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**Bunkerbarge** · 27-04-2007

Hi Guy, I don't know about perfect but I think by the time I have completed my third area of deck and got the hang of it I am actually getting quite pleased with the results.

I was never really keen on the idea of messing around with bits of black paper or string as I just think it is introducing something else into the construction process that makes it more difficult than it needs to be. I decided to give my caulking idea a go based on the fact that I have seen the job done in real life on various ships and realised that to seperate the planking process from the caulking process gave you the chance to concentrate on each in turn and get better results.

I was a bit apprehensive with the first one and learned a lot in a very short space of time. Firstly the spacing of the planks was done with small peices of cut up plasticard which ended up being a bit fiddly and I hadn't sorted out how to get nice neat 90 degree cuts on the plank ends so they weren't as neat as I would have hoped.

After the planks were laid I mixed up my waterproof Resin W (White PVA) with a few grams of black powder paint and made up a thick black paste. Unfortunately I was a bit over enthusiastic with the application and so it took a hell of a lot to sand it all down to the planks again. I had tested the idea out on a sample peice so was confident that the glue would not bleed into the planks but I hadn't banked on how much sanding was required. I was quite amazed though at how well it looked when I got down to the wood and realised what I needed to do to make it better.

My second attempt, the bridge deck, still used small tabs of plasticard and a complete covering of glue but the ideas of how to improve were now coming together.

For the last deck I did I used strips of plastic angle section laid along the planks which made for much easier even spacing of the planks and nice neat plank ends where they butt up to the edging. I also tried the same glue mix but put it into a syringe with a steel tube on the end, which you can purchase all over the place for oiling steam engines etc, and I was surprised at how easily I could squeeze it out onto the joint. This meant that there was far less glue excess to sand off so that part of the process was considerably easier.

To finish off I applied three coats of satin yacht varnish, lightly sanded between coats, and then I will be adding weathering as a final stage of the entire build process.

I am, as I said, now quite pleased with the results of the process and I am even looking forward to doing a bit more. Unfortunately on this model there is only a very small area of planked deck left on the top of the galley so not much opportunity to get to grips with a larger area.

27-04-2007	#94 (permalink)
Bunkerbarge Moderator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Halifax, Yorks: Nassau, Bahama's:Port Canaveral, USA: and all points in between. Real Name: Richard My Models: Robbe U-47, Deans Marine Cossack, Steam Coaster, Revell U-Boat, Motorcycles. Visit Bunkerbarge's Gallery Posts: 3,751 Images: 230	Hi Guy, I don't know about perfect but I think by the time I have completed my third area of deck and got the hang of it I am actually getting quite pleased with the results. I was never really keen on the idea of messing around with bits of black paper or string as I just think it is introducing something else into the construction process that makes it more difficult than it needs to be. I decided to give my caulking idea a go based on the fact that I have seen the job done in real life on various ships and realised that to seperate the planking process from the caulking process gave you the chance to concentrate on each in turn and get better results. I was a bit apprehensive with the first one and learned a lot in a very short space of time. Firstly the spacing of the planks was done with small peices of cut up plasticard which ended up being a bit fiddly and I hadn't sorted out how to get nice neat 90 degree cuts on the plank ends so they weren't as neat as I would have hoped. After the planks were laid I mixed up my waterproof Resin W (White PVA) with a few grams of black powder paint and made up a thick black paste. Unfortunately I was a bit over enthusiastic with the application and so it took a hell of a lot to sand it all down to the planks again. I had tested the idea out on a sample peice so was confident that the glue would not bleed into the planks but I hadn't banked on how much sanding was required. I was quite amazed though at how well it looked when I got down to the wood and realised what I needed to do to make it better. My second attempt, the bridge deck, still used small tabs of plasticard and a complete covering of glue but the ideas of how to improve were now coming together. For the last deck I did I used strips of plastic angle section laid along the planks which made for much easier even spacing of the planks and nice neat plank ends where they butt up to the edging. I also tried the same glue mix but put it into a syringe with a steel tube on the end, which you can purchase all over the place for oiling steam engines etc, and I was surprised at how easily I could squeeze it out onto the joint. This meant that there was far less glue excess to sand off so that part of the process was considerably easier. To finish off I applied three coats of satin yacht varnish, lightly sanded between coats, and then I will be adding weathering as a final stage of the entire build process. I am, as I said, now quite pleased with the results of the process and I am even looking forward to doing a bit more. Unfortunately on this model there is only a very small area of planked deck left on the top of the galley so not much opportunity to get to grips with a larger area. __________________ “Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack, Butting through the Channel in the mad March days"