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[Martin (Admin)]

 
Help requested ....

HMS victory. How do I shape the stern planking?

Hi Brian,
Try soaking plans in warm water, some people warm them on a cloth iron... some use steam!
Regards,
 Martin
 
Hi Martin I've tried those but the planks keep snapping. I'm at my wits end.
I'll probably mullock something up. Thanks a lot all the same.

Hi Brian,
It's been done thousands of time by thousands of modellers, lets see if we can work this out together....
1. What wood are you using?
2. Is it a kit? .... if so, which kit?
3. Can you send some photos?
4. Lets ask on the Forum ....
 
 
 
 

 

[mrzippy]

Steam, as used in the full size world works well -
I hold single planks in steam from a kettle's spout or bigger batches over a saucepan of boiling water - planks spanning across the top of the pans sides, held trapped under the lid,
more elaborate ideas use steam wallpaper strippers connected to lengths of metal pipe housing the planks etc.
Kettle's works well for small amounts - clamp, masking tape, BluTac or whatever the hot plank in position and allow time for it to dry and set in shape,
sharp bends may need steaming in stages - amazing what can be achieved.
Paul.

[Mark T]

Tucked sterns are the hardest to plank I've just finished planking one so I know.  I have this advice that may help


1.  Choose your planks by looking at the grain as each one is different.  Choose planks that have a nice straight grain as these will be less prone to snapping.
2.  It is very difficult to bend a straight plank without it looking klinkered in this part of the ship.  Therefore the plank should be shaped first by spiling it.
3.  Get the wood really really hot - I do this by placing the plank in a bowl of boiling water and then microwaving the whole thing on 800w for 5 minutes.  Be careful as it's easy to scold yourself when taking it out as I did and it hurts.  I bent 3.2mm x 10mm planks of Castello boxwood doing it this way.


I help this helps - Mark

[mrzippy]

Very interesting Mark! having followed your monumental builds, you are definitely the person to advise - microwaving is news for me !
Can I ask what type of glue you use in this instance please? and how long you leave planks to dry out? - if at all??  me being a 'Devcon 2Ton Crystal Clear' fan.
I have read of white gluing 'wet' planking directly in position ! 
Daft question asking the man whose joints are so incredibly accurate they don't require glue !  Lol. Paul.

[Mark T]

Hi Paul 


I have always used aliphatic resin as it is so strong and has a very good grab after a very short time too.


I heat the planks up as described (I know that using a microwave sounds extreme but it works well) and then glue them on wet and hot.  I used to clamp them in place and allowed them to dry but I found if I cut the bevel well and have the plank shaped too there is no need to wait.  I leave them clamped until the whole thing is dry which is usually overnight and sometimes 24 hours if the plank is very thick.


The bending is the easy part if you take the time to make sure that the plank is made and shaped correctly.  It took me a long time and many mistakes to realise this.  I also think that if you get into your head that planning and planking a ship takes a long time to do it correctly - this helps too.


Mark 

[mrzippy]

Thank you Mark, what a great reply and firmly logged in the memory bank for future reference -
A large scale model yacht is on the back burner, involving a varnished clinker planked hull with no place to hide, your tips will come in handy!

I need to get out of the habit of using Epoxy, fumes affect the skin around my eyes and lips,
plus time spent waiting for steamed parts to dry out before glueing, compounded by then having to wait a day for said epoxy to fully cure etc. adds so much time to my builds.

Yes we do have the patience of saints to partake in this hobby - wish we had access to the timber Brian from Aus. regularly flaunts in front of us - talk about wood envy !!
Paul.

[Colin Bishop]

Have you tried DeLuxe Superphatic?  Woodworking equivalent of cyano. Water based, good bond and wicks into the joint. It will also bond wood to other materials. I use it when planking my models. Much less messy than epoxy and any excess can be wiped off with a damp cloth.

You don't get an instantaneous bond like with cyano but the joint is usually set in 10-20 minutes or even less depending on the materials being glued. As with most glues, full strength develops over a longer period.

https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/super-phatic

Colin

[GG]

An alternative to steam and hot water is just heat.  I've bent wood strip by sliding it back and forth across the hot body of a soldering iron until it took up the desired curve.  Continuous movement is needed to avoid scorching the wood!
Glynn Guest

[Mark T]

Have you tried DeLuxe Superphatic?  Woodworking equivalent of cyano. Water based, good bond and wicks into the joint. It will also bond wood to other materials. I use it when planking my models. Much less messy than epoxy and any excess can be wiped off with a damp cloth.

You don't get an instantaneous bond like with cyano but the joint is usually set in 10-20 minutes or even less depending on the materials being glued. As with most glues, full strength develops over a longer period.

https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/super-phatic

Colin

This is the exact glue that I use - fantastic stuff


If you want to buy decent wood its all available here


https://shop.exotichardwoods.co.uk/boxwoods/page/7/


I get all of my wood from the supplier - just have a look at the box makers pieces


Mark