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Best plank bending iron isn't made for bending planks


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This iron is a leftover from my model aircraft days. It's made for the shrink covering on airplanes. The shape of the iron head gives it the ability to fit about any application. What I like most is the built in thermostat so it stays at just the right temperature for bending. 

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Dave Schmidt

 

Previous builds - Artesania latina Endeavour. Panart HMS Victory. Corel Vasa. 

Current builds - Syren 1:48 Winchelsea. Scratch build 1:48 Royal Caroline

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  • 3 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I have one from my RC plane days in the late 1970’s and it still works! When I was learning the wooden ship building trade and watching the planking videos, that iron came out of deep storage. Then the good wife donated 2 of her backup hair curling irons (large and small diameter) for the cause. 😀

Dave

 

Current builds: Rattlesnake

Completed builds: Lady Nelson

On the shelf: NRG Half Hull Project, Various metal, plastic and paper models

 

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I use a cheap soldering iron (from a German supermarket chain) with an aluminum piece that used to be the center of a rubber roller, I have two of these pieces each a different diameter and it works very well, it rarely burns the wood.

 

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It's not sophisticated, but it does the job.

 

Belco

Edited by Belco
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  • 1 month later...

Resurrecting an 'oldie'.

I had to bend a piece of plank today and found an old pencil type soldering iron. While it did the job, it finally got too hot and did a little scorching. While I saw above that a dimmer would cut back on the heat, the iron is really too small. The usual model making plank benders seem to have a poor life span for the money spent.  I then did a bit of 'net wandering and a Conair hair curler popped up. This one: https://www.amazon.com/Conair-Double-Ceramic-Curling-1-inch/dp/B07CKKGR83/ref=sr_1_13?crid=E1XZY2QKEP9O&keywords=conair%2Bhot%2Bcurlers&qid=1673747122&sprefix=conair%2Bhot%2Bcurlers%2B%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-13&th=1

 

Is it hot enough and is the 1" appropriate? Smaller? Larger? They are about 12 bucks at the local Walmart

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I have one like that.... It works, it's cheap.  What's not to like?   If it dies.. I'll pick up another.  Mine however has the metal barrel and not the ceramic.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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