Swallow 1779 by tlevine - FINISHED - 1:48 scale

[tlevine]

Planking has commenced.  Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for more information on clinker planking.  Before any planking could be cut, the planking belts needed to be laid out.  This was done with chart tape.  The lowest rows of tape represent the garboard and broad strakes.

The garboard was made up of four planks.  It feathers into the sternpost and keel at the deadwood and ends on the stem just above the boxing joint.  On the upper part of all the planks is a rabbet to accommodate the overlapping plank.  After some experimentation and based on the diagram from Goodwin's book on Alert, I decided to make the rabbet approximately one-third the width of the plank and at a 10 degree angle.  The prototype had a narrower rabbet but this gave me a wider gluing surface.  The rabbet was formed on the mill and cut to a depth of 2/3 the thickness of the plank at the widest part.  The broad strake was made up of three planks.  At the stern and stem posts the clinkering gradually tapers to a smooth surface.

The overlap of the planks is easily seen in the next pictures.  The easiest place to see the planking rabbet is on the broad strake at frame "H".

These pictures illustrate the tapering of the garboard and broad strakes into the keel and stern post, and each other.

 

[druxey]

I'm sure you'll find it  a nice change from carvel planking, Toni! Looks like you are off to a good start, but watch for the staggering of butt joints.

[tlevine]

Thank you, druxey.  That is the only place there will be an issue.  I did several layouts and this one was the least problematic unless I installed bulkhead filler blocks.  This is the first POB model I have made in a long time; I really appreciate the spacing options provided by POF construction.

[kurtvd19]

Maybe consider a small filler strip/block only where the joint would pose a problem.

 

[jdbondy]

Wow, planking at this scale using clinker planking is really impressive. It's enough of a challenge at full scale. What are you using for glue? I figure you are gluing each plank along both its rabbet joint side as well as where it touches each bulkhead? 

[tlevine]

Thank you to everyone for the likes.  JD, I am using diluted yellow glue.  And yes, I am gluing along the rabbet as well as on the bulkhead.  I tried it with gluing just the bulkhead for fear of glue bleeding out onto the hull but that was a disaster.  Waiting for the glue to become tacky has prevented any problems.

[druxey]

As long as you wash off any excess glue before it sets, all will be well!

[tlevine]

I reached a milestone today: the first planking belt has been completed.  So far, I am pleased with the appearance.  For anyone toying with the idea of building a clinker- planked hull, I am finding this a lot more difficult than carvel construction.  There is no room for error and edge-bending that last half-millimeter does not work the way is would on a carvel hull.  I have found that the easiest way to secure the planks during gluing-up is with planking screws, placing a piece of scrap between the cross-piece of the planking screw and the plank to prevent denting.  My layout has a butt joint at frame M.  I decided that this was too far forward and placed a basswood filler between frames K and M. 

 

The first belt has four rows of planking; the upper two belts will each have five.  So far it appears that a stealer will not be necessary but I will have a dropped plank in the upper belt.

 

[dvm27]

That looks terrific, Toni. Looks like you've mastered those tricky gains fore and aft.

[tlevine]

Thanks, Greg.  Tricky would be one word.  A right-royal-pain-in-the-*** would be another.

[Maury S]

Toni, the planking looks great!!

Maury

[Cathead]

I'm impressed

[MEDDO]

This is most impressive, especially the fore and aft pieces as Greg mentioned

[druxey]

The gains look great, Toni. However, how would you handle a drop strake in clinker?

[Bossman]

Fantastic planking Sir. Impressive. 

[tlevine]

Thanks everyone.  That is why we love you, druxey.  Time to change the planking runs!

[druxey]

Yeah, I know. I'm a pain sometimes, aren't I?

