18th Century Merchantman Half-Hull Planking Kit by DanB - FINISHED - NRG - 1:48

[DanB]

This is my next project after completing the  first three kits in the Model Shipways model shipwright series. Each of those kits provided good experience and instructions on planking, I clearly need more practice though , and hope to learn how to lay out the planking on the bulkheads and how to shape the planks. Those skills were not needed in the shipwright series since the planks were all cut to the correct shape.  This kit looks like a great way to learn more. There are many other build logs on MSW that I am sure I will be referring to for help as I go along. 

 

I managed to hunt down the spray adhesive and foam core board to make the building board and have started removing the char form the parts and seeing how it all goes together. 

 

I have some scraps of basswood left over from other kits and I think I am gong to make copies of some of the pieces to practice cutting the rabbet a few times to reduce the chance of messing it up too badly . 

 

Dan

 

 

 

 

 

[Cathead]

This is definitely a good choice for practicing planking. I departed from the instructions in some places where I felt there were other ways to do things; questioning and revising instructions is also a useful skill to have! Good luck and have fun.

[DanB]

Today I  sanded more char, sanded the stemson a bit so it would fit and align with the bulkheads on the plan. I was worried about cutting the rabbet. I read the instructions a few times studied the build log for the project and also others build logs. I did most of of it with sanding sticks and used a knife to cut the mortise part at the stem. I think its close to what is shown in the pictures.  I will another look at it tomorrow before moving on .

 

[DanB]

I spent more time working on the rabbet and did some shaping for the stemson pieces to get them to align with the plans. The instructions say to deepen the slots for the frames to just above the rabbet using a razor blade. I found that a number 17 chisel blade worked well for this.

I stared gluing the frames in place. 

 

 

 

[Henke]

This looks interesting. Planking in a somewhat bigger scale than the usual 1:64. I see there is a front seat vacant 🙂.

 

Best regards

Henrik

[DanB]

18 hours ago, Henke said:

This looks interesting. Planking in a somewhat bigger scale than the usual 1:64. I see there is a front seat vacant 🙂.

 

Best regards

Henrik

Yes, it is at a bigger scale than I have worked at so far. The frames area also very impressive. The are ¼ inch thick plywood , I think to give a bigger surface for the planks.  They are laser cut, but freeing each one of them has been a bit of a project with bigger knife blades than I have had to use in the past. 

[DanB]

I continued to sand and glue in frames today. The next step  is to glue supporting spacers between these frames. 

 

 

 

[DanB]

Added spacers between frames. Drew in bearding line and sanded the rabbet at stern and keel and tapered deadwood aft of bearding line.  I read these instructions a few times and still managed to miss the part where it said to mark the line at the fore  face of the frames G and H.  I drew a nice line in the wrong place and figured it out after everything was glued in, when I noted the taper on my frame G did not look right.  It was not too hard to correct: redrew the line free hand, trimmed, frame G, sanded the deadwood a bit more.  I will  keep reading these instructions (which are really great) in the manual and the build log a few more times before each step!

 

    ‘

 

 

[Dave_E]

Looking good Dan! 😀

[DanB]

Added a few more frames and spacers. Looks like something is a bit off because frame 5b is supposed to end just before the rabbet and have another quarter inch  piece in from of it. It is sitting right at the rabbet. I will check some other build logs. Looks like I will have to get out my trusty bottle of isopropyl alcohol and move frame 5 a back a bit. It has not been too difficult to unglue and correct things on this project— I am getting lots of practice😀

 

 

 

 

[Dave_E]

Watching your progress is making me consider doing my Half Hull before I start the Rattlesnake. 🙂

[DanB]

1 hour ago, Dave_E said:

Watching your progress is making me consider doing my Half Hull before I start the Rattlesnake. 🙂

Thanks Dave. Its a great kit, and the instructions are really excellent. There are also multiple build logs to look at when things are not clear.. I think fairing those thick frames is going to be quite an adventure. I  was planning to move on to a different ship, but I am happy I decided to this next. 

