Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I have been away from building the Batavia for a while but I am now starting to work on it again.

 

I need to continue planking it and thought I would look at steamers as this is how I have done

bending before. I tried soaking and other methods and for me steaming works best.

 

I looked around at different methods both home made and purchased and I am going to

stick with what I have been doing because it is cheap and easy.

 

I have not followed this forum for a few years so this may be something that has been discussed before.

 

I just bought an electric tee pot years ago, I think for about $15.00, and found a piece of scrap plastic tube

cost $0.

 

As the picture shows I just set the pot on the floor and put the tube over the spout. 

 

Pretty crude but simple, cheap and effective.

 

P1010005-001.JPG.11d4872d803419bae1acba051640044f.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree, cheap and effective.

I wonder about heat and thin wall plastic,  I wonder how a thick wall cardboard mailing tube would do?  The kind that we get mail order plans rolled up in?

 

Alternate way.

Your are not bending a full size plank so steam may be more than is necessary,  as well as taking longer, needing time to dry and have the bend firmed up, and leaving a surface on the wood ( swollen fibers/raised grain ) that will need dressing.

 

Heat alone will bend model thickness wood.  It will not affect the surface like water does - provided it is not hot enough to char.   When the wood gets hot enough to start to bend around the heated surface, the bend can be shaped using fingers and the new shape is set almost instantly.

Dry heat application:  the old Aeropiccola plank benders are no longer cheap, and I did not see any large diameter replacement tips for economy soldering irons,  but as others have recomended here,  a basic curling iron has a large enough barrel and I imagine a temp limit that is a lot lower than a soldering iron.  It may take bit bit longer to transfer enough heat, but you should be able to get fingers on the bend to shape it more quickly.  A dimmer switch may provide even more heat control.

NRG member 50 years

 

Current:  

NMS

HMS Ajax 1767 - 74-gun 3rd rate - 1:192 POF exploration - works but too intense -no margin for error

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - POF Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - POF Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner - POF framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - POF framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  - POF timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  - POF timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner - POF timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835 packet hull USN ship - POF timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  - POF timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - POF framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - POF framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello

 

The tube I found is used as hand railing. I am not sure what the material is but it is tough and I have used it for steaming many planks for years

and it hasn't degraded at all and is not effected by the steam or heat.

 

I have tried using other methods of dry heat but I keep going back to my cheap steamer. It seems to suite my pace.

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't be the only person who saw the title and thought, "Oh, a steam ship model!  That's a bit different than most builds.  I wonder what they mean by 'cheap' though?"

Tim

 

Current Build:  Swift Pilot Boat 1805 (AL)

On Deck: Triton Cross Section, Harvey (AL), Falcon US Coast Guard (AL), Flying Fish (Model Shipways)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steam may be huge overkill for our modeling purposes.   I find that the Kammerlander method of soaking the wood in water anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the wood, then heating with a  hot iron works very quickly and very well for both soft wood and hard wood up to about Janka 2000 (Castello is 1820).  English boxwood is a challenge but I save my little supply for carving work small pieces that would be prone to breaking with other species.   (English boxwood is J2800)   A video of the Kammerlander method was posted here at MSW last year by member  Dziadeczek.     

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

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...