Atlantica Sail training ketch by Wintergreen – Scale 1:30 - POF - A smack of English heritage

[Mark Pearse]

That thing to hold narrow timber for planing is great. Do the wooden cams stay in place when tight?

[Wintergreen]

Hi @Mark Pearse, the design is influenced from one of the master builders here on MSW. Initially I had four excenters opposing each other, but I quickly removed one side and glued a steady support to one that side instead.

There is not enough friction for the pieces to stay in place without additional force. So the strip holder is a two hand job, one hand to apply pressure with the help from one or both the excenters and the other hand to operate sanding block or low angle block plane. I am left handed which is why the right hand is left to do the simple task of applying pressure.

I have yet to figure out how to sand/plane convex shapes in an efficient way. Adding small pieces for support is one way, but probably not the best.

[Wintergreen]

Hello all, just a quick update.

Yes, there is still progress. Slow and steady 😉

[FlyingFish]

Slow and steady wins the race Hakan!

[Nirvana]

Very nicely done, Håkan

[Jim Lad]

Slow and steady is the way to go, mate!  Looking good.

 

John

[Wintergreen]

Thank you Andy, Per and John. 🙂

Progress is actually quite good given available time. I'm happy.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Wintergreen

[Mark Pearse]

Hi there Håkån

 

That's an interesting way to plank it - it looks like you have two mirror-image jigs. You do a bit of planking one side then flip the model into the other cradle, clamp the keel & do some planking on the other side...?  I like the way it means you can clamp the keel straight each time.

 

I haven't seen that before, could you explain why you are doing it this way? 

 

 

[Wintergreen]

Thank you Mark, you are absolutely correct in you assumption!

 

There are several ways to skin a cat, sorry, to plank a hull. 

Planking with the hull upright wasn't working practically. 

Why not upside down then. Well, I couldn't fit the hull on the building board in a secure and safe way. Would need a second board. Also, access to the inside, handling clamps and such is not possible hull upside down. In all fairness it must be said that I bugged up a bit in laying the deck structure, but I can still reach in and fiddle with clamp despite the deck beams when on its side.

So basically I just dreamed up a jig that would hold the hull somewhat secure laying on its side. The jig looks sturdy but flexes at the stem part. No worries though since I planked the beam shelf inside. The hull is rigid.
Why two? Well, I cut the planks in pairs and it seemed efficient to do the planking switching sides. Also, the room for creeping errors is less when you constantly can check that the plank ends meet at opposite side of stem and stern. Now I plank two strakes on one side, one going down and the other going up the hull, then flip the hull over and repeat.

The planks has some shape to them and cutting two blanks at the same time saves time and brain cells.

[Brinkman]

I don't browse these modern boards very often and had totally missed your current build Håkan! It's very fascinating to see all the engineering that goes into building a ship like this and is a must follow. Your jig that you clamp your hull to when planking looks really efficient with great access to the inside.

[vaddoc]

Very nice Hakan! Your planking is so elegant and Birch seems to behave very well. Love your planking jig!

 

[KeithAug]

Nice work on planking Hakan. I see your summer break turned out to be shorter than mine. I only recently returned to the workshop having missed the autumn temperature sweet spot. It's now pretty cold which should be an incentive to work harder. Hope you are keeping well. 

[Wintergreen]

Thank you Brinkman, Vaddoc, Keith!

Yeah, carvel built boats are very different compared to the klinker  type.

And yes, I appreciate birch a lot. It takes steam and bends easily. It is a bit on the soft side, but as long as you have that in mind it works out relly well.

Keith, yes the summer was cut short due to c**p weather and engine troubles.

[KeithAug]

50 minutes ago, Wintergreen said:

c**p weather and engine troubles.

What a pity, but there is always next year.

[Wintergreen]

On 11/18/2023 at 7:35 PM, KeithAug said:

What a pity, but there is always next year.

Speaking of which...2023 soon in the books. 

After my last update in early November I had a thought that I would wait with next update til the hull was all planked. 

But then I thought that if you were to wait that long you'd probably would be thinking that I'd abandon ship. 

So, here is an update on the planking progress. My new plan is to have the hull planking finished when I venture back to work in a litttle over a week from now. Will see how that goes...

 

And a rough cut stern.

The planking looks decent from a distance (remember, it is more than 30 years since I last planked a hull...), however, like Jake states in Blues Brothers: "I can see the light!" 😄

But, oatevva, thatts what caulking is for innit?

 

I bid you all a (select all that applies, multiple selections are possible):

- peaceful 

- merry

- wild

ending to 2023 and a prosperous new 2024!

[Jim Lad]

Looking good, Håkan! Don't be too hard on yourself over those light glimmers through the planking - they'll be totally invisible once the deck is on.