[DanB]

 I finished adding the last frames, and spacers.  I messed  up the transom and had to unglue it and fix the spacer. I marked the top line as the instructions suggested. This  spooked me a bit because some of the frames needed a lot taken off — but it looks like that in Toni’s build log. I think I still measured the line and marked it 3 or 4 times. I used a rotary tool with a sanding drum and sanding disks to sand the tops of the frames. First time I have used it  do that,and  I am still getting a feel for how much they take off. The disks seemed to be much gentler than the drum. When I was getting close, I switched back to sanding sticks which is taking a lot longer but easier to control.  I have a bit more to do, continuing to measure the tops against the plan and also using a batten to check the curve. All of this seems like good preparation for faring the frames which is the next step.

 

Edited June 19, 2022 by DanB

[DanB]

I have been fairing the frames for the past few days.  B was very high and C was too low, so it took a lot of sanding on B and adding a shim to the upper part of C to get the batten to have a smooth run. The batten says I am getting close, but looking at the pictures in the instructions, it looks like I have more work to do at the bow and stern. I have been using a 100 grit  somewhat flexible standing stick and  using a  dowel that is about 1 inch diameter with some sand paper glued to it for the concave parts. The instructions suggest it should take several hours over several days to get the shape fair.  That seems to be about, right, and  longer for me because I have been taking more time with it, and I am not comfortable doing this with the rotary tool.

 

I have been using an N95 mask with a valve, but still feels like I am getting to much dust exposure. I bought a more permanent mask with replaceable filters called an RZ mask that fits better, seems to filter better, is more comfortable to wear and easier to get on and off. So far it seems like a good investment . 

 

[DanB]

 I started to add the counter and figured out I glued the transom  in wrong. I looked at a bunch of build logs, unglued , and repositioned the transom, and shaped  and glued in the counter. This area is a bit confusing. The stern frames needed a lot more fairing.  The picture looks about the same but, I think its getting closer. It must be, I made a lot of saw dust. 

Its hot in my garage, so I that is enough for today. I am going to sip ice water, and go look at a bunch of build logs I need to read ahead and see if I can understand how the planks are supposed to fit into the rabbet and how they meet the counter at the stern. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DanB]

I finished fairing for now at least. There may still be more needed, but I think its closed. Marked out the position of the wale . I had to look  at the pictures a bunch of times and modify the small square that came with the Norwegian Sailing Pram so I could get it level between the frames. The carpenter square  was too big to fit between the support pieces to take off the positions from the building board.

 

I made the garboard planks. It took 2 tries, but I think I am getting the idea. I marked out the position of the broad plank on the frames. 

 

[DanB]

Garboard— Again , and again . 

 

I figured out that my first  try at the the garboard was too high and too far forward after I had installed the broad strake. I took the whole thing apart, tried it again and was still too high. After the third attempt, I think I have it about right based on the measurements in the instructions. . The instructions in the manual are good and point out this problem of the garboard being to high at the bow. I think maybe I am finally understanding the whole process or measuring the width on the frames, getting the run of the plank right with thread or  chart tape (I like the thread a lot better)and then marking the plank on masking tape, but it has required trying it, messing it up and trying it again, before I have started to get the hang of it.

 

Picture looks about the same.  Onward. 

 

 

 

[DanB]

After several tries, I managed to get the broad strake in without the dreaded smiley face position of the plank at the bow.  I read Toni’s instructions and the build log for the project whole bunch of times , marked the position of the planking belts and then made tic strips for each frame. I tired both techniques for laying out the planks described in the manual.  The one with a compass may be a bit more accurate, but just putting a piece of tape over the the position, marking the bottom edge and copying the marks on the frames on the though the tape seems t to be working well. I finished  the next strake. I keep reminding myself this is a project to learn on. Its taking a while, but I think I am finally starting to understand it. 

