For the Newbie who has problems planking a ships hull

[mtdoramike]

I have found these plank crimping pliers to be indispensable for the first time ship modeler. These actually make planking FUN. Yep your heard me, FUN. It makes those ridiculous bends effortless. But, and there's always a but isn't there? This is not the traditional method of planking a ships hull (I state this for all the purist out there that are twisting in their seats reading this post). Now, once you have mastered your first or second model, you can start experimenting with the traditional way of planking like soaking the plank for hours, using a heating iron or tool and possibly a bending or radius jig. Also, look for a more straight hull like the Cutty Sark style of ship. I also plank solid hull models as well and it makes it easier when you have a solid background to lay the planks on versus ribs.

 

I still use the planking pliers every once in awhile when I run across a stubborn curve, if it's a railing, I use thicker wood and sand the crimp marks out with a sanding wheel attachment for my rotary tool. Also, the planks are easier to crimp when they are wet. The planking pliers run about $15.00 and I have found them on Ebay as well as most hobby shops and they come in a variety of designs.

 

I believe a hobby should be fun and not stressful. So I use various methods to achieve a desired result, even if those methods aren't traditional in nature. I like to think of myself as the Bob Ross of ship modeling, I'm not a purist by a long shot but more of a realist. I hope this tip will help keep someone from stroking out from a hobby that should be fun.   

 

I would also like to add that if I were making a museum quality ship model, I would not use these pliers and secondly, If I were doing a commissioned model for a client, I would use these sparingly.

 

mike     

Edited June 22, 2015 by mtdoramike

[mgst]

Hello Mike. I have a question. I snapped a plank off 2 inches from the bow of my ship. Can I splice a piece of plank in to repair or is there a better way? Thanks for any help. Sorry for the newbie question. I hope this post is in the appropriate place?

[mtdoramike]

That depends on fit and finish. If you are copper plating the hull below the waterline or if painting it than sure you can. But if finishing her natural than I would go a little further back to make you splice to maybe a 4 inch board. It will look better and give more re-enforcement.

 

I love copper plating or copper foil tape or those painted hulls because all you need is a smooth surface to apply and once finished, looks like a million bucks or at least a couple of hundred anyway. Copper plating or paint covers up a multitude of sin, but and here that but goes again, these options especially coppering would only be an option if the original ship was coppered or during the era of coppered hulls.  

 

 

mike 

Edited July 22, 2015 by mtdoramike

[jbshan]

The crimping pliers will help bend a plank in and out, but won't help with up and down, so you still will need to learn about cutting a plank so that when you bend it in, it will fit snugly with no to little edge setting.  There's no silver bullet or magic wand.

[druxey]

Do read the planking tutorials on this site!

[mgst]

broken plank photo?

[mtdoramike]

That is where brute force come into play.

 

mike

[mtdoramike]

The planking pliers may not be a silver bullet or magic wand to some, but if you are on your first plank on frame model and keep soaking, heating and bending and then breaking planks due to overly dry kit supplied wood, you will quickly feel that this is as close to that magic wand as you will get and once you practice a while with them, you can bend a piece of planking inward, outward and yep, even sideways depending on the angle of the crimp. But like I said above, this info is not for the purist. So if this method offends you, forget about, don't read it or move on.  

 

This particular method got me through my first couple of ship models because after breaking most of the wood from the first kit and having to re-order all new planking strips, I made my own pair of planking pliers out of a pair of old slip joint pliers that I filed the grooves off of then epoxied a piece of wire to one of the jaws of the pliers. Planking became a breeze for the most part and I never looked back. Had it not been for the planking pliers, I would have taken that first model out to the drive way with a hammer and made firewood out of it.  

 

 

mike 

Edited July 22, 2015 by mtdoramike

[jbshan]

Mike, what works like a dream for one may not for another.  I have a pair of crimping pliers and never use them after the first few tries.  I prefer to spile and cut the planks, then use enough heat and moisture to get them in to the hull.  I think spiling for the up and down bending may ease the in and out bending needed since you only have that to deal with instead of both.

Beginners should take druxey's advice and read all the tutorials and practice, practice, practice.

Here is my Lexington model, my second planked hull.

Edited July 23, 2015 by jbshan

[Thanasis]

Hi all.

Mike I agree with all you have written but mostly I like the: "I believe a hobby should be fun and not stressful."

For me it would be more stressful, when while I have already paid for something, that ended impractical.

Something of mine, from the DDM days...

Thx

[mtdoramike]

WOW Thanasis, I sure wish I would have thought of that setup you made for yourself. It would have saved me hours of grinding and filing all those teeth off of those slip joint pliers. I also like the fact that the pressure put on the wood from the entire jaw of the pliers is spread out more evenly and could easily be used to make outside bends as well as inside bends.

 

jbshan: I agree, anyone wishing to learn the art of planking and yes, it's an art unto itself should read all the planking tutorials on this site as well as other various books on planking techniques, I have a few of those books myself. But to me, there is always time to read and practice the PROPER way of planking once they get over the frustration of planking that first or even second models. I'm not an over patient person so I need to see some kind of progress especially when I start something new. I never got into ship modeling to spend years building a model and my clients really got antsy if I spent more than 6 moths on a commission piece of theirs. I can plank a hull within a few days with a pair of these crimpers rather than weeks and even months doing it the traditional way.

 

But like I said above, this method doesn't set well with purist     

[mgst]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I am working on the Billing Bluenose II 600. The picture is a little unclear as there is 2 planks on the hull the second one is broken. I am reading the tutorials but there doesn't seem to be any info about broken planks?

[mgst]

Thanks for the info. Another question regarding attached photo. The planking must be glued to the bulkhead even at the last bulkhead at the stern correct? I received this model partially done and am trying to repair the planking.

[mtdoramike]

Holy cow, did the guy put on the plank on edge? They look way to thick. I helped build this model about 20 years ago and don't recall the planking being more than 2mm thick at best. But yes, the planks need to turn in towards the stern, once you get the stern bulkhead installed, which isn't now. This was one of those models you build half of the ships hull at one time and then sandwich them together. To me, I felt that it would have been easier to put the to false keel pieces together and then put the bulkheads in place and then plank the whole hull.   

 

 

mike  

[mgst]

Thanks for the comments all. The planks are 2mm thick and 3mm wide. I am removing the pine planking with alcohol hopefully and starting from scratch? I have first half the hull (with the 2 planks)  removed and am moving on to removing planks from the other half with 7 planks hopefully. Any suggestions on the re planking job would be appreciated? Thanks again for all the help!

[mtaylor]

MGST,

If you'll go here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/forum/14-building-framing-planking-and-plating-a-ships-hull-and-deck/   There's 3 pinned posts on planking tutorials.    Those should help.

[mtdoramike]

Make sure you pin down each half of the hull framing to a building board BEFORE you start putting the planking back on to ensure that you don't end up with any warps or twists in the hull halves upon completion.

 

mike