Mike Dowling

Hello everybody, thought you might like to see how my feeble attempts at planking this monster are going!
 

 

 

 
And here's one I made earlier!!!
 
 

 
 
 

Al I'm really sorry as I did't reply to this very well if at all. Now I have got a bit further on I would go for the 80 to 90 percent open!! I envy you your 1mm strakes although I think I would be far too tempted to do a bit of lateral bending with those1 Still, did anyone actually say that the Bounty wasn't clinker built?
 
I am using at Dominics brilliant suggestions for holding the wood in place. I am bending where necessary as much as I can when wet by hand or with a plank bender. Then using the hull as a jig effectively while they dry and managing mostly to hold them in the right place with pins at the sides. The strakes do split very easily if I try to pin through them so that goodness I am not using the instructions using the supplied brass pins. Anyway, once the strakes are practically dry I glue them in place, use the pins again and if I am really lucky use the same holes. Lots of PVA glue and a prayer with every piece!! I will try and get a couple of pics on later.

Thanks for the posts Alistair. I am not finding the big bends too challenging, the lime wood is quite obliging for those. It is the little more acute bends that are the problem. I have resorted to soaking them for hours and then found either thumb nails or gentle work the bender works ok. Interestingly with the lime wood really wet the plank bender won't cut through even if I try! The lengthy soaking does mean progress is very slow, about two planks per day but, I am in no rush. I hope to get to about 1/3rd of the way today.

When I said sideways spread I mean that the pressure from the manual bender does cause the wood to flatten slightly and therefore increase its width. Albeit a small amount the effect would become cumulative over a number of planks. Anyway, thanks for the link. If yours gathers dust how do you do it or what do you use instead?

I have got a manual plank bender. The problem with this, which I did mention earlier in my log, is that it does spread the wood sideways a little bit. It is effective but the spread progressively becomes a problem.
That said, were can I get an electric plank bender?

Hey everybody!! I though, just for a change, that you might like to see my bottom!!!
Before it gets covered up!
 


 

Sorry mate, lost me again there! Soak, bend, apply while wet but don't glue? I tried that with a small test piece but, whilst drying it has sort of unbent itself which is not helpful.

Thank you very much CF but you didn't make any suggestions as to what to next and I value your expertise. Fifthace, I ordered map pins on Saturday which I still think is a brilliant idea of yours but I'm not sure they are going to help much with the really bendy bits.
A thought! Does one soak, bend and then dry or, soak, bend and apply whilst damp. I would tend to the latter but what do others think?

Here are my first bits of planking basically the same both sides so I won't bore everybody.
What I would  like is some advice now. Do I keep working downwards for a while or start again at the false keel and work upwards?
Goodness only knows how I am to bend this incredibly tough wood (2mm x 5mm lime) around the stern end and get it to stay put when glued.
 



 
 
 

We must be truly sad people!!

Firstly, yes, I have to put holes in my beautifully repaired bulwarks as well!!
 
Secondly,
 
deep breath,
 
one plank!!!!!! (sorry strake)
 
Does this look right, I spent a while making sure there is no lateral bending.
So, what next?



 

Thanks for that Dom, oh and by the way, thanks also for the tip about using map pins. Brilliant! Just need to get some now. What I will do when I get there is put on just one plank - which might be a control strake at the top. Take a pic and see what you say after that. OK?
 
My hawse pipe/s (thanks again) are not metal on mine. Oh no, I have to carve them and drill them all by myself! And eventually feed the rope through the insy little holes I made in the decks to the bottom of the boat where I suppose I am expected to curl them up to look neat and if someone on board put them there!
 
Just a little rant, I am enjoying it really!

Hello all and thanks for the posts. I had already downloaded the link you gave Dom and read it several times. My problem is that I still don't really understand it all. It's like maths to me and I never was an good at those. I am going to risk doing it instruction way although starting at the top as you suggested. If I make a complete ******** of it perhaps I will be able to improve with the second go.
 
Sorry I have no idea what progressive offset is either. Sounds like a disease to me!
 
For the filler I used 5mm x 50mm thick balsa sheet. Put it in the gaps in vertical layers, used a bit of white glue just to hold it in place and together then, went outside and attacked it with sandpaper down to the level of the fairing that I had already done. The only reason I had time for launch (!!) was because I was waiting for the balsa.
 
I don't know what a hawse pipe is either so I am not a lot of use.
 
So, a bit more filling and sanding before the inevitable. The first planking layer if anyone is interested is 2 x 5 ml lime wood which so far seems nice and difficult to bend!! It is really quite tough stuff. That is partly why I will only go to the first bulkhead as I don't think wood that thick will bend that far. I wonder if I should do that at the stern as well? Any thoughts?
 
Oh the bow bulwark was in two pieces before I made it three and they were supposed to meet in the middle. Once fitted I had to trim the bit below deckline in order to fit in the supplied balsa filler for the bow. Perhaps that's what the disease is!

