Help with ship model planking

by Davaid Mc Connell
(Northern Ireland)

I am retired now and decided to take up ship modelling. What a fool I was. Up to now I have bought three beginners boat kits which ended up in the bin. The reason being I just cannot get the hang of planking a ship. I have tried nailing the plank to the stem, gluing the plank to the stem, steaming the planks to the correct shape but of no avail. I just cannot get the planks to sit tight at the stem. How on earth can you modellers out there finish up,producing such fine work. Are there any tools that can hold the wood firm against the stem until the glue dries.

SMH Responds-not the easiest thing to explain in a paragraph or two but there are a couple of critical steps I can pass along here and give you a couple helpful links elsewhere on my website.

First, no matter how bad it looks, the number of gaps, even sloppy gluing, finish each model you start. You will learn a lot from your own efforts, and you will have a report of your improvement. If you still feel it is hopeless, start your own junk drawer of specific stripwood sizes and colors along with Zip packs of deck furniture and rigging material.

Second, the critical step most of us don't pay enough attention to in the beginning is making sure bulkheads are square to the keel and the line of the bulkhead edges is true. (See photo #1). This truing operation is best done with sandpaper wrapped around a block that spans at least 3 bulkheads. Sanding them three-at-time will level out bumps and inconsistencies.

I have written extensively on this subject as it haunted me for a long time (I have a pretty large junk box). Start here      
http://www.scale-modelers-handbook.com/ship-planking.html
and pick-up the ship modeling from scratch eBook.

It is a fun hobby, don't throw in the towel.






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Oct 12, 2015
Cool! NEW
by: Mary

i absolutely agree! It's a fun thing to do and if it really makes you forget about stuff, then even better!

Aug 22, 2012
Don't Give Up the SHIP
by: Anonymous

I have been working on a 'Lindberg'Cap'N / Wappen Von Hamburg now for quite a while. Still with the rigging. 1/130 scale all plastic - but It's got some awesome sails I made of computer paper - striped in light colonial green with a gold medalion - stiffened with thinned White Glue. It's awesome - all the cannon barrels drilled out by hand - the gold trim on the transom - I'm no where near done. I was at a model show in a firehouse and bought some old model mags from 30 years ago - and lo and behold, the back pages of one issue have these close up color pictures of the same kit - with rigging clearly shown. Who knew? The little cannons are so cool. And I haven't retired yet. They just opened a Hobby Town - and the manager there is starting a 'club' - we're gonna get the rigging straight.

Walk with your planks. Don't throw in your towel, matay. Take your time. DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP. Some of these guys spend years on larger scale ships, cast their own firing cannons [that's right - they shoot shot they cast in their own tiny molds and mix their own powders]. Too cool. Great art. I love my model Von Hamburg, flaws and all. Now I'm looking into how to custom build a case - and I'm not out of the rigging yet. Just check out the sails and histories on the 'net. HANG TOUGH. Sailors are tough. Their modelers are true craftsmen - but it's a solitary craft and you teach yourself, with a little help as you go along. Save your scrap . You're modeling history, right? Have fun! great hobby. There's so much with a ship- like no other models. It's a craft that 'Hooks' - all those little cannon balls - POW!

Aug 22, 2012
Don't Give Up the SHIP
by: Anonymous

I have been working on a 'Lindberg'Cap'N / Wappen Von Hamburg now for quite a while. Still with the rigging. 1/130 scale all plastic - but It's got some awesome sails I made of computer paper - striped in light colonial green with a gold medalion - stiffened with thinned White Glue. It's awesome - all the cannon barrels drilled out by hand - the gold trim on the transom - I'm no where near done. I was at a model show in a firehouse and bought some old model mags from 30 years ago - and lo and behold, the back pages of one issue have these close up color pictures of the same kit - with rigging clearly shown. Who knew? The little cannons are so cool. And I haven't retired yet. They just opened a Hobby Town - and the manager there is starting a 'club' - we're gonna get the rigging straight.

Walk with your planks. Don't throw in your towel, matay. Take your time. DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP. Some of these guys spend years on larger scale ships, cast their own firing cannons [that's right - they shoot shot they cast in their own tiny molds and mix their own powders]. Too cool. Great art. I love my model Von Hamburg, flaws and all. Now I'm looking into how to custom build a case - and I'm not out of the rigging yet. Just check out the sails and histories on the 'net. HANG TOUGH. Sailors are tough. Their modelers are true craftsmen - but it's a solitary craft and you teach yourself, with a little help as you go along. Save your scrap . You're modeling history, right? Have fun! great hobby. There's so much with a ship- like no other models. It's a craft that 'Hooks' - all those little cannon balls - POW!

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