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Yet more planking questions


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I would like to apologize in advance if this post appears a bit ambiguous but it is my attempt to prevent it from becoming too convoluted.  Please be patient and bear with me as I can’t figure out how to throw everything out and have it understood.  I figure that offering this “meal” course by course would be easier for all those who dare to participate.

 

1st question, if I soak a 0.5mm X 5mm strake for a period of time, when dried will it return to its original dimensions or could it be slightly smaller or even slightly larger?

 

2nd question, would an “over soaked” strake present a flat spot or strake run between frame members?

 

3rd question, if one were to start at the garboard and work your way up, on the next strake you bevel the garboard side interior edge so that the garboard side exterior edge abuts the deck side exterior edge of the previous strake, wouldn’t the remaining distance along the frame increase ever so slightly and accumulate over each strake installment?

 

Take care and be safe.

kev

Take care and be safe.

 

kev

 

Current Build:  HMS Bounty's Jolly Boat - Artesania Latina

On the shelf:  Oseberg #518 - Billing Boats

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My head hurts after reading the last  question 😁   

1.  When the wood is wet it indeed does expand.  When you bend and heat it (heat is what makes the bend hold well, not water)  it will be the same width.  BUT, the planks are not the same width from one end to the other.   They would be tapered from the dead flat forward and widened from the dead flat aft, so there is more to be concerned with.

2. The strake is heated and thus dry before putting it on the hull so I would think that no flat spot should be there.  

3. Your concern makes sense and I am not sure because  as mentioned in number 1 above, the strake needs to vary in width along its entire length other than in the dead flat so if the beveling has an effect, it should not be a concern as each strake needs to be shaped therefore it can be adjusted.   Even so, the amount and direction of the bevel is dynamic along the entire length much like the shape of the rabbet is dynamic along its entire length.

 

Allan 

 

Edited by allanyed

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Allan, thank you for your reply.  I believe I should provide more information for clarity purposes.  I was planking my first build, Bounty’s Jolly boat.  I was only soaking my strakes in order to bend them to shape.  I was not applying heat in any fashion and was getting very good results.  But when I realized my FUBAR point in my planking I closed up dry dock for about 10 years.  Additional info can be found in my reintroduction post.

 

While trying to compose my reply I believe I had an epiphany that explains a lot.  That being the accumulation of a series of small procedural errors, false assumptions  and the main reason why you should always band the hull.  But there is just one thing I would like to know, just because.  I’m aware of the need to trim the strakes as needed.  So if at a frame member the strake needs to be trimmed to 4.5mm, I soak the plank, applying no heat, and clamp it down to form it.  It dries and I measure the plank again at that particular frame location, will it measure 4.5mm?

 

Take care and be safe.

kev

Take care and be safe.

 

kev

 

Current Build:  HMS Bounty's Jolly Boat - Artesania Latina

On the shelf:  Oseberg #518 - Billing Boats

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It should return to the same dimension.   I would still consider "borrowing" the iron in the laundry room and using heat.  Takes a few minutes versus waiting hours or more for a soaked piece of wood to dry completely.   Chuck Passaro's planking tutorial will give  you a lot of great information.  One other way to find out is do a test piece and see if the the plank does wind up at 4.5mm.

 

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

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A somewhat prejudiced opinion concerning Question No 2.

 

In real life, “skeleton” built ships and boats achieve their shape by supporting planking with  closely spaced frames.  The frames in a large Royal Navy ship’s boat would be be spaced about 18in apart.

 

The popular European POB kits DO NOT REFLECT FULL SIZED PRACTICES.  The widely spaced bulkheads built on a central spine are more akin to the old balsa/tissue model airplane kits.  In the worst case, these do not properly support the planking causing areas of unfairness; lumps and flat spots

 

Roger

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Regarding bending wood: In a recent thread on this subject, there was some good info.

  • Soaking will make wood bend easier (up to a point) because increasing moisture content destroys some chemical bonds within the wood
  • Heat will soften the wood lignin and allow the wood to bend. When cool, the wood will retain its new shape to a large degree
  • Moisture will decrease the temperature needed to soften the lignin, depending on species sometimes very dramatically. Usually this temperature is well above 100 degrees C, moisture will bring it bellow 100.

Maybe best to leave the upper edge of the lower plank untouched and bevel the lower edge of the plank above it?

 

I am still trying to digest question No 3...😁

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It seems to me there's a simple way to answer your question 1. Take a piece of your planking material and measure its width. Soak it for however long you think necessary, let it dry completely, then remeasure it. Question answered.

 

Cheers -

John

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Hi Kev, if I am following correctly, especially Q3, I am not sure I fully grasp the issue.  But then again it is easy to confuse me ;)

 

When planking, each plank should be 'spiled'.  There are some good article by very experienced builders in the Knowledge Base.    A common practice by modellers, is to divide the planking area into bands then try to make each plank within a band to the same dimensions, such that when fitted they completely fill the band space.   If correctly spiled, similar dimensioned planks could be a starting point, but each individual plank should be spiled (adjusted) to fit correctly and maintain the natural 'lay' of the plank against the frame or bulkhead.  If spiled this would then eliminate any accumulation of rise or fall surely?  The articles mentioned above cover spiling etc quite well and there are several methods of applying it.  The bevelling is simply to ensure the plank edges mate correctly.

 

In the articles have a read of the spiling rules and the use of tick marks etc.  It may help explain.

 

cheers

 

Pat

If at first you do not suceed, try, and then try again!
Current build: HMCSS Victoria (Scratch)

Next build: HMAS Vampire (3D printed resin, scratch 1:350)

Built:          Battle Station (Scratch) and HM Bark Endeavour 1768 (kit 1:64)

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