Soaking, bending, gluing planks

[@macbride]

Doing my first ever hull planking. (Shenandoah by Corel). For planks that need bending:

 

A) how long should I soak them in water? Is it possible to over do it, or can I leave some pieces soaking for several days?

 

any tips or advice on using an electric plate bender (got it from Model Expo Online)?

 

C) after bending I assume the board must dry thoroughly or else glue will not stick?

 

Many thanks,

 

Andy

[dgbot]

My advice would be to go throught some of the logs.  Everyone has there own method that works for them.  It depends on the wood and the dimensions.  Dependinf the the shape I have soaked a plank and put in in a form to dry.  Wet and take an iron to it. I have even use a mirowave.  .All you have to remeber is it is easier to bend with the grain and not against it. 

David B

[Mike Dowling]

So, I am having real problems bending 2mm lime wood for planks. If I try to bend them dry they snap. If I bend them wet they desperately try to return to their unbent shape. I realise I am doing a large scale kit model so the wood is quite thick but I have tried a manual plank bender both wet and dry, I have tried a steam iron but so far limited success. Any bright ideas out there?

 

[@macbride]

Mike,

 

I feel your pain!  I found this jig at Micro-Mark:

 

 

Once you've soaked & bent the planks, this will hold them in whatever position you need them to be in while they dry.

It's fully adjustable and although it probably costs them a fraction of what they charge, I've found it to be handy.

 

Micromark.com and look for "plank forming jig"  It's about $25.

 

Andy

 

[Mike Dowling]

Thank you very much, a great suggestion! Trouble is I am in Highland Scotland and we are very short of suppliers up here. It's a bit like Alaska!!

My problem is in the transom area where you have to bend and twist! Sounds like a dance eh? Anyway thanks so much for the reply, if you think or more please let me know.

[mtaylor]

Mike,

 

Do a search on "curling iron".  Quite a few of use this to provide the heat needed to bend and twist some woods. 

[@macbride]

I bet you could rig up something like the jig I have on your own...

I know exactly the problem you're facing - I just did that 2 weeks ago.  I was able to make it work by thoroughly soaking the planks and just repeatedly going over them with an electric plate bender (which is nothing much more than a curling iron as Mark notes above).  I got a mental image of the curve and twist and just repeatedly hit it with the heat & pressure.  After they had dried the planks had just a hint of the bends I had in mind, but it was enough to position them without any of them splintering apart.

 

Highland Scotland... hmm.. makes me thirsty.  Cheers!

 

Andy

[@macbride]

Mike,

 

One other thing:  an article on this site has a PDF tutorial that shows how to make your own jig (as well as other good advice on planking):

 

click on "model ship world main site & article downloads"... then "articles & downloads"... then "framing and planking"... then "plank bending", the last PDF on that page.  very good review.

 

Andy

[Mike Dowling]

Thanks very much all, I'll do some more homework tomorrow.

[wq3296]

Greetings Andy,

 

In my opinion, forget the jigs and other stuff they sell in hobby stores to bend planks. I use steam. You probably have a tea kettle, so just bring some water to a boil, hold the plank near the spout when it begins to steam and gently form the plank to the desired shape by hand. You may even be able to slide the plank down the spout as it softens from the steam. Of course, the steam is hot so use caution. I came across an electric heating iron used to glue seams for carpeting. It is shaped similar to a flat iron, but is much smaller. It is far better than the electric plank benders sold in hobby stores and is not made in China. 

 

wq3296

[HIPEXEC]

The harder the wood...the longer I soak them. My Constructo USS Constitution had Sapele planks 2mm x 6mm that always cracked when I bent them. I added Ammonia to the water and soaked them 20 - 30 minutes...then used a hot iron to start the bends and them put them on a net shape jig I built for myself out of 3/4 inch plywood and plastic wrapped nails. I used the cutout from my deck piece to trace the hull shape onto the plywood. Check out my build log for pics.  Even with all this....bending planks is a tedious time consuming task that is well rewarded with a smoothly planked hull. Read all the tutorials on this website and pick and chose the techniques that suit you. The best advise I got from a member is: treat each plank as if it is its own model. Each one has its own bend, taper and twist.

Good Luck,

Rich

Edited March 25, 2014 by Hipexec

[Mike Dowling]

Many thanks again everybody. I have read loads and tried lots but I will try a kettle or steamer and let you know how I get on. It has been suggested to me that it may just be the particular wood I have got which could be right. I haven't had this problem before but I haven't had anything quite so thick to bend round such acute angles.

[mrjimmy]

 

Hey.........

 

Try using some birch hardwood planks.  Soak them for about a half hour, clamp in place and leave it to dry or use Mama's blow dryer.  It will stay in the position you set it in.  After you soak it in water for a while, you can probably tie it in a knot. 

 

Si

[WackoWolf]

Mike,

 

    Try making the jig yourself, it's not hard. A piece of wood and some nails in holes is all it takes. Make a lot of holes and put the nails where you need them.

[Mike Dowling]

Haven't had time to do my homework today - sorry teachers! I will try harder tomorrow. Funny really, I l always used to say that!

[Mike Dowling]

_{Hi all, just though I would let you know that I have tried some of your solutions. I appreciate the jig bit but big bends are easy just with some round objects and a bit of weight. For the horrible small bends I am finding that, with the lime wood I give them a really long soak and then bending carefully with hands and thumb nails is working better than a manual plank bender. The problem really with the small bits is that you can't put them in a jig so it seems some of them either need overbending so that when they relax they are about right or having a couple of goes at them until the bend is right.}

_{Just though you might be interested.}

[@macbride]

Mike,

 

Sounds like you're making your way!

 

 

Cheers!!

 

Andy

[shihawk]

had some success soaking planks for a couple of hours and then gently bending by hand while holding over a hot fan heater .you can feel the plank slowly bending under gentle constant pressure ,maybe more usefull for one offs rather than dozens of planks.

[CaptainSteve]

Andy,

 

All the above is great advice for your query. The only part of your question which hasn't been addressed is:

 

 Is it possible to over do it, or can I leave some pieces soaking for several days?

Andy

 

For myself, at least, I have found that you cannot soak for too long. The wood will only take up so much water. As a slooooow modeller, I sometimes leave my planks soaking for days on end before using them. Then, when I am ready, I'll select a single plank, quickly wipe it down, then bend using some of the methods listed above.

 

Sometimes, if a plank is not fitting precisely, I'll pop it back in the soaking tub again for a day or so, then re-do the bend.

 

My preferred method is to clamp the newly bent plank into position on my model and allow it to dry completely before fixing it in place. 

Edited April 3, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[HIPEXEC]

No matter what general method you use to pre-bend a plank. Clamping it the exact spot you want to glue it while it's still wet, will give you a nearly net shaped plank for easy gluing. Look at my build of the USS Constitution to see some of the tricks I used.

Good luck...planking is not easy!

[George Wozniak]

To bend pinewood or walnut strips for covering the boat hull, I have had great success by laying the wet strip on a cutting board and using a Stanley knife, press across the strip to make no more than an impression with the blade. Do this every 4-5 mm along the length you wish to bend. Then carefully push against each impression from the opposite side of the strip and you will find that the strip now bends to the required shape. Place in position on the hull and pin or clip in situ until the wood dries. This can now be glued in place.