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Thread: Building a J-Class Sailboat

  1. #1
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    Building a J-Class Sailboat

    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:

    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
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  2. #2
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    I should also mention it will be 1:35 scale.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  3. #3
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    There's at least one (full sized) still sailing in Newport, RI, or at least it was the last time I was up there.

  4. #4
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    The J-Class 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 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.
    post-17220-0-36011300-1446324829.jpg post-17220-0-85960400-1446399393.jpg
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  5. #5
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    http://images.marinersmuseum.org/gal...st-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!

  6. #6
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    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.



    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  7. #7
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    The kit finally arrived.


    I opened up the plans this morning

    This should keep me busy for a while.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  8. #8
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    Here's the latest progress:

    The bow section


    Bow, stern and midship slowly coming together.

    I am finding I am really handicapped working on an ottoman.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  9. #9
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    You should graduate to the kitchen table.
    George

    Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by George Bokros View Post
    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.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  11. #11
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    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.




    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.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  12. #12
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    Love the shear!
    "the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius

  13. #13
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    The mahogany parts sheet is very thin. The centerboard is attached by a tiny nail. I can see it breaking off very easily.


    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.


    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.



    Fortunately, the plans show you right where to drill the hinge holes.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  14. #14
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    Moving along...





    Still in dry fit mode.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  15. #15
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    The glue-up begins. Bow and stern sections partially complete.


    Bringing the bow and stern together. I found I needed a block under the structure due to the sheer.


    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.


    Trying to clamp pieces against the curvature of the hull was challenging.


    Centerboard assembly glued in place. 10 Coats of lacquer on the centerboard.


    I used the punch-outs as wedged to hold the cabin sole planks in place.

    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

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