Deck planking and nibbing

[Andy G]

Hi All!

I'm seeking advice - I've got over a fifth of a kilometre of lime wood strip, ready to lay on the decks of my HMS Dreadnought. I want to lay individual planks...I think the work to date justifies that, and if the plating didn't drive me totally mad, I can't see the deck-laying finishing me off!

I know the general shift pattern to use, so here's the questions:

ARH marked 20' scale planks in his lovely Iron Duke - is this length an official RN policy, an average of what was used, or a reasonable guesstimate? Looking at the very few deck photos I have of the original ship, it looks like some longer planks were used where they could be fitted in to appropriate gaps/runs. How much freedom should I have to do the same?

Given my larger scale, I want to nib the planks' ends to fit the margin planks. Laurent's drawn planking looks the biz. I know the general rule here is to avoid feathering (that is leaving sharp ends, which were difficult to nail/bolt) and leave bigger, flat edges, suitable for the caulking irons to get in. But there's clearly a problem when any planking almost runs parallel to the margin plank. What happens in these instances? Does anyone have any guidance or, preferably, photos?

Many thanks!

Andy

[ARH]

Hi Andy, Given my larger scale, I want to nib the planks' ends to fit the margin planks.

I was lucky with IRON DUKE the photo,s showed no nibling.

As for plank size I always stick around 20ft. but you can go up a bit if you like, nice build,

[Steve Sobieralski]

If you have access to a copy of Building Warship Models by PC Coker, there are several of Norman Ough's detail sheets reproduced. One of them has some deck details which show how these planking conditions were typically handled.

[Andy G]

If you have access to a copy of Building Warship Models by PC Coker, there are several of Norman Ough's detail sheets reproduced. One of them has some deck details which show how these planking conditions were typically handled.

Hi Steve,

I don't have that book - is there any chance of a scan of a page or two? I do have a couple of the Ough plans in the attic, which I think show some information.

Regards,

Andy

[Andy G]

Ron, your electrical tape caulking looks great - but how does it handle being gently sanded down? I can imagine the soft plastic tearing along the top of the plank when it's done.

Armed with an image or two of Ough's (thanks Steve) I laid about 20 sq cm of planking last night as a trial run on a scrap of wood, using black cotton for caulking (couldn't find any electrical tape in the house), and I'm very pleased with the result, though the cotton "comes and goes" a bit. Perhaps thin grey/black paper, cut and on edge will be more practical? Has anyone tried that as a caulking material?

Andy

[ARH]

It sands very nicely, when laying the planks keep them tight, and it will be no problem.

[RickF]

I use the same method as Ron. I intially scrape my planking, using a "Stanley" knife blade, then finish off with a light grit paper. I once tried to hurry a big job and used a sander,which generated enough heat to melt the tape and spread it over the wood. We learn as we go!

Rick

[RoddersUK]

In the definitive book of the build of the model of HMS Victory in the Science Museum London by Dr C Neapean Longridge he describes in detail the laying of the planks. He used sticky black paper which was used for "passe partout" framing by photographers to simulate the caulking. When the deck had been laid and allowed to dry out he used a sharp chisel to remove surplus paper and then a scraper to remove any imperfections in the height of the planks. He also laid and joggled each plank as the shipwrights did in the origional ship.
I have viewed this particular model a few times and trod the decks of the real ship many times and to see the symetry of the actual planks as laid is educational to say the least. Nothind was ever done without good reason and this makes it extremely difficult for us modellers who probably want to rush to see the finished article.

[Dave Wooley]

Hi Andy Apart from the very practical and valuable experiences of modellers such as ARH may I suggest additional help in the form of a number of publications. The book "Practical Construction of Warships by RN Newton which as the book implies is very practical and was used as part of the courses for graduate naval architects in the 1940s and of course I do recommend PC Cokers Book �Building Warship Models� which also devotes part of a chapter to the art of deck planking particularly from a modellers perspective. . Also "Warships" which was last published in 1912 for graduates as a textbook at the naval collage Greenwich and is available through the library system. This deals with the whole issue in some detail. Another excellent publication is "Shipyard Practice As Applied to Warships� by Neil J Mc Dermaid was first published in 1911 and goes into the minutiae of deck planking with a number of excellent illustrations. Once again highly recommended. I�m aware that there is a good copy in the Mitchell Library Glasgow . Brian King also discusses the topic in his publication �Advanced Ship Modelling� Failing that you could take a look at "Warships and Warship Modelling" Naval Institute Press which also illustrates the points you raise with photographs . I trust this helps and I wish you the best of luck and looking forward to seeing the results of your efforts .
Dave Wooley