shipmodel

Carl, George - 
 
You are both right.  Spiling/planking is a complicated process.  Even after doing it for 30 years I still have to take my time and agonize over the process. Sometimes planks that I thought were correct have to be stripped out and replaced.
 
The problem is the shape of the hull with its compound curves, some of which change from convex to concave on the same rib and along the same planking strake.  Yes, you can start with planks that are slightly wider than your measured marks, which works on the convex curves, but is wrong for the concave curves.  
 
My only point here is that you can't rely on measurements, no matter how precise.  To get a smooth, straight, fair run for each strake the measurements are just the starting point.  Each plank has to be shaped by eye and the battens used as adjustable guides, not inflexible borders. 
 
Fortunately, I had some good teachers, and now there is this entire wonderful community of modelers in the NRG and on MSW who are so generous with their time and knowledge.
 
Be well
 
Dan

Hi George - 
 
The problem is one of measurement.  The thickness of the planking means that the distance around the curve on the outer surface of the planks is longer than the curve on the inner surface of the planks.  If you measure your distances on the surface of the rib and divide by the number of planks, you will get a dimension that is smaller than you need to fill up the distance around the curve on the surface of the planks. When you bevel the edges to bring the planks together at the surface, they will no longer cover the full distance that you measured on the rib. 
 
To put in some numbers, let's say that the distance on the rib from wale to batten is 40mm.  I decide to fill it with 8 plank of 5mm each.  I cut the planks to that dimension and lay them in the space.  I bevel the edges, which means the inside width of the plank is less than 5mm.  Let's say that it is now 4.8mm. The 8 planks now cover only 38.4mm.  There is a gap of 1.6mm.  This would not be much of a problem if I was planking a cylinder, I could just add an extra plank as needed.  But the uneven shape of the hull means that the gap will vary and therefore the line of the caulking seam will wander up and down, and the shape of the space still to be planked will no longer match the battens that were so carefully lined up. 
 
Does that make sense?
 
Dan

Mark - 
 
Looks much better to my eye.  Should fit well once you set the rest of your battens.
 
As for exact plank widths and numbers, don't tie yourself to exact dimensions, they really can't be calculated.  There is what I call the 3-dimensional problem.  The widths you have measured are for the faces of the ribs.  The planks have a definite thickness, so where they cover a convex surface the inside corners hit each other before the outer ones do, creating an unsightly gap.  This is even more of a problem with French designs that have those large bulges at the waterline.  
 

 
To get a tight fit at the outer surface the solution is to bevel the edges of the planks, but then the inside width of the plank is less than the outer width, and no longer matches the measured dimensions.  You can start with wider planks, but the variation changes depending on the curvature that is being covered.  This changes from wale to keel and even along the length of one plank strake.
 
My solution, which is just one of several that works, is to plank up from the keel and down from the wale at the same time. As you near the center all of the dimensions are recalculated after each plank strake is added.  Eventually you reach a space that can be closed in by one or two final "shutter planks" that should look almost identical to those on either side.
 
Practice on the tape and take your time.  It will come together in a planking job that you will be proud of.  You are making a very good start.
 
Dan

Hi Mark - 
 
Welcome to the wacky and wonderful world of spiling.  Although you can get lots of help from various books, and Jim Roberts' is one of the best, it is mostly a question of experience and eyeballing.  
 
One thing that Jim suggested when I was his pupil was to take strips of frosted tape and lay them flat on the hull till the area I was working on was completely covered.  Like the planks, the tape will sweep up toward the wale with the curve of the hull and cover previous tape runs.  This is a good thing.  It shows how much the planks want to bend so I could start to judge how many stealers/drop planks I might need.  Also, with the area completely taped I could line out the plank runs in pencil, making as many mistakes as I wanted without consequence.  After a while I developed a good sense of how the hull wanted to be planked, and could then much more accurately position my battens to guide the actual wood planks.
 
On the Licorne I have a feeling, and I could be wrong, that your first batten is too high (towards the keel) at the bow.  Judging by eye, the remaining area from the batten to the keel is not wide enough and your lower planks could be crowded and narrow,  The only way to be sure of this is to put in all of the battens that you want and then carefully examine them from dead ahead to see if they give you equal spacing.  A similar thing goes on at the stern.
 
Here is a drawing of what I mean.  It is from Jim's book, although I have removed his text for clarity.
 

 
Remember also that the garboard and first broad strake (the one next to the garboard) are wider than the rest of the planks, and your spiling/batten plan has to take this into account.
 