Hi all,
I have just spent 3 days trying to make the Bounty launch with virtually no instructions. I have done my best by looking at other logs and plans so please don't be too judgemental. My filling balsa has arrived!! I have put some in and nearly finished the sanding so I am now running out of excuses for not starting the planking. I am just so scared I can see loads of lack of sleep worrying about it but, seeing as how we are supposed to admit to both our successes and mistakes I will keep you updated. Here is my work to date!!





 
 
 
 
 

Thanks for that matey!!  I wonder if the oozing PVA helps with the overall effect? I just get so fed up with sticking myself to the model with CA!!!

Hi and thanks so much for post and the compliments. Re the planking, when I have cut the little beasts to length I run down both sides with pencil holding 10 - 12 at a time. I have always stuck them on with white (PVA) glue literally one at a time. I know it's a bit lengthy and boring but I like the result. Again I just use pencil to simulate the nailing and when done I give the whole lot 2 coats of good old dope!!
 Re the fairing. Can you have another look at my pics for me as my concern is that at the transom end particularly I think I still have it far too thick on the false keel especially by the time it is planked. I am also not sure that there should be gaps between the deck and the planking. I realise that normally this wouldn't show but with the monster having one 'open' side to the hull it might. Maybe I am just being too fussy?
Yes the bulwark was ghastly ply, hence the snap but I did manage to bend it very carefully with the help of some tape to hold the break. Once I had bent the lining strips the glue for them solved my problem. Yes the outside will be veneered in the end and I don't think it will show at all.

HELP!!! I thought that I was OK with my fairing but before I get in a right state can I please have some expert opinion on these photos. I think maybe I should remove quite a bit more wood to sharpen the back more and I wonder if I should take enough off the last bulkhead for it to meet the second deck. I have done my best to show you what I mean in the pics. 
 
Also for the pleasure of Cannon fodder there are a couple of pics of my bulwark that snapped. Now I have repaired it I think it will pass muster?
 

Seriously though, I have found that this plywood rubbish only seems to warp on one side at a time. I have managed a couple of times to unwarp (is that a word?) by letting it dry completely, damp the opposite side and then weight it until dry. I have found that wetting it too much can cause delamination of the ply and them you do have to start again.
I am guessing but it has happened to me that if you use white glue (PVA) for the planking on decks it can make the ply a lot wetter than you think so, I have used dope (or cellulose sealer if you prefer) to seal the ply first. I realise that is absolutely no help if you have already done the planks but it might be handy in the future.

I am trying very, very hard to verify this already. By the way, good old dope, apart from use on model aircraft is an excellent sanding sealer and a matt finish laquer for all sorts of models. You just need to keep a window open when using it or it works like the other kind of dope as well!!! Hey, keep the windows shut and enjoy!!!

I tell you , procrastinate is rather a long word even for a Thursday!!! However, no one has said that tissue and dope isn't a good idea. The other sort of dope I may well need if I give in to planking the beast!!!

Yes, it is supposed to be double planked so I guess I can do what I like for the first one. I don't realistically think that there is the tiniest chance of my doing 'accurate' planking, I shall just be pleased if I get the hull covered. Re the banana boat bit, that could be tricky because most of the hull on one side doesn't get planked much because of the open view.
I am thinking (not too seriously!!) about covering the hull with tissue paper and dope like I used to do with model aircraft. How's that for a bit of lateral thinking?!!!

Thanks so much for that, I really appreciate it. Maybe I will just do what the instructions suggest this time and not try to be a perfectionist. After all what we want in the end is a half decent looking model that we can say we did our best with don't you think? Anyway, having done a bit more today I am in deep depression as I have managed to snap one of the pieces for the bow bulwark that has to be bent to fit. Whilst I have managed to hold it together with tape for the time being I can see that bending it properly is now going to be a major exercise. I must keep telling myself that this is a hobby and I am enjoying it!!!!

Hi CF (!!) and thanks for the post. It might be cheating but I am beginning to think that the addition of a few filler blocks may be a good idea for a novice like me. The problem with the planking instructions is that they indicate doing all the flat easy pieces first and then fill in all the gaps using wedge shaped pieces. Nothing about filler planks or drop planks. Maybe I should do it that way but I know it would horrify all the really clever builders out there. I am just really anxious about spoiling what I have done so far. Perhaps I should have been a doctor instead?!

HI there and many thanks for the post. Being a bit of a peasant I'm afraid I don't understand some of your nautical terms as yet! However I know on my build I have had to remove any sections of beam below cutouts. Seems like a shame when one has been so careful doing them in the first place!! I suppose it makes sense in the end. Believe me, I too am having sleepless nights worrying about the planking!! Maybe I should have chosen an easier ship for a beginner!
Anyway, thanks for the comments and I will keep watching yours.
All the best,
Mike.

Hi Cannon Fodder and thanks for the post. The instructions, which seem sensible in view of the very round bow only provide filler from the false keel to the first bulkhead. Are you suggesting that I should only plank to the second bulkhead with the first layer and fill between the first and second as well bearing in mind I can only fill below the level of the second deck on the starboard side? (This side remains partially open on the finished model).