Chuck

How thick was your planking for the wales....It looked so thick and heavy. These planks are just 1/32" thick and bend so easily and conform to the frames nicely. I could never get that result if my plank was 3/32" thick x 3/16" wide. If I had to guess that was the size of the halifax wales correct?

I dont clamp my planks. Clamps arent needed ever....it just complicates things and makes it more difficult. At least for me. If you shape your planks properly and pre bend them they should not need any clamps. I take my time tweaking, bending and twisting ahead of time. I will test each and every plank over and over again before I ever glue it into position. Its not something that happens immediately after spiling a plank. Even after having a laser cut plank already shaped, it is close to fitting well..... but never perfect. There may be gaps and high spots because of how I placed the previous plank on the hull. Its an inexact process. There may be slight gaps between it and the previous strake. So I use sandpaper and sanding sticks to bevel a bit more.....or very lightly remove a high spot that might prevent an area next to it from fitting tightly. I will remove just a hair and then retest. I will do this until the plank fits snug against the previous strake all along its length. I may also re bend or re-twist using heat. Then test some more. I could easily spend 45 minutes to an hour on one plank if its giving issues. I may over bevel or over twist and end up screwing it up. So I toss it and make another. For all of my builds I use Titebond exclusively....except for planking. All of my planking is held to the frames with CA. I add a drop or two of CA with a toothpick to just two or three frames being careful to be very neat. Then I glue the plank to those few frames. Then I flex the plank so I can add some more CA to the next two frames...lifting it slightly to reach under it with my toothpick glue applicator....position and press the plank against those frames. I will slowly work my way down the length of the plank a few frames at a time making sure it tightly fits against the previous strake. I just hold it with my fingers for a few seconds and press it flat against the frames. The glue will hold and no forcing is needed, because the shape was good and the twist and bend was good before I started gluing. Hope that makes sense. At times when I have to sand a high spot off the edge of a plank so it fits tightly against the plank already on the hull, I will have to make a mental note to adjust the next strake so I can stay faithful to my tick marks and planking plan that I made while lining out. This is what prevents the run of the planking from getting too waavy or out of wack. Without those tick marks as a guide I would be lost, with or without pre spiled and laser cut planks. I hope this rather lengthy description makes sense. But this is basically my process. No magic just slow and methodical, No special clamping procedure other than my fingers. test ....shape .....then retest....and finally glue. Its hard to describe in writing. One thing I will mention however. I have been watching a lot of people plank hulls over the years. In most cases the planks they are using are way too thick. The thicker the plank the harder it is to glue it into position. I rarely use planking thicker than 3/64" thick. If I need a thicker plank like in this case....I would rather use two layers than try to bend and twist a 1/16" thick strip or a 5/64" thick strip. That is just nuts. I have watched some people try and bend really thick planks for the wales...why in the world does this make sense when after using several layers nobody can ever tell the difference. Like on those Hahn models you are building. I am amazed at the thickness of the wales and you guys try to force one big thick chunk of wood into position with or without pre-bending and twisting. Its something I will never understand.

Today was a lazy, hot summer day. I am pretty caught up making rope and blocks so I decided to spend the day finishing the external planking. The last two strakes along the sheer were completed. As mentioned earlier, these are thicker planks than those below them. The second strake being the wales. I contemplated doing these two last strakes several ways. One I thought about was to just use thicker planks. This is a good solution but I kept thinking about some of the guys I know who have trouble bending and twisting heavier planks. The hull is pretty sturdy at this point but being forceful with a heavy plank could be problematic for some, especially if they dont take the time to properly pre-bend and twist it to shape. So in the end I opted for a modelers convention of simplification. Just as I add the wales on my other builds, I decided to use two layers. The 1/32" thick planks bend and twist very easily. This is especially true with the yellow cedar. A second layer of 1/32" planking will be laid right on top of the last two strakes and nobody will be the wiser. Here is the hull with the first layer of planking completed. I was quite happy with the results. Once both sides were done I could see that the port side was less than 1/64" lower at mid ship than the starboard. Nothing that cant be adjusted with the second layer. This is one of the benefits of using a second layer. You can make small adjustments to correct any issues with the ring of your planking at the shear. The second layer is also 1/32" thick. But this is actually slightly thicker than I would like. It is better to sand them down slightly afterwards so they are a bit thinner and not standing so proud of the planks below it. On addition note. At the bow and stern, the planks are actually not thicker. They should gradually reduce in thickness so they are the flush with the planking below them. This is easy enough to do after both strakes are completed. At the stern, I just sanded the last 1/2" of planking so it gradually reduced in thickness and matched the other strakes when viewing the transom head on. You can see this feature on the contemporary model attached. You can also see where I shifted one layer to correct the run. This wont be seen under the painted frieze. The same thing was done at the bow, but I find it easier to use a sharp chisel to slice away the thicker plans along the stem to reduce their thickness. Then I feather that back with some sandpaper so its gradual as it should be. This is all very similar to clinker planking on the barge but we are cheating perhaps and using two layers to simulate the same look. Heres the contemporary model...which is simalar because it was carved and hollowed out from a solid piece of boxwood. The wales and sheer strake were then added as a layer on top of the solid carved hull. Can you imagine basically hollowing out a block until it was thin as an eggshell!!! And one last photo of my hull. All the exterior planking is now complete. I could leave it on the baseboard.....so I could nail the planks (not treenail because they were actual nails). BUT I think it will be easier to do after the cap rail is in position. I also find it hard to see the frames down by the keel now and I dont know where to place my nails. Removing the frame centers and the hull from the baseboard will allow me to hold it up to the light and see the frames clearly. The planks are so thin it is quite easy to do. I will hopefully mark the locations of the frames this way so I dont miss when I drill the holes for the little nails. Hope that makes sense. So tomorrow I will remove it from the baseboard and break-out the frame centers. I have already removed the braces at the bow and the stern that helped hold them stationary. They weren't glued into the slots, so I just popped them out. Even the two center ones at the stern. It will make removing the baseboard easier.