This was probably a longer response than you wanted, but I hope that it helps.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

Carl, George - 
 
You are both right.  Spiling/planking is a complicated process.  Even after doing it for 30 years I still have to take my time and agonize over the process. Sometimes planks that I thought were correct have to be stripped out and replaced.
 
The problem is the shape of the hull with its compound curves, some of which change from convex to concave on the same rib and along the same planking strake.  Yes, you can start with planks that are slightly wider than your measured marks, which works on the convex curves, but is wrong for the concave curves.  
 
My only point here is that you can't rely on measurements, no matter how precise.  To get a smooth, straight, fair run for each strake the measurements are just the starting point.  Each plank has to be shaped by eye and the battens used as adjustable guides, not inflexible borders. 
 
Fortunately, I had some good teachers, and now there is this entire wonderful community of modelers in the NRG and on MSW who are so generous with their time and knowledge.
 
Be well
 
Dan

Hi George - 
 
The problem is one of measurement.  The thickness of the planking means that the distance around the curve on the outer surface of the planks is longer than the curve on the inner surface of the planks.  If you measure your distances on the surface of the rib and divide by the number of planks, you will get a dimension that is smaller than you need to fill up the distance around the curve on the surface of the planks. When you bevel the edges to bring the planks together at the surface, they will no longer cover the full distance that you measured on the rib. 
 
To put in some numbers, let's say that the distance on the rib from wale to batten is 40mm.  I decide to fill it with 8 plank of 5mm each.  I cut the planks to that dimension and lay them in the space.  I bevel the edges, which means the inside width of the plank is less than 5mm.  Let's say that it is now 4.8mm. The 8 planks now cover only 38.4mm.  There is a gap of 1.6mm.  This would not be much of a problem if I was planking a cylinder, I could just add an extra plank as needed.  But the uneven shape of the hull means that the gap will vary and therefore the line of the caulking seam will wander up and down, and the shape of the space still to be planked will no longer match the battens that were so carefully lined up. 
 
Does that make sense?
 
Dan

Carl, George - 
 
You are both right.  Spiling/planking is a complicated process.  Even after doing it for 30 years I still have to take my time and agonize over the process. Sometimes planks that I thought were correct have to be stripped out and replaced.
 
The problem is the shape of the hull with its compound curves, some of which change from convex to concave on the same rib and along the same planking strake.  Yes, you can start with planks that are slightly wider than your measured marks, which works on the convex curves, but is wrong for the concave curves.  
 
My only point here is that you can't rely on measurements, no matter how precise.  To get a smooth, straight, fair run for each strake the measurements are just the starting point.  Each plank has to be shaped by eye and the battens used as adjustable guides, not inflexible borders. 
 
Fortunately, I had some good teachers, and now there is this entire wonderful community of modelers in the NRG and on MSW who are so generous with their time and knowledge.
 
Be well
 
Dan

Hi George - 
 
The problem is one of measurement.  The thickness of the planking means that the distance around the curve on the outer surface of the planks is longer than the curve on the inner surface of the planks.  If you measure your distances on the surface of the rib and divide by the number of planks, you will get a dimension that is smaller than you need to fill up the distance around the curve on the surface of the planks. When you bevel the edges to bring the planks together at the surface, they will no longer cover the full distance that you measured on the rib. 
 
To put in some numbers, let's say that the distance on the rib from wale to batten is 40mm.  I decide to fill it with 8 plank of 5mm each.  I cut the planks to that dimension and lay them in the space.  I bevel the edges, which means the inside width of the plank is less than 5mm.  Let's say that it is now 4.8mm. The 8 planks now cover only 38.4mm.  There is a gap of 1.6mm.  This would not be much of a problem if I was planking a cylinder, I could just add an extra plank as needed.  But the uneven shape of the hull means that the gap will vary and therefore the line of the caulking seam will wander up and down, and the shape of the space still to be planked will no longer match the battens that were so carefully lined up. 
 
Does that make sense?
 
Dan

Hi George - 
 
The problem is one of measurement.  The thickness of the planking means that the distance around the curve on the outer surface of the planks is longer than the curve on the inner surface of the planks.  If you measure your distances on the surface of the rib and divide by the number of planks, you will get a dimension that is smaller than you need to fill up the distance around the curve on the surface of the planks. When you bevel the edges to bring the planks together at the surface, they will no longer cover the full distance that you measured on the rib. 
 
