HIPEXEC

Looking good! You're my goal.

I'd be real interested in hearing how it works. I've got a lot of sanding to do.

I still have about five tapered planks on the other side.

Thanks,

Starboard side planks done! Not as nice as Wes's Connie, but for a second ship beginner, I'm very proud that the planks fit so nicely even before sanding and filling..

I had good luck with shaving the plank to near net shape then holding it flat on a level surface and using a flat sanding block. That gave me decent bevels and tapers. It would be nice to have a miller, though.

Ever since I started tapering my planks, I stopped using a jig to bend them to shape. Too many odd twists and turns. So, I started forming them in place. After a 15 minute soak I "no glue" install the plank and let it dry overnight. After it's dry, it stays just about in that shape for final gluing. 

Now that I'm approaching the last plank, I've prepared some sanding blocks of different sizes. The big one is just a block you can get at Home Depot. I use that to taper planks, etc. The three sanding sticks are fine, med and course for smaller areas ,and the 3 inch by 1 inch block will be for the main part of the hull. It has medium on one side and fine on the other.

Wow! You are my goal when it comes to fine miniature wood working. Watching your work will drive me to be more careful with my work.

With only 10 planks left to cover the whole open hull ( 5 port and 5 starboard) I've managed to do it all using whole planks from stem to stern. It makes for a nice smooth looking hull even before any sanding. It even looks like I'll have to use a minimum of filler since most planks butt against each other very well. I've been saving sanding dust from my plank tapering to mix with white glue for any filler I might need.

It works real well except I have to keep glueing bulkheads when they get  slight splits from all the nails. The glued bulkhead works okay for the next course of planks, though.    Like they say...whatever works is good. I should have the main hull closed in by Christmas.

I don't know how others taper their planks, but here's what I'm doing. I calculate how many planks are needed to fill the midship (widest gap) and measue the space at the bow. In this case 5 planks are needed midships and only three at the bow. I do the math and strike a line on the plank representing the taper needed to make 5 fit into 3 neatly. I carefully carve close the my strike line with a sharp razor, then sand down to the line wth medium grade sanding block. I only taper or carve one edge and leave the un-carved/un-tapered edge to face away from the glued edge. This gives me a very straight edge to work my next plank.

Constructo calls for me to taper the planks at the bow and use filler wedges at the stern since it has a six plank gap.

The picture framing gadgets I found in the local hardware store are working very well as clamps for my planking effort. I just nail them in place to hold the next plank while it's soaking, then flip them in place after I lay the wet pank. Them I nail them tight. The bow and stern planks need some small nails and/or rubber bands to hold them in place. After the plank dries (24 hours in Phoenix), I'll loosen the clamps and run my glue bead, them re-nail the clamps tight. The next day I remove the clamps and...another installed plank.   

Welcome. I'm like you, I had to build the USS Constitution.

Good Luck,

My Constructo USS Constitution calls for me to finish planking before adding the stem and keel. My first model was the opposite. I'm not sure what's going to happen except I'll figure out how to make it work.

I put extra fill at the bow of my Connie and it gives me more glue surface for the extreme bends I had to do. It's working for me,

I glued this brass cannon to its wood base with lots of plain Crazy Glue. The brass part is 3/4 inch long.

It's like eating an elephant....just start chewing on the toe. I started much like you, and you're right...it's difficult, but a great and rewarding challenge.

good luck,

Wes,

I'll give that a try.

Thanks,

The planking process has proved suddenly very interesting. When I was planking down, these Sapele planks gave me a fit by cracking with the slightest miscalculation. Now, suddenly I'm able to twist these same Sapele planks almost 90 degrees at the stem and almost 90 degrees at the stern with no splitting? I'm not complaining, though, and I'm suddenly ahead of schedule. I know during the middle section I will be slowed again since I have to eliminate planks by some form of tapering.

It seems with each new planking day, I have to invent a new method of clamping them. This is my latest find. From my hardware store's picture framing section. Small, plastic flip clamps. They work very well on this section of the hull. They hold them nice and tight and I don't have to nail as many planks as before.

I just tack them to the wall by my workbench.

It's getting there. I will slow down when I have to start plank tapers. The height varies from 9 planks to 12 planks to close in the hull.

Show us a picture of your waterboiler, please.

I'm working on the bottom up planks and I'm amazed that I can make them twist 90 degrees with just 15 minutes soaking and forming them in position until dry, then glueing them. This very hard wood doesn't want to bend on the flat, but twists like a pretzel longitudonely (sic).

Your wood working is amazing!