Start planking with gun ports, pros and cons?

[ubjs]

Start planking with gun ports, pros and cons?

In Dressel's book Planking technics I saw an idea to start with planks at gun ports. 
I think it looks interesting.

[Chuck]

I wouldnt recommend doing that.  Best to start with the wales as they establish the run of planking above and below them.  If you start with the ports it is all to easy to establish the incorrect run of planks.   Once the wales are established,  Line off the hull below it....or plank the hull above it and between the ports.  But lining off is the best practice regardless.

 

See the many tutorials posted on this site.

 

Chuck

[ubjs]

I'm thinking if it would be worth trying on the 1st planking.
Speaking of planking guides, I can forget most of what I've read if I want to build a model that 
looks like the real ship.
If I look at the Vasa ship, they have planked it completely wrong, pointed planks in the bow, etc.
So the question is should I build according to the model building gurus or should I build 
it as it looks in real life?
As for the Vasa, it is easy to check how it is made, 
perhaps many of the ships of that time looked exactly like that in reality and not as 
perfect as model builders often build them?

Edited Friday at 08:10 AM by ubjs

[alpayed]

Most kits use 2 layers of planking. On the first layer starting with a plank above and 1 below locates and frames the ports accurately. The second layer is then started at the wales. As you work upwards from there the planks can be easily trimmed around the ports defined by the first layer. I have built a lot of models using this method and it really makes things easier but you must accurately locate the wales on the second layer. However it is no more difficult than starting with the wales in the first place.

Regards Allan.

[ubjs]

How do you do when you make the holes in the second layer? 

You don't have any problems with cracks in the second layer when you make 

the holes for the cannon ports?

[alpayed]

One of the advantages of laying planks over each other at slightly different angles is an inherent increase in  strength. The joints do not coincide reducing the chances cracks occurring. In later shipbuilding techniques it was called diagonal planking although the planks were almost at 90deg to each other.

Regards Allan.