To put in some numbers, let's say that the distance on the rib from wale to batten is 40mm.  I decide to fill it with 8 plank of 5mm each.  I cut the planks to that dimension and lay them in the space.  I bevel the edges, which means the inside width of the plank is less than 5mm.  Let's say that it is now 4.8mm. The 8 planks now cover only 38.4mm.  There is a gap of 1.6mm.  This would not be much of a problem if I was planking a cylinder, I could just add an extra plank as needed.  But the uneven shape of the hull means that the gap will vary and therefore the line of the caulking seam will wander up and down, and the shape of the space still to be planked will no longer match the battens that were so carefully lined up. 
 
Does that make sense?
 
Dan

Carl, George - 
 
You are both right.  Spiling/planking is a complicated process.  Even after doing it for 30 years I still have to take my time and agonize over the process. Sometimes planks that I thought were correct have to be stripped out and replaced.
 
The problem is the shape of the hull with its compound curves, some of which change from convex to concave on the same rib and along the same planking strake.  Yes, you can start with planks that are slightly wider than your measured marks, which works on the convex curves, but is wrong for the concave curves.  
 
My only point here is that you can't rely on measurements, no matter how precise.  To get a smooth, straight, fair run for each strake the measurements are just the starting point.  Each plank has to be shaped by eye and the battens used as adjustable guides, not inflexible borders. 
 
Fortunately, I had some good teachers, and now there is this entire wonderful community of modelers in the NRG and on MSW who are so generous with their time and knowledge.
 
Be well
 
Dan

Carl, George - 
 
You are both right.  Spiling/planking is a complicated process.  Even after doing it for 30 years I still have to take my time and agonize over the process. Sometimes planks that I thought were correct have to be stripped out and replaced.
 
The problem is the shape of the hull with its compound curves, some of which change from convex to concave on the same rib and along the same planking strake.  Yes, you can start with planks that are slightly wider than your measured marks, which works on the convex curves, but is wrong for the concave curves.  
 
My only point here is that you can't rely on measurements, no matter how precise.  To get a smooth, straight, fair run for each strake the measurements are just the starting point.  Each plank has to be shaped by eye and the battens used as adjustable guides, not inflexible borders. 
 
Fortunately, I had some good teachers, and now there is this entire wonderful community of modelers in the NRG and on MSW who are so generous with their time and knowledge.
 
Be well
 
Dan

Carl, George - 
 
You are both right.  Spiling/planking is a complicated process.  Even after doing it for 30 years I still have to take my time and agonize over the process. Sometimes planks that I thought were correct have to be stripped out and replaced.
 
The problem is the shape of the hull with its compound curves, some of which change from convex to concave on the same rib and along the same planking strake.  Yes, you can start with planks that are slightly wider than your measured marks, which works on the convex curves, but is wrong for the concave curves.  
 
My only point here is that you can't rely on measurements, no matter how precise.  To get a smooth, straight, fair run for each strake the measurements are just the starting point.  Each plank has to be shaped by eye and the battens used as adjustable guides, not inflexible borders. 
 
Fortunately, I had some good teachers, and now there is this entire wonderful community of modelers in the NRG and on MSW who are so generous with their time and knowledge.
 
Be well
 
Dan

Hi Mark - 
 
Welcome to the wacky and wonderful world of spiling.  Although you can get lots of help from various books, and Jim Roberts' is one of the best, it is mostly a question of experience and eyeballing.  
 
One thing that Jim suggested when I was his pupil was to take strips of frosted tape and lay them flat on the hull till the area I was working on was completely covered.  Like the planks, the tape will sweep up toward the wale with the curve of the hull and cover previous tape runs.  This is a good thing.  It shows how much the planks want to bend so I could start to judge how many stealers/drop planks I might need.  Also, with the area completely taped I could line out the plank runs in pencil, making as many mistakes as I wanted without consequence.  After a while I developed a good sense of how the hull wanted to be planked, and could then much more accurately position my battens to guide the actual wood planks.
 
On the Licorne I have a feeling, and I could be wrong, that your first batten is too high (towards the keel) at the bow.  Judging by eye, the remaining area from the batten to the keel is not wide enough and your lower planks could be crowded and narrow,  The only way to be sure of this is to put in all of the battens that you want and then carefully examine them from dead ahead to see if they give you equal spacing.  A similar thing goes on at the stern.
 
Here is a drawing of what I mean.  It is from Jim's book, although I have removed his text for clarity.
 

 
Remember also that the garboard and first broad strake (the one next to the garboard) are wider than the rest of the planks, and your spiling/batten plan has to take this into account.
 
