Phantom by Elijah - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:96 - New York Pilot Boat

[Elijah]

That is a planking fan. You measure the distance you have to plank, generally one belt, and determine the number of strikes you will need for that space. Then you slide the marked tick strip (I use shredded paper from the shredding machine) along the fan until the number of strikes you want fill the space. The lines on the fan will be the strikes, and you transfer those lines onto your tick strip. You can then transfer those lines onto the hull. Thanks for the visit! Welcome to MSW!

[John Maguire]

Way to go Elijah .  .  .

[donrobinson]

Looks as though you are getting lots of good advice Elijah, I'll stay in the back and watch you carry on

[Elijah]

I have gotten a little bit done over the past week. I drew up, cut, and glued on my first two strakes. I have also decided on a planking pattern, and am preparing my third strake. You might also notice that I cut the rabbets for the bow and stern. Anyway, here are the pictures so I can get back to work!

So far, no steam bending has been necessary. I noticed that my second strake looks a little better than my first. My first is on the starboard side. It just goes to show how much I am learning! Spilling is definitely a long process, but I like what I see!

Thanks for any comments and advice! Until next time!

 

Edit: The planking looks worse in the photos ! Darn 5 megapixel camera !

Edited June 7, 2016 by Elijah

[robnbill]

The first planks are always the hardest! It seems like you have developed a great habit in this hobby. You study the work to be done, work the the plan of attack then execute the plan! It works in this hobby as well as many other things in life. I am looking forward to seeing how you progress.

[EJ_L]

Bill said what I was going to Elijah. You are doing a great job and seem to be finding a comfortable talent in ship modeling. Keep this work ethic up and I predict you will have a very sucessful future both in this hobby and in your daily life.

[mikiek]

Good to hear from you!  As Bill says, the first one is the killer. And it is the one you MUST get right because everything else follows that.

 

Here's a thought for when you start spilling or try other tough tasks. A practicum I have states "choose your display side" and then do all your experimenting on the opposite side. For most displays you'll have one side facing the viewer. Put the experimental side to the rear. Do your first spile on the experimental side. Learn from that and then do the display side.

[MEPering]

Elijah, Mikiek is giving very good advice there.  You should decide which side is going to be prominently displayed first, and use the other for experimentation/first build stuff.  Since I am also doing a first build, I decided my port side would be the most prominent, since the place I intend to display it shows it off better like that.  So I am doing most things on the starboard side first.  But this advice also needs to be taken with a grain of salt,  because planking should be done on both sides equally, from my understanding.  This is probably less important with a solid hull like you have, but with a POB or POF planking, it is important, I think. 

 

Like Bill and EJ said, the first plank is most important to get right.  Of course you can correct for it later, but that just makes for more work that really isn't necessary if you just get that first one right.  After that, make sure your wood is dry after you bend it before mounting it to the ship.  It is amazing how much wood can swell when thoroughly wetted.  Or you can use strictly a heat bending method, which insures the wood is dry, but this is a more delicate process and you have to be careful not to scorch the wood.  This is my preferred method, but wetting is also a good method, considering that the planks are very thin, and don't take much time in the water to saturate. 

 

Matt

[trippwj]

You continue to progress nicely, with due dilligence and care.

 

Dang, that almost sounded intellectual! She looks good, Elijah. Keep on doing what you are doing!

 

I have a partially built one of these on the shelf - started it last year with my granddaughter. Will pull it back out when she visits in July and use your log as an aid, if you don't mind?

[robnbill]

To build on what Matt said in his preferred dry bending method. Unless I am bending very small items in very tight curves, I only wet the would lightly by dipping it under a faucet just prior to using the heating iron. I have even used a bit of spit if it is a very small area. This provides enough steam to penetrate the wood once the iron hits it allowing me to bend the wood and it is dry/gone within seconds. Using this method, I have not found the wood to retain enough moisture to shrink once it is on the ship.

 

This is my go to method for planks.

Edited June 7, 2016 by robnbill

[Landlubber Mike]

Very nice work Elijah!  Getting that first strake of planks on takes time, but when done right, it makes for a good foundation for the rest of the planking.

 

I've taken a slightly different approach to fitting planks along tricky curves.  Spiling really helps, but there's still a need to bend the planks.  Near the bow, I usually soak the planks, pin them in place, and let them dry over night to avoid any shrinkage issues.  Essentially that helps pre-shape the planks making gluing much easier.  Depending on the nature of the curve, how thick the plank is, etc., after the plank has soaked, I'll sometimes manually flex the planks in my fingers a bit to help stretch and relax the fibers in the wood.  

