Week 35  This week we get the first batch of second planking and a replacement resin stern moulding.

The bits we received

And what we did with them

The first plank needs lining up carefully with the step in the hull.  I also found that this first plank seemed to need a lot of clamps to hold it flat.  It was only the top row that needed the extra clamps.  The subsequent rows only needed clamping at the frames.

The rest on the planks are quite straight forward.  Here is the steps I use to fix each plank in place.

  1. Trim the rough ends off the planks.  Only trim the bare minimum as the planks are only just long enough.

  2. Hold the plank in place and draw round it.
  3. Carefully remove any excess glue from the plank above with a craft knife.  Test fit the new plank in place and make sure it sits up tight against the plank above.
  4. Drill the pilot holes for the planking clamps.
  5. Apply a thin coat of glue to both the plank and also to the hull inside the pencil outline.  The glue tends to dry quite quickly, so a thin coat on both parts ensures a good bond.
  6. Put the plank in place and clamp.  Then remove any excess glue that has squeezed out.

Here is the first four planks completed.

Here is a close up of the bow.

The resin stern piece part 70 can wait until the second planking is completed.

The resin stern piece is not quite the right size or square.  The angle that should be square is too sharp, and the part is too long.  However, by sanding the acute angle square, the part seems to come back to the right size.  Here is a sketch of what I mean, looking at it sideways. The green part is what has been sanded off.

Now that the second planking is completed at the stern I've glued the resin part in place.  I used the more accurate part supplied in issue 35.  As you can see, the part is the right length now, but a bit high.  Not to worry, sandpaper and/or filler will sort out that misalignment.  The part is also too wide, although it doesn't show in the photo.  Again, sandpaper will sort this out.  This was glued on with slow setting Araldite.

Things not yet done

Fitting the fore deck
Stern deck part 63 not fitted.
Fixing deck
Fitting resin stern part 70

Hot tip of the week

Dry fit each plank carefully to ensure a good fit.

How many hours does it take to build the model ??

This week :

9 hrs

Running total :

121 hrs

Take me back to week 34

Take me to week 36