Coffee sticks for planks?

[Don Case]

I was testing my plank saw and noticed how much my planks resemble the coffee stir sticks I get from the Dollar Store to mix epoxy with. Anyone ever plank a ship with coffee sticks? They are 7" long, .25" wide and .050" thick. Nice clear wood. My planks on the left and coffee sticks on the right. They are about 1 penny Can each.

[mtaylor]

There's been at least one build were the builder used these.   Do a search using the key words "coffee" "sticks" and another with "coffee" stirrers".   The basic issue though is size.  Depending on the scale, they may be too short, or too thick, or too wide so take that into consideration.

[allanyed]

Usually the sticks are made of birch so maybe some member has tried using this species and can give you the benefit of their experience.

Allan

[bruce d]

Mustafa used them in this build:

... and most of the pictures of his process are on the first page. You will see he is after a particular look and uses tung oil for the finish.

I found his treenails worth looking at because they are nice and crisp and then have a different appearance after his surface finish is applied.

 

HTH

Bruce

[Bob Cleek]

I've used tongue depressors for frames which can be bought in bulk cheaply at craft stores. I cut them at angles to cover the frame templates and glued them up with PVA one on top of the other with the joints staggered, then cut them to shape on the scroll saw. They worked fine.

[uss frolick]

You can use them to build the Frigate Java! 🤣😹😂🤪

[bruce d]

10 minutes ago, uss frolick said:

You can use them to build the Frigate Java!

Wasn't that the one with a captain named D'Caff?

[Don Case]

These are made in China so  have no idea what kind of wood they are. They don't appear to be bamboo. In 1:48 they would be 2 1/2"x12"x 28' I think. I thought that sounded about right. A little thin maybe.

[bruce d]

6 minutes ago, Don Case said:

no idea what kind of wood they are.

If you source them from a medical supplier the wood is specified. Many are described as 'birch or bamboo', others name one or the other wood.

The non-sterile pieces cost a fraction of the sterile items.

 

[rwiederrich]

43 years ago I built a scratch build of the Cutty Sark and I used coffee stir stick exclusively for not only planking and decking but the houses.

 

Here is a old picture or two of the model as I was building it.  I was 16 at the time.  You gotta look through the Revell models of the Alabama and the Spanish Galleon to see the wooden Cutty Sark.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Wish I had a better image....I was taking a photography class in school at the time so this is the best I could come up at 16

 

Rob

[Don Case]

It definitely  looks like coffee sticks work. Nice job🙂