Kågen by Wintergreen - FINISHED - 1:30 - Swedish clinker-built cog work boat - SMALL

[Wintergreen]

Hi guys!

Thanks for likes and comment.
Progress has been slow despite quite a few hours in the shop. 
Why? Preparatory work.
It's like when all you want to do is to get that wallpaper up and instead you find yourself put up drywalls, fill screw holes, and then some sanding and after that more filling and more sanding. And just before you break the seal on the first roll of paper you realize that you need to prime the drywalls otherwise there isn't enough glue in the world that will keep your wallpaper up.

First, a picture to soothen the soul.

With a multi-tool equipped with a drum sander it was quite a quick job to get the skeleton close to shape.

However, to really get it down to specs took some grater care. When I gladly thought I was done prepping I cut the first strake out of cardboard.

Not happy with the run I turned to the book.

Yes, that man has like a lifetime experience of building boats. I have not.

While contemplating the planking I marked every plank on frame five (middle one). Then it appeared to me that the frame templates needed protection and with a sealed surface it would be easier to mark runs and all that. 
So first a sealer then a layer of some very old Humbrol paint. Fascinating enough, the paint is something like 20 yrs old and still "usable".

By that I also put an end to this weekends affair in the shop.

In the background can be seen blanks for planking. 20 mm (3/4") in real world translates to 0,67 mm on my work bench. Not that they are EXACTLY 0,67 mm thick, more like 0,7 mm. Close enough me think.

 

To be continued...

[Jim Lad]

Progress, Håkan, definite progress! 

 

John

[Mark Pearse]

lovely, it soothened my soul as well

 

Mark

[Wintergreen]

Hi guys,

the day is only half-gone here, but I just had to share this update with you.
First task for today was to clear a path to the shop... about 20cm/8" of snow overnight.

 

A short business trip took away a couple of days from the week, but back in the shop I made some progress.

Clinker/lapstrake is really something tricky to get right. Spiling and all that. In a later post I will show my trials and tribulations. On the trip I re-read H.A. Underhills chapter about clinker built boats, which was useful.

This far two full strakes are on. The scarphs are just plain butt ended with a backing piece on each. Joggled of course. Later each strake will be of three pieces.

Rubber bands and teak buns keep planks in place. I need to figure out some way to have the clamps not slipping off. Maybe a bit of tape will do the trick with enough friction.

Backing pieces have beveled edges for appearance. Should be pinned also, will see if I do that.

 

I am really enjoying this build. The result is far from perfect, but this is also my first time doing this. And since I have this first build as a practice run, my second will undoubtedly be better. 

To be continued...

Edited February 3, 2018 by Wintergreen

[Wintergreen]

Thanks for the likes. Glad to see that there are readers.

 

Anyway, the day went. Grandkid came, and that was that. Now, she's asleep, so some time to type.

 

About spiling and clinker, or lapstrake, builds. This is my first attempt at this, so there will probably be lessons learned and working experience later on. However, compared to a carvel laid hull where planks fit long side to long side, and you quite easily can force later planks to the edge of the former, the clinker style means the planks overlap each other and thus form a stepped style. You probably know this already. Otherwise Wikipedia will help you understand.

 

From my short experience there are some major challenges with this.

1. You cannot force the plank in place sideways, it has to sit nicely. If force is used the overlap will be out of bounds. Hence, every plank needs more or less spiling.
2. These boats are usually all about the shape. You have the sheer as with a carvel build. But with clinker we are reminded by every single strake if the run of the plank is off in some way. 
3. No steelers nor drop planks. Not an option. Every. single. strake. runs all the way from stem to stern. The challenge is to get the run of the planks right when the width of the plank changes. Eyeballing, proportional dividers, measure and measure again, then try. If not satisfied - repeat.
   Unfortunately it is not as simple as just divide every frame/mould with decided number of strakes, then it will look very odd. As can be seen in my previous pictures the first strakes get wider at stem/stern. After two-three strakes the opposite will be true. All planks are narrower at stem/stern to fit in.

 

How to solve the issue with spiling. Basically it is the same as for carvel builds. Chuck, Druxey and others have written articles about it. 

First I tried with cardboard of approximately same thickness as the planks. Didn't work too well. Hard to handle due to small size. Hard to see adjacent strake.
For the third strake I remembered that, I think, Chuck used transparent tape. It sticks to the moulds, easy to see and mark. Lacking transparent tape I used the regular painters masking tape and found that it was semi-transparent. Good enough.

One thing I picked up from Underhill's book was his practice of gluing thin material to a backing piece of cardboard or paper. My plank material is thin enough to easily be cut by #11, it will however splinter just as easily. With a broad piece of masking tape on one side - problem solved.
That had another advantage I found out later. 
Enough text, show me some photos...

 

Here the cardboard templates are used.

Now, masking tape instead.

Stick tape to a white surface. Connect the dots with a smooth line.

Move tape to plank material and cut. Backing tape on other side.

