RMS Titanic's Lifeboat by monkeyman - Artesania Latina - Scale 1:35

[monkeyman]

I'd like to see that.  I'm not sure how you're going to handle any needed sanding.

 

I already did raw sanding, just need some finishing with smaller grain, that's it. It looks pretty good in real life, but photo amplifies impurities :-)

 

The main trick is to sand each plank after glueing. Here's a good picture, which made my mind:

 

 

As you can see, the last plank is not handled yet, but previous ones are. I do the same: sand down each plank at the ends, when it's fixed.

 

Am I missing something?

[augie]

No, it looks great.  I was just thinking that with carvel planking, if there are any irregularities in the flow of the planks, you have a chance to smooth them out once all the planks are laid.  With clinker planking that would seem to be difficult.  

[monkeyman]

No, it looks great.  I was just thinking that with carvel planking, if there are any irregularities in the flow of the planks, you have a chance to smooth them out once all the planks are laid.  With clinker planking that would seem to be difficult.  

 

I didn't do carvel yet. On one of my previous (unfinished) models I used double planking technique as manual suggested. But clinker seems pretty straightforward to me: glue the plank, sand it at the edges, glue another, sand it as well, etc. As for the flow, I might not understand you correctly here. Do you mean shaping under "flow"? Curves and such.

Edited January 17, 2015 by monkeyman

[augie]

Yes.  We spend a lot of time fairing the hull bulkheads so that the planks run smooth and naturally.  Sometimes, a minor irregularity might show up after planking and this can be easily sanded out with carvel planking ----- especially if you are double planking.  I wasn't sure how it might be handled with clinker.

[Cap'n Rat Fink]

Just beautiful work on the clinker planking monkeyman.

 

mario

[monkeyman]

Just beautiful work on the clinker planking monkeyman.

 

mario

 

Thank you, my friend! This is my first attempt on clinker and it looks not bad indeed in real life.

 

And, as promised, here's a little tutorial on clinker planking. I'll just describe steps I do myself.

 

Clinker build tutorial

 

1. Put planks in the water for a while or use any other soaking method you like. Planks just need to be more flexible.

 

2. Glue the first plank's middle part. Use a hair dryer for a minute - it'll dry the wet plank a bit and glue as well. Fix the middle with clamps or nails, if you want to. I didn't do fixing, because I built the deck first. But when you have only a skeleton, it's a good practice to fix planks to ribs.

 

 

3. Put a large amount of glue on one side of the plank, use hair dryer and fix with clamp. Do the same for the opposite end.

 

 

4. Cut the plank at the ends according to your needs (watch the keel).

 

 

5. Repeat the same for the plank on the opposite side of the boat. Do NOT continue with the same boardside or hull misshaping may occur.

 

 

6. Sand down the edges of the planks on both sides, so your next plank will fit properly.

 

 

This is how ot should look at the edges:

 

 

A few advices:

• Manual tells you to use fast glue (one second glue or how do you call it in your country), but it's not necessary. I always use white (carpenter's) glue for wood, because it becomes transparent, when dried and easy to remove excesses.
• Don't be greedy and put a decemnt amount of glue, especially at the ends. You'll have your time to remove excesses.
• You can put your planks anyway you want, depending on your boat's blueprints and your own likings. For example, I have 7 mm planks and use overlapping method, leaving 5 mm at the middle and around 4 mm at the edges. Since the plank is wet, you may vary these measurements easily.
• Don't cut the first plank at the ends right away, wait for other one to follow. The best way is to do a raw work for both planks and then finish them simultaneously.
• You'll likely spoil your keel during planking. I simply ignored this and decided to restore the keel, when planking is finished (see further posts).
• I use this tool for sanding planks and find it very handy:

   

  

Edited January 19, 2015 by monkeyman

[GuntherMT]

 

• I use this tool for sanding planks and find it very handy:

   

  sandpen.jpg

 

 

I've been unable to find this tool searching the internet.  Do you have a specific name for it, or a link or where you got it? 

 

Thanks

[monkeyman]

I've been unable to find this tool searching the internet.  Do you have a specific name for it, or a link or where you got it? 

