AFTER SOME BAD EXPERIENCS WITH TO THIN PLANKING I GO TO A THICKER PLANK TO LEAVE ROOM FOR SANDING SCRAPING ETC THAT IS THE WAY I GO FROM NOW ON. GOD BLESS STAY SAFE ALL DON
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I do understand your point. Yes, knowing how to properly use a plane is fine, but for many of us there are other factors. If the plane is cutting fine, then jams and tears the wood, damaging it, it's too late to change direction. Kits often provide wood that has wavy grain direction. A thin 0.5mm strip of wood being planed on its edge often bends to one side and breaks along the grain. It's delicate. Repositioning how far the edge of the strip protrudes from the vise 100 times to create a curve and using a plane takes quite a long time. Suffice to say, there are other methods besides the traditional method of using a plane.
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Hi Phil, I use the same Veritas plane - expensive here @ £40, but a brilliant little tool.
Stuart
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Con una lijadora y papel de grano 800
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Over planking the subsurface of strakes or veneer planking, with the narrow veneer strips from the plank sheer to the water line I
have found don't need a lot of trimming. From the waterline down I lay down a gore line as you would for coppering with short strips of appropriate length. Below that I use strips of increasing lengths starting amid ships, snugging the strip up against the gore line, or strip above it, then marking off the the tapers at either end where they cross the strip above and chopping off the taper with a sharp chisel. The veneer strips have just enough flex to fit one below the other. requiring tapering only at either end of each strip as you progress. The tapers, I have found never exceed 2", which I chop in a single stroke with as wide a well sharpened chisel as necessary. As you progress you will probably need a few stealers aft, but this can be minimized with careful planning. The net result leaves a believable appearance of a planked hull.
Sometimes I will glaze the veneer above and below the waterline to suggest the color of paint or even copper, which I imitate by wiping copper paint over mahogany veneer strips, then wiping the excess paint off with a damp rag, leaving the copper sparkle imbedded in the grain. I finish by scoring the veneer strips with a narrow chisel, to suggest individual copper plates. A pounce wheel may be used to suggest rivets (do this before you trim and glue down the strips.) I employed this method on my " Harriet Lane" which ( I think) can be seen in gallery12. Also with the " Chasseur" with the exception that I used adhesive backed real copper applied to mahogany veneer strips first, then proceeded as above. The black veneer above the waterline on that model I milled myself from ebony.
I use Loctite CA gel carefully applied sparingly. Takes practice. Also the strips may be trimmed to manageable lengths.
I hope this isn't all too obscure to follow. Works for me.
Pete
have found don't need a lot of trimming. From the waterline down I lay down a gore line as you would for coppering with short strips of appropriate length. Below that I use strips of increasing lengths starting amid ships, snugging the strip up against the gore line, or strip above it, then marking off the the tapers at either end where they cross the strip above and chopping off the taper with a sharp chisel. The veneer strips have just enough flex to fit one below the other. requiring tapering only at either end of each strip as you progress. The tapers, I have found never exceed 2", which I chop in a single stroke with as wide a well sharpened chisel as necessary. As you progress you will probably need a few stealers aft, but this can be minimized with careful planning. The net result leaves a believable appearance of a planked hull.
Sometimes I will glaze the veneer above and below the waterline to suggest the color of paint or even copper, which I imitate by wiping copper paint over mahogany veneer strips, then wiping the excess paint off with a damp rag, leaving the copper sparkle imbedded in the grain. I finish by scoring the veneer strips with a narrow chisel, to suggest individual copper plates. A pounce wheel may be used to suggest rivets (do this before you trim and glue down the strips.) I employed this method on my " Harriet Lane" which ( I think) can be seen in gallery12. Also with the " Chasseur" with the exception that I used adhesive backed real copper applied to mahogany veneer strips first, then proceeded as above. The black veneer above the waterline on that model I milled myself from ebony.
I use Loctite CA gel carefully applied sparingly. Takes practice. Also the strips may be trimmed to manageable lengths.
