My Endeavour 1/60 Wooden Ship Build - Part 1

This build of Captain Cooks' Endeavour ship in wood looks like it is going to be one of the hardest builds I have ever done. After having a brief look at the instructions I had to take a second look to try and work out what to do. I looked at all the pieces of timber, fabric sails, nails and other metal pieces and then studied the instructions. I had to read the first instruction a couple of times before I could understand where to start.

With this build being a 1/60 scale the overall length of the ship is going to be about 700mm long. This is one of the largest builds I have ever started and one of the most time consuming.

The first part of the build was to attach the ribs to the false keel, which sounded easy but took a lot of sanding to get the fit just right. I was forever test fitting the pieces and sanding a little more to achieve the perfect fit.

Then came assembling the lower decks and deck planks. This was a little easier then the last step but still hard to get the right fit. After this was done I had to install the main deck and planks. This was enjoyable as I could see the shape the ship was going to take. When I had finished assembling the deck planks I sanded them back to achieve a perfect finish. This wasn't part of the process but I wanted to do this as I'm a perfectionist and wanted the deck to be as smooth as possible.

After I was satisfied with the smoothness of the deck planks I added the deck side walls. This was also a hard step as they were straight pieces of timber but needed to be curved in order to satisfy the perfectionist and have the correct shape of the ship deck. I was forever gluing and clamping to achieve the correct curvature of the pieces. Without having a million clamps I could only do one piece at a time and this step took some time to complete.

Before I could start the next step I had to sand the ribs to match the curvature of the boat. This meant sanding the ribs to have a nice flow towards the bow and to the stern from the middle ribs towards the bow and stern. I first started with just a file and some sandpaper but then realised that my dad had a Dremel type tool that he never used. I borrowed his tool that had lots of different attachments like sandpaper to metal engravers. This made sanding different parts a lot easier and quicker and sped up this process

After the ribs were correctly angled I then started to install the side planks to form the hull of the ship. This was a tough and slow process as I had to use warm water to wet each end of the plank so I could curve it without breaking them.

It has been interesting to see the ship take shape and actually see how big this build is really going to be. I have taken about 3 months so far and and I'm only on step 10 of the build.

Model Collector Magazine Review.

October 2014 issue I haven't bought a modeling magazine in years and decided to get this one for some light reading and i thought i should do a review on it. This magazine is great with diecast models for sale and some new releases.


There's a great story from Lyndon Davies, MD of Oxford Diecast about starting in the business when he was 16 and working very hard to move his way up the corporate ladder. He was forced to close his doors in the UK because most other manufactures had moved to China, Taiwan, or Japan. He tried to survive in the UK but with other manufactures going over seas he decided to close his UK factory. He has still kept all his passion and quality with diecast models going, still producing great diecast models.

There's also a great review of the Trans-Am cars by Bill Oursier describing the real racing ones and the diecast models. He explains the rarity of some models and the inaccuracies of some. There are some great photos of the models with some explanation on their racing history and model history.
There's also a section for all you plane lovers by Dominic Borrelli. He talks about De Havilland and that they got taking over by Hawker-Siddeley and that Geoffrey De Havilland started in 1920 when engineering was at its beginning. He goes on to explain about some of the early models with some great photos.

Then we get to the legendary Mazda MX5 Mk1 written by Ian Rogers celebrating 25 years of the MX5. He explains about the different types of models from the diecast to the pewter. He explains about the different manufactures and different details that each do. It's great to see that even though the scale is the same there can be different details that are added.

I like the section on the car of the year from the 1970's by Peter Miskelly, starting with the Fiat 128. He talks about the cars that were in close competition with this one for car of the year. 1970 Fiat 128 - A nice small family car with plenty of interior space despite the overall size.
1971 Citroen GS - This four door saloon looked futuristic for its time.

1972 Fiat 127 - Another great Fiat with excellent space for a 3 door with folding seats.

1973 Audi 80 - The early Audis were not known to be a prestigious brand but the Audi 80 started this to rival the BMW.

1974 Mercedes 450 SE/SEL - This big luxury 4.5L V8 was short listed a year after its initial launch.

1975 Citroen CX - This comfy large saloon had advanced hydropneumatic suspension later used in a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.
1976 Simca 1307/1308 - Better known as the Chrysler Alpine, this large 5 door hatch had great styling but niggling problems.