 

Thanks

 

It's Amati's Contour Sander. Here's a link:

 

http://amatimodel.com/it/attrezzi/attrezzi-per-modellismo/pulitore-contour-sander

 

Here're Amati's contacts in US, if you need them (I see, that you're from Arizona):

 

http://amatimodelusa.com/contact.html

[GuntherMT]

It's Amati's Contour Sander. Here's a link:

 

http://amatimodel.com/it/attrezzi/attrezzi-per-modellismo/pulitore-contour-sander

 

Here're Amati's contacts in US, if you need them (I see, that you're from Arizona):

 

http://amatimodelusa.com/contact.html

 

Knowing exactly what it's called and who makes it helps greatly.  Thank you!

[monkeyman]

Knowing exactly what it's called and who makes it helps greatly.  Thank you!

 

You're welcome, pal.

 

* * *

 

OK, I've uploaded last 2 pictures of the clinker planking tutorial. Hope it'll help someone and save some time. It indeed not that hard and might be easier, than carvel, like was suggested in one of the previous replies.

 

The only problem I see with clinker planking - you must put more efforts to make it as much accurate as possible. It's a bit more unforgiving, than carvel or double planking, because you can't use fillers and change shape, if your boat's skeleton wasn't perfect.

 

I'll try to use white wood filler and varnish instead of painting, when done with planking. Will post results here.

Edited January 19, 2015 by monkeyman

[popeye the sailor]

planking looks very good.........how are you handling tapering,  if any?  I know that there is no need to do any jogging.....or other fitting methods.......ship's boat had a complete flow to them.   I could have sworn there was a tutorial here about clinker....haven't had the need to look for one though     I have a sander similar to that one.........but yours is nice....it's got a handle

 

very nice work! 

[monkeyman]

how are you handling tapering,  if any?  I know that there is no need to do any jogging.....or other fitting methods.......ship's boat had a complete flow to them.

 

What do you mean under tapering? The narrowing of the planks on edges? Sorry, I don't know all the terms yet, since English isn't my native.

 

I could have sworn there was a tutorial here about clinker....haven't had the need to look for one though

 

I wasn't able to find a step-by-step explanation myself. It's pretty hard to understand some things right away and without any help. Anyway, the more tutorials, the better :-)

[popeye the sailor]

I'm not the greatest with it either.......the method of planking is an art anyway      it's common knowledge that the mid ship is wider that the bow.......and the stern {in some cases}.   to keep the plank line,  so that it is consistent and even,  by the time you get to the bulwarks,  the ends of the plank are tapered {narrowed in width}.   in clinker planking,  I would imagine that the plank could overlap the preceding plank more,  to achieve the same result.  the clinker method is tough in it's own right.......one would absolutely need to start at the Garboard plank to achieve it........plank from the bottom ...up.

 

with more traditional planking........most work down from the bulwarks until they reach the  'turn',  and then plank the rest from the Garboard.   other phrases would be the  'turn of the bilge'  or 'chine'.  I tend to keep in mind the imaginary waterline.........others like to 'band' their hull frames to keep track of this {it also helps with tapering}

 

in the instance where the mid ship requires one or even two more planks than the bow,  or the stern,  the act of merging two planks into one,  is called Jogging.   there are a few way that this is done.......there are some really nice examples of this peppered throughout the site.   another useful bit of planking,  when found that a plank need more surface...primarily at the stern,  would be the 'stealer'.  should the plank be unable to make the full wrap,  a gap can be left,  and a piece of planking can be fitted in later.

 

none of this applies to your build.......at the moment.   when you get into more complex builds {not that clinker planking isn't complex in itself},  you will experience a lot more.   you doing a great job with this.......cripes......all I have to do is....not to do any tapering.....and I get all the clinker I want  {don't want}       but what your trying to achieve is a lot different than that    it's a good idea to pre sand the planks before you cement them in place.......leaving just some slight touch ups afterwards.   I hope I gave you some insight.....and didn't confuse you.    help????.........your here.....help is only a shout away my friend! 

[monkeyman]

No, you didn't confuse me at all. Was nice to read some practical information as always. Just to sum this up:

 

 

Is this tapering? This kind of narrowing at the edges?