This was probably a longer response than you wanted, but I hope that it helps.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

Hi George - 
 
The problem is one of measurement.  The thickness of the planking means that the distance around the curve on the outer surface of the planks is longer than the curve on the inner surface of the planks.  If you measure your distances on the surface of the rib and divide by the number of planks, you will get a dimension that is smaller than you need to fill up the distance around the curve on the surface of the planks. When you bevel the edges to bring the planks together at the surface, they will no longer cover the full distance that you measured on the rib. 
 
To put in some numbers, let's say that the distance on the rib from wale to batten is 40mm.  I decide to fill it with 8 plank of 5mm each.  I cut the planks to that dimension and lay them in the space.  I bevel the edges, which means the inside width of the plank is less than 5mm.  Let's say that it is now 4.8mm. The 8 planks now cover only 38.4mm.  There is a gap of 1.6mm.  This would not be much of a problem if I was planking a cylinder, I could just add an extra plank as needed.  But the uneven shape of the hull means that the gap will vary and therefore the line of the caulking seam will wander up and down, and the shape of the space still to be planked will no longer match the battens that were so carefully lined up. 
 
Does that make sense?
 
Dan

Hi Mark - 
 
Welcome to the wacky and wonderful world of spiling.  Although you can get lots of help from various books, and Jim Roberts' is one of the best, it is mostly a question of experience and eyeballing.  
 
One thing that Jim suggested when I was his pupil was to take strips of frosted tape and lay them flat on the hull till the area I was working on was completely covered.  Like the planks, the tape will sweep up toward the wale with the curve of the hull and cover previous tape runs.  This is a good thing.  It shows how much the planks want to bend so I could start to judge how many stealers/drop planks I might need.  Also, with the area completely taped I could line out the plank runs in pencil, making as many mistakes as I wanted without consequence.  After a while I developed a good sense of how the hull wanted to be planked, and could then much more accurately position my battens to guide the actual wood planks.
 
On the Licorne I have a feeling, and I could be wrong, that your first batten is too high (towards the keel) at the bow.  Judging by eye, the remaining area from the batten to the keel is not wide enough and your lower planks could be crowded and narrow,  The only way to be sure of this is to put in all of the battens that you want and then carefully examine them from dead ahead to see if they give you equal spacing.  A similar thing goes on at the stern.
 
Here is a drawing of what I mean.  It is from Jim's book, although I have removed his text for clarity.
 

 
Remember also that the garboard and first broad strake (the one next to the garboard) are wider than the rest of the planks, and your spiling/batten plan has to take this into account.
 
This was probably a longer response than you wanted, but I hope that it helps.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

Hi George - 
 
The problem is one of measurement.  The thickness of the planking means that the distance around the curve on the outer surface of the planks is longer than the curve on the inner surface of the planks.  If you measure your distances on the surface of the rib and divide by the number of planks, you will get a dimension that is smaller than you need to fill up the distance around the curve on the surface of the planks. When you bevel the edges to bring the planks together at the surface, they will no longer cover the full distance that you measured on the rib. 
 
To put in some numbers, let's say that the distance on the rib from wale to batten is 40mm.  I decide to fill it with 8 plank of 5mm each.  I cut the planks to that dimension and lay them in the space.  I bevel the edges, which means the inside width of the plank is less than 5mm.  Let's say that it is now 4.8mm. The 8 planks now cover only 38.4mm.  There is a gap of 1.6mm.  This would not be much of a problem if I was planking a cylinder, I could just add an extra plank as needed.  But the uneven shape of the hull means that the gap will vary and therefore the line of the caulking seam will wander up and down, and the shape of the space still to be planked will no longer match the battens that were so carefully lined up. 
 
Does that make sense?
 
Dan

Mark - 
 
Looks much better to my eye.  Should fit well once you set the rest of your battens.
 
As for exact plank widths and numbers, don't tie yourself to exact dimensions, they really can't be calculated.  There is what I call the 3-dimensional problem.  The widths you have measured are for the faces of the ribs.  The planks have a definite thickness, so where they cover a convex surface the inside corners hit each other before the outer ones do, creating an unsightly gap.  This is even more of a problem with French designs that have those large bulges at the waterline.  
 

 
To get a tight fit at the outer surface the solution is to bevel the edges of the planks, but then the inside width of the plank is less than the outer width, and no longer matches the measured dimensions.  You can start with wider planks, but the variation changes depending on the curvature that is being covered.  This changes from wale to keel and even along the length of one plank strake.
 
