USING VENEERS FOR PLANKING

[rcmdrvr]

Has anyone ever considered using wood veneers for planking.  I would think it would work over solid hulls or as the second planking of a double planked hull.

 

Looks like thin sheets can be purchase relatively cheaply and then cut into strips with band saw or maybe even a razor knife.

 

Then again, I am a newbee so this may not be the best idea in the model shipworld.

[NMBROOK]

This method is widely adopted by many of the Russian/Ukrainian master builders primarily to keep costs down due to the expense of more exotic timber.Artesenia latina are introducing this method as well,but mainly for partworks they produce under license for other companies.

So the answer is YES,it does work.The only thing I will say is whatever you plank over needs to be perfect,you have no allowance for correcting discrepancies with further sanding.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[grsjax]

Dumas uses veneer for the second planking of their "Laser Cut" static models.  Seems to work well.

[bear]

Hi Here's a photo of my Model Shipways Gunboat Philadelphia 1/24 scale that I planked using 1/32 Red Oak veneer glued onto 1/32 basswood for all of the decking and hull planking. I  first splied the plank shape in the 1/32 basswood.

Then after getting the shape for the plank needed,I roughed up the mating sides of the basswood and oak veneer (the red oak veneer that I was using had a cloth backing to it,so I scratched cross hatch patterns with a xacto knife blade point,so that the Titebond would have something to hold onto. I tried to glue the veneer without this"roughing" but it would just not hold onto the basswood).

I then glued them together with the TiteBond and clamped the glued plank to a straight steel surface,so that the ply will dry flat. Both woods curl when you put the Titebond on one side only. Then after an hour I would unclamp the "ply" ,trim off the 1/16" larger Oak veneer to the basswood plank shape and then glue it onto the bulkheads.

When you cut out the red oak veneer to glue onto the splied basswood plank,make the oak cutout about 1/16 to 1/8" larger than the basswood plank. After gluing them together,go around the mating edges and make sure that you have a fillet of titebond around the smaller edges of the basswood. If you do not,there might be gaps in the glued edges of the "ply" after you trim the oak veneer down to the shape of the basswood.

 

Like said above,you have no room for sanding down a hump that is not the shape of what you want,but getting the type of wood and grain that looks better than what is normaly used for planking makes the effort well rewarded.

 

I won 1st Place in our Regional IPMS show this September with this model. I bought my Red Oak veneer from my local WoodCrafters staore. The sheet was 3' X 4" and cost me a grand total of $45.00.

[Dziadeczek]

Hi,

You can use thin strips of wood veneer for planking of your models (providing that the scale of the model is appropriate). This is done constantly on the Polish website Koga. They use it for double planking or plank over the solid hull, though.

Band saw would be way too big and aggresive, even with the smallest blade, and you would ruin your veneer that way.

I have never planked anything with veneers, but people there tell that they first would wet the veneer sheet and cut it with sharp scissors, scalpel or paper guillotine (like that one used for photographs and/or printer paper), easier done when the sheet is wet than dry. In order to further spill such rectangular planks, you can subsequently shape them into more elliptical pieces with a scalpel/exacto knife, cutting super carefully WITH grain and not against it.

Difficult, but supposedly can be done...

Where in LA you live? I live in Glendale. Perhaps we could meet some time to talk about such things...

Just a suggestion...  :-)

Thomas

[rdsaplala]

I've seen several kits use planks 0.5mm thin so I think it's very possible, you just have to be more careful with your sanding.

One thing I'd like to try sometime is to spile planks from veneer sheet using scissors.... it should prove to be a fun experiment

[maltbyguy]

Hi

I suggested doing this some time ago using iron on veneer tape that you use to edge worktops but it was generally considered to be a bad idea

 

So I have done it on my Vaasa

It seems to work quite well you have the instant stick of CA but none of the fumes which I only need a sniff to make me ill for the next 2-3 days

I made a simple jig to cut to length and then to width all done with a knife no mess dust or noise

 

I am not sure of the long term results but so far it seems to work I will agree though the base has to be flat you only hame 0.6 mm to sand !

Andy

[maltbyguy]

Hi Spyglass

I got mine from good old E Bay

there's a god choice of woods  lengths and widths

also try original marquetry they do some v nice saw cut veneers that are ideal for our hobby

also a company called twigfolly

give old Google a try

Andy

[NMBROOK]

Andy raises some good points,I use original marquetry,twigfolly and workshopheaven fairly regularly.I try to keep orders for original marquetry spread out so I can place a large order as their postage is a standard £15 charge.One item that is very useful from Original marquetry is the boxwood strings,great for window frames and small details.Even if you had wood milling facilities,producing 0.8mm square sections would be interesting

 

Happy New Year

 

Nigel

[Tadeusz43]

Hi Don,

I use rotation carpet cutter to cut veneer strips suitable for for hull planking.

After cut it edges of strips they are sanded.

This way was made second clinker planking for norman's ship as also carvel planking for Peter von Danzig.

 

Tadeusz

 

My models:

From kits

Vasa, HMS Victory, Le Solei Royale, Friesland

From scratch

HMS Warrior 1860, Esplanade, Grosse Yacht

Norman’s ship, HMS Speedy, La Royale

Peter von Danzig

Polacca XVII cent.

Current project:

SS Savannah 1818

[rcmdrvr]

Thanks for all the responses. I think I will play around with some veneers.

[Dwaing]

I used birdseye maple veneer to plank the deck of my Rattlesnake,  I set up a simple jig to cut the strips.   Looks good to me.

[LFrankCPA]

I use veneer all the time. It's incredible inexpensive on eBay. I have a dozen or more "end band" roles; just cut it to shape with a pair of sizzers and glue with regular PVA wood glue (not to much). It comes in various widths, everything from Alder to Ebony; less than $10.00 a roll.

Mock up your build with any wood; cut the veneer to the size for your scale and apply proud of what is needed. Then cut off with razor saw or sharp knife.

Hope this helps.

Larry

[Nirvana]

I bought a sample pack of veneer from Woodcraft (in store),  over 20 assorted domestic and exotic species, altogether 20 sq.ft. Each sheet 12" long  various width 5.5" to 7.5". Price USD 31.50.

The sample pack will be part of a wood reference binder.

The best with the sample, I can definitely tell what wood is useful (fine grain) and not.

Thickness is 0.5mm