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.
Y.T. - I think you're right. I remember in one of the Olha Batchvarov planking videos there being a discussion of minimum stealer width of one half plank width. That way there is a maximum of two steelers per plank.
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If the guy who asked the question is using kit supplied strips to plank his hull, none of this matters as planking the hull with strips has no relation to how actual ships were built.
R oger
R oger
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Is that because the planks are out of scale?
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See my explanation in post #5 above. Yes, strip wood is out of scale and in building real wooden vessels, planks are individual sculpted.
Each and every plank must be individually "spiled" (shaped to fit) for a proper planking job. There's no "free lunch" on this one. This requires "lining off" your hull (on a model) with string, tape, or a batten into horizontal sections and then determining how many planks will be required to fill each horizontal section. The string, tape, or battens will permit you to visualize the "run of the planking" on your hull. You must keep in mind your scale. Planking stock is only so wide and so long. You will see after lining off your hull into three or four sections that some sections have less curve so wider planks can be used. Where there are tighter curves, narrower planking stock will serve better. (This is why the planks just above the garboards, especially on a flat-bottomed vessel, are called "the broads." Plank width does not necessarily need to be the same in every plank on a frame from the keel rabbet to the cap rail.
Look at pictures high-quality models similar to your own which are planked as their prototypes were planked and try to copy the "run" of their planking and copy that.
As has been said above and so, so many times before, get a good written work on the subject and practice to get the hang of it.
I would strongly advise novices to study and follow David Antscherl's "Planking Primer" to learn how to "line off" and plank a model properly.
I would also strongly advise the novice not to follow Passaro's planking videos, except for the lining off instructions which, as I recall, are very good. Passaro has developed and is promoting a bastardized method of planking which shipwrights call "edge setting," which is bending a plank by force across its wide dimension. God did not make wood to bend this way. In real life planking, "edge setting" is frowned upon because it is a sloppy way to make up for an inaccurately spiled plank by forcing it against its neighbor and the force that is contained in a fastened edge set plank will aways be working thereafter to pull the plank away from the frame it's fastened to. On occasion, in real life, one might get away with "edge setting" a plank by an eighth or an inch, but Passaro has taken it "over the top" to radically heat-bending cheap kit strip wood for distances in some cases exceeding twice the width of the plank to create the required curved shape of a plank. In his video, he is using Alaskan Yellow Cedar, I believe, which tolerates such abuse far better than the cheap walnut and whatever most kits contain. He makes it look easy in his videos, but it's not. I can't fault his excellent planking work, that's for sure, but cutting a properly shaped plank from a flat piece of wider plank stock will yield a much easier and neater job than trying to bend it across the flat to fashion a curve that should be cut. The advantage of his radically "torturing" the narrow strip wood found in kits (which he sells) is that it permits using cheaper strips of wood than would be the case if planks had to be gotten out of wider planking stock.
I would also suggest that if one wants a hull that is finished "bright," (natural wood finish, not painted,) they closely evaluate the planking stock provided in their kit and seriously consider springing for some quality planking stock to replace what us usually the "firewood grade" stuff that's provided so often, even in expensive kits. While your mileage may differ, I cannot imagine why anyone would expect a "bright finished" hull to be planked in any fashion other that properly spiled to scale rather than "strip planked" with strip wood. While good wood is an additional expense, it can be sourced cut to order from a custom mill like The Lumberyard (SoS sponsor) for surprisingly reasonable prices. If you are going to show off a natural finish, use the good stuff. Steinway doesn't make pianos out of basswood.
Then again, if one is planning on painting a hull, it's been my experience that building a hull of "lifts" is far easier and faster and yields a stronger, more stable hull in the end. POB framing and strip planking is just easier and cheaper to fit in a box for the manufacturers. But that's a story for another night.
Look at pictures high-quality models similar to your own which are planked as their prototypes were planked and try to copy the "run" of their planking and copy that.
As has been said above and so, so many times before, get a good written work on the subject and practice to get the hang of it.
I would strongly advise novices to study and follow David Antscherl's "Planking Primer" to learn how to "line off" and plank a model properly.
I would also strongly advise the novice not to follow Passaro's planking videos, except for the lining off instructions which, as I recall, are very good. Passaro has developed and is promoting a bastardized method of planking which shipwrights call "edge setting," which is bending a plank by force across its wide dimension. God did not make wood to bend this way. In real life planking, "edge setting" is frowned upon because it is a sloppy way to make up for an inaccurately spiled plank by forcing it against its neighbor and the force that is contained in a fastened edge set plank will aways be working thereafter to pull the plank away from the frame it's fastened to. On occasion, in real life, one might get away with "edge setting" a plank by an eighth or an inch, but Passaro has taken it "over the top" to radically heat-bending cheap kit strip wood for distances in some cases exceeding twice the width of the plank to create the required curved shape of a plank. In his video, he is using Alaskan Yellow Cedar, I believe, which tolerates such abuse far better than the cheap walnut and whatever most kits contain. He makes it look easy in his videos, but it's not. I can't fault his excellent planking work, that's for sure, but cutting a properly shaped plank from a flat piece of wider plank stock will yield a much easier and neater job than trying to bend it across the flat to fashion a curve that should be cut. The advantage of his radically "torturing" the narrow strip wood found in kits (which he sells) is that it permits using cheaper strips of wood than would be the case if planks had to be gotten out of wider planking stock.
I would also suggest that if one wants a hull that is finished "bright," (natural wood finish, not painted,) they closely evaluate the planking stock provided in their kit and seriously consider springing for some quality planking stock to replace what us usually the "firewood grade" stuff that's provided so often, even in expensive kits. While your mileage may differ, I cannot imagine why anyone would expect a "bright finished" hull to be planked in any fashion other that properly spiled to scale rather than "strip planked" with strip wood. While good wood is an additional expense, it can be sourced cut to order from a custom mill like The Lumberyard (SoS sponsor) for surprisingly reasonable prices. If you are going to show off a natural finish, use the good stuff. Steinway doesn't make pianos out of basswood.
Then again, if one is planning on painting a hull, it's been my experience that building a hull of "lifts" is far easier and faster and yields a stronger, more stable hull in the end. POB framing and strip planking is just easier and cheaper to fit in a box for the manufacturers. But that's a story for another night.
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You are building a kit?
You are doing the first layer of planking over the molds?
They are molds, not ribs, and absolutely not frames.
On a two layer planking design, the first layer is there to provide a base for layer two.
It does not matter what it looks like. It just must have a smooth run and no hollows or bulges.
Minor gaps do not matter. The outer planking will cover all of it.
It could probably be diagonal. Diagonal might even be the better choice.
Does the wale lay directly on the molds?
It would have to be really thick to include layer one and stand proud of layer two - if your vessel is 18thC. or earlier.
I lost the date from my memory, but somewhere about 1800 the bottom planking started to taper thicker and slope up to the wale.
For a while there was still a ledge at the top. Then there was taper at the top also. The planking was smooth.
If there is a wale and it is place - try alternating keel and wale and meet at the bilge bulge.
Strip planking gets the job done.
Layer two - what is supplied with your kit is probably wrong on many levels.
It is probably veneer. brittle - open pore - contrasting grain - too narrow to spill.
Discard it. Get a proper species from a wood supplier. Consult about color and species. Get wide enough to spill.
Get extra. If it is thin a steel straight edge and a #11 knife blade - will free a properly spilled plank from its stock.
Strop often. A single bevel violin makers knife may be worth a look - which side has the bevel depends on which of your hands is the dominant one. The flat edge against the edge.