I want to plank a ship like this! (Solie Royal) - moved by moderator

[wdretired]

I have seen some model ships that would almost take your breath away with their beauty. .  and  I can get really  motivated when I see a quality ship on display.

     One thing I've learned is that it takes more than looking,  to build a quality ship.  Being new to this hobby, I have a lot to learn and  no doubt   some of the things won't be learned with wood or glue. 

I took a picture some years ago of a ship that simply amazed me on the quality of it's construction. . .  I could imagine  myself building something of that quality. .  that is until I bought a kit and began to assemble the frames on the keel.  That wood has a mind of it's own . . . and no matter where I look in the instruction book,  most of the problems I run into aren't covered there. .   and mind you, one slip up, and you'll either have to buy another kit or spend the rest of your life trying to straighten out a mess you made. .  you give me a soldering iron, oscilloscope, signal generator and I'm right at home but getting some of that wood to lay itself down on that frame is near impossible. . I read these books that give really good instructions . . .  but . . you know!, I think I've got demon in my ship kit cause it is not working out like it's suppose to. .  I am beginning to wonder if I can get my money back and buy me another kit. . one that isn't possessed. .  or are they all like that? . . 

     Question:   when you lay out the planks on the frame. .  it shows one nice long plank . . from the bow to the stern ( I think they call it the stern). .  anyway, I think it might be easier if I just planked it with several planks instead of one straight one . .  what do you guys think? . . I've tried trimming the planks to get them to lay down but the more I trim, the less cooperation I get.    I want it to look like a masterpiece when I finish so I'm not sure how many customizes I can make like that and still have it look good . .  I do not want to use the thin stuff they give for beginners because I don't want anyone to know a beginner built it. .  I noticed that there are a lot of beginner kits that have plank on frames so I'm thinking even a beginner should be able to do this planking thing. . .  I think I should have started on this kit 60 years ago because I'm not going to get finished with this one any time soon . . 

 

So!, can you plank a ship with many planks joined together or is it going to look to tacky? . .

Any help here would be appreciated. .

 

 

[johncole]

Wayne,

Planking is a skill and an art. I don't think there's a way to learn this skill until you actually do it. One plank at a time is the best way.

 

I believe the Mayflower would be an advanced project. Here's what I'd do: gather up all of her parts and materials, stow them away for a future build, then tackle a more friendly project (Willie Bennet, AL Swift, etc..). Others will have sound advice to, I reckon.

 

I hope this helps.

John (instrumentation and controls guy)

[Jim Lad]

Hello Wayne, and a warm welcome to the forum from 'Down Under'.

 

Have you had a browse through the articles in the database yet?  There's a wealth of practical information there for you.

 

And, yes, planking in shorter lengths (just as on the real ship) is certainly the best way to get realistic planking.

 

John

[HIPEXEC]

You must treat each plank as if it's its own model. Each plank is different from the next. Some folks try to use whole planks the length of the model and some don't. I will say this, when you finally finish planking your hull and it is prefect....you will soar with the eagles for quite a while.

[kscadman]

I formed a single plank to the bulkheads then I cut them into sections and glued them to the bulkheads. The scale lengths were about 30'-35'.

 

Richard

[druxey]

John Cole's advice is sound, as is Jim Lad's suggestion that you read the articles that are available right here on MSW. To start with, take a look at the tutorials on planking. 

[Ulises Victoria]

The planking in the Soleil Royale photo is top notch. I would expect to do something like that after a few ( 4-5) easier kits under my belt, not before. As said before, planking is an art that you master by doing.

 

Best of lucks.

[dgbot]

The question of one long strake or several would depend on the type of vessel.

David B