I hope this isn't all too obscure to follow. Works for me.
Pete
Back in 2020 (or thereabouts) there was an article in the NRJ on how to build a "`"sanding box" (build it out of scrap wood) to be used with a sleeve sander (purchase at Harbor Freight for about 7 bucks) in a drill press. If you build the box carefully keeping minimal "space" between the top hole and the sleeve, use the finest grit sleeve, use a slow speed on the drill press, have lots' of light so you can see what you are doing, suck the sawdust away with a vacuum cleaner and make copious width measurements with a good MANUAL (non-battery operated) dial caliper that measures to 0.001" (amazon.com for about $25), you should be able to create any curve (or taper) in a 0.5mm (0.002" thick) plank that you can draw. I have been using mine for about ten years (before the article) and have tapered thousands of planks in the thickness range 0.5mm to 9mm and width range 0.06" to 0.33". This is the easiest, quickest, most versatile and accurate method I know of. You can taper almost any plank in a minute or so (without breaking the wood) to a tolerance of +-0.001" in any length from 1" to 36" (the range of my planks thus far). Good luck.
Sanding .05 (.5 ?) planking really starts with very precise fitting of the planks as they are applied to reduce sanding requirements. Then, light sanding is all that is necessary using a fine grade sand paper. In my experience one of the advantages of .05 thin planks is that it is actually easier to apply with more precise edge fitment. I have not experienced needing to sand down .05 thin planking to a point where it sands through to the first layers.
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correction: In my description of over planking ,or veneering a hull, I said "lay down a gore line" after veneering from the sheer line to the water line. It is not necessary to lay down a gore line beneath the waterline unless you are coppering, or simulating coppering as I described. Just start the next layer of veneer strips amid ships beginning at the waterline and proceed as described from there.
A "gore line" is the first row of copper plates beneath the waterline that follows the waterline. the next row of plates begins amid ships and the ends of the strip of plates are trimmed to abut the waterline where thy cross it and the subsequent rows below that. I've found so far that the veneer strips have just enough flex to accommodate the curve of the strip above it until the ends cross the previous strip and are trimmed accordingly. This is not fool proof. Beware of the strips beginning to form a concave curve in the middle, an error which becomes magnified. as you proceed. As I mentioned before you will have to plan for stealers (triangular filler strips usually aft where the curve of the hull becomes concave.)
I have used this method successfully on several Baltimore Clippers, A "fair American" brig, the "Glad Tidings" pinky schooner model and some others. I can't say if it would be universally doable on other hull shapes, such as fin keeled regatta yachts, etc.
The resulting surface gives the appeal and look of a planked hull. The hardwood veneers give a nice surface for staining and finishing with the products of your choice. The final product is not the same as properly spiled planks. But gives, as I said, the look and appeal of a properly planked hull for a relatively simplified effort.
Sometimes good enough is good enough.
Pete
A "gore line" is the first row of copper plates beneath the waterline that follows the waterline. the next row of plates begins amid ships and the ends of the strip of plates are trimmed to abut the waterline where thy cross it and the subsequent rows below that. I've found so far that the veneer strips have just enough flex to accommodate the curve of the strip above it until the ends cross the previous strip and are trimmed accordingly. This is not fool proof. Beware of the strips beginning to form a concave curve in the middle, an error which becomes magnified. as you proceed. As I mentioned before you will have to plan for stealers (triangular filler strips usually aft where the curve of the hull becomes concave.)
I have used this method successfully on several Baltimore Clippers, A "fair American" brig, the "Glad Tidings" pinky schooner model and some others. I can't say if it would be universally doable on other hull shapes, such as fin keeled regatta yachts, etc.
The resulting surface gives the appeal and look of a planked hull. The hardwood veneers give a nice surface for staining and finishing with the products of your choice. The final product is not the same as properly spiled planks. But gives, as I said, the look and appeal of a properly planked hull for a relatively simplified effort.
Sometimes good enough is good enough.
Pete