Billing Boats Bluenose II

[delmonteman]

Decided to pack everything else I've got on away and make a start on this today. Frightened myself when I first opened it but after having a proper look, it's not that bad. The instructions are abysmal but most of the early work seems to be common sense. The hull is split into two halves, left and right (I will carry on calling them left and right throughout as I don't know what side "port" is. There will also, probably be reference to "the pointy end" and "the not pointy end"). I've managed to get one half done tonight and hopefully, time permitting, I'll get the other half done before work tomorrow.

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[Ian M]

See that wasn't that bad was it.

Ian M

 

[delmonteman]

Ian, it's the planking and the rigging I'm scared of!

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[delmonteman]

Another little bit done this morning. Suppose I'd better get to work now though!

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[spanner570]

That's one impressive start Gav. Take your time and get things nice and square and true.

Sorry mate but as you is building a boat you will 'ave to know your right from your left, me 'arty!

The left side of the vessel is all short words.....Port, left, red.

The right side are long words.....Starboard, right, green.

That'll do!

You have found, as I did, the ribs are the easy bit. The planking is far and away the most difficult part. The only advise I can offer is, get the first plank on nice and straight, with no ups and downs. Don't rely totally on the top edge of the ribs, use your eye to get this first plank true, with a nice sweep, the rest will follow.

Try and bend the planks first, don't force them into the curve too much. Keep them nicely butted up to each other ( On the tight bends, chamfer the back edge of the planks, this will allow the two face edges of the planks to butt up, thus avoiding filler) and keep your eye on the ones you have just done......Some might decide to move a bit!

Have plenty of clamps ready. Don't try and rush this bit....In fact you simply can't! Just take your time and it'll be fine.

This was my method, but Ian and others could well have used a different method.....I'm sure they will all share their wooden boat building tricks with you as this build progresses.

Good luck,

Ron

 

[tecdes]

Keep the pictures coming Gav this is very interesting.

Laurie

 

[Caledonia]

Hi Gav, Nice choice; listen to Ron (AKA spanner570) he has given you some great advise, and remember the old saying - measure twice cut once. Cheers Derek

 

[delmonteman]

Cheers fellas. How well do the planks bend? Are they easier to bend if I soak them in water overnight? If so, will they then shrink a bit when they dry out?

Ta

Gav.

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[Caledonia]

Hi Gav, when I did the Billings Cutty Sark and Norden I found that it was easier to work from the keel up as the first plank was almost straight. I assume your kit includes very fine nails so that as well as using quick dry PVA glue, you also nail the planks to the frame. I soaked the area of those planks that needed bending in warm water for about 5 minutes and did a trial fit. I would then bend them where needed between forefinger and thumb of both hands to tease them into shape. I did this with the plank close to my ear so that I would stop when I heard the fiber’s becoming distressed i.e. beginning to yield, I would work from the central straight section outwards moving out in small increments until the strip wanted to keep the shape I bent it to. In some of the tighter bends it's impossible to achieve the curvature, so don't be afraid to leave gaps which you can fill in with shorted pieces. When bending the strips they will rotate about their own axis so it’s best to use a filler strip of wood rather than have the strip almost standing on its edge. Some of the strips may benefit from tapering the ends to help the fit. Keep doing trial fits.

Hope this helps. Cheers Derek

 

[spanner570]

Derek, spot on advise....

Gav, the only thing I would add is when teasing the planks into shape with your thumb and forefinger, please don't rub your fingers along the timber.....You will have your pinkies full of diddy splinters, rather like a porcupine's a**e!

Use more of a squeeze and move along sort of action.

Good luck,

Ron

 

[delmonteman]

First cry for help! As I've mentioned there's two halves of the hull (port and starboard if you insist!). Now the instructions say to plank each half in turn then glue them together, however, I've seen on a couple of model ship sites that it's better to glue them together and then plank the whole lot. What do you reckon?

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[Caledonia]

I've always planked the whole thing together, that way you can learn from the first plank on one side before doing the mirror image on the other, and it prevents producing a banana boat due to uneven keel stresses. Cheers Derek

 

[delmonteman]

That's what I thought. Nice one.

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[peter22]

Hi Gav

Bending planks - Iv'e used 2 methods a] boiling water quick soak

b] my wife's vegetable steamer

I use polystyrene sheeting [old packing] which push fits between the frames, quick rasp gives you the hull shape [check the ships line by eye] it supports the planks when bending to shape, hold the the planks with thick elastic bands, glue when dry [example peter22 photo of HMS Unicorn]

best of luck peter22

 

[delmonteman]

The missus' steamer. Good thinking Batman!

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[delmonteman]

OK, it's on hold for a couple of days while I go to Munich for a mate's stag do. I have a feeling it's going to get messy......

 

[delmonteman]

Right, back from Munich a little worse for wear. There is no need