HMS Thorn by Kevin Kenny - 1:48 scale - Swan-class - David Antscherl practium

[dvm27]

Very nice Kevin! Your planking skills are improving with each video.

 

When you measure the distance between planks to establish plank thicknesses it might be better to use tick strips. The digital caliper does not take into account the curve of the hull and will read shorter than the actual distance.

[Kevin Kenny]

What do you mean by tick strip. Is this a piece of sticky paper laid against the frames?

[dvm27]

Take a small strip of paper and abut it to the bottom plank or planking line. Then make sure the paper is lying on the frame and mark where the top plank crosses. This is the true distance between the frames. This tick strip can now be divided into the number of desired planks in tick marks. To prove this to yourself measure the distance as you are currently doing on a curved section of the hull then compare with the tick strip method as described. You'll see that your measurement is shorter than the tick strip and thus your planks may be  narrower than they should be.

 

 

[Kevin Kenny]

Thats what i figured. I used this system with the first set of planking. I did not feel that it mattered with strake 1-5. But fair enough. Ill do it for the last two bands

[Kevin Kenny]

Challenging to get the end pieces to bend perfectly. I pre bent the pieces off the model then I had to make up a push jig to hold the end into the stern.  It worked thank goodness. 

[yvesvidal]

It reminds me of some difficult and delicate phases during the planking of my Bellona. The wood was softer on the Bellona kit, but it still required a lot of heavy tools to make it bend and stay in place. You are doing a great job, Kenny.

 

Yves

[Kevin Kenny]

Improved on the push clamp again. It works great.

[druxey]

Ye gads! That looks like a medieval torture instrument, Kevin. It should simply scare the plank into shape! Ingenious.

[Kevin Kenny]

 

[AON]

Nice job!  Now for me to remember it all.

 

I was concerned about the metal end of your clamp maring the plank when turned to tighten and was imagining various ways to avoid it ... and then you showed the simple soft wooden nose piece add on solution.

 

Simple and effective... like everything you show us.

Thank you.

[Kevin Kenny]

Alan, i have since tapered the wooden end even more as i was having difficulty getting it close enough to the rudder post. 

[dvm27]

The hull is shaping up nicely Kevin. On your next model (should you ever wish to plank again!) you'll learn how to install stealers and drop strakes to control the width of those planks at the bow and the stern.

[Kevin Kenny]

You forget that we did this on the internal planks. This would have been so much easier to do on the external planks but the book did not want us to use stealers, so we followed the book. I have to say this is the first time i shaped both ends of all the strakes  for the entire hull rather than force bending them into shape and what a difference it made. I was always worried that having to finish the open side of the plank would result in  irregular surface causing a difficult joint when the next row of planks was applied, but this turned out not to be so. I found  that the hand plane made it very easy to prepare a nice smooth line on the exposed side of the plank.

[Kevin Kenny]

The finial plank on this band of strakes.

[Kevin Kenny]

In tobago for a week. Plank 9 complete with no major challenge. I am looking forward to closing them up

[Kevin Kenny]

We had some guest coming over who wanted to see my shop so i had to clean it up. It looks so nice when its clean 

 

[AON]

Looks very clean, a place for everything and everything in its place.  👍

 

I've learnt that whatever you do when cleaning up, ignore all urges to reorganize because you'll never find that special tool once moved.

[dvm27]

Are you going to show the after-cleaning photos Kevin? Just kidding, of course. I spent the day cleaning my shop as well. No guests, but I couldn't find anything anymore.

[Kevin Kenny]

I have been traveling a bit so will complete the planking next week. 

[Kevin Kenny]

This should make you happy Greg. Sawdust everywhere. 

[Kevin Kenny]

When you dont know what you are doing you can purchase all sorts of useless crap on line. I purchased the gauges along with the portable valves (just to cover my donkey) to set up the Chinese knockoff of the Smith Little torch. The oxygen worked fine but when i tried to connect the gas gauge (LPG) there was no local supplier that could accommodate me with the CGA 200 connection on the gauge.  Then i went to at least 10 different wielding suppliers and non could help me find an adaptor. Thank goodness i purchased the small bottle valves. 
eventually i was able to hook up a medical oxygen bottle ( of which i have 2) to the Bernzomatic gas and got it to work. A real pain in the donkey 

[Kevin Kenny]

New rack for the clamps on the work bench to reduce the clutter.

[Kevin Kenny]

Now complete

[AON]

Looks like something I could do alot of damage with😏

[mtaylor]

3 hours ago, AON said:

Looks like something I could do alot of damage with😏

I was thinking the same thing here.  

[Kevin Kenny]

Just the shutter plank to go.

[druxey]

Ye gads, Kevin! Some really heavy duty silver soldering to come?

 

Seem a pity to hide all that framing, but the planking job looks very good.

[Kevin Kenny]

Soon open.

[Kevin Kenny]

[dvm27]

Take an extra sip on my behalf when you finish installing the whiskey plank!