Planking screws (Moved by moderator)

[Tony H]

Hi all,

 

Just recently started ship modelling after a long lay off, interested to know of any UK or European based outlets where I can acquire planking screws,  have tried various methods and am keen to try this one.

 

Tony

[Anja]

Hello Tony,

 

Welcome aboard.

 

There is another topic here about wood screws.

Brian (Problablynot) posted this link http://www.screwsline.co.uk

 

Good luck.

 

Anja

[Tony H]

Thanks Anja, much appriciated

[Ken Bartley]

Hi Tony,

Miskin models. Set of 12 scew clamps £10.95 although at the moment they are out of stock. Excellent item I usually predrill the the hole first.

Ken

[Tony H]

Seems were local Ken, I'm up in Formby, thanks for the advice

[Ken Bartley]

Yes not too far away. Can I ask what you intend to build?

[Tony H]

Started work on Constructo's 'Emma' a Baltimore Clipper Sidmouth 1815, she's an older model 1:50 Scale, and what may I ask is your current project?

 

Was a busy builder 20 - 30 years ago.  Spending most of my time building up my tool chest, lost and mislaid most of my kit, but I guess I'm 75% stocked up again.

Edited September 28, 2013 by Tony H

[Ken Bartley]

Caldercraft Diane, adout 4 years in so far. Only work at weekends and holidays.One of the older Caldercaft kits but still very nice kit. You should start a build log, will look up Emma'a Baltimore to get an idea what your building.

[Tony H]

Hi Ken

 

Beautiful model your building, just checked out images at http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/caldercraft_hms_diana.html Hope to progress to something of that nature in the future, she's a beauty!!!!

[hornet]

I have been using commercially made plastic planking screws for years. They work quite well  but after a while the head of the screw starts slipping in the plastic casing. It is not accessible and super-gluing it on the outside is only partly successful.

 

 

I thought about investing in the Micromark metal clamps, but they are a bit expensive. I then came up with the following idea and made a set of my own planking screws.

 

Sneaking into the back yard under the cover of darkness, I pilfered some of the Admiral's plastic pegs from her peg basket.

 

 

 

I dismantled the peg and cut off the ends

 

 

I then used some 8mm dowel and some 4G by 20mm wood screws to make the `handle' of the planking screw.

4G by 20mm was the thinnest/longest screws I could find so I had to recess them into the dowel so they were long enough to go through the bottom. I had to grind the screw heads a little so they would fit through the dowel.

 

  

 

I then cut notches, using my hobby knife,  into the `wedge' of peg that I had cut off and drilled a hole as close to the end of the notch as possible (this gave the most leverage when screwing in the planking screw)

 

  

 

The pic above shows a peg end with

and without the slot

 

I then fitted the dowel `handle' to the peg `wedge' to create the planking screw.

 

 

It did not take long to make up a set

 

 

They worked quite well, especially on straight runs

 

 

I thought I was very clever until the Admiral questioned me about all the half pegs in the rubbish bin! Gulp, I knew I should have buried the evidence!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hornet]

Yep, sure did Brian!! Won't be buying any more though.

[maltbyguy]

I use the clamps from miskin models they are very good but I thi.k they are no longer in business

[riverboat]

Micro Mark has some. here

Frank

[Bill Hime]

This is a simple and smart idea. Thank you for sharing!

 

Sincere Regards,

 

Bill

[gwish]

That is a great idea.  Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

Gwyl

[Richard Griffith]

I had the same problem with the nylon headed plank screws.  Glue doen't work but heat does.  Use a small torch and when the screw gets wobbly, remove the torch and then be sure the metal screw is alighned with the nylon and let it cool off.  Done,

Duff

[cristikc]

Don't you have problems with the size of the screw? I will try but with 2x18mm because i think that 4x20mm will make problems to the plywood

[Moxis]

I bought those Micro Mark clamps too. The problem with them was that the material used is very soft (some lead/tin alloy) , leaving dark marks into the planks. They also bend very easily under pressure.

This is why I made my own clamps of 6 mm brass rod, which was knurled and a 2 mm hole drilled into one end. A 2x16 mm screw was epoxied to the hole. Pressure part was made of 2 mm plywood, and the clamp was ready and didn`t cost anything. No dark marks any more into the planks:

 

[S.Coleman]

Drawing pins do the job for me. Works a treat.

[bwhitetx]

Found this solution online. Seems the easiest home made clamp ever!  

 

https://shipmodeler.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/simple-planking-clamp-from-binder-clips/