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Author Topic: planking do you make your own?  (Read 11959 times)

hazegry

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planking do you make your own?
« on: January 19, 2009, 03:39:00 am »

Hi guys I was wondering if anyone cuts thier own planks from rough lumber I probably have the tools to do it or have access and this would save me a ton of cash and allow me to build more boats any help would be great
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Peter Fitness

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2009, 05:13:30 am »

I do, and I know others do too. I run the selected timber through a thicknesser until I have the desired plank width, then cut the planks, usually about 1.5 mm thick, on my Proxxon miniature table saw. I was cutting some an hour ago in fact, for my current project. It certainly saves money  :-))

Peter.
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Dave Buckingham

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2009, 06:43:19 am »

For most planking Boat and Railway I buy wood in various thicknesses and cut to required widths with again a proxxon

Dave
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barryfoote

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2009, 09:13:46 am »

having just got my Proxxon table saw for Xmas....I cut my own too now..Brilliant and easy to do.
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Peter Fitness

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2009, 09:31:38 pm »

having just got my Proxxon table saw for Xmas....I cut my own too now..Brilliant and easy to do.

I got mine for Christmas 2007  :-))

Peter.
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boatmadman

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2009, 09:54:41 pm »

I do as well, except I use a bandsaw, cut to 2mm which leaves a bit for sanding/fairing.

Ian
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hazegry

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2009, 12:30:53 am »

I guess I need to get a better fence for my bandsaw
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cbr900

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2009, 12:18:12 pm »

hazegry,

Had the same problem went to the wood shop and got a new blade,
now cut very straight and never wanders offline..

Roy
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Bradley

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2009, 02:25:58 pm »

A little tip - go to your double glazing/replacement window people as they usually have window and door frames that they have removed and you might be lucky enough to get some nice mahogany.  These lovely bits of timber are usually scrapped so will probably cost you nothing.  Watch out for nails or screws when cutting.  :-)) :-))
Derek.   :police:
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tigertiger

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2009, 02:32:19 pm »

 A lot of people have solid wood floors installed (or even ripped out). There is a lot of construction here in china. I often go and pick up the off cuts and the surplus boards. These are solid hardwood, although the exact type of wood may not be clear.

but it is free and it is solid hardwood
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John C

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2009, 10:35:02 am »

Making my own planking is something I have been considering and have been pondering over which type of saw to purchase.
Some neighbours of mine who are into making furniture said I would be better off buying a band saw.
I just wondered what the concensus is, bandsaw versus table saw?

John C
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cbr900

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2009, 12:14:05 pm »

John C,

The main difference will be that, the minium that a table saw
 cut will be at least 1/8 per cut, where a bandsaw will cut about
four cuts for the same loss of timber.......

Roy
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hazegry

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2009, 03:46:58 pm »

are you guys using a fine cut or a ripping blade in your bandsaw? I have a fine cut blade in mine right now. I mentioned the fence just so I can make straight cuts when ripping individual planks not the sheets. as soon as I get the workshop set up and the system figured out I am going to start making planks from various hardwoods. I think some purpleheart, mahogany, ebony and a few others would make great accents to a model boat. I used to make pens out of some exotic stuff and I even have a large board of cocobolo here at the house that I think would make an outstanding chriscraft style boat.
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John C

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2009, 07:23:15 pm »

Hi Roy

That'll be why they recommended a band saw then, so thanks for that.

hazegry

I take it that you are also in the antipodes (no location on your profile) as we don't get access to these exotic woods in the UK these days. I also used to make pens but from silver/silver gilt and gold as give aways for Arab banks.

P.S. I've never heard of cocobolo or purpleheart? but do have family in Aus................can feel a business opportunity coming on!! ( not really, retired)

John C
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hazegry

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2009, 07:44:40 pm »

I am in the US in Virginia. haze gray and underway USN for 10 years and counting. I import most of my stuff the cocobolo is pricey but beautiful. Purple heart is reasonable its a dark purple color. I have a lumber yard here that specializes in exotic woods blodwood is a fun one its a dark red unfortunetly I am highly alergic to it.
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John C

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2009, 08:05:40 pm »

Lucky man

we mainly have to make use of what ever comes our way in the UK (apart from the usual soft/hard woods) if not using specialist suppliers, hence the interest.

I'm not impartial to a bit of skip diving myself, and I shudder to think that me and my brother used teak from some lift cars years ago, to make kick boards in some chicken sheds we converted to stables for his kids horses.

John C

P.S. sorry about the Aus mistake
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steamboatbob

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #16 on: July 01, 2009, 12:19:04 pm »

Just adding my two cents.

