Jump to content

Recommended Posts

My Tugboat is Developing Leaks!

 

I planked my Anteo tug boat in February of 2015 and completed the model in August. Here's the build log:

Anteo Harbour Tug (Panart)

 

This was my first double planked hull, and I was pretty proud of it.

post-806-0-13062900-1483640563_thumb.jpg

 

And now, less than two years later, the planking is separating at the glue joints due to seasonal movement of the wood.

 

post-806-0-46683300-1483640433_thumb.jpg

 

Of course I soaked the basswood planks before gluing them down to make them pliable, so they would have swelled to their maximum width when installed. Now it's winter, the air is dry, and the wood has shrunk.

 

Is this a common problem? Is there any way to avoid it?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to hear what happened to you.  One should never glue down the planks while they are wet.  The results are what happened for the reason you gave.   You can wet the wood and then pin the plank in place and let it dry.  After it completely dry it is removed and then reset and glued in place. 

 

There is no fix for this except maybe filling, sanding and repainting. 

 

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eventually even well seasoned wood will show plank seams through paint. Humidity variation is the cause. Think of it as a badge of ageing.

Edited by druxey

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good point Druxey.  Even Longridge's model of the Victory developed a lot of open seams on the planking, but  could that also be that was not fully framed?

 

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Rod.

Even the full size ships/boats develop joint leaks.

My rowing boat did and at the start of the season after being laid up in the boathouse for 4 months.

I just rowed it out to the sand bank and sunk her for a day.. next day pull her in and refloat her.. no more leaks for rest of season.

Not to be done with your model....

Regards Antony.

Edited by AntonyUK

Best advice ever given to me."If you don't know ..Just ask.

Completed Mayflower

Completed Fun build Tail boat Tailboat

Completed Build Chinese Junk Chinese Pirate Junk

Completed scratch built Korean Turtle ship 1/32 Turtle ship

Completed Santa Lucia Sicilian Cargo Boat 1/30 scale Santa Lucia

On hold. Bounty Occre 1/45

Completed HMS Victory by DeAgostini modelspace. DeAgostini Victory Cross Section

Completed H.M.S. Victory X section by Coral. HMS Victory cross section

Completed The Black Pearl fun build Black Queen

Completed A large scale Victory cross section 1/36 Victory Cross Section

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Allan: I believe that part of the issue with Longridge's Victory model was damp storage underground during WW2, and subsequent drying out in the museum.

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wasn´t that even a crack in the whale, not in the seam?!?

 

XXXDAn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had not just seams open up a bit, but strakes develop a crack or shake within the wood itself.  Winter's a killer of wooden models.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

See, that is why I like Plastic ;-)

 

XXXDAn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is why you see controlled environments in museums. and humidistats in cases.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the water content of the wood was higher than equilibrium level during

assembly, then the shrinkage should be one way.  A fix now should hold.

 

If the wood was at equilibrium during assembly and its environment has 

changed enough to open the seams,  I would worry that a reverse change

would cause a swelling effect.  If a repair that filled the cracks was made

using a hard material, then a swing to swelling would lead to a buckling

stress.  If the fastening is strong enough to resist the hydrostatic pressure

then all should hold and the water molecules would be kept out, rather

than the wood move.  If the water pressure force is the stronger one, then

the planks would probably pop up.

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps a harder wood species, like cherry or pear, would be less susceptible to shrinking, than bass. Also, it is better to do most bending of a presoaked plank off the model, say with a hot soldering iron with an appropriate head, and glue the plank to the hull when it is 'almost' dry. That way the internal forces of the wood are minimal.

I planked a model with cherry several years ago and today it still looks like I did it yesterday. No cracks and shrinking.

By the way, it was a single planked hull.

Edited by Dziadeczek
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is nothing wrong with soaking planks, provided you leave adequate time for them to dry out again before final fitting and attachment to the hull. Most of us lack the patience to wait, is the issue!

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree Druxey. I once lived in a converted 225 year old converted Barn. The builders cut all the beams (old growth white oak, hickory and Chestnut) in the fall and put them in the farm pond. In the spring they raised the water logged beams wet. During the summer the beams dried and shrunk rock hard. Then they put the exterior planking on. It was almost impossible to drive a nail into the beams.

Jaxboat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does temperature fluxuation also cause problems? I have moved my building to the garage and depending on the time of the year it can be quite cold or quite warm. I would liked to have keeper the work in the house but the dust got to be too much.

The heart is happiest when the head and the hands work together.

Al

 

Current Builds:

HMS Halifax 1/48 POF Lumberyard Kit

Model Shipways Glad Tidings

Acoustic Guitar Build FINISHED

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does temperature fluctuation also cause problems? I have moved my building to the garage and depending on the time of the year it can be quite cold or quite warm. I would liked to have keeper the work in the house but the dust got to be too much.

 

Wood has a low thermal expansion coefficient - meaning the size does not change much with temperature.   However, the temperature of the air affects the amount of water vapor in the air (relative humidity), which will, over time, change the moisture content of wood.   As a result, you may see changes in the size of the wood if you leave it in the garage at different temperatures.  

 

Cabinet makers have long know to store wood at the same moisture content as it will eventually be used.  In most houses, that's about 6% - 8% moisture content.  Since, it takes time for the moisture content of wood to change, the first thing  to do is keep your wood supply in the house, not the garage.  Second, if you can, keep the model in the house when you're not working on it.  

 

There may be another trick - over-dry the planks before putting them on the hull.   As the planks come back to equilibrium moisture content, they will swell slightly, closing up the seams, just as planks on a real ship swell when the hull is put in the water.  There was a comment earlier that this may cause the planking to buckle, but I doubt it.  

 

FYI, a version of this trick is used by chair-makers to securely hold the bent backs into the seat.  The ends of the back are shaped slightly over-sized to the holes in the seat.  The backs are then dried in a small oven, just heated by light bulbs, to perhaps 2% moisture content.  With the slight shrinkage that occurs the ends now fit (snugly) into the holes, but when the moisture content comes back to 6%, the end is solidly locked in place.  

 

So, if you're too impatient to wait for the planks to dry, make a small oven above a light bulb (or perhaps a heat lamp or a halogen).  The drying time would be pretty fast for pieces as thin as planking and you may get the added benefit of over-dried planks.  

Bruce

Stay Sharp - Stay Safe

Judgement comes from experience:  experience comes from poor judgement.

  • USS Constitution: Scratch build solid hull 1:96 scale
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bruce, thanks for the great information. I have been storing my wood in the house for the most part but leaving the model in the garage. It would be easy enough to move it into the house when I'm not working on it. It's a small one right now. When I move to a bigger model I can move it inside for masting, rigging and fitting out. That tends to be cleaner work anyway.

The heart is happiest when the head and the hands work together.

Al

 

Current Builds:

HMS Halifax 1/48 POF Lumberyard Kit

Model Shipways Glad Tidings

Acoustic Guitar Build FINISHED

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...