Deck plank

there are several methods discussed scattered through out the forum unfortunately finding the exact information is pretty much a shot in the dark finding a needle in a hay stack
you can try searching

decking
deck caulking
deck planking
caulking
magic marker
tinted glue
paper caulking
painted plank edges

let me see if i can search some for you

here is a method i use

Tecumseth 1815

there are not too many skylights you can observe up close out in the wild. They are one of the first structures to fall apart. sometimes you do get a glimpse
shipsofscale.com
 
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In the past I used very thin black paper to imitate caulking of deck planking.
In the meantime I changed and use Ecoline paints

Take a look at the Le Coureur I made last year

LE COUREUR - french Lugger 1776 - POF kit from CAF in 1:48 by Uwe

Changing the waterways, like I did, will produce some necessary adjustments of the planking, which will try to explain in the following all planks are laying on the deck (without waterways (here you can see once more the mixing of the planks because of the wood grain and annual rings) This...
shipsofscale.com
 
BTW: sending you also a warm welcome here on board of our forum
 
Philski said:
I use a soft lead pencil against both edges. One thing you might consider - look at a few of the build logs in the forums, maybe find your ship, and read what each builder uses.
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ditto.


by the way, I suggest any newbie builder checks the plank width - most kits have planking strip that is far too wide, replacing with strips of the correct width (and possibly thicker) is not particularly expensive. also worth researching and replicating the pattern of joints in the deck timbers.
 
Rifleman57 said:
How do I get the black edges in my deck planking?
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I blacken the edges with a black fabric marker pen (If you are in the U.S. the Joann chain of craft stores carries them). It will not run if the deck is later stained. Do not use a "permanent" marker like a Sharpie. It will smear if stain is applied on top.
 
Another consideration is how “black” or “dark” do we want the deck plank caulking to be. I have used various techniques including using black sewing thread between the planks, pencil, markers, as well as the paper method mentioned above. I have not been satisfied with very dark or black caulking simulations. Too stark for my taste. So, for my last few models I have simply planked the deck with no additional coloring between the planks then applied a coating of semi gloss polyurethane as a finish. The poly settles into the plank grooves to give a subtle but noticeable tone that imitates the caulking. A light tone rather than a sharp contrast black. In my experience a better representation of planking. This technique can also be used to imitate deck nails. Use a sharp tool to make small indentations where deck nailing would be and then again poly the deck. The poly settles into the indentations giving a subtle but noticeable tone to simulate the nails. You see it but it doesn’t look like a disease. :)
 
I used a 5B pencil on my first attempt at darkening between the planks. Seemed to work out pretty well.

Endurance by OcCre 1:70

Hey shipmates! I started my second build, the HMS Endurance by OcCre, after completing the Albatros. I learned so much from SoS the first go around, I'm excited about this ship and adding in some of the detail I learned about by posting and following other awesome builds. It was a couple of...
shipsofscale.com
 
Thomas said:
Does the lead ever bleed when you varnish the deck?
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No. But, when sanding, you may pick up some lead and smear it on the deck, causing some minor staining. The best thing for a deck is scraping with a razor held in a scraper tool. It evens out the ridges and bumps but does not drown out the lines with fine sawdust like sanding does. You don't need to sand a deck at all if you use a scraper, and the results look surprisingly better.
 
I posted earlier about using a fabric marker to blacken the edges of deck planking. I just completed a deck, made from birch plywood, in this way and some pix are attached if anyone is interested in how this appears. Deck planks were laid in a single strip then butts were scribed in with a 4 plank repeat pattern. After applying a coat of Minwax natural stain the butt edges stood out without any darkening agent.
IMG_1960.jpegIMG_1959.jpeg
 
polydoc said:
I posted earlier about using a fabric marker to blacken the edges of deck planking. I just completed a deck, made from birch plywood, in this way and some pix are attached if anyone is interested in how this appears. Deck planks were laid in a single strip then butts were scribed in with a 4 plank repeat pattern. After applying a coat of Minwax natural stain the butt edges stood out without any darkening agent.
View attachment 345421View attachment 345422
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Perfect!
 
In my previous post herein I mentioned that I prefer a lighter toned deck caulking simulation. That preference is my own aesthetics in play. Many ship’s deck caulking was indeed very dark and very stark. So using a black tone for simulating caulking is very acceptable depending on the era of the ship. I was recently on a modern day cruise ship that had wood decks and the caulking was a very black polymer. The point here is that any color caulking simulation will work taking into consideration the era of the ship...older ships having a pine oil soaked oakum pounded into the seams of the deck planks which would call for a dark brown simulation…
 
Philski said:
Remember, depending on the wood, its dryness and the fluid of the marker, the ink may easily run along the grain. Try it on scrap first.
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I have found coating the deck planks with a clear wood sealer/conditioner and then using markers or paint for the caulking simulation works great…prevents bleed…blends well with a finish coat of clear polyurethane…just tedious to coat all the planks first with the sealer…MinWax has a “wood sealer pre stain conditioner” that works well for this…
 
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