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Plank Bending Tools

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DennisP

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Dec 23, 2024
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An easy question for you experts to answer please.

I have an Electric plank bender and as you would expect I got better the more I used it, but there is another type of plank bender and it looks like a crimping tool.

When using the electric plank bender I got used to it and was able to bend the plank to curve upwards instead of a straight line which is what you need when you get to the bow and the stern.

Can you achieve a curved upwards plank with the crimp type ? Hopefully this makes sense.
 
To be sure which direction you mean, maybe the sketch below helps. It sounds like you are asking about A, edge bending. I think a crimping tool will leave a dimpled edge along the surface.
1746611765346.png
Hot air gun or your heating iron and a few scrap pieces of wood are all you need. Edge bending really does best with heat, as you have found out with your tool, or a combination of wet and heat. Before I realized the benefits of a hot air gun I used a soldering iron and it worked well. In the photo I soaked the plank then bent around the former which was the specific shape needed and clamped it. Then the heat was applied and the plank was shaped. The second photo is after the wood has been heated and is dry.
Allan
1746611564172.jpeg
1746611666406.jpeg
 
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AllanKP69 said:
To be sure which direction you mean, maybe the sketch below helps. I sounds like you are asking about A, edge bending. I think a crimping tool will leave a dimpled edge along the surface.
View attachment 518445
Hot air gun or your heating iron and a few scrap pieces of wood are all you need. Edge bending really does best with heat, as you have found out with your tool, or a combination of wet and heat. Before I realized the benefits of a hot air gun I used a soldering iron and it worked well. In the photo I soaked the plank then bent around the former which was the specific shape needed and clamped it. Then the heat was applied and the plank was shaped. The second photo is after the wood has been heated and is dry.
Allan
View attachment 518443
View attachment 518444
Click to expand...
Thank you Allan for that comprehensive answer. So, yes it is edge A that I was referring to. So it looks like the crimping tool type of plank bender will leave marks.
Your method of using a former and heat gun looks good but presumably you will need several formers as the curve on some ships gets bigger, or is the former adjustable ?
 
DennisP said:
but presumably you will need several formers
Click to expand...
Yes, several are needed. You can use cardboard or paper to come up with the spiled shape, then transfer it to a scrap piece of wood and cut the curve. I find one shape will work well for two or sometimes three strakes of planking, it is not always necessary to make one for every strake. You can use part of the treatise by renowned ship modeler and author David Antscherl to come up with the shape on page 3. The other pages are worth the read, especially in figuring the breadth of the planks which varies along the entire length of each strake.

https://cdn.wildapricot.com/278718/resources/Documents/articles/APrimerOnPlanking.pdf?version=1579727157000&Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOiBbeyJSZXNvdXJjZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY2RuLndpbGRhcHJpY290LmNvbS8yNzg3MTgvcmVzb3VyY2VzL0RvY3VtZW50cy9hcnRpY2xlcy9BUHJpbWVyT25QbGFua2luZy5wZGY~dmVyc2lvbj0xNTc5NzI3MTU3MDAwIiwiQ29uZGl0aW9uIjp7IkRhdGVMZXNzVGhhbiI6eyJBV1M6RXBvY2hUaW1lIjoxNzQ2NjIyNjE3fSwiSXBBZGRyZXNzIjp7IkFXUzpTb3VyY2VJcCI6IjAuMC4wLjAvMCJ9fX1dfQ__&Signature=C88DxSRMUj~YZk0vektsalOzMMJWc3LQZdIh7UOdZmwervJRO1eJY5eWNml8q8Dx4QexSEIPkkjJcittTMiPWqxuaw6itRWrOXFm2Jhz23MknN00CVZnxskSempB~xofK76aTJtFcgNYmfEvKhaZwpab0e4etdIlPHTRJ1BL1yjqp-mXArY0w7RHYdrtNi7y-QhgK71mwkrHOUVpCohb6GKxEupUoFJ~snyCu9Gj97aU9GEAf1oriM1ekT00G9jIPYiGi2TCfVRUEBh~VW~DStDMa00r-2m2q9kNCsh2~kjJQODvkkTqdMmAfG4smZUemd7LWOZ6am1WRxpGN7ZyGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K27MGQSHTHAGGF

Allan
 
Edge bending is very tough. I am working on an edge bending tool, but I am not ready to publicize at the moment. In researching, I found several themes"

1)Do not bend. Get oversize plank and carve shape you need. The thought here is that it is impossible to get meaningful curves without internally damaging the wood....just too unnatural for the wood.

