Chamfer a plank

[Thom]

Hi folks

 

First please excuse my "it's enough for home"-english

 

I wonder how you guys treat chamfering planks along the long side for fitting planks around the curved hull shape (I hope chamfer is the right word?!?). I mean okay, sanding free-handed with sanding paper or a file might be the way. But question is: Is there a better way, mainly to get really straight edges? Some kind of jig maybe?

I hope these is not too confusing. Say you have a plank 2mmx5mmx300mm. Now the 2mm side should be chamfered.

 

Greetings

Thom

[Chuck]

I usually create a homemade sanding stick.  Its easier when you make one that is a little wider...say 1/2" wide.   Tou can choose whatever grit sandpaper works for you.  I use 220 grit.

 

Chuck

[Thom]

I usually create a homemade sanding stick.  Its easier when you make one that is a little wider...say 1/2" wide.   Tou can choose whatever grit sandpaper works for you.  I use 220 grit.

 

Chuck

 

Thank you Chuck. This sounds oky, I'll give it a try. I think I should do more work in my patience ;-) With all these rasps and sticks I find it difficult to get a straight line without getting some "holes" after sanding the hull. Best way for me 'til now is the use of a disc sander. Just going on - some day it will be easy... I hope.

 

Thom

[druxey]

If you glue the oversized sandpaper to the stick first (I use rubber cement), then cut the sandpaper to the edges of the stick, you will have 'safe' sides that won't mark the adjacent wood as you sand the chamfer.

[AndrewNaylor]

I have made a simple jig to hold the plank by trapping it down along its whole length 

A piece of base board to mount the jig on  and 2 length's of planking one the same thickness of the planking you are using lets say 4mm x .5mm and one piece at least 6mm x1mm 

I have glued first piece down to the base board 3.5mm from the edge to allow a little over hang the second one is glued on top of the first creating a grove that the plank you are working on can now slide into and hold it tight. Sanding down the whole edge is easy now as the plank is held securely 

I hope this helps 

Andy 

[Thom]

If you glue the oversized sandpaper to the stick first (I use rubber cement), then cut the sandpaper to the edges of the stick, you will have 'safe' sides that won't mark the adjacent wood as you sand the chamfer.

 

Thank you, too. That will male a clear sanding stick.

[Thom]

I have made a simple jig to hold the plank by trapping it down along its whole length 

A piece of base board to mount the jig on  and 2 length's of planking one the same thickness of the planking you are using lets say 4mm x .5mm and one piece at least 6mm x1mm 

I have glued first piece down to the base board 3.5mm from the edge to allow a little over hang the second one is glued on top of the first creating a grove that the plank you are working on can now slide into and hold it tight. Sanding down the whole edge is easy now as the plank is held securely 

I hope this helps 

Andy 

 

Hi Andy

 

After some time of imagining I think I understand your jig. Yes, this is a good idea, indeed. I'll think about reproducing this, maybe even with some metal "planks" instead of wood. Now, removing the "big board in front of my head" (do you know this saying in US?) I see how easy this solution is. Just somehow never thought about the idea to mount the holding planks near the edge of the base board. Thanks tou you.

Thom

[AndrewNaylor]

Tom 

Yes metal would work well Our local model shop sells Brass and Aluminum in different lengths and widths and thicknesses 

I have also made a similar jig for tapering planks holding the plank straight and stopping the blade from following the grain of the wood.

[Keith_W]

Sorry for the gravedig. I have built several models and I have always found plank bevelling to be a pain in the backside. I lack the patience to sand back each plank, so with the last model I built I used my Dremel. The problem is that I got unevenly bevelled planks.

 

Short of purchasing a disc sander, has someone come up with a plank bevelling jig where you can use a power tool? My next purchase is a milling machine ... would it be possible to use that to bevel planks?

[WackoWolf]

Amfibius,

 

     You can use a milling machine to do anything. But do understand if that is the only reason to buy one, it's a waste of money. Power tools are good, but can also be a person worst enemy. You really should do it by hand, that way you only take off a little at a time. Just MOHO, don't ask how I know, just take my word.

Edited December 5, 2013 by WackoWolf

[HIPEXEC]

I had good luck with shaving the plank to near net shape then holding it flat on a level surface and using a flat sanding block. That gave me decent bevels and tapers. It would be nice to have a miller, though.

[Keith_W]

Thanks Joe, I want the milling machine for other things as well. I find sanding these planks to be quite fiddly and I can't get precise results, which is why I was wondering if it could be more precisely done. I have been looking at vices and clamps for milling machines, and i'm not sure if there is one that would allow you to bevel a plank. Are you aware of one? Anybody?