 

So far this has served me pretty well on my Pegasus.  It stinks having to wait until the plank is fully dry, but having a little patience means the planks go on better and easier, and you avoid any gaps resulting from the planks shrinking if you try to glue them on right after soaking.  

 

I haven't tried using curling irons or crimping tools yet, but those are other methods of getting bends into your planks.  

[DocBlake]

Excellent work, Elijah.  Keep it up!.  Your planking is going to be great.

[Elijah]

Thanks for all the help and comments guys! I will be using the plank bender for the first time for a tricky bend at the stern. I will pick the port side for display because that is the side I did the fist plank second, if you understand that. Would doing a plank on the starboard side, then repeating the same plank on the port work? That way, all the planks on the port side would be the second attempt of itself. What do you think?

Lawrence, welcome to my build! Thanks for coming! As for the build being in the scratch build forum, what would classify it as a scratch build? Thanks!

Wayne, thanks for the nice comment! You can use my log, but I'm not sure if I am farther than yours and your granddaughters build. I think I might have seen it somewhere on MSW, but I'm not sure where it is now. Isn't it named the Elsa? Have fun building her!

[mikiek]

Trial side, Display side - 1st, 2nd .   There were some times I even did 3 strakes on the trial side before doing the display. Always be thinking ahead. Not just next plank, but next strake, even the one after that.

[dgbot]

I am glad that you are proceeding well Elijah.  One of the things that Bob talks about in his talks about spiling and planking is use the wood that will work the best.  This makes the job easier.  Thankfully you have a hull that is not too extreme like an apple bow or exteme drag.

David B

Edited June 10, 2016 by dgbot

[Landlubber Mike]

David makes a good point.  I think it would be hard to spile woods that tend to splinter.  Walnut and tanganyika come to mind - the strips in my Caldercraft Badger were hard enough to taper without splitting.

[Elijah]

Hello again. I have planked the transom, and have added a couple strakes to the test side. I have decided for certain the planking pattern, and will implement it on the other side (port) after I finish the strake I am working on. Planking will be pretty straight forward. I will update again when I reach some milestone, but it might be a while. After planking is coppering, but that will come when it comes. I have come to feel like my phantom looks more boat like. I guess she just earned more respect from me, because I made her a cradle of sorts .

Thanks for any responses, they are always welcome! Until next time !

[donrobinson]

Looking good Elijah, and that's a pretty fancy cradle

[cobra1951]

Nice progress Admit it the little guy on your bench made the cradle :)

[EJ_L]

looks like you are off and running with the planking. It is looking good. Good idea for the cradle also. It is nice when your ship stays upright so you can see how she looks without having to hold her yourself. Take your time with the planking and I look forward to seeing her when you have progressed some more.

[DocBlake]

Nice start to the planking.  It should turn out well.

[Elijah]

Oops, did I accidentally show one of the little guys I have working for me ? Thanks for the compliments, they are nice to read!

[donrobinson]

I noticed him, I think he is harmless but defiantly keep Bart out of the shipyard  

[Gerhardvienna]

Why keep Bart out? HE did`nt do it...................

 

Hi Elijah

Nice progress done, keep it on going!

 

 

Regards

Gerhard

[mikiek]

Transom is quite nice! That is a tough one.

 

Didn't realize you will be coppering. Are you going to fully plank first? If yes, I have one suggestion. After you complete your first band - the upper one - do the garboard and the first 2 or 3 strakes up from that. The garboard can be a bear - lots of twisting & bending depending on the hull shape. The first few strakes after the garboard can be tough also. The reason for the suggestion is you may need to readjust your bands after that.

 

Don't forget that like we soak and bend planks, you can soak and twist them as well. That sure helped me. The thing to remember is if you twist the strip clockwise for the port side you will need to twist it counter clockwise for starboard.

[Elijah]

Thanks Mike! I will do the garboard and a few others after I get some more planks on the Port side.

[captgino]

Looking good Elijah!!

You are doing a great job.

[Elijah]

Thanks!

[Seventynet]

Now if you were to leave your options open, I.e., not copper, especially when you appreciate the magnificent job you will do on your planking, you could do everything that Lawrence has suggested except use elastic bands and erasers to hold the wet planks in place and then to hold the glued planks in place, you would have nothing to lose. You can see my technique in my Victory build. Having said that I am not sure whether the set up work to achieve good band hold points would be worthwhile in your situation.

 

Best, Ian

[mikiek]

Hey buddy - I agree with Ian. Consider showing your work and just keep the build all wood.