[augie]

Yes, that narrowing at the front is called tapering or spiling.  It prevents the planks from crowding at the bow.  The amount varies according to the shape of the hull.

[monkeyman]

Yes, that narrowing at the front is called tapering or spiling.  It prevents the planks from crowding at the bow.  The amount varies according to the shape of the hull.

 

Ah, good to know. I saw people mark this stuff on the keel, but I didn't do anything particular. Just narrow a bit to the end and for now it looks legit. Of course, without marking planks have different width, but I'll leave it this way for the first time. I needed to get used to clinker planking and find out, how hard it is and how to handle it properly. Right now, at the end of the planking process, I'm doing much better and learned a couple tricks. My next boat will be more accurate in this part.

[monkeyman]

Today I've finally finished with planking. Yay! It of course not perfect and has a bunch of flaws, but this was my first clinker anyway. Here's how it looks right now, not covered with any filler or paint:

 

 

 

 

More minor improvements

 

After planking I completely removed and restored the keel (yes, for the third time!), made it much more close to the original. The previous version was sanded down and instead of it I've built a new one from 3 x 3 x 4 basswod plank, adding extra parts above the deck inside the boat.

 

Also I've covered deck with planks as well. They make it look more authentic, but the main reason was to hide that stupid difference in direction of wood fibers on fore/aft and side deck parts: side - lengthwise, fore/aft - atwart. No idea, why Artisania Latina made them this way, but it looked bad even when woodstained.

 

Next step is to cover the hull with white wood filler and varnish. Should look sexy :-)

Edited January 26, 2015 by monkeyman

[mtaylor]

That is one impressive lifeboat, even without the paint. 

[augie]

Congratulations on this milestone.  Coming along just beautifully.

[popeye the sailor]

planking job looks splendid!   impressive looking build as well 

[monkeyman]

Thanx, guys, for your support! It's really encouraging.

 

I'm currently preparint my boat for painting. I even bought an airbrush for that. Will try to finish with the hull tomorrow, if nothing goes wrong.

 

Also thinking of my next project. Really love, what Model Shipways does. Have my eyes on Flying Fish, a Catty Sark's sister ship.

[augie]

Patience on picking your next subject.  That being said, there is nothing more pleasing to the eye than the clipper.....the pinnacle of the age of sail.  True, I love men of war, but clippers are special.  I've had good luck with MS kits.  Just keep in mind the Flying Fish is a fairly small scale 1:96 I believe.  

[John Maguire]

I have really enjoyed your effort to post this build. I apologize for not saying so earlier.

 

A couple of months ago I had a European friend purchase the D Agostini Titanic lifeboat for me and mail it to Seattle where I live. While waiting for it to arrive I found a build log where the builder did not do well with the clinker planking. I did the same as you and researched for a successful build log on clinker and could not find any. I did find a series of You Tube videos by a man building a full size clinker dory and it was helpful. He beveled the top of each plank after it was in place. He did that as he was fitting the next plank. He also tapered the ends of each plank as you and Popeye discussed.

 

Seeing your success encourages me. I have one question, if you have time to answer. I do not understand the final and last keel modification that you made. Do you have time to try to describe and photograph it in more detail for me, a novice. Your planking and modification tutorial is my bible.

 

Popeye, knowing you are reading this thread, I see your posts on Dr Middleton's Victory thread. Perhaps you may recall a couple of years ago when I described his vast professional background. He was the doctor of choice for people in need of major facial and hand reconstructive surgery. It is probably no surprise that he also became an accomplished model builder.

 

Respectfully,

John Maguire

Seattle

[monkeyman]

Patience on picking your next subject.  That being said, there is nothing more pleasing to the eye than the clipper.....the pinnacle of the age of sail.  True, I love men of war, but clippers are special.  I've had good luck with MS kits.  Just keep in mind the Flying Fish is a fairly small scale 1:96 I believe.  

 

So you say clipper will be harder to build? Yes, it's 1:96, but the final model is not small.