The advantage with the backing tape is that it can be used as template for the accompanying plank port/starboard. By the way, leave the backing tape as long as possible.

Meaning all the rough shaping is already done. Every plank still need shaping to fit, but saved some time still.

 

Bending is performed with a dab of water and heatgun. Birch is very adaptable and bends easily. It holds edges fairly well also as can be seen in a previous post. 

That was it for today.

 

To be continued...

[vaddoc]

Looks like you are progressing very well Hakan. My recent experience with spilling is that there is a learning curve and after a while it becomes quite consistent. 

Looking at your photos, I wonder if the garboard and first planks end a bit high at the bow and stern, maybe the rest of the planks will be a bit cramped? 

Your lapstrake looks very nice.

 

Vaddoc

 

[Jim Lad]

Clinker planking is great fun, Håkan.  On the only serious clinker hull I've built I used cardboard molds - they worked well for me.

 

I'd only just started planking my clinker hull when an old bloke stopped at the model makers' desk for a chat.  Turned out he was a retired boat builder from Tasmania.  He'd spent his entire working life building clinker boats.  I asked him his advice on how to get the correct shape for each plank.  He replied, "Well, just look at the shape of the hull and cut the plank."  Oh, for 50 years experience in clinker building! 

 

John

[tabycz]

You did great progress. There is line of joints at planks in photo from the book. Will you do them too? ;o)

[Wintergreen]

Thanks for likes, comments and encouragement.

 

Vaddoc - you are quite right. The garboard is too wide also. I'm not overly concerned since this is a practice run for me. I will build it a second time as soon as I get the hang of it.

 

John - that is what I read from the book as well. Kind of "the builder was a bit concerned about the shape since he hadn't built this specific type of vessel before. But with eyeballing and pencil marks he got the lines where he wanted them". However, he actually uses a template to pick the lines from one plank to the other.

 

Tabycz - I think you mean all the juniper dowels? I might put pins in at stem, stern, keel and plank joints. But not along each land (overlap). The land is merely 1 mm wide and would definitely ruin the hull if I tried.

 

Well, it's out to the shop now.

Stay tuned.

[mtaylor]

10 minutes ago, Wintergreen said:

I'm not overly concerned since this is a practice run for me. I will build it a second time as soon as I get the hang of it.

And here I thought you were doing a fine job on the build... So a second time?   Why does that sound like something I'd do????

[Mark Pearse]

looking good, & your house looks very nice too. I hope the older wooden houses are well insulated

 

Mark

[Wintergreen]

2 hours ago, mtaylor said:

And here I thought you were doing a fine job on the build... So a second time?   Why does that sound like something I'd do????

Thought you'd find it familiar MT... 

 

MP - no need to worry. We have this white stuff regularly here at 58 degrees north, like every once in a while every 12 months or so... last winter wasn't much, but this year there is more of it.

[Wintergreen]

Okey, last post for the weekend.

 

Four strakes are on. As Vaddoc noted, they seemed to run high at the stem. Which I knew. This being learning by doing.

But, since wood is such a nice material to work with, things can be adjusted.

 

First picture. Before.

Second picture. After chisel and sandpaper.

I also have trouble amidships with the run of the planks dipping. No picture on that. Just a note to self.

 

Have a nice week!

[Jim Lad]

Looking good, mate!

John

[vaddoc]

You are building the boat in an unusual way Hakan! I assume you put the keel on the frames to put the planks on but then you can remove it as the lapstrake acts as stringers. Are you going to insert frames or ribs afterwards?

Looks better after the adjustment, you are on the right path. A thing to consider though, your scarfs are quite substantial and may cause flat areas in the planks closer to the sheer. 

 

Regards

Vaddoc

[Wintergreen]

Thanks for likes and comments and thoughts.

 

Unusual or not, I can't really tell. Yes, the hull is held on the frames with rubber bands as can be seen in an earlier post. I've seen other small boat projects where the keel structure is fixed to the mould but I thought it more convenient if it was removable (or the truth told, I didn't figure out how to make it stick...).

Since it is removable it is far simpler to look at the lines and correct when needed (not if needed...).

 

About the backing pieces for the scarfs. Good point, in IRL they are 9-10" long, scaled down that is 7,7-8,5 mm long. Mine are 9 mm. However it is a just comment, and I will shorten them slightly moving upwards.

Frames and other stuff will be added once the hull is completed. Like it's done in full scale.

 

Not that I have a B Sc in boat building of small crafts even though I've read a fair deal about it. But for small crafts it is very common here in Scandinavia this clinker technique. Pros are it makes for a light, flexible hull.  Reference is a Viking long boat. Early findings from the first centuries shows that lapstrake in one way or another was how the boats were built in northern Europe. My guess is that the overlap made it simpler to get them watertight. It is not until medieval times carvel came in practice up here. Driving factor was probably merchant and armed navies that required bigger stronger hulls.

Well, that was my 2 cents of knowledge ;-)

It is an interesting discussion though.

 

Cheers!