 

Have a great new Year, mate (ours happens in just over 17 hours)!

 

John

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, Wintergreen said:

ike Jake states in Blues Brothers: "I can see the light!"

I think it looks pretty good Hakan but if you are dissatisfied you can always convert it into a lamp shade😃.

[KeithAug]

25 minutes ago, Jim Lad said:

Have a great new Year, mate (ours happens in just over 17 hours)!

Thats not fair. Ours is over a day away. Happy new year.

[Wintergreen]

12 hours ago, KeithAug said:

but if you are dissatisfied you can always convert it into a lamp shade😃.

Thank you Keith, that made me chuckle 😄 

No, I don't think I'll convert it to a lamp shade 😋

 

12 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

Don't be too hard on yourself over those light glimmers through the planking - they'll be totally invisible once the deck is on.

Yes, I know John, I know. Thanks for the appreciation.

Also, I will paint the hull and that will take care of all the small crevises I think. 

 

Cheers!

[Wintergreen]

Soo, the plan to have the planking done by tonight failed. 

Why? Because a couple of reasons. One - yesterday and the day before we had arctic temperatures here at -22 C/-7,6 F and my shop is of course insulated, but not to cope with such temperatures. Hence no boatbuilding done yesterday. Although I have an air heater at 9kW I couldn't be bothered spending all that electricity it would take to raise the indoor temp to a reasonalbe level.

Today it was "only" -10 C/14 F, so I cranked the air heater on. But sadly, everything out there is cold and I also have lost my mojo temporarily. It is what it is.

Here is the current state though. Three strakes left to do on each side.

For the next time I plank a hull I will be more pre-planning. Both in regards to the run of the planks. You know, divide each side in sections and make sure all sections have a fair run. And secondly about the butt shifts. This current build it is not exactly up to specs. The specs being three strakes in between for butts on same frame and 5 feet apart butts on adjacent strakes and 4 feet apart with a strake in between. Since I left out every second frame I only have the 4 feet option for large parts of the hull. As I didn't pre-plan, now when things come together I can't follow the specs either if I want to have reasonable length for the planks.

The plank length is another topic that I haven't research a great deal. I reckon a manageable length is somewhere in the ballpark of 18-27 foot. Can anyone confirm that?

 

 

 

[wefalck]

If the interior of the ship cannot be seen, you could have used 'fake' butts by putting a small piece of wood behind the strake, where there is no frame to land on.

[FlyingFish]

It looks very nice Hakan! 

Regards planking, I've not found much in researching Vigilance, which predates your boat but has much the same design. As working boats, cost was important - can't see them cutting an oak plank down without good reason, and the longer the stronger, being single planked. I think they would run 20 - 25 feet if they could, and probably had a pretty loose formula on butt shift.

I agree with Eberhard - especially if it coincides with a missing frame.

Hope the temperature rises for you soon!

[KeithAug]

2 hours ago, Wintergreen said:

here at -22 C/-7,6 F

Hakan Seems a little cold and a good reason to stay indoors - although I hear our Canadian friend think it is shorts and T shirt weather at that sort of temperature. My workshop has rarely dipped below 10 c so far this year so no recourse to heating as yet but today the temperature is heading down at a fair old rate.

 

Hull looking very good.

[Wintergreen]

Thanks for likes and comments 🙂

 

2 hours ago, wefalck said:

If the interior of the ship cannot be seen, you could have used 'fake' butts by putting a small piece of wood behind the strake, where there is no frame to land on.

Wefalck, that is of course a fair advice. Thank you.

I did not think of that when I started and now it is too late anyway. I guess it is one of those thousand small tips that one collects over time and when gaining experience.

 

Andy, yes, this ice age is soon over thankfully.

 

Keith, better you prepare your socks and long johns then?

[Mirabell61]

excellent planking job Wintergreen,

the beautifulul lines of the hull show up well

 

Nils

[Wintergreen]

 

26 minutes ago, Mirabell61 said:

excellent planking job Wintergreen

Thank you Nils!

I've done my best so far 🙂 

[Jim Lad]

Only -10 degrees, mate - you're having a heatwave! 

That planking looks really good, by the way. For plank lengths, think of how big a plank two men could carry.

 

John

[Wintergreen]

39 minutes ago, Jim Lad said:

Only -10 degrees, mate - you're having a heatwave!

Absolutely John 😄 If it continues to raise like this I'll bring out the shorts in no time. ha ha.

Re plank lengths, yes, my mind was playing with such scenarios also.

[Keith Black]

 In real life didn't the length of the steam box play an important part as to the length of hull planks? 

[KeithAug]

On 1/7/2024 at 9:54 PM, Keith Black said:

 In real life didn't the length of the steam box play an important part as to the length of hull planks? 

Good point Sir.