But i would say that a band saw would not be the best even with the right fence and blade. As the blade is made, to be able to move hence planks become out of shape. a table saw on the other hand is better with a proper fence as the blade does not flex (or should not anyways) giving you perfect cutting everytime. You may lose out on the amount of waste but in the long run you still will save money.

Hazegry as to answer your query as you would only be dealing with a max thickness of 12mm a fine cut blade would be better than a ripping blade as the rip blade would leave some nasty marks and kill the look of your planks.

One thing i did while helping my father in law build a Racing sparrow Yacht, which required a heap of 900mm balsa planks 1mm thick and 8mm across was buying some balsa sheet at 1mm thick and using a cutting gauge (similar to a marking gauge but with a knife instead of a point) and cut the strips that way i think it took me all of 15 mins to make enough planks for two of them. But this would only be good for less dense materials of cutting veneer strips (I get mine from a local cabinetmakers who have lots of offcuts and they don't mind if you take them).

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Bryan Young

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #17 on: July 01, 2009, 05:52:18 pm »

I guess I need to get a better fence for my bandsaw

For some reason I missed this. However. Keep using the bandsaw....and assuming the fence isn't too far out of kilter then stick with it. Hahe a good look at any real ships planked deck (apart from Gin Palaces and modern cruise liners) and you will see that over the entire run of one line of planking (there may be 2,3 or more lengths in a "run") the line is anything but dead straight. If you can "build in" a wobble then do so. My wobbles seem to occur quite naturally, but certainly tend to give a bit of "character" to the end result.
This comment is certainly not meant as a criticism, but making a model abslutely "perfect" makes it a bit "architectural" in my eye(s). OK, of course get the verticals and horizontals and so on correct, but there are so many bits on a ship that can be made a bit "wonky" to just add that bit of "extra" that makes the model just that bit less "sterile"...BY.
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portside II

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #18 on: July 01, 2009, 08:36:53 pm »

Band saw or circular . they both work well , i have both although my table saw is a bit crude .
My scource for planking is also like Phill , balsa sheet cut on a stripper just remember to turn the sheet (over end to end) .
The other scource is down at your local timber yard , check the decking areas as the decent boards have spacers between the planks (horizonal and vertical)
these strips are the same as the planks (baloo) and when soaked bend double.
daz
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Peter Fitness

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #19 on: July 01, 2009, 11:28:46 pm »

The beauty of the Proxxon table saw is the fineness of the blade, so you get very little waste, and the "off saw" finish is very good. The current Australian price is A$395, but I have gone a long way towards recovering that price in the money saved by cutting my own planks, besides, I was given mine as a Christmas gift in 2007  :-))

Peter.
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Seaspray

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #20 on: July 02, 2009, 10:07:43 am »

Hi Peter
Could the thickness and width be cut on the Proxxon ?





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Guy Bagley

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #21 on: July 02, 2009, 12:13:59 pm »

Hi Roy

That'll be why they recommended a band saw then, so thanks for that.

hazegry

I take it that you are also in the antipodes (no location on your profile) as we don't get access to these exotic woods in the UK these days. I also used to make pens but from silver/silver gilt and gold as give aways for Arab banks.

P.S. I've never heard of cocobolo or purpleheart? but do have family in Aus................can feel a business opportunity coming on!! ( not really, retired)

John C

 my wife is a cabinet maker and antique restorer, - she says these so called exotic woods are available here in the Uk, but generally through specialist suppliers and retailers only, - try looking into your nearest  specialist woodworking shop or look at the big ones in the Uk , eg axminster tools, or Tillgear, or Isaac lords, - these places sell wood turning equipment, they also run courses and they also sell exotic woods too,
the costs may be slightly more but they allow you to add some lovely timbers ot your models or projects !

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SteamboatPhil

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #22 on: July 02, 2009, 08:54:40 pm »

The vintage model Yacht group has a useful function which will put customers in touch with suppliers of things like period fittings for resoration projects and special timber, so they might be a good bet for wood supplies

www.vmyg.org.uk

 :-))
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Peter Fitness

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #23 on: July 02, 2009, 11:54:11 pm »

Could the thickness and width be cut on the Proxxon ?

Yes it can, within the capabilities of the saw. I bought some 8 mm thick pine, cut a 4mm wide strip off it, then cut it into 4 mm planks, to the thickness I need, usually about 1 mm for decking. 8 mm in softwood is about the limit of the Proxxon KS230.

Peter.
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derekwarner

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Re: planking do you make your own?
« Reply #24 on: July 03, 2009, 08:46:03 am »

Hi...do any members use this Proxxon table saw?.......................Derek 

http://www.proxxon-world.com/product/table_saw_fks_e_220-240v
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