Question about manufacturers offering kits with precut planking

[csimoni]

Good afternoon,

I’ve been doing wooden ship modeling for years without ever becoming comfortable or proficient with hull planking. My fault I know. I have noticed some kits e.g., from Pavel Nikitin, that appear to have the hull planking precut which would seem to make doing a credible job of planking more straight forward and less stressful (although not like “the shipwrights of olde.”)

I like to work with my hands, I do precision kumiko woodworking, but have trouble 3D conceptualizing how to cut planks for fitting. Yes, I’ve read most of the stuff available but it doesn’t seem to “take.”

Two questions. First, for those of you who have experience with these kits what is your sense on how well the precut planking works?

Second, who are some of the kit makers doing this?

Thanks.

Chris

 

[Walterone]

Second, who are some of the kit makers doing this?

All the Russian ones - Master-Korabel, Falkonet and others.

 

[zoly99sask]

Many Chinese manufactures and kits have precut planks and works well

 

[Dave Stevens (Lumberyard)]

looks like it works

 

[zoly99sask]

pandora

 

[Albert Mary]

Not a great solution, though. As the fake planking is laser cut from a single sheet of wood, the part will show the original grain of the sheet the planking is cut from. Other issue: it will hardly match the inner gunwales profile.

 

[zoly99sask]

Not a great solution, though. As the fake planking is laser cut from a single sheet of wood, the part will show the original grain of the sheet the planking is cut from. Other issue: it will hardly match the inner gunwales profile.

Looks good here

HMS Pandora 1779 潘多拉1月72日建造日志 , Scale 1:72 by dakyzw

第一次购买此商家的套材，套材设计新颖，慢慢制作，享受其中。这是一天的成果。 This is the first time I bought a kit from this merchant. The design of the kit is novel, and I enjoy it while making it slowly. This is the result of a day.

shipsofscale.com

 

[Albert Mary]

Looks good here

HMS Pandora 1779 潘多拉1月72日建造日志 , Scale 1:72 by dakyzw

第一次购买此商家的套材，套材设计新颖，慢慢制作，享受其中。这是一天的成果。 This is the first time I bought a kit from this merchant. The design of the kit is novel, and I enjoy it while making it slowly. This is the result of a day.

shipsofscale.com

Yep! Maybe it's pear here. Cherry looks far less suitable in my experience, but it is just and always my humble opinion.

 

[zoly99sask]

Yep! Maybe it's pear here. Cherry looks far less suitable in my experience, but it is just and always my humble opinion.

Boxwood

 

[Albert Mary]

Boxwood

Ah, wow. That's a true luxury. Never even considered that for my models.

 

[csimoni]

All the Russian ones - Master-Korabel, Falkonet and others.

Thank you.

 

[csimoni]

Many Chinese manufactures and kits have precut planks and works well

 

[csimoni]

I have seen those from ZHL. I am looking for smaller projects, but they look good.

 

[csimoni]

Looks good here

HMS Pandora 1779 潘多拉1月72日建造日志 , Scale 1:72 by dakyzw

第一次购买此商家的套材，套材设计新颖，慢慢制作，享受其中。这是一天的成果。 This is the first time I bought a kit from this merchant. The design of the kit is novel, and I enjoy it while making it slowly. This is the result of a day.

shipsofscale.com

The planking does look good. That’s my goal.

 

[zoly99sask]

I have seen those from ZHL. I am looking for smaller projects, but they look good.

They are not from ZHL

 

[csimoni]

They are not from ZHL

My mistake. Thank you.

 

[rtwpsom2]

Not a great solution, though. As the fake planking is laser cut from a single sheet of wood, the part will show the original grain of the sheet the planking is cut from. Other issue: it will hardly match the inner gunwales profile.

It's not a perfect solution, but precut planks are often symmetrical side to side, I like to swap them back and forth as I work and it gives some variety to the piece.

 

[Albert Mary]

It's not a perfect solution, but precut planks are often symmetrical side to side, I like to swap them back and forth as I work and it gives some variety to the piece.

Yep... . The risk I can see here is loosing some material between planks if any trimming or polishing of the cut out pieces would be eventually needed.
Pandora's fake planking above looks great, though. So it depends on the quality of wood and laser cutting. The one came with the model I'm working on at the moment was a bit delusional and I'm not going to use it. Cheers.

 

[AllanKP69]

For anyone that has properly spiled planks or even preshaped planks with hot edge bending, these laser cut planks might be a huge bonus, assuming they have been shaped by spiling. Look at the shape of planks on contemporary planking expansion drawings and those in the kit appear to be correct. An example of the fifth strake above the keel and the 14th stake above the keel on the planking expansion for the Artois (38) class is below. These are the shapes of the strakes when laying flat before being placed on the hull.
Allan

 

[pugwash]

For the average builder.....
With the laser cutting technology being so advanced, there's no excuse not to have pre spiled planks with every kit these days.
The manufacturer would have to make sure the planks are an accurate fit.
Of course being able to spile with confidence would be a tremendous achievement to be admired.