My solution, which is just one of several that works, is to plank up from the keel and down from the wale at the same time. As you near the center all of the dimensions are recalculated after each plank strake is added.  Eventually you reach a space that can be closed in by one or two final "shutter planks" that should look almost identical to those on either side.
 
Practice on the tape and take your time.  It will come together in a planking job that you will be proud of.  You are making a very good start.
 
Dan

Mark - 
 
Looks much better to my eye.  Should fit well once you set the rest of your battens.
 
As for exact plank widths and numbers, don't tie yourself to exact dimensions, they really can't be calculated.  There is what I call the 3-dimensional problem.  The widths you have measured are for the faces of the ribs.  The planks have a definite thickness, so where they cover a convex surface the inside corners hit each other before the outer ones do, creating an unsightly gap.  This is even more of a problem with French designs that have those large bulges at the waterline.  
 

 
To get a tight fit at the outer surface the solution is to bevel the edges of the planks, but then the inside width of the plank is less than the outer width, and no longer matches the measured dimensions.  You can start with wider planks, but the variation changes depending on the curvature that is being covered.  This changes from wale to keel and even along the length of one plank strake.
 
My solution, which is just one of several that works, is to plank up from the keel and down from the wale at the same time. As you near the center all of the dimensions are recalculated after each plank strake is added.  Eventually you reach a space that can be closed in by one or two final "shutter planks" that should look almost identical to those on either side.
 
Practice on the tape and take your time.  It will come together in a planking job that you will be proud of.  You are making a very good start.
 
Dan

Mark - 
 
Looks much better to my eye.  Should fit well once you set the rest of your battens.
 
As for exact plank widths and numbers, don't tie yourself to exact dimensions, they really can't be calculated.  There is what I call the 3-dimensional problem.  The widths you have measured are for the faces of the ribs.  The planks have a definite thickness, so where they cover a convex surface the inside corners hit each other before the outer ones do, creating an unsightly gap.  This is even more of a problem with French designs that have those large bulges at the waterline.  
 

 
To get a tight fit at the outer surface the solution is to bevel the edges of the planks, but then the inside width of the plank is less than the outer width, and no longer matches the measured dimensions.  You can start with wider planks, but the variation changes depending on the curvature that is being covered.  This changes from wale to keel and even along the length of one plank strake.
 
My solution, which is just one of several that works, is to plank up from the keel and down from the wale at the same time. As you near the center all of the dimensions are recalculated after each plank strake is added.  Eventually you reach a space that can be closed in by one or two final "shutter planks" that should look almost identical to those on either side.
 
Practice on the tape and take your time.  It will come together in a planking job that you will be proud of.  You are making a very good start.
 
Dan

Mark - 
 
Looks much better to my eye.  Should fit well once you set the rest of your battens.
 
As for exact plank widths and numbers, don't tie yourself to exact dimensions, they really can't be calculated.  There is what I call the 3-dimensional problem.  The widths you have measured are for the faces of the ribs.  The planks have a definite thickness, so where they cover a convex surface the inside corners hit each other before the outer ones do, creating an unsightly gap.  This is even more of a problem with French designs that have those large bulges at the waterline.  
 

 
To get a tight fit at the outer surface the solution is to bevel the edges of the planks, but then the inside width of the plank is less than the outer width, and no longer matches the measured dimensions.  You can start with wider planks, but the variation changes depending on the curvature that is being covered.  This changes from wale to keel and even along the length of one plank strake.
 
My solution, which is just one of several that works, is to plank up from the keel and down from the wale at the same time. As you near the center all of the dimensions are recalculated after each plank strake is added.  Eventually you reach a space that can be closed in by one or two final "shutter planks" that should look almost identical to those on either side.
 
Practice on the tape and take your time.  It will come together in a planking job that you will be proud of.  You are making a very good start.
 
Dan

Mark - 
 
Looks much better to my eye.  Should fit well once you set the rest of your battens.
 
As for exact plank widths and numbers, don't tie yourself to exact dimensions, they really can't be calculated.  There is what I call the 3-dimensional problem.  The widths you have measured are for the faces of the ribs.  The planks have a definite thickness, so where they cover a convex surface the inside corners hit each other before the outer ones do, creating an unsightly gap.  This is even more of a problem with French designs that have those large bulges at the waterline.  
 

