Roger's Notes: Steps 13, 14 & 15 are the most
important steps in completing this model. If you TAKE YOUR TIME... you will have
satisfactory results.
  
The actual planking of the hull isn't too
difficult, it just takes time. Three to four planks per side per evening is about the
normal rate of construction. There are two schools of thought for strip planking a hull.
One school says that you will probably have
to use some sort of filler to finish the hull so why bother fitting the planks perfectly.
Just get the boards close enough together to support the filler. Sort of like old
fashioned lathe and plaster construction. The second school holds that all planks should
fit perfectly and extend fully from stem to stern tapering in width to cover the hull from
bulwark to bulwark. We tend to seek a happy median between both schools. We try for the
best fit without making a career out of this step in the construction of the model.
Dumas recommends acetate type cements like
Ambroid or Duco for the balsa planking. Its drying rate is about right but most important
it sands very well. The first plank should be the one that forms the lower half of the
sheer knuckle. The sheer knuckle is a short break in the hull cross section about
3/4" below the sheer that starts just aft of the bow and fades out just aft of frame
7. (Note when we refer to above or below something like the sheer or sheer knuckle we are
talking about the hull in its normal right side up attitude). The first plank should be
fitted to the hull quite carefully so that the sheer knuckle is developed distinctly. The
knuckle is an important visual element in the hull shape. The forward end of the first
plank should be trimmed so that it ends on an imaginary plane that extends vertically from
the center of the keel.
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Roger's Notes: After you locate the four most flexible planks,
splice them to four other planks. Remember, you are going to put the most flexible
ends of these planks at the bow area. I soaked the planks in water, then let hot tap
water pour over them to warm the fibers in the balsa. The warm planks seem to be
much easier to bend. I used T pins to test fit the planks to the frames. If
you fail to align the first four planks, you will destroy the sheer knuckle that is an
important visual element in the hull shape. TAKE YOUR TIME. Study the
graphic below, it indicates the planking sequence for the first four planks. I used
"SUPER JET" to glue the planks in place. If this glue sets to quickly, use
Ambroid or Duco.
The second plank forms the lower half of the
sheer knuckle on the opposite side of the hull from the first plank.
The third plank should form the upper half of
the sheer knuckle and the fourth plank goes on the opposite side of the hull.
Roger's Notes: The first four planks take the
most time. I did have a photo of these planks, but it didn't turn out. This
gives you an idea of the planking process in progress. NOTE: The Elmers glue in the
photo was not used in this project. It was used on another project while the planks
were drying. The white lines are the seams where the CA reacted with the moisture in
the balsa. The CA I used was easy to sand and gave me excellent results. Also,
note that the planks contact from bow to stern. This is not difficult to
achieve. Take your time.
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