2)Do not bend. Same as above...but instead of find oversize boards...glue several boards together and carve what you need. With sanding, the glue lines are completely hidden.

3)Steaming....with use of steam (or chemicals) and some sort of clamping and pegboard system...slowly bend wood to specs.

4)Heat - very seldom able to achieve signficant bend with just heat....least popular method.

In the real buidling of ships, I found that using oversized planks and plank spiling was most common.

My new bending machine is great for normal bending of planks without soaking or heat. I hope to have a soluction for edge bending in the near future.
 
gene438 said:
I am working on an edge bending tool
Click to expand...
I truly hope it is a success as it would be welcome tool for many ship modelers. I envision a device that has hot rollers to bend and dry wet planks. The problem I cannot get through my thick skull is how to set the exact amount of bend as each strake is slightly different.

Regarding heat bending, I agree based on lack of success using only heat. Water and heat, some call the Kammerlander method, works very well.

Allan
 
AllanKP69 said:
I truly hope it is a success as it would be welcome tool for many ship modelers. I envision a device that has hot rollers to bend and dry wet planks. The problem I cannot get through my thick skull is how to set the exact amount of bend as each strake is slightly different.

Regarding heat bending, I agree based on lack of success using only heat. Water and heat, some call the Kammerlander method, works very well.

Allan
Click to expand...
I agree, I think it would be needed in every modeler's workshop. I really, really wanted something that would not require soaking or heat...but I am struggling right now. I believe simple physics are working against us...when edge bending, the compression side condenses some..but ultimately has no where to go while the opposite side is pulling apart. I am leaning toward soaking which allows greater compression.....but we will continue testing....
 
gene438 said:
Edge bending is very tough. I am working on an edge bending tool, but I am not ready to publicize at the moment. In researching, I found several themes"

My new bending machine is great for normal bending of planks without soaking or heat. I hope to have a soluction for edge bending in the near future.
Click to expand...
Very interesting looking at the website, but as you say it would appear to bend planks in a straight line, so will wait to see what you come up with for curves.
Looking at the sites that sell it, you cannot buy it in the UK, possibly something to do with tariffs
 
DennisP said:
Very interesting looking at the website, but as you say it would appear to bend planks in a straight line, so will wait to see what you come up with for curves.
Looking at the sites that sell it, you cannot buy it in the UK, possibly something to do with tariffs
Click to expand...
I need to check those sites....perhaps I did not setup shipping correctly....i'll look at it.
 
DennisP said:
Very interesting looking at the website, but as you say it would appear to bend planks in a straight line, so will wait to see what you come up with for curves.
Looking at the sites that sell it, you cannot buy it in the UK, possibly something to do with tariffs
Click to expand...
I believe I now have internation shipping setup on both Amazon and Ebay.
 
Yes, you are correct that the crimp style will leave marks on the inside of the curve.
Yes, you can get a plank to twist and then bend upward toward the twist. You do this by crimping at an angle rather than perpendicular. If done right, it can come out pretty good. I planked the hull of the Art. Lat. Constellation with that tool (because it was what I had and didn't know about the water/heat method).
But it will not do edge bending that I'm aware of.
 
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Corsair said:
Yes, you are correct that the crimp style will leave marks on the inside of the curve.
Yes, you can get a plank to twist and then bend upward toward the twist. You do this by crimping at an angle rather than perpendicular. If done right, it can come out pretty good. I planked the hull of the Art. Lat. Constellation with that tool (because it was what I had and didn't know about the water/heat method).
But it will not do edge bending that I'm aware of.
Click to expand...
Thank you Jeff, that answers my question in a nutshell. I thought about the crimp style when I started building last December but a few people spoke up about the electric plank bending tool, so I went with that, although not perfect I can bend reasonably well. I just take my time, like everything in ship building
 
DennisP said:
Thank you Jeff, that answers my question in a nutshell. I thought about the crimp style when I started building last December but a few people spoke up about the electric plank bending tool, so I went with that, although not perfect I can bend reasonably well. I just take my time, like everything in ship building
Click to expand...
Yes, I use water and heat (steam) now and it doesn't deface either side of the plank.
 
