How to narrow planks?

[Brewerpaul]

Having figured out how wide your planks need to be, and how much they need to taper, how do you folks actually remove the extra wood from the plank.

My Pride of Baltimore uses 1/16" thick plank timber. I just did my first plank and had a hard time neatly doing this. I tried using a #11 blade and a stainless steel straight edge. The ruler wanted to flop down off the plank which made following the edge with the blade very difficult,even with making multiple light passes. Backing the straight edge with an extra piece of plank material helped a bit. Is there an easier, better way to do this?

[RichardG]

A small plane should work. 

[Jack12477]

I use the Veritas miniature planes from Lee Valley

[RussR]

What has already been said.

Plus you can clamp a straight edge down on top of the plank so it won't move.

Then cut along the edge.

RussR

[glbarlow]

A 1/16th thickness of dry wood should be easy to cut with a #11 blade and metal straight edge. This is the only way I’ve ever done it. I buy blades by the 100 and change them frequently, they have to be sharp. I also use a 300mm heavy metal ruler, a short thin one would tend to slide. 

[toms10]

I use either an #11 exacting or more often just a paint scraper that fits a razor blade. Chop it with the razor blade close then use a sanding stick to bring it to size and the correct shape. 
Tom

[allanyed]

Mini planes are great for straight lines, but if you need a curve for a spiled plank or other reason, scalpel blades are the way to go.    Xacto type are fine as are scalpel blades such as Swann Morton blades   They are similarly priced at about US$27 to $29 for a 100 pack.  One reason I switched to scalpels is the handle is not round and will not roll off the bench and stick in my leg or foot.   Like a buttered piece of bread that is dropped always lands butter side down, Xacto knives fall blade first (in my experience anyway)  I do like to use the Xacto handles for mini saw blades but much prefer scalpel blades to the Xacto blades as they seem to much sharper.    The attached is a video I found this morning  on the virtues of the both types of scalpel type cutters.  Allan

 

[Brewerpaul]

Thanks for the helpful replies. I dug out a small cheapie plane that I already have and found that it works fairly well to remove the bulk of the plank, then finish off with a sanding stick (sandpaper on a paint stirrer).  I looked at the Veritas planes but they're too costly for my purposes, but I found this little cutie on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GN4KZYQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I ordered it and had it in hand the next day! I haven't had a chance to test it out yet but it appears well made and the blade looks and feels sharp. This brings up another question. The blade came installed bevel down. Would this be best for this kind of work,or would bevel up be better? I'll experiment on some scraps later to see.

I'm a retired podiatrist.I had a box of @11 X-acto clone blades in my shopping cart with the plane but in digging in my tool cabinet I found the majority of a box of  #11 surgical blades. I still had an appropriate handle, so I'll be using those. I have an assortment of hemostats,rasps and other surgical implements which were of great use on my U.S.S Constitution cross section build.

 

Glenn-- I don't think much spiling is wanted for this ship but I looked it up anyway and luckily stumbled upon your 2013 thread "My Process For Planking". I've bookmarked that and will study it further later, but I'm intrigued by your use of full length planks, and not using battens. I'll be painting my POB so filling and sanding is not a problem.

[glbarlow]

55 minutes ago, Brewerpaul said:

My Process For Planking".

Wow, I didn’t know that was there. For the record whatever I was doing for planking then is not how I’m doing it now as would be evidenced by my most recent logs, so I should update or delete that post.

 

There seems to be a lot of definitions of what ‘spiling’ is in these forums, but having built the POB I am quite certain there is a good deal of tapering of planks required. There is no way the same number of planks will fit at the bow as does at the waist otherwise.

[jackieofalltrades]

On 8/6/2020 at 6:23 PM, Jack12477 said:

I use the Veritas miniature planes from Lee Valley

I've seriously considered those. any chance of a quick vid demo'ing it? 

pretty please?

[Jack12477]

51 minutes ago, jackieofalltrades said:

I've seriously considered those. any chance of a quick vid demo'ing it? 

pretty please?

Sorry! Don't have any way of making a video !  But using their miniature tools is pretty easy. Just practice on some scrap pieces of wood till you get the feel for it.  I use it the same way I use a full size plane. If you want the Lee Valley Veritas miniatures I would purchase their block plane first.  

[druxey]

As most planks for a particular model are the same thickness, make a jig with two pieces the thickness of the plank apart and add a stop at one end. Slip in the plank , which is then held vertically, and use the small plane or sanding stick.