[Mark Pearse]

Hi Hakan

 

I was lucky enough to visit the Danish Roskilde viking museum & found myself chatting with one of their boatbuilders, as (you probably know) it's a living museum where they actively build replicas. I had heard that these boats are flexible & I asked him about it - he gave me a very graphic display of just how much these hulls are able to twist using one of the full sized replicas. If they are intentionally this flexible it is very hard to see how they could be carvel & keep the water out (just as you noted). The internal framing was so simple & light as well.

 

all the best, very interesting & enjoyable build

 

Mark

[Wintergreen]

Thanks for checking in. Work progresses, albeit a bit slow.

Regarding the Viking long boats. I think the design worked in their favour. Both building rather big ships that sailed the North sea and Atlantic as well as their raids up on rivers in Russia and elsewhere. 
Up river, when they came to a stream, they "just" hauled the boat out of the water and got some logs to roll it on until they'd got past the culprit. You don't do that with a 16th-17th square rigger...

Anyway, 5th strake is on. In the book, the 5th round is where he used three boards instead of two. I missed that and will cut the 6th strake in three pieces instead. Joggling the scarphs as I progress.

The shape is really hard to get right. The last couple of strakes are adjusted in-situ.

And a picture for reference..

To be continued...

[Mirabell61]

Hakan,

 

the clinker planking looks great, I love the bow view in the second last picture....

 

Nils

[Jim Lad]

She's progressing beautifully, mate!

 

John

[vaddoc]

Very nice! I very much like the simplicity, just light colour planks on a dark colour spine. And a very wide beam! Does not look like a practice run really.

 

Regarding clinker planking, I think the main advantage is that the overlaps create longitudinal stringers that run the length of the boat adding great strength for weight. Regarding water tightness, I think I remember reading some paper that rated both carvel and clinker as poor. Adding longitudinal stringers internally over the joints of the planks in carvel faired a bit better but only the much more modern cold molded and stitch/plywood techniques were really waterproof. 

 

[Mark Pearse]

Hi Hakan

 

for this model, are you doing the hull shape by eye - same as you described the actual builders did?

[tabycz]

Hakan,

I have the same question like Mark. 

But your progess is great! I like to watch your thread. ;o)

[Wintergreen]

Thanks for the likes and comments. Always appreciated.

Vaddoc, I think you remember correct. Up here it is well known that all clinker built boats needs a good soaking before they float. That is also true for many carvel built ones. I had a skerry qruiser once, carvel built. First season I cared for her she float when launched much to the disappointment for all old salts that "knew" she would sink like a rock.
Second season I did not have the time to care for her and she sank like a crayfish cage...

About hull shape.
No, definitely not by eye only. The builder used moulds or templates as can be seen here.

And I mimic that with my crude basic structure. However, to get the shape shapely is another matter.
Let me show you.
Bow view. Looks okay. No major problems.

Stern view. The planks meet the stern timber with an exaggerated arc. 

Viewed from below the lines look okay. (Aft to the left).

But viewed from aside the aft section of the planking can be seen to do an uneasy bend.

(Aft to the right)

This is why I already from the start stated that this was the practice run. Otherwise I would have a hard time accepting it. Right now it is "good enough". Hopefully I can counteract this on my second try.

 

Side information. Above the backing plates are easily noticed. I put it on a scale and it weighed a whopping 8 grams/0.28 oz... sneeze and you will launch into straight off the bench...

[Baker]

Great to see your model grow.

A special way of building, looks like a big challenge 

Nice work Hakan 

[SJSoane]

Håkan,

Nice story about your real boat.

I have always marveled at how clinker built hulls can be shaped without ribs. You are demonstrating well the complexities involved in this construction method.

It really does rely on the "eye" of the shipwright, doesn't it?

 

Mark

[druxey]

Looks like you have spiling down well, Hakan! It's hard to tell from your photos, but are you fitting the plank ends to change from clinker to flush at the stem and stern? If not, you have to make a small rolling bevel on the planks until they fit flush into the rabbet.

[popeye the sailor]

your making some really nice progress .........neat that without ribs,  it's able to keep it's shape.   very nicely done so far   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wintergreen]

Hi guys, 

I'm glad for likes and questions. 

 

Mark - yes, it is very much "by the eye". From the dead flat the builder can approximate the number of strakes needed, but the run... that's where I failed. That has to be done by eye. At stem and stern almost no plank has the same width. Try, and try again...

 

Druxey - I thought someone would eventually ask that question. No, they have an overlap all the way. From the book I learned that the last 6" get a bevel to half the thickness. And the coming plank is treated so as well, a bevel on the lower inside, closest to the stem/stern. That way the planks fit nicely and flush in the rabbet. (well, not SO nicely on my work, but nothing some sanding can't hide).

 

Now, it is back to the shop for some more planks...

[Wintergreen]

Work continues, 

first one of those rare grossly close-ups to show the rabbet at the stem.

And then, more planks convinced to stay in place. Hm... why does Gulliver and the land of Lilliput come to mind, I wonder...