- Joined
- Oct 15, 2017
- Messages
- 1,129
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- 443
Hello and welcome to SoS!
Occre's Albatros was my first build. Occre produces models with a quality somewhere in the middle of the curve. Their customer service is excellent, but their instructions are not so much. So it's no surprise to have builders ask questions, and here at SoS, questions get answered very quickly. Working on your Albatros will introduce you to many of the basic tasks you will use for the remainder of your modeling career. Learning the correct way to do them now will save you a lot of frustration in the future and make the hobby that much more enjoyable.
How or what method one uses to bend planks is one thing, retail plank benders, your Grandma's old clothes iron, steam, etc. and a topic all its own.
When is comes to fundamentals of planking, I second Allan's post. Chuck Passaro's planking videos demonstrate a very simple, yet exact way of planking model ships. It is one of many methods, but my choice. I believe he uses Alaskan Yellow Cedar quite a bit, which is soft, bends easily, but no more than the Lime wood/Basswood, which is what you're planking with, is just as easy, if not a little easier. So that helps a lot when one is first learning the task of planking.
One other note I feel is important to share. Every step in building a ship is important as a mistake made early in the build will most likely show up later. This is most important when is comes to planking. Your Albatros' construction requires 2 planking layers, which is not how actual ships construct their hulls, but some model ship manufacturers choose to do. The first layer of planking, Basswood/Lime wood, is laid, they covered with a veneer of Sapele/Sapele. If your first layer has imperfections, bumps or depressions, it will most definitely show in the final layer. As boring as some tasks are, it's so important to take the time to get it right. Many mistakes can be rectified later, but irregular hulls are almost impossible to fix without removing the work already done.
Planking, whether on frames or bulkheads, the easiest area, which you most likely discovered already, is amidship or approximately the middle 3rd of the ship's hull. This is the area where the planks lay relatively flat. But, as planks get closer to each end of the ship's hull, bow and stern, they are required to bend in two directions, and this is where some tutorials will address how to overcome this challenge. I find Chuck's tutorial concise and imparts the logic that left me understanding not just the "what" and "how" to do it a certain way, but most importantly, to me, at least, the "why".
I'm leaping here, but having recently retired as a PD Lt., I'm sure you're familiar with problem solving. If you were looking to leave that part of your life behind, you chose the wrong hobby.
But if you're like me, problem-solving was a driving reason I took up the hobby. Exercising our brains keeps us sharp.
Welcome aboard, again. Ask all the questions you have. There is no daily limit.
And thank you for your service!
Occre's Albatros was my first build. Occre produces models with a quality somewhere in the middle of the curve. Their customer service is excellent, but their instructions are not so much. So it's no surprise to have builders ask questions, and here at SoS, questions get answered very quickly. Working on your Albatros will introduce you to many of the basic tasks you will use for the remainder of your modeling career. Learning the correct way to do them now will save you a lot of frustration in the future and make the hobby that much more enjoyable.
How or what method one uses to bend planks is one thing, retail plank benders, your Grandma's old clothes iron, steam, etc. and a topic all its own.
When is comes to fundamentals of planking, I second Allan's post. Chuck Passaro's planking videos demonstrate a very simple, yet exact way of planking model ships. It is one of many methods, but my choice. I believe he uses Alaskan Yellow Cedar quite a bit, which is soft, bends easily, but no more than the Lime wood/Basswood, which is what you're planking with, is just as easy, if not a little easier. So that helps a lot when one is first learning the task of planking.
One other note I feel is important to share. Every step in building a ship is important as a mistake made early in the build will most likely show up later. This is most important when is comes to planking. Your Albatros' construction requires 2 planking layers, which is not how actual ships construct their hulls, but some model ship manufacturers choose to do. The first layer of planking, Basswood/Lime wood, is laid, they covered with a veneer of Sapele/Sapele. If your first layer has imperfections, bumps or depressions, it will most definitely show in the final layer. As boring as some tasks are, it's so important to take the time to get it right. Many mistakes can be rectified later, but irregular hulls are almost impossible to fix without removing the work already done.
Planking, whether on frames or bulkheads, the easiest area, which you most likely discovered already, is amidship or approximately the middle 3rd of the ship's hull. This is the area where the planks lay relatively flat. But, as planks get closer to each end of the ship's hull, bow and stern, they are required to bend in two directions, and this is where some tutorials will address how to overcome this challenge. I find Chuck's tutorial concise and imparts the logic that left me understanding not just the "what" and "how" to do it a certain way, but most importantly, to me, at least, the "why".
I'm leaping here, but having recently retired as a PD Lt., I'm sure you're familiar with problem solving. If you were looking to leave that part of your life behind, you chose the wrong hobby.
But if you're like me, problem-solving was a driving reason I took up the hobby. Exercising our brains keeps us sharp.Welcome aboard, again. Ask all the questions you have. There is no daily limit.
And thank you for your service!
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