Hull planking

[The Bitter End]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen 

 

I am in the process of doing my second planking on my USS Constitution. (see log in signature). 

 

I have opted to go with a double planked hull for reasons which currently escape me. 

 

I see most modelers allow the joints to fall on the bulkheads provided in the kit but as these have been covered I can have my joints fall wherever is most historically accurate. Does anyone have any sort of idea of how planks were staggered in terms of distances between joints and not just pattern(although I would love a reliable planking pattern too). 

 

Dude to the short intervals between the ribs on the actual ship I guess any plan could theoretically have worked but I am really interested in achieving as much accuracy as possible, specifically focusing on how she would have looked when launched in 1797. 

 

Any ideas would be very well recieved.

 

Cheers

 

Haiko

[CPDDET]

 

This is an example of 4 butt shift system. There is also a 3 butt shift system.

[Dziadeczek]

From my personal observations of various ships, I can say that in the real world the shipwrights were less rigorous to adhere to a strict 3 or 4 butt shifts, like it is shown in various books. They were using, what was available at the moment in their yards, at the same time trying to save on the wood.

So, rarely you can see these strict patterns in the real ships.

In my opinion, you can safely butt shift your planks observing rather loosely this 4 butt shift, if you want it (also, the bigger the ship, the bigger the shift, e.g. the Victory and alike would have a 4-butt shifts, perhaps the Constitution 3 butt shifts , a smaller frigate or a brig 2 butt shifts, and so on...

PS: Also, check out this discussion:     

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Dziadeczek