DennisP said:
Thank you Allan for that comprehensive answer. So, yes it is edge A that I was referring to. So it looks like the crimping tool type of plank bender will leave marks.
Your method of using a former and heat gun looks good but presumably you will need several formers as the curve on some ships gets bigger, or is the former adjustable ?
Click to expand...
I find this method works well using 3 different formers and brushing on a very light coat of water before applying heat to create a bit of steam. After applying heat, let dry for about a minute before removing plank from jig.
 
DennisP said:
Thank you Allan for that comprehensive answer. So, yes it is edge A that I was referring to. So it looks like the crimping tool type of plank bender will leave marks.
Your method of using a former and heat gun looks good but presumably you will need several formers as the curve on some ships gets bigger, or is the former adjustable ?
Click to expand...
I have both. For tight bends I will use the crimping tool on wet wood. It does leave a mark but only on the inside. If you need to bend in the A edge then heat is your only choice.
 
garcianacho said:
I make a block in a 3d printer with the curvature taken from the Occre plans, and with the planks wet for a few hours they acquire the perfect curvature. I attach the one I have now for the Polaris.

View attachment 518896
Click to expand...
Blimey, a 3D printer, surely thats a bit extreme for model ship building. Out of my price range but I wouldn’t have a use for it on a kit.
Good luck with the Polaris, have not long finished my one.
Thanks for your reply.
 
AllanKP69 said:
Yes, several are needed. You can use cardboard or paper to come up with the spiled shape, then transfer it to a scrap piece of wood and cut the curve. I find one shape will work well for two or sometimes three strakes of planking, it is not always necessary to make one for every strake. You can use part of the treatise by renowned ship modeler and author David Antscherl to come up with the shape on page 3. The other pages are worth the read, especially in figuring the breadth of the planks which varies along the entire length of each strake.

https://cdn.wildapricot.com/278718/resources/Documents/articles/APrimerOnPlanking.pdf?version=1579727157000&Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOiBbeyJSZXNvdXJjZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY2RuLndpbGRhcHJpY290LmNvbS8yNzg3MTgvcmVzb3VyY2VzL0RvY3VtZW50cy9hcnRpY2xlcy9BUHJpbWVyT25QbGFua2luZy5wZGY~dmVyc2lvbj0xNTc5NzI3MTU3MDAwIiwiQ29uZGl0aW9uIjp7IkRhdGVMZXNzVGhhbiI6eyJBV1M6RXBvY2hUaW1lIjoxNzQ2NjIyNjE3fSwiSXBBZGRyZXNzIjp7IkFXUzpTb3VyY2VJcCI6IjAuMC4wLjAvMCJ9fX1dfQ__&Signature=C88DxSRMUj~YZk0vektsalOzMMJWc3LQZdIh7UOdZmwervJRO1eJY5eWNml8q8Dx4QexSEIPkkjJcittTMiPWqxuaw6itRWrOXFm2Jhz23MknN00CVZnxskSempB~xofK76aTJtFcgNYmfEvKhaZwpab0e4etdIlPHTRJ1BL1yjqp-mXArY0w7RHYdrtNi7y-QhgK71mwkrHOUVpCohb6GKxEupUoFJ~snyCu9Gj97aU9GEAf1oriM1ekT00G9jIPYiGi2TCfVRUEBh~VW~DStDMa00r-2m2q9kNCsh2~kjJQODvkkTqdMmAfG4smZUemd7LWOZ6am1WRxpGN7ZyGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K27MGQSHTHAGGF

Allan
Click to expand...
I wasn't able to get that link to work. If anyone else has the same problem this one helped: https://www.sdshipmodelersguild.org/documents/presentations/APrimerOnPlanking.pd
 
Thank you all for bringing up this topic as I am certainly a novice at ship building. I thought I would start with a cheap and cheerful model of The Harvey to use it to learn from my mistakes (and there were quite few). I used a soldering iron to do a Type A bend (see above messages) but to force the bend I must have been using too much force as I seemed to compress the plank in the area I was bending.
When you use steam is this from a standard clothes steam iron or is there another way to get the steam?
 
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