 

 

 

[flutlo6180]

You've convinced me that my next build should be this half-hull.  

[DanB]

3 hours ago, flutlo6180 said:

You've convinced me that my next build should be this half-hull.  

It’s a  great kit with a wonderful set of instructions.

 

There is a  detailed MSW build log by the kit developer that will give you a much better idea of what is involved than my log:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/21980-half-hull-planking-project/

 

I have found it difficult and slow going so far, but I think that is part of the learning process.  After trying this project , I am even more awed by the work of  many of the folks on this site who are able to do such beautiful work planking the large and complex hulls on their models. I managed to finish one plank today after messing it up yesterday and starting again. I think I will be at this for a while and will need to order a few more sheets of the 1/32 basswood planking material. I am happy that the developers wisely chose  planking material that is easily available. 

 

Dan

[DanB]

First planking belt complete. 

 

I have been busy with other commitments and have not had as much time to work on this project. It is going slower than my usual slow pace. I am still getting the hang of shaping the planks, but the whole process is a lot of fun.  I have some small gaps between the planks in spots that I think I can fill with sawdust and glue. The next step is to make a stealer plank in the next strake at the stern.  After reading the instructions about 6-7 times, I think I sort of understand it. 

 

 

 

[DanB]

Second planking belt completed 

 

Moving along very slowly, but still at it. Making mistakes and fixing some and letting others be. Starting to work on the wale.

 

 

 

[Dave_E]

Looking good Dan! 👍😀

[DanB]

I have been working at project -- slowly. Life has kept me very busy with not much time to play at my work bench. I think I needed to take more care in marking out the lines for the planks in each belt. I was careful but still wound up with some planks that were too thin or had odd shapes. In this  last belt below the wale I needed to make drop planks at the bow (in the instructions) and at the stern (not in the instructions but that is what the ship said it needed). I am learning a lot. I am starting the planking above the wale which in instructions say will need less spiling 

 

 

[DanB]

Well, I managed to cover the hull in wood. It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be, and my work is not so pretty. I had 2 planks near the stern that were not aligned well. One had a deep dent where I had clamped it and the other was so off that I sanded through the the edge of it sanding the hull smooth.  I decided to cut them and unglue them and replace them. I had to take 3 tries to get one of the replacements about right. 

 

Replacing the planks

 

Onward

 

 

[Dave_E]

Outstanding Dan! 👍😀

[Henke]

Well done Dan!

 

Henrik

[Cathead]

Think of it as getting the most experience possible out of this learning/teaching kit!

[DanB]

Finished

- Planked the counter-- a bit tricky

- Planked the Stern-- easiest part of the planking

- Made the second layer of the wale after several attempts and messing up the scarf joint a few times . 

- Made the top rail. Got that scarf right, but it is a delicate piece and it broke a few times during shaping and painting, so it is CA scarf joint

-Made the trim pieces, mine are a bit wider than the manual suggests, but it covers some planking issues near the stern

- I used MSW Spar Black paint to paint the wail after masking it off. I painted the top rail and the trim pieces before gluing them to the mode. 

- Finish with few coats of Teak oil, let it dry a few days and then a coat of wipe on poly. Manual suggests Danish oil which is oil that contains varnish. I used what I had on hand after doing some research on the internet and a test run on some basswood planks that were glued together  

- Used some ¼ inch MDF painted black for the mounting board

 

This is really an excellent tool to learn about planking a hull. Between the very detailed instruction manual and the author's build log for the kit, there is lost of great information and help along the way.  I think I improved as I went along, but I still need more practice! I messed up enough planks that I needed to buy another sheet of the 1/32 basswood  to finish the kit. For the planks that needed some bending I soaked them and then either clamped them to the model and let them dry, or I used the MSW plank bender to heat them and get the curve about right. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dave_E]

Outstanding Dan, really nice job! 👍😀 What’s on the docket?