Newbie planking question

[murphyki]

I am attempting my first build a Chinese pirate junk. Up to this point I've been a matchstick boat builder only. Here is what I will be attempting to duplicate:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/989-chinese-pirate-junk-by-wim500-finished-amati-1100-wood/

 

It looks, to me, like the top few planks have a very steep incline on them shortly before the stern (similarly for the top red decoration on the side). Attempting some dry fits, I don't understand how this bend has been put in as it almost looks like the wood is bent vertically and not horizontally as in every tutorial I've looked at. My thought would be to attempt the bend on wet wood and see how it goes, but I'm pretty sure the wood will snap much more easily than in a horizontal bend.

 

Any experienced help would be appreciated.

[Bob Cleek]

This should answer your question: 

 

[Jaager]

3 hours ago, murphyki said:

My thought would be to attempt the bend on wet wood and see how it goes, but I'm pretty sure the wood will snap much more easily than in a horizontal bend.

Edge bending is trying to take wood into a shape that is against its nature.  Some species take to this better than others.  A lot of the species supplied in kits - look to be brittle - as well as having out of scale pores.  One of the better species for serious bending is Holly and stock that has been infected with Blue Mold will work just as well .   I suspect that infected Holly is not available commercially.  Accepting it makes self harvesting an easier proposition than insisting on snow white stock which requires cold season harvest and immediate placement into a kiln.  Commercial white Holly is becoming very expensive and the color matches nothing that was used on an actual ship.   I have seen Basswood or Lime taking a serious bend.  The grain, color and pore structure are spot on.  Those species are too soft, fuzzy, and friable for me, though.

 

Looking at the build in your link,  the wale does not seem to edge bend all that much.  The run of the planking appears to follow that of the wale, and not the rail.  The stern is planked with short runs of planking with little edge bending.  A ship that got into wave action requiring serious strength at that upper stern location would be in more trouble than strength there would help.

[Bob Cleek]

3 hours ago, Jaager said:

I have seen Basswood or Lime taking a serious bend.  The grain, color and pore structure are spot on.  Those species are too soft, fuzzy, and friable for me, though.

Soft, "fuzzy" wood species can generally be sanded perfectly smooth if, prior to the final finish sanding, they are sealed with shellac (2 pound cut as sold commercially, e.g. Zinsser "Bullseye" brand.) The shellac soaks into the wood and hardens it so it can be sanded without raising the "fuzz."