Let's say the longest rib is 102mm and each plank is 5mm that would give me 20 planks with 2mm left over, do i do the rest of the math with that 20 plank number and put the 2mm strip next to the keel or do I say 21mm and have to slightly adjust the height of all the planks
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Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
From what I have done, and most read by others is that planks have a max width but every planks exact width varies as the sides of the ships hull are not true parallel runs, some planks twist and get thin and wide depending on position of the plank on the hull.
Most true ship builders would narrow all planks to get 21 in your example as a very narrow plank is hard to secure to the hull.
I am sure other here will have more answers for your question.
Most true ship builders would narrow all planks to get 21 in your example as a very narrow plank is hard to secure to the hull.
I am sure other here will have more answers for your question.
Kurt is correct.
you would take the distance from the top of the top plank down to the keel and divide that by the 21 planks. That will tell you how "tall" each plank should be at the max and how much you need to shave off of each plank.
However, as Kurt mentioned, the lines of the hull are not parallel. They will (usually) taper toward the bow (the front). At the stern (the rear of the ship) some planks and some will be wider. Some of the lines will widen so much as to leave a gap between the planks These will need to have pieces inserted separately. I believe these pieces are called stealers.
This is just a very quick and simplified description. There are some great write-ups on planking elsewhere in the forums and I would recommend you review them.
There is also some great information out on the web. Here is a link to a video by Chuck Passaro that I think the series of 4 videos is very good !
Link to Passaro video part 1
I hope this helps you get the results you want from your model !
you would take the distance from the top of the top plank down to the keel and divide that by the 21 planks. That will tell you how "tall" each plank should be at the max and how much you need to shave off of each plank.
However, as Kurt mentioned, the lines of the hull are not parallel. They will (usually) taper toward the bow (the front). At the stern (the rear of the ship) some planks and some will be wider. Some of the lines will widen so much as to leave a gap between the planks These will need to have pieces inserted separately. I believe these pieces are called stealers.
This is just a very quick and simplified description. There are some great write-ups on planking elsewhere in the forums and I would recommend you review them.
There is also some great information out on the web. Here is a link to a video by Chuck Passaro that I think the series of 4 videos is very good !
Link to Passaro video part 1
I hope this helps you get the results you want from your model !
I agree with Kurt...I would do 21 five-mm planks and narrow each plank accordingly at the stem and the stern. That way, you shouldn't have any stealers to insert at the end of your planking job but if you needed to, your stealers would be relatively tiny. If you started with 20 planks, you pretty much ensure that you will have to insert a 2mm stealer at some point...if you start with 21 it would be neater. But hey, many folx like to insert stealers! You just need to be very precise with shaping that partial plank.
Also, for beginning plankers, most ppl do not think to bevel their planks top and bottom to get a tighter fit between planks up and down the ships' hull. I use a simple internet bevel / chamfer tool that has a blade that can give you a nice 45-degree bevel above and below the plank so the planks above and below fit snugly into their neighbors. I also cut a chamfer at the end of each plank so the plank fits flush against the stem and the stern post. Since doing the bevel will reduce the thickness of your planks by a fraction of a millimeter, it is better to start with a bit more width of overall planks (the 21 plank approach) so that if you reduce the overall thickness of the planking by .5 or .75 of a millimeter, you won't need to do too much to accommodate that.
Also, for beginning plankers, most ppl do not think to bevel their planks top and bottom to get a tighter fit between planks up and down the ships' hull. I use a simple internet bevel / chamfer tool that has a blade that can give you a nice 45-degree bevel above and below the plank so the planks above and below fit snugly into their neighbors. I also cut a chamfer at the end of each plank so the plank fits flush against the stem and the stern post. Since doing the bevel will reduce the thickness of your planks by a fraction of a millimeter, it is better to start with a bit more width of overall planks (the 21 plank approach) so that if you reduce the overall thickness of the planking by .5 or .75 of a millimeter, you won't need to do too much to accommodate that.
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Real wooden boats and ships are planked with planks of various widths, each planked shaped to fit established good practices; staggering of joints, avoiding very small pieces, avoiding pointed ends, etc.
Perhaps about 1900, “strip planking” began to be used by less skilled boatbuilders to build small boats. Here on Lake Superior, local fishermen used this technique. Strip planking used narrow planks of uniform width. This required ignoring established practice for planking with wider planks. The availability of GRP (fiberglass) following World War II made strip planking a popular alternative for amateur builders as planking could now be encased in a plastic matrix.
Most commercially available POB ship model kits provide narrow strips of uniform width to “plank” hulls. Using this kit supplied material, it is impossible to plank the model like a real ship. THE HULL MUST BE STRIP PLANKED. If you intend to paint the model and can putty up small pieces, pointed ends, etc. It doesn’t matter. If you feel the need to replicate actual planking, then you will have to use wider planks that can be individually shaped.
Roger
Perhaps about 1900, “strip planking” began to be used by less skilled boatbuilders to build small boats. Here on Lake Superior, local fishermen used this technique. Strip planking used narrow planks of uniform width. This required ignoring established practice for planking with wider planks. The availability of GRP (fiberglass) following World War II made strip planking a popular alternative for amateur builders as planking could now be encased in a plastic matrix.
Most commercially available POB ship model kits provide narrow strips of uniform width to “plank” hulls. Using this kit supplied material, it is impossible to plank the model like a real ship. THE HULL MUST BE STRIP PLANKED. If you intend to paint the model and can putty up small pieces, pointed ends, etc. It doesn’t matter. If you feel the need to replicate actual planking, then you will have to use wider planks that can be individually shaped.
Roger
Sorry. I disagree with trying to get the steelers to be as narrow as possible. There was some rule for how narrow the stealers can be. I believe the rule was that stealer width should not be narrower than the half width of normal plank. Otherwise in real ship it would not be possible to fasten the stealer plank narrower end.