Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Yachts and Sail => Topic started by: Popeye on November 02, 2012, 09:30:23 am

Title: Thames barges - deck planking.
Post by: Popeye on November 02, 2012, 09:30:23 am

Does anyone out there know the answer to this question:-
What was the standard length of barge deck planking (or range of lengths if random sizes were the norm)? 
Thanks in anticipation of a positive response.
Popeye

Title: Re: Thames barges - deck planking.
Post by: rmaddock on November 02, 2012, 09:40:34 am

Quote from: Popeye on November 02, 2012, 09:30:23 am

What was the standard length of barge deck planking...?

Popeye, I understand that they used one standard length of string as a measurement.

 {-) Sorry, couldn't resist.

Title: Re: Thames barges - deck planking.
Post by: tigertiger on November 02, 2012, 09:53:40 am

There is an answer to this. I can't remember, but 18 ft springs to mind.

Title: Re: Thames barges - deck planking.
Post by: hammer on November 02, 2012, 10:04:39 am

Definitely random lengths, built to a price they used all the wood they could. You can still stagger the joints 3 planks just needs a little more though. I hate to see pretty patterns on a model deck. Get out that Price of string, funny man wasn't far wrong. I have even seen noggins put between beams to carry a joint.  Geoff

Title: Re: Thames barges - deck planking.
Post by: tigertiger on November 02, 2012, 10:23:23 am

If built to a price maybe.
Certainly for refit or repair.


But I do seem to remember reading somewhere that the lumber yards turned out standard lengths. Perhaps this was state side.


I am sure that there would have been a mixture of both practices.

Title: Re: Thames barges - deck planking.
Post by: Popeye on November 02, 2012, 10:45:55 am

Quote from: rmaddock on November 02, 2012, 09:40:34 am

Popeye, I understand that they used one standard length of string as a measurement.

 {-) Sorry, couldn't resist.

Thanks for the prompt response.
Anyone not familiar with the subject could be misled into believing that there's no such thing as a standard plank length though we know better, don't we.
Got to rush off to buy several balls of string in order to determine what the standard length is, coz I'm a stickler for scale fidelity. %%
Anchors aweigh

Title: Re: Thames barges - deck planking.
Post by: andrewh on November 02, 2012, 01:21:13 pm

I have a fair few pictuures of TSB decks at Maldon, but even without going to look they are not likely to be very helpful because i think they were covered with either canvas/paint or just staggeringly gloopy paint
At any rate they are a range of colours and I don't think that the pattern would be visible
andrew

Title: Re: Thames barges - deck planking.
Post by: hammer on November 02, 2012, 04:06:57 pm

How right you are about the tar, red lead, oil or old paint anything to stop the deck leaking. geoff