Wonderful stuff. Happy to see this model creeping towards the finish line. Question??? How do you plan on getting that model out of the room once completed? Chuck

Very nicely done....its a really fun project to build. Enjoy the process and as I have mentioned before....I love to see what all of you guys decide to do with the model. Its a great solid foundation for adding so much more and making it your own unique model... I am actually laser cutting more of these today!!! Chuck

I dont think so but who knows??? Is it also possible that the tiller wasnt permanent? How feasible would it be for someone to remove the tiller as they swung the boom to the other side and then quickly reposition it into its slot. Just spit-balling.

For all interested and who may also have Mays book on the "boats of men of war". Just turn to page 90. That is all the evidence you will need. It reproduces exactly a sail plan (contemporary draft) that shows the exact rigging arrangement. The prevailing theory is that prior to 1750 or so they used the tiller/sheet arrangement shown on the model. It doesnt make sense but it is 100% accurate for the time period. And yes the fixed block on the stem is for the outhaul. I dont understand why it isnt rigged that way on teh contemporary model. One end is fixed to the traveler ring and then run through a sheave in the end of the bowsprit. Then its taken through the fixed block and belayed inboard to a thwart. There is other contemporary evidence of this.

Well done. That looks excellent.

Wood Project source is no longer in business. They just havent taken the website down yet. For really great maple stock. Use http://www.ocoochhardwoods.com Just send them an email with the list of thicknesses you need if they arent shown in their store. The wood is very good. Great prices. I wont offer Cherry or Maple because this guy and a few others like National Balsa offer great product at prices I cant compete with in teh US. Just an FYI. Chuck

That looks great Rusty. The flags look very good. One thing I would suggest is that in the future, its better to cut the dolphins for the sweeps by cutting close around the dolphin itself. Then you wont see the paper at all. Then run your red paint along the edge of the dolphins to cover the white paper edge. Chuck

No not yet. I figured most would want to fully plank. But I could be wrong. I may do that version in swiss pear also so I havent decided yet.

You will get both....so you have no reason to not at least try the more historically accurate version. If it doesnt work out.....you will still have the parts for the simpler version.

Yes.....but I will be also including the shapes and templates for the spiled planks on the plans.....So its basically the same thing. Either way, the starter package wont include them. So anyone buying just the starter package will have to go through the process. The laser cut planks will only be included in the full kit. Hopefully many will just buy the starter package and take this great opportunity to try these techniques for the very first time. The starter package will only be available for folks on MSW taking part in the group build. It wont be available on my site. The starter package will contain, -Plans -All frame parts -The buildboard -and stem and keel parts.

I could......but nope..... this is really something everyone should learn to do. Its not very difficult and if you are a serious builder and want to learn how to plank properly, this is the perfect project to try lining off. There are only 9 strakes per side in one belt. It cant get any easier. I do try and make these projects as easy to build as possible. But I draw the line at these fundamentals....I am a person who believes this is the one thing folks need to try and learn to do themselves. Its the reason why I stress its importance on every build. And as part of the group it is something that should be considered one of the "educational" aspects of the project. I even contemplated NOT including the laser spiled planks for a moment. Some say I am slowly approaching an "assembly" project like a plastic kit rather than something that is actually created. So I have started choosing more deliberately how far to take the engineering. Hopefully that doesnt seem too harsh....but it does take the fun out of it for some. I would even suggest that you discard the pre-spiled planking and instead plank it all without the aid of the laser cut materials. I may even offer them only as an extra but its something that I have thought about quite a bit. Any thoughts???

