0.5mm strip wood would do the job quite quickly actually. Apply a black permanent marker to the edge and one end before sticking down with pva. to simulate caulking. Royal Naval deck planking has a join every 4 planks for strength, not every other one, planks are generally 12 ft in length on smaller vessels I believe. At that scale I'm not sure the camber on the deck will make much difference once the rigging and other deck houses are in place. I don't know what deck houses and hatches there are on the deck, but mark them out first because the planking frames every opening with mitred ends. This will also give you a location to place them once made up. Placing hatches and deck houses unframed on parallel planking is worse than getting the width wrong.... Hope that helps, great project Cheers Steve ps love the signature picture, mine was taken in a Boeing Stearman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 12 minutes ago, Steve D said: ps love the signature picture, mine was taken in a Boeing Stearman Hi Steve, Thanks for the advice. I am not sure how much difference it will make at this scale. My photo was me flying my Stearman! Cheers, Steve. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 1 hour ago, bradleygolding said: my Stearman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 Under a classic Adelaide sky. Back to boats now..... Steve 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 About to embark on 2 hours of lazy aerobatics and circuit training in Winter Haven FL. Its a wonderful pilot's plane, I'm very jealous 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted March 9, 2022 Share Posted March 9, 2022 Some reference film footage & photos for you - the wreck was found and filmed on Saturday, the 100th anniversary of Shackleton's funeral https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60662541 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faraway Posted March 9, 2022 Share Posted March 9, 2022 It does look in remarkably good condition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted March 9, 2022 Author Share Posted March 9, 2022 3 hours ago, Dave Swindell said: Some reference film footage & photos for you - the wreck was found and filmed on Saturday, the 100th anniversary of Shackleton's funeral https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60662541 Yes I saw it about an hour ago, and it is in amazing condition. Good shots of the steering gear as well. Thanks Steve 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 On 3/9/2022 at 10:56 AM, bradleygolding said: Good shots of the steering gear as well. Honestly, what were the chances of this 😂 your build must be written in the stars! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Thanks for posting all of those research findings. If this ever gets to the top of my ‘one day’ list these will be very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleygolding Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 (edited) Having pondered this deck issue for a while I have decided to us a version of Steve D's idea, but use 2x1mm strip. 1mm is just enough to put a curve on the decks with as well, so while I wait for some wood to arrive, I decided to work on modifying the supplied whales to be the ships motor boat and the life boat that would become the 'James Caird'. I quite like OcCre's construction for these, but wish they had used 1.5 or 2mm ply instead of 3mm MDF. As you can see the motor boat is nearly done and the Caird is a work in progress. You will also note the superstructure sides have gone. Although pictures from the wreck have not added anything new, websites have put up more information about Endurance including several blueprints which show that the superstructure is angled in to the ship by about 30 degrees from the vertical. OcCre have them at a couple of degrees. Still a bit to go. Steve. Edited March 19, 2022 by bradleygolding 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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