 
To get a tight fit at the outer surface the solution is to bevel the edges of the planks, but then the inside width of the plank is less than the outer width, and no longer matches the measured dimensions.  You can start with wider planks, but the variation changes depending on the curvature that is being covered.  This changes from wale to keel and even along the length of one plank strake.
 
My solution, which is just one of several that works, is to plank up from the keel and down from the wale at the same time. As you near the center all of the dimensions are recalculated after each plank strake is added.  Eventually you reach a space that can be closed in by one or two final "shutter planks" that should look almost identical to those on either side.
 
Practice on the tape and take your time.  It will come together in a planking job that you will be proud of.  You are making a very good start.
 
Dan

Mark - 
 
Looks much better to my eye.  Should fit well once you set the rest of your battens.
 
As for exact plank widths and numbers, don't tie yourself to exact dimensions, they really can't be calculated.  There is what I call the 3-dimensional problem.  The widths you have measured are for the faces of the ribs.  The planks have a definite thickness, so where they cover a convex surface the inside corners hit each other before the outer ones do, creating an unsightly gap.  This is even more of a problem with French designs that have those large bulges at the waterline.  
 

 
To get a tight fit at the outer surface the solution is to bevel the edges of the planks, but then the inside width of the plank is less than the outer width, and no longer matches the measured dimensions.  You can start with wider planks, but the variation changes depending on the curvature that is being covered.  This changes from wale to keel and even along the length of one plank strake.
 
My solution, which is just one of several that works, is to plank up from the keel and down from the wale at the same time. As you near the center all of the dimensions are recalculated after each plank strake is added.  Eventually you reach a space that can be closed in by one or two final "shutter planks" that should look almost identical to those on either side.
 
Practice on the tape and take your time.  It will come together in a planking job that you will be proud of.  You are making a very good start.
 
Dan

Mark - 
 
Looks much better to my eye.  Should fit well once you set the rest of your battens.
 
As for exact plank widths and numbers, don't tie yourself to exact dimensions, they really can't be calculated.  There is what I call the 3-dimensional problem.  The widths you have measured are for the faces of the ribs.  The planks have a definite thickness, so where they cover a convex surface the inside corners hit each other before the outer ones do, creating an unsightly gap.  This is even more of a problem with French designs that have those large bulges at the waterline.  
 

 
To get a tight fit at the outer surface the solution is to bevel the edges of the planks, but then the inside width of the plank is less than the outer width, and no longer matches the measured dimensions.  You can start with wider planks, but the variation changes depending on the curvature that is being covered.  This changes from wale to keel and even along the length of one plank strake.
 
My solution, which is just one of several that works, is to plank up from the keel and down from the wale at the same time. As you near the center all of the dimensions are recalculated after each plank strake is added.  Eventually you reach a space that can be closed in by one or two final "shutter planks" that should look almost identical to those on either side.
 
Practice on the tape and take your time.  It will come together in a planking job that you will be proud of.  You are making a very good start.
 
Dan

Hi Mark - 
 
Welcome to the wacky and wonderful world of spiling.  Although you can get lots of help from various books, and Jim Roberts' is one of the best, it is mostly a question of experience and eyeballing.  
 
One thing that Jim suggested when I was his pupil was to take strips of frosted tape and lay them flat on the hull till the area I was working on was completely covered.  Like the planks, the tape will sweep up toward the wale with the curve of the hull and cover previous tape runs.  This is a good thing.  It shows how much the planks want to bend so I could start to judge how many stealers/drop planks I might need.  Also, with the area completely taped I could line out the plank runs in pencil, making as many mistakes as I wanted without consequence.  After a while I developed a good sense of how the hull wanted to be planked, and could then much more accurately position my battens to guide the actual wood planks.
 
On the Licorne I have a feeling, and I could be wrong, that your first batten is too high (towards the keel) at the bow.  Judging by eye, the remaining area from the batten to the keel is not wide enough and your lower planks could be crowded and narrow,  The only way to be sure of this is to put in all of the battens that you want and then carefully examine them from dead ahead to see if they give you equal spacing.  A similar thing goes on at the stern.
 
Here is a drawing of what I mean.  It is from Jim's book, although I have removed his text for clarity.
 

 
Remember also that the garboard and first broad strake (the one next to the garboard) are wider than the rest of the planks, and your spiling/batten plan has to take this into account.
 
This was probably a longer response than you wanted, but I hope that it helps.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 

After reading all the theories and "how-to's" where the rubber meets the road....  I'd like some feedback on my batten.  I'm planking from the wales down to the batten first.  The batten represents where the wide wale planks will end... or should end.