Seven strakes are now completed. This is important because these first seven are 1/32" thick. The last two at the sheer will actually be thicker at 3/64". This is because the wales (like on a larger ship) are thicker then the planking below it. You can see this in the photos of the contemporary model. See below. One thing I would like to point out that concerns me.... Even though I am providing laser cut , pre-spiled planking, there is still a chance that your planking will not go as well as you might like it to. As you can see in the photo above, I have the luxury and safety of having my tick marks on each frame. This is a very welcome thing to have as a reference. As you plank the hull and work your way towards the sheer, you will still need to bevel and tweak the edges of each plank so they fit tightly against the previous strake. This needs to be done only in various areas of each strake as the hull curves. You need to match the angle on the edge of the plank already on the model. Should you over-bevel.....or under-bevel, you will be slowly changing the runs of your planks so they arent the same as mine. Therefore, as you get to the seventh strake there may be compounding very slight differences which create gaps (probably minor) which will require more beveling or more sanding for a tight fit. Having those tick marks present as a guide will help you keep on track, You can make minor tweaks as needed to keep each strake running along your tick marks. So having pre-spiled planks creates a disadvantage because you wont have this road-map. So I recommend that you do in fact line off your hull as I described so you will have some sort of plan to follow. You may in the end not create an identical lined off hull and your tick marks may not match exactly the way I have them on my model. BUT even so, having these tick marks as a guide are in my opinion .... invaluable. You guys should take the time to do so. Let me know if you have any questions. 😊

Its absolutely fine. Please do post any photos or images and our little community will do its best to help identify them. I am sure we have a bunch of members familiar with this era and type of vessel. Chuck MSW Admin

Well done. Exceptional rope and you got the hang of it very quickly.

Yupp...that would work. But I lose those bits all the time so I keep a bunch on hand. The machine itself is so simple but makes awesome rope. Here is the size chart you are talking about. ropesizechart.pdf

Glad to have you back!!! Please do post pictures and I hope to see you active on forum once again. I would love to see what you are working on now as well. Chuck

I have removed Falconet for now.....I am in discussion with other legit MFGs who are telling me that these guys are dirty and have ripped off many of their designs etc. So for now, they are off the list. I am also hearing from other Russiam builders the same is probably true. So for now....be very leary.

I use whatever I can find....this particular stuff is from the post office. I have also used the stuff from home depot. Using a fine sharpie works best but pencil is OK too.

Great start....glad to see you start a log of her. Enjoy the kit!!

This doesnt need any edge bending at all. This is an entirely different approach. Its good for any hull.

Thanks.....but to clarify, the Winnie wont have laser cut planks. Its just to big. This is something you will absolutely have to do on that model. But its easy so fear not. And it doesnt take that long to do. I will make sure I detail this again when I plank the Winnie though. Chuck

Thanks guys. You guys know that I am Italian and from New Jersey. But that is not why I covered my model in plastic. That is only good for my living room sofa. But I mentioned after I showed how I lined off the hull, that I would show you guys how I translate those tick marks on the frames into actual spiled planks. In the photo below, hopefully you can see the clear tape on my model. This is just plain old packaging tape. Many people use this technique and it works very well. I however changed a few things over the years. Rather than run a long strip of tape from bow to stern, I use short lengths that run from the keel to the sheer. I over lap the different small pieces as I work my way across the hull. The important thing to remember is NOT to flex the tape. Just put each segment down and let it conform to the hull shape. This is why I dont use a really long piece from bow to stern. You would be most likely to bend and flex the long piece edgewise which would not give you very accurate plank shapes. You must be able to remove the tape without flexing it edgewise and then place it on a flat surface like card stock or even the piece of wood you are cutting the plank from. By using shorter pieces running the other way and overlapped, it makes it more difficult to flex the tape at all. So when you remove it, it stays the same shape as it was on the hull. Anyway, run a pencil along the edge of the last plank already on the hull. Then trace over each tick mark on every frame. You should also mark the plank butts and the ends of the strake. Normally on a hull like the Winnie you would only need to do the bow area and the stern area to find the shape. It is easy enough to plank mid ship and there is no need to run a piece of tape across the entire hull. But in this case, I am creating laser cut planks for all of you guys. So I must do the entire strake. I could do it in sections but its just as easy to do the entire hull in one shot. The hull isnt that long. Carefully remove the tape without flexing or stretching it. Then carefully lay it onto a flat surface. In my case a piece of paper that I will scan. Then connect your tick marks and clean it up a bit using french curves. I just eye-balled it. I connected the dashes to reveal the true shape of the spiled plank. hopefully you can see it below. Normally I use a fine point sharpie because it writes on the tape better but my kids find them and I never see them again. So I m just using a pencil. You can see how I connected the dots to reveal the shape of the plank. If you placed this on card stock and cut it out with a sharp blade, then you can test it on your model. If it fits.....and it should....then trace it onto some thin wood sheet to cut your planks. I will be scanning it and making a vector drawing so I can laser cut them. Hope this makes sense....feel free to ask me any questions. Its easier to show this in a tech session than write about it. For this kit and project you guys wont have to do this....(you have the laser cut planks) but I do recommend you give it a try on any other model. You will fall in love with this method once you see how well the planks fit at the bow......snug against the frames or bulkheads. Chuck