I hope this is the right area.

I want to share with you my experience of building the HMS Endeavour (and its long boat) from an AL 1981 die-cut kit.

At the moment I am in the research stage of the project, but I have started to build the associated long boat.

Being die-cut, I find the pieces are not symmetrical and the 3 ply is of poor quality in that the core of the ply seems to want to disintegrate at every opportunity. I tried cutting the pieces out with a hobby knife, but the pieces were so flimsy that I was frightened that they would break. The solution has been to use a very fine scroll saw blade in a fret saw. I found that using this method, the side of the ply that is not die cut chips on the down stroke - to fix this I inserted the blade in the holder so that it cuts in the up stroke - this means that the side of the ply that is not die cut has a perfect smooth finish and the die cut side is perfect as well because of the compressed fibres caused by the die. The other good thing is that you don't have to meticulously guide the saw around the pieces as the saw blade follows the path of least resistance which is the die cut.

I hope this makes sense.

I had to make a fret saw table and a sanding block - but that was fun. I will have a go at uploading a photo.

B

Hi Bob --

Sounds like you got things figured out - you really should post some pics so we can see what you are doing - helps us to help you .

Cheers,

HOLD FAST !

I tried to upload a photo last night, but without success. I will have another go today. On first looks it seems such a complicated process. But I imagine that once you get the hang of it it will be a breeze.

B

Hi Bob. In ten steps:

1 - Go to this page - http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/uploadphoto.php

2 - Choose a category to upload your images to. Pick a category that relates most to your image(s). If you have a lot of images dealing with the same subject (usually four or more), or if you plan to add photos at a later date (on-going project), it might be best to Create an Album here - http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/useralbums.php?ppaction=addalbum first and then upload those images into that Album.

3 - Select the photos you wish to upload from your computer. If you are having problems with uploads timing out, try one or two at a time. File size limit per photo - 300 kb's. Each image no bigger than 800pxs wide by 600pxs high. If you need editing software, try Picasa by Google - http://picasa.google.com/. Use the 'Browse' buttons to navigate to your image files on your computer, then select the images (one at a time) you wish to upload.

4 - Enter a default title for the photo(s) you are uploading. If you are uploading more than one photo, you will be able to change this on the next page for each photo.

5 - Enter a description for the photo(s). If you are uploading more than one photo, you will be able to change this on the next page for each photo. You can add/edit Photo Titles, Descriptions and Keywords at any time after uploading, either on the next Image Upload Page or by going to the photo(s) view and hitting, 'Edit Photo'

6 - Want to be notified by email when users post replies? (Recommended) Look for the 'Yes' 'No' menu. Hit the 'Upload/Submit' button.

7 - Hit the 'Upload/Submit' button.

8 - After the upload, you will see a page where you can add a Title, a Description and Keywords for each image.

9 - When done, hit the 'Process' button. You will be re-directed to your gallery

10 - You can add/edit Photo Titles, Descriptions and Keywords at any time after uploading by going to the photo(s) view and hitting, 'Edit Photo'

Also - Upload Instructions (http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/help/upload.html)

John

Life wasn't meant to be easy. I had cut out all the die-cut frames for the long boat and assumed that all I would have to do is sand the rough edges before fitting to the hull. It wasn't until I compared the pieces with the 'sole' diagram in the instruction notes that I realised that the die-cut pieces were just rough shapes and need a lot more work. A job for the minidrill?

I tried to sand them with the drum sander attachment on the minidrill, but I needed another set of hands. So it was time to build a drum sander stand. I followed the design that was in a book by John Everett "Minidrill - Fifteen Projects" - It works like a charm.

I made a series of plates that mount on the top of the table to provide zero clearance with the various size drum heads and the table top - this prevents any bits jamming or falling between the drum head and the hole in the table top. What I like about it is that I get perfect 90 degree edges on the piece that I am sanding every time. You have to be gentle with it and not rush it, but it does a great job.

Now on to sanding the frames to their right size.

BJ

Have spent a lot of time over the last week on research.

I contacted AL regarding purchasing a copy of the pictorial instruction booklet for the AL Endeavour, but I have had no reply - maybe because I don't speak Spanish?

I will now try and buy or borrow a booklet off someone who has completed the model.

Any one know of anyone who may be able to help me in this area?

Bob

Hi Bob --

We do have a member building Endeavour - follow the link to his build log , perhaps you can contact him regarding plans , etc.

cheers

http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=691&ppuser=1154