[tlevine]

Finally, the second planking belt is completed.  My biggest decision was whether to have the aft planking feather out at the transom or leave it erose.  I saw examples from this era using both approaches and could not make out the detail on the model.  I decided to continue to feather the planks.  Those of you who are wiser than I, please correct me if I am wrong, as it would not take too much work to go the other route.  I removed the transom planking and will re-plank it after the hull planking is completed.  Only six more rows to go!

 

[druxey]

Feather out? Do you mean make gains until the planks are flush with each other into the rabbet? If so, that is the correct way it was done. Also, there was a rabbet in the fashion piece to protect the plank ends from rot.

[Cathead]

15 hours ago, tlevine said:

My biggest decision was whether to have the aft planking feather out at the transom or leave it erose.

Can you explain what you mean here in more detail? I'd like to understand what you're doing but don't understand "erose".

[tlevine]

If I carried the lapstrake all the way to the transom, such that there would be a saw-toothed appearance, that would be erose.  Sorry about the obscure verbiage.  As druxey states above, "...make gains until the planks are flush with each other into the rabbet."  So my question was whether the planks should be flush with each other at the transom as well.  

 

druxey, the model does not show a fashion piece below the wale, which I found odd.  I also thought the rectangular piece at the stern represented the transom, rather than a fashion piece.

 

[tlevine]

To make things more confusing, let me share the sterns of a few other models from the RMG.  The cutter Hawke (1777) and the Trinity House hoy (c.1800) were clinker built.  I do not see a fashion piece extending onto the transom on either model.  Lowestoft (1723) is earlier and larger (sloop of 20 guns) but nicely demonstrates a square stern with a fashion piece extending to the bottom of the transom.  Finally, the French lugger of uncertain vintage clearly shows that the hull planking covers the open grain of the transom planks but there is no fashion piece.

Hawke

               Hoy

Lowestoft

Lugger

[druxey]

The models may have omitted the rabbetted fashion piece as it is a pain to make (I know this from experience!) It involves a continuously changing rabbet angle on the fore side, and another for the transom planks aft. I'm sure that the real ships were fitted this way, as exposed end grain wood deteriorates rapidly when exposed.

[tlevine]

Thanks, boss!  

[Mark P]

Good Afternoon Gentlemen;

 

Another interesting point re the rabbetting of timbers in the stern is that the planking of the ship's side was actually set into rebates in the outer stern timbers, which would have needed to be made thicker than the other timbers by the size of the planking, to accommodate this. 

 

This is stipulated in quite a few contracts from the later 18th century. I suspect that it is a detail too far for modellers though, as most of this joint is covered by the quarter galleries and associated carvings. 

 

All the best,

 

Mark 

[tlevine]

Very interesting.  Thanks, Mark.

[druxey]

And, if not, the quarter piece would cover and protect the plank ends.

[tlevine]

I have finally finished installing the planking.  Hopefully, I will have pictures tomorrow.  The planks are secured to the frames with roves (washers) and bolts.  I was unable to find a framing diagram for a similar vessel and so do not know whether it was single framed or single/double framed.  I have chosed single frames.  Yedlinsky's book of scantlings states that for a cutter, the room and space is 26", the floor timber is 9 3/4" wide and the first futtock is 10 1/2" wide.  This would leave distances between the column of bolts of 13 1/8" and 12 7/8".  At 1:48 scale, the difference is negligible so all my bolts columns will be 13" apart.  I wanted to show both the roves and bolts.  After a lot of experimentation, I have decided on the pattern seen in the left-hand three rows.   On the left, the roves are punched out from copper sheet, applied with CA.  On the right, the roves are punched out from copper tape.  The adhesive was not strong enough to hold the copper on the plank without the addition of CA.  I also tried using epoxy, Duco cement, yellow glue and contact cement but the CA worked best.

 

[druxey]

Completing that planking is a major achievement, Toni. Now roves at 1:48? Impressive! What kind of punch are you using?

[tlevine]

Druxey, I am using a 1.3 mm jeweler's punch.  Once I am satisfied with my technique, I will post details.