[BANYAN]

Hi folks, in my limited experience, I have found that if you are 'spiling' then each plank pair will have a slightly different profile (mostly) so marking the line then cutting, shaving and/or sanding back to the marked line on invidual planks is the best approach.

 

However, for some models when planking in bands where you may have (say) 5 planks that taper evenly going forward that you may be able to shape each to very much the same profile.  For this I used the old Mantua Strip Clamp (see piccy -it has a metal vice surface to sand to and uses cam locks to apply pressure) to be very handy; but, it may require repositioning the planks a few times to get the right profile.  You could make a home-made version of this.

 

 

Basically, using whatever method you prefer to determine the required profile, transfer this to a single plank.  Stack a few planks (I work on up to six at times) in the clamp ensuring they are truely aligned and with the marked plank on the outer side from which you will be working -I then clamp the whole assembly in a bench vice to stop it moving, but you could use a bench stop, anti-slip mat or the like.  Now use blades, planes and/or sanding to reduce the planks to the the profile line.  If it is a complex curve/shape, as I said earlier you may have to reposition a few times and this is when it is important to ensure the stack of planks do not move (relative to each other).  I use a bit of low-tack tape wound tightly (only once) around the stack in two areas where there is little or no clamp pressure to assist.

 

For best results it is still best to slightly bevel the edge of each plank in the appropriate plane/alignment to get a good fit especially on vertical curves/rounds in the hull.

 

i hope this helps?

 

cheers

 

Pat

[WackoWolf]

I also have the same tool that Pat has and that is what I use it for. But you would have to set it up different in the mill and basically make your own jig for it, but to answer your question yes it can be done. You just need to sit back and think about how to make the jig for it. Once you make the jig you could use it for any ship that you do, just picture it in your mind and then give it a go. You will probably make it 3 or 4 times before you get it the way you want. One of the big  things about mills is the jigs and the hold downs, they are so many different ways of holding a piece down that you could give yourself a headache thinking about it.

[wefalck]

I own a couple of milling machines, but I wouldn't probably use them for bevelling planks. One needs a stable, inclineable (to set the bvelling angle) jig that can hold the narrow planks securely - a lot of work to make one to fit your milling machine and then to adjust it. The other problem is that the usual model-maker's machines may have a too short x-travel to be useful. And another problem can be that the bevelling angle is not uniform over the whole length of the plank.

 

I would probably use a simple bulldog clip. The edges may need to be filed down to ensure that it closes nicely. You hold the plank with it and work your way along it with a sanding stick, offering the plank from time to time to the hull to check, whether the angle is correct.

 

wefalck

[Keith_W]

Given that the bevelled edge will be facing inwards, and will not be seen in any double planked hull - I am not too concerned about the cosmetics of the chamfered plank. I don't bother myself with things that won't be seen. For now, it just needs to work. This is why I am after the quickest way to chamfer the plank.

[wefalck]

Bevelling is not just a cosmetic issue: if your plank closes on the surface only, but not on the inside, you will have small gap after sanding the hull … 

 

wefalck

[Keith_W]

That is a good point. Hmm, disc sander perhaps?

 

I am also planning to buy a lathe. I wonder if I can glue sandpaper to a dowel and make a sanding drum with it.

Edited December 6, 2013 by Amfibius

[wefalck]

Grit from sandpaper is poison to a (metal) lathe, try to avoid using it.

 

Seriously, machine tools are good at straight surfaces, or surfaces that are bent in only one direction. As soon as you have to deal with surfaces that are shaped in the 3D-space, you are often better off with hand-tools. Nothing is as flexible for holding parts and guiding tools as your two hands. The amount of bevelling needed is usually quite small, so that it is quickly achieved with a few strokes of a sanding stick.

 

The movement of a sanding stick has a sort of splining function, while using a rotary sander entails the risk of digging in and ending up with a wavy edge.

 

wefalck

[WackoWolf]

What "welfalck" said about you hands being the vise is right on.

[Richard Griffith]

Some good comments above:

don't bother with a mill, the set up takes more time than using your hands and sanding sticks

don't use rotary drums for final sanding as these create wavy edges

I use sanding sticks with different grits on them, plus a couple of dowels with sand papers glued on

nail files from beauty salons work well for this

 

After you spile your mating line, just sand a little, trial fit the plank, file a little more, fit again, and you will sneak up to a great fit. 

 

Yes, it takes time, so you have to decide what fit and finish you want and the time it takes to get that fit.

 

Duff