 

I also was thinking about HMS Jalouse from Jotika, but didn't like how parts were cut. Yes, I know, they make good kits, but in my opinion MSW kits are WAY better: great manuals, nice cuts and wood quality. And Jotika kits have a bunch of sawdust in the box :-)

Edited January 28, 2015 by monkeyman

[medic]

Really nice effort on the clinker.

Cheers

Medic

[monkeyman]

While waiting for it to arrive I found a build log where the builder did not do well with the clinker planking. I did the same as you and researched for a successful build log on clinker and could not find any.

 

Yeah, I saw that blog too. The guy just forgot to soak planks in water before fitting them to the hull and they all broke. Looked funny :-)

 

I have one question, if you have time to answer. I do not understand the final and last keel modification that you made. Do you have time to try to describe and photograph it in more detail for me, a novice. Your planking and modification tutorial is my bible.

 

Sure, pal, I have time. Last 3 planks on each side were a bit of a pain. Had to be extra careful, because they needed to be sanded more thus becoming thinner, than the other planks, and could easily break.

 

Here's how I did it:

1. First of all, I planked the hull completely upto the deck. The original keel was used as a base, to which planked were glued.
2. Removed the original keel, including parts above deck.
3. Started to add last planks above deck, leaving a gap for a keel. Since there were no keel, I didn't glue the edges of the planks. You just have to be careful, when sanding the edges.
4. Took a 3 x 4 plank and glued the bottom (horizontal) part of the keel.
5. Then glued the aft part and straight fore part.
6. Next I've made 2 small pieces of the keel and glued them to the deck and main keel (see the top parts on the pic). These 2 pieces are actually sligtly inclined to the main keel and their top is more thin, than the bottom.
7. And finally I glued several pieces of the keel plank together and shaped a rounded fore part of the keel. Don't try to twist the plank - it'll break even, when soaked to death. It's much easier to restore it the way I described: glue 3 parts, carve and sand the inner side until it fits the hull shape, glue it, sand down the outer side, when dry, to meet the final keel shape. Easy-peasy.

This is the final "blueprint" of the keel:

 

 

One note. Like I already mentioned, the final planks of the hull should be thinner. I sanded them down good, leaving only a 0.5 - 0.7 mm at the top (from the original 1.5 mm gauge). If you look at the original picture of Titanic's lifeboats in one of my previous posts, you'll see, that planks above deck have very small stepping (not sure about the term). Also mind, that later you'll have to glue timbers to them, so the more flat your board, the easier to fit.

 

Hope you'll understand, what I said :-)

It's a bit harder for me to explain stuff, since I'm not much into ship building terms yet.

Edited January 28, 2015 by monkeyman

[John Maguire]

Thank you sir; I now understand clearly.

 

I like your reason for building the deck area before planking and plan to do the same as you. I would not have thought of that if you didn't mention it.

 

Regards,

John

[monkeyman]

I like your reason for building the deck area before planking and plan to do the same as you. I would not have thought of that if you didn't mention it.

 

Just note, that it'll be a bit harder to plank with deck, because you won't have access to inner parts of the skeleton and won't be able to use clamps as usual. But that's not a big deal, because there're plenty other ways to fix. You can also use iron to fix/move planks or hair dryer to speed up the glueing process.

[fifthace]

Been having a read through this, your planking came out great, nice work.

 

And credit to you, I've not been brave enough to try a clinker hull...have hard enough time with caravel planking lol

[monkeyman]

This stupid boat will kill me someday! I've started with painting, but before that I decided to use wood filler. My mistake was to cover the whole hull in it, hopiing to evenly sand it down after that. Unfortunately, it apppeared to be impossible to evenly sand filler down, so it was sanded down almost completely (about 80-90%). And I was covered in filler dust more, that the boat!

 

Then I started to paint...

 

I love my airbrush, but it covers the hull with so thin layer, that all the faults become totaly visible. It looked so good, so polished without paint, but after paining all flaws started to shine. Literally. There were a bunch of filler patches, not polished areas, even some stupid dust and hairs. Gosh, I hate hairs!

 

So I'm currently removing paint and will sand down the hull again. I'll sand it SO good this time, that glass will look like sanding paper in comparison!