Loracs

First Planking, mostly done.  My first planking on a ship that size with such "curves"

It was far more difficult than anticipated.  I truly underestimated the "clinker effect".  It was ok up to mid hull, then it started to get bad.  I had to wet the surface and iron out the planks on the ship.  Wood expanded, then shrank, creating hairline space in places....  not the best approach.  Surface is ok tho, ready for the finishing step.

On the bright end, the sides and back (still doing the wedges) are nice.  No spaces, clean and smooth surface.  No need for wood putty!!

What I learned:

Read and re-read the planking tutorial.  

Spilling planks are a must.  Don't underestimate the plank clinker effect.

And finally, better define (planning stage) the shape (angle down) of each of the 4 sectors at the bow.  Having difficulties there.

@Baker,  a thousand thanks!   Very nice model too... so it is a pleasure to read your log.

@Knocklouder, reading again the tutorial, it seen that option (c) would be the most appropriate approach.  I forgot about using a 3-inch-wide tape to define the curvature of the plank.  I will try that.  Thanks.

Question about planking heavy curves (bow).  This is my first large ship with pronounced "curves".

If you look at the pictures (now sanded partially), you will see that I have a significant "clinker" effect (is it the right term? I mean plank binding upward at an angle with curvature) as I progress planking upward.  The question is how to avoid it in the first place.

a) should I have tapered all the planks below a little more to start with, basically better planning, to avoid a compounding-effect later?

b) should I have considered doing a drop plank to reduce the effect when it started mid-bow?

c) Should I have bent upward (against the grain) to reduce this effect and keep going? 

d) I have a problem in the planning of the bow.  Mainly the width of the planks since (due to the drop with the vertical curvature) there is no definitive end-point for calculation (like with the side of the ship).

Your help is very much welcome...  I can apply a better technique for the second planking.

Cheers,

About Inlays.  This is what I'm thinking (see picture).  The "feather pattern" (top one), on the side, along with a number of walnut strips.  Nothing really fancy, a simple outlook. The two below, likely for deck wall decoration, again with walnut strips for accent.

The last two, unlikely.  The one with the vertical pattern may clash due to the color.  The moon-cycle inlay is nice (loving it)... but maybe it's too wide.

Let me know what you think.  Would truly appreciate all your comments.

@Baker, you are more than welcome... BUT it is going away fast 😉

@AllanYed, a thousand thanks for the reference and comments.  I will definitively look it up.  The printed sections from the kit are in fact nice.  I just like the look and feel of wood.  Hiding it behind paint/decal just makes me cringe.  It may end NOT historically accurate to use alternative, but I may just prefer the look.  What if the "Revenge" was sold, late in its life, to a rich merchant that revamp it a little (hey!). Still few weeks to think it out over.

Dam...  it won't fit!!!

hey Jack, my pleasure... this is why we make logs.  Enjoy your build, it is all about the journey.  Have Fun!

This ship has curves, which is nice aesthetically but harder for planking.  Here's my process.

1. I measured the length at each bulkhead, then defined the optimal plank width at each position (Fig 1).

2. I used a mini planer to trim the planks. I did a batch of 4 (x2) at a time (Fig 2).  The edge remains flat with a nice tapering. Don't forget to mark the tapered edge.

3. Using a curly iron, I give the plank its rough shape, primarily at the bow.  THEN,

4. I slightly wet the plank using a rag (5 sec no more), then I attached it without glue (Fig 3).

5. Using a hair dryer, I then dry on the ship.  Repeat 2x (wetting then dry), leave alone 15 min, then dry again (until completely dry). Figure 4 shows the upper plank in place WITHOUT any glue...  a nice fit.  It was then glued in place.

Rinse and repeat.....

Thanks, it is fun to keep a log.  Agree with you...  we can't keep bad back away from building models.  Just need to pace ourselves and keep having fun!

In planning for the first planking, I built a number of stands to invert the ship and keep the bulkhead off the ground.  Having a worktable with rails will be handy here.  Note: found a use for the many masks left over from the pandemic.

The worktable is set on 2 feet circular "Lazy Susan", which allow me to rotate the table and work on either side without having to handle the ship.

The middle lower portion of the side panel was glued in place and the gun carriages are set inside.

Wet the side walls lightly and leave it dry on the ship for a few days, then finish the curvature with a steam iron.  The front parts required more aggressive bending using a small jig.  The frames for the gun-ports were glued off-ship, but require close fitting back and forth to the ship...  a very close fit.

Greetings all, a small update.  Painted internal walls, added doors and assembled a small platform.  Glue to the ship and set the staircases.

Without it.... I would spend 12 hrs. a day building.  This is a great hobby.

Great to meet you all.

My god.... such a nice model.  Are you serious about potentially releasing it as POF kit.  If yes, I'm 100% in.  On the same line of the semi-scratch build Winchelsea but POF (than would be so nice)?  A rigged version would great...  I'm a fan of rigged model. Still have no room for a bunch of power tools even mini ones (the reason I'm looking for semi-scratch build).

I was looking around for such a kit... but almost all are Chinese manufacturer.  CAF model seen ok...  but would 300% prefer a model from Chuck and Co.  Let us know if you have a timeline.

cheers, 

--loracs

Second deck and cross beams...  slow (due to bad back) but steady progress.

Note for the sake of accuracy: If you look at the deck with the whipstaff assembly, I forgot to leave spaces (un-planked space) between bulkhead 12 and 13.   Therefore, parts 12b and 13b will be 1mm higher (the thickness of the planks).  Luckily, dry fit with the third and final deck seen ok....  Since everything is currently glued, reversing the mistake would have been quite some work.  For once, I appreciate the slight tolerance that the kit offers.  

On the plus side: not having to deal with those spaces at bulkhead 12 and 13 allowed me to perfectly align the deck planks within and across both decks.

Really like the model so far, the manual is great...  remind myself to follow the steps.

Thank you, I appreciate.  The hardest part still ahead of me though.

--loracs

Deck planking: more of the same.  The front deck was slightly shaped (round down) before fitting by first damping the back, placing on wood spacers on the edge (5mm high) and placing weight in the middle.  Worked well. Rounded holes/squares using files and tested them before gluing. The rest was easy.

Support beams for the second deck were a little shallow and loose. Used some padding underneath and on one side using small pieces of wood strips.  Sand it to fit.  It was pretty straightforward.

Very nice, indeed.  I like the color you choose for the hull and shield.  Look Classy. 

One comment, although a very minuet one, when planking deck, you could use an interval of 3, 4 or 5 to create a cool and realistic pattern. 

However, it may not be relevant for this type of deck (with the vertical strips covering the joins.  Just saying, if you're planning a larger model.

Thank you for the thumbs up...  this is a great hobby and a wonderful community.

--Loracs

Allan (my God I replied using your own post lol), You are right... I even look for public schema of other ships... unfortunately, little found there. 

Note:  I find it interesting. Something I have not even though about it until you raised the question. I just assumed the kit designer had it right (they may have, but maybe not).

--Loracs

Hello AllanYed,  Excellent question... and I'm surely not the one that can answer it with certainty.  I found this post from another member here (Note: Just realized it was one of your... after posting).  It indeed looks like it should be rounded toward the deck.

After planking the deck, I treated the wood with "sanding sealer" and applied three coats of water-based matte polyurethane.  The brass grates were a little trickier.  First, they were oxidized with "Brass Black" and the finish seal with matte poly.  The oxidation is very thin and at the surface, they chip very easily until sealed.