Constitution Deck Plank Lengths?

[Farmboy]

I measured the molded deck planking on my 1/96 and find it 3mm x 120mm and plan to duplicate with birch veneer...but is this length correct? The conversion app says that's about 38 feet-ish?... yowza! Maybe due to the availability of old growth trees back when? Anyone know fer shur? I've searched around quite a bit to find a majority answer but finding more how to do its (nothing wrong with that, just not the answer I'm looking for). I'm wondering if a 38ft deck plank was common in the 17-1800's.

 

[Frank48]

I measured the molded deck planking on my 1/96 and find it 3mm x 120mm and plan to duplicate with birch veneer...but is this length correct? The conversion app says that's about 38 feet-ish?... yowza! Maybe due to the availability of old growth trees back when? Anyone know fer shur? I've searched around quite a bit to find a majority answer but finding more how to do its (nothing wrong with that, just not the answer I'm looking for). I'm wondering if a 38ft deck plank was common in the 17-1800's.

Yes

 

[Farmboy]

Thank you Frank.

 

[Marcus.K.]

Hm .. I guess the used length did depend a lot on where and when the decks planks were produced. Since the young American States did have access to a lot of excellent wood (when other nations navies already struggled in getting good material) it may be, that the original ship had much longer than in those times usual planks.

This linked paper describes the length used for the 1992 restoration:

Materials on USS Constitution

maritime.org

Here the length was specified with 40 feet.

For sure the length of each individual plank did depend on the position of the deck beams, since the end had to be exactly on such a beam.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Hm .. I guess the used length did depend a lot on where and when the decks planks were produced. Since the young American States did have access to a lot of excellent wood (when other nations navies already struggled in getting good material) it may be, that the original ship had much longer than in those times usual planks.

This linked paper describrs the length used for the 1992 restoration:

Materials on USS Constitution

maritime.org

Here the length was specified with 40 feet.

For sure the length of each individual plank did depend on the position of the deck beams, since the end had to be exactly on such a beam.

You get lots of wood to make ships with when you're a lumber colony!

 

[Marcus.K.]

USS Constitution Museum has an interesting page about the planks - indicating a length between 35 and 60 !! feet. Thats for all planks in general - also the ship´s hull planking.

If you check the distances of Waldo´s 1819 Deck Beam design you find, that a 40 foot plank would fit pretty well in general

 

[Farmboy]

Don't know if I've ever seen a plank 40 feet long. Impresses the h*ll outta me! Thanks for the info everyone, 'preciate it.