Planking my Carrack. What's right, what's wrong

[Kikatinalong]

Welcome to all

im at the stage of planking my Sao Miguel ( Caracca Atlantica build log ).

This being my first build I would appreciate any advice on what I'm doing right and more importantly what I'm doing wrong.

MSW has a beginners guide to planking which is wonderful, but I'm not sure it works for my model.

Ive laid temporary batons which are ok and I understand how the tapering in between batons works, but the closer I get to the stern the less the MSW  guide works on my particular model. There's no doubting it must be a great resource for beginners with simpler models and I applaud whoever put it up for all to use.

So I'll add some pictures of what I've done and look forward to any advice and help in regards to what's right and what's wrong. It's obvious some of the batons are short, but for now they are just a guide.

cheers

Kikatinalong.

[mtaylor]

Hi Kikatinalong, 

I think your problem is the two strakes I've highlighted below.  (see Highlight).   The lowest planking strake will run along the keel such that the top of it is straight and near the bow, it will needed be shaped for that curve.

 

The upper one (see New Strakes) shows the run of the bottom strake and also the run of the next batten or close to it.  I think you really only need one more and it should run from stem to stern.   Looking again, I think your second one from the top needs to be higher at the stern.

 

I'm pretty sure we have a few carrack builds (not that kit maybe) so you might have a look at them.   There's an index that fixed near the top of the kits build log section.

 

I hope this helps.

[Jim Lad]

Kit manufacturers often show a planking pattern in the way that you have arranged your battens, but this is not how a real ship was planked.  ships were planked in the way that Mark has shown in his sketch above.  On a hull where there are extreme shapes the planks may become too narrow towards the bow and/or stern, in which case 'stealers are employed; a stealer being a strake of planking that is merged into its adjoining strakes.

 

The photo below show a stealer on an actual ships hull - this is the 'City of Adelaide' I have circled the stealer for you.  A stealer might be merged into two planks like this, or merged into one plank or it may simply be that two strakes end short of the bow or stern and are butted to a single plank.

 

The planking of wooden ships is an interesting study and worth spending a bit of time on if you want to build accurate models.

 

John

 

 

[Kikatinalong]

46 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

Hi Kikatinalong, 

I think your problem is the two strakes I've highlighted below.  (see Highlight).   The lowest planking strake will run along the keel such that the top of it is straight and near the bow, it will needed be shaped for that curve.

 

The upper one (see New Strakes) shows the run of the bottom strake and also the run of the next batten or close to it.  I think you really only need one more and it should run from stem to stern.   Looking again, I think your second one from the top needs to be higher at the stern.

 

I'm pretty sure we have a few carrack builds (not that kit maybe) so you might have a look at them.   There's an index that fixed near the top of the kits build log section.

 

I hope this helps.

Thanks Mark

The two batons you highlighted are the reason I raised the topic, they just didn't look right. Appreciate the advice.

peter

[Gimo]

Hi Kikatinalong,

 

as your first build you did an excellent job,
I suppose this is the first of two overlapped planking so, make sure that each stripe follows its natural course.
I see two stripes moving away from their bulkheads in the aft (due to lateral tension)
Try to direct the strips towards the upper part of the stern

 

cheers
Gimo

[allanyed]

Kikatinalong.

There are excellent articles here at MSW on proper planking techniques that can help you.   The problem is that you have a kit with strake planks, which you cannot spile, but they can be worked with care.   Look also at the many posts on planking problems here, that many  have encountered and the responses on how to work through them.   I agree with Mark on his comments, and one other major consideration is that the planks have to be tapered.  They should not be the same width their entire length.   Too many things to write down here, but all available in the forums and in the articles available here at MSW.

 

Allan

[Jaager]

You could maybe buy some wider stock that is the thickness of the planking so that it can be spilled.

Before you segment the planking area,  two planks need to be in place and correct:

The lower wale and the garboard.  For the garboard, only one edge should be spilled and that is the edge that meets the keel.

Mark's lower red line is the garboard and his length is how long it is.  It does not chase the rabbet up the stem.

In the era of your model, I don't think the ends of the wale strakes tapered at the ends.

 

Get some thick hard pressed cardboard  and fully plank with it.  When you get that correct, the pieces can be used as patterns for the wood.

But the more wood strakes are applied, the less reliable will be the cardboard patterns.  But new ones that fit the smaller space would be better.

[Kikatinalong]

Thanks to all of the responses to my topic, as I now understand a little better with what's required. I've read a lot and frankly as a newbie it's easy to end up with information overload. I aim to complete the planking without using steelers if possible. My attempt so far only ran into trouble trying to keep a set width at the stern so as I wouldn't cut away more than half of any strake in that area. Gino, thanks for pointing to the exact area, as mark said earlier, the second strake at the stern should be raised which would help to raise the other two.

so I'll study some more and start again.

Once again, thank you to all for your help and support 

Cheers

Peter.

 

 

[Dziadeczek]

I would, firstly, use thinner battens (or even black thread instead - like in D. Antscherl's article). The thinner the battens, the more precise measurements you can take there.

Then I would divide EACH bulkhead's edge into six (since you have six battens on each side of your hull) EVEN spaces and marked these points there with a pencil. Finally, I would affix the battens to the edges of your bulkheads exactly in those marked points.

That way, you'll end up with all elliptical 'belts' - areas between the battens, from stem to stern, as being perfectly symmetrical to each other, and also on both sides of your hull, so your planks, which will go into those spaces, will also be symmetrical.

Edited October 26, 2019 by Dziadeczek