1977 Rover 3500 - This 5 door hatch was powered by a powerful Rover V8 and had supercar looks.

1978 Porsche 928 - This started the revolution of the front water cooled engine that was meant to replace the 911.
1979 Simca/Chrysler Horizon - This mid sized car 5 door hatch was essentially a shortened Alpine.
This was a great magazine with some great history on some interesting diecast models and their originsand history.

Custom Camera Backpack

This is not about models but is about constructing something. I wanted a camera bag big enough for all my camera gear plus enough room for a jumper, laptop or tablet and a drink. I went looking at all major and discount camera shops and even online but still the price was to much for me. I then thought that i should just make my own for much cheaper.

I had a hiking backpack that I didn't use very often so I decided to convert this into a camera bag. You can use cheaper laptop bags, but make sure the zip goes all the way to the bottom so you can open it up to see all your gear and for ease of access. You want to make sure that the size of the bag is big enough for the gear you want to carry, also allowing some room for the foam.


The first thing I did was gather all my gear together that I wanted in the bag and worked out how I wanted it layed out. I then measured the internals of the bag and drew up a rough sketch to work out how much foam to buy.


I went looking online for a foam supplier that fitted my budget and had the right foam. I got a few quotes and found that the more pieces I ordered the more they would charge per piece (what I thought was extra charge for cutting each piece). So I worked out what sizes I needed and then what sizes would work for me without to much wastage per piece.

I worked out that 40mm thick form would add enough padding and support to the bag but not take up to much space. I asked a few foam suppliers about what type of foam I should use and they suggested a firm foam with some sponginess to it. I didn't care what colour it was as i was then going to cover it in some fabric.

Once I had my foam I could then re measure my bag to confirm I had the sizes right allowing for the thickness of the foam. Once the foam was cut I test fitted it just to make sure it fitted nice and snug. Once I had tested the foams fit I could then start covering the foam in some fabric.

I used some cheap pillow cases, but you can use whatever you like to cover it with. I found that for my size bag 2 pillow cases was just enough without to much excess. If you can use a sewing machine then that is a great option, but since I'm not very competent with one so I just used a hot glue gun. This works great and is a great alternative to a sewing machine. I also got some wide velcro to attach the pieces to create the sections just in case I wanted to change it later. I used the hook velcro (soft) on the outer pieces (the ones that come in contact with the camera/lenses) and the hook velcro on the other pieces. The best option is to get self stick velcro but the cheaper option is the sew on velcro and that is what I used. You can use a hot glue gun to attach the velcro but I used a needle and thread to make sure it was attached firmly enough.

After measuring the fabric and cutting it to size I glued it to the foam making sure it was tight enough. It was like wrapping a present and fairly easy, making sure the foam was nice and snug. One the foam was all covered and the velcro was attached I inserted it into the bag and did a final test fit with all my gear.

The bag cost me about $150, but I have had it for about 3 years and it has been used many times but now I don't see a need for it. So it was a perfect bag to convert into a camera bag. The foam cost about $60 including postage and the pillow cases cost about $5. There are cheaper bags around and cheaper foam suppliers but my bag has plenty of support for the extra weight. It also is excellent for using all day as it is a hiking pack with a kidney belt and a chest strap.


When you choose the right bag you also need to think about what you are going to be doing with your camera, eg long walks, or short car trips. If you are going to be doing long walks or hikes I would recommend a specialized hiking pack that has the right support. If you think you are only going to be doing short walks and car trips then a computer bag might be suitable. You will need to think about what gear you would like to buy in the future and wether the bag size will cope.

This has saved me about $100 and I have a camera backpack that is specific to my gear and how I want it laid out. It also doesn't look like a camera bag and has more padding then a commercial one, protecting my camera and gear more when traveling.

My New Toolbox

After a long and hard decision, I have now upgraded my toolbox. I wanted one with plenty of segregated sections and draws with seperate sections. Without going to America and getting the perfect toolbox I had to make do with what I could get in Australia. Most of the toolboxes that had wheels had mostly large compartments without dividers and no small compartments. As most modeling tools are small I needed one with lots of divided compartments for my small tools.

I thought about getting a large box and using small boxes with separate compartments, but it was going to be to expensive and not what I wanted. I finally found one that was almost perfect but didn't have as many separate compartments as I would have liked. I compromised and thought that a few extra boxes with separate compartments wouldn't be so bad.


This toolbox has some separate compartments on top with a large compartment below, a medium sized draw and a larger draw on the bottom. The only problem with this toolbox is that it needs some separate compartments in the medium draw to allow tools to be organised a bit better.


The medium draw is large enough to allow a small jar to stand up in and the large draw is large enough to allow a large to stand up in. This toolbox is large enough for all my tools, even my larger tools (300mm clamp). This toolbox allows for longer tools or rulers to be stored behind the compartments held in with an elastic strap. It is handy as it frees up space in the draws and allows for larger tools to be stored. I will be adding some small compartments to the draws to organise my tools better.





I can recommend this toolbox for modelers as it keeps all tools in one place when not needed and allows them to be taken with you when building at other places. Ever since I started modeling I have used toolboxes starting from small to the largest without wheels, but now I have more tools I need one with more space to keep all my tools organised.

It also allows for more boxes to be stacked on top and strapped down to allow more tools or even paints to be stored together. This toolbox allows me to gain more tools and even bigger tools or equipment (dremil) to be stored away for easy access.

Half Track

My military half track build.

This build is of a half track and has tons of pieces, ranging from small engine pieces to large hull pieces. This build is the first half track that I have built and I haven't done many military vehicles.

As with most vehicles you start with the engine and frame. This is how the engine looks once complete.


This is the hull section complete with bracing struts.


Then we get to installing the engine and exhaust pipes where all the power comes from.



Then we build the front axle which connects the front wheels to the engine and the gearbox. On this vehicle it has leaf springs which are less to maintain when out in the desert.



We then start to install the start of the track system. We start with the section where the cogs go to hold the track in place.

There are 13 wheels on each side which means I needed to cut 26 wheels out and sand them smooth. I'm glad it's done and ready to be installed. Soon I will install the track.


Then once the wheels are done you need to start assembling the track. There are about 63 pieces for each track and they are small. It was alot of tedious work but it all came together well,

Now that the tracks are done we can start getting the top half together. This is an easy section to do with few pieces. Then we can start doing the armaments and tools.

Now that the top half is on we can get started on the armaments (guns). This half track has a front and rear gun but no tank barrel.

With the tank looking almost complete we can start puting the final pieces to the outside.
These are the fuel canisters for storing extra fuel on those long journeys.
This piece of equipment is essentional when out in the middle of nowhere.
Once all this has been done we can get started on the paint. I started with the lightest colour and will finish with the darker colours to create the perfect camo.

The paint is my least favourite part of building a model, i have decided to put it aside and get started on my next project.

Road Agent

A weird car given to me from a great car restorer Mark Lloyd Riddell, designed by a great car designer immortalized for ever, the great Ed "Big Daddy Roth. He was a great designer and painter that has had some of his great designs made into models for everyone to build and display.

This model was a simple model, only a skill of 2 but still a fun build. Building this model has been good as since I've moved in with my fiance I haven't had the space to move my model building stuff over. It feels great to get back into building models even if it's just a skill 2.


This model is a different scale to what my other cars are but it's only a small difference, I still like to keep all types of vehicles the same scale. This model would not be one I would choose to build as it's not a typical car or in the same scale.

This car is a quirky design and not one that is done anymore, but it is done by a great car designer. It required me to buy two more colours that I didn't have already which made me have to sort out most of my colours again.

This model came with a figurine and a rat fink, this is the first time I have ever made or painted a figurine, but I guess there's a first for everything. The figurines have little pieces which will make it easy and quick to build but being small, hard and finicky to paint.



This is how the model should look and I think I got it looking good. If I had more room then I would make a car display garage, this would display my cars in a way you would like to see them in real life.


Now that I have finished this model I can get started on my military 1/2 track a German Sd.Kfz.8 DB10 Gepanzerte 12t.