Fastening a Clinker Planked Hull

[tlevine]

I am getting ready to begin the planking on Swallow 1779, a British clinker-planked cutter purchased by the Royal Navy when half built.  I cannot find any reference as to how the hull planking would have been fastened to the frames.  Any help would be appreciated.

[Jim Lad]

Toni, the usual method of fastening clinker planking on a larger ship was by either iron rivets which were fastened over a 'rove' or washer on the inside of the hull or by iron nails driven through with the ends clenched over on the inside.

 

John

[druxey]

I suspect that copper was used, at least below the waterline.

[tlevine]

John, druxey, thank you for the information.  Time to start looking for the appropriate diameter  copper wire.

[Wacom]

Try The UK model engineer suppliers, they often carry copper rivets in small diameters

[Roger Pellett]

Toni,

 

In Volume 44, page 220 of the Nautical Research Journal published in 1999 you will find an article by N. Roger Cole, Clinker Planking over a Fully Framed Hull.  In it he describes clinker planking a model of a cutter similar to the one that you are building.  About the same time he also published another article about copper sheathing a clinker hull

 

Roger

[Blue Ensign]

Hello Toni,

 

There are also useful drawings in fairly large scale of the fixing arrangements on page 64 of the Naval cutter Alert book by Peter Goodwin.

If you don't have the book I could pm you with the relevant drawing.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[allanyed]

Toni,

If you are going to buy copper wire, get spools and cut pieces to length.  FAR cheaper.  I bought four different sizes in a box which each spool being 100 feet long.  You can find all kinds of diameters and spool sizes to meet your needs.  The one that worked for me is https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Round-Assorted-24-26-28-30-Spool/dp/B07D54TM1G/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=copper+wire+spool+stl&qid=1594460184&sr=8-12    

Allan

[tlevine]

Thanks everyone.  Roger, that article is perfect.  For anyone else who is interested, it is on page 204, not 220, December 1999.  That issue has several other interesting articles: capstans, building Cyane by Gil McArdle and how to make planking clamps.    B.E, I do not have Goodwin's book.  If it isn't too much bother, please send me the information.  Allan, I was surprised how inexpensive a roll of copper was.  I have decided to use 3/4 inch copper nails which at scale is 0.02" or 24 gauge.

[druxey]

I picked up 24 gauge copper wire at my local hardware store!

[tlevine]

All they had at the local store was coated wire so I ordered bare wire from Amazon.  I was not sure how the coating would affect the patina over time, as I will not be blackening the copper.

 

I considered purchasing Goodwin's Alert until I saw the price: $153 plus shipping!

[druxey]

The coating is lacquer and easily removed with either fine wet and dry paper or acetone. In any case, one will only see the cut ends of the wire that are not coated.

[wefalck]

I roll short lengths of wire between two pieces of flat hardwood, which makes the laquer peel off and the wire comes out perfectly straight.

 

I don’t know this particular boat, but thought they were only clinkered below the waterline. So the copper rivets would disappear under the coppering or the anti-fouling treatment.

[Blue Ensign]

The contemporary model of the Hawke in the NMM shows clinker planking below the wale, which would still leave an area of the hull above the waterline. The Alert cutter was also clinkered below the wale, but was apparently coppered which raised the question how was it done.

Roger Cole wrote an article as mentioned above, describing how this may have been approached, but even if coppered there would be an area of clinker planking on view which may have remained 'bright' rather than painted, and a popular choice for display models.

 

B.E.

[tlevine]

On the contemporary model, the hull is clinkered below the wale.  No fastenings are shown either above or below the wale, which prompted the question initially.  I am showing her at the time of commissioning in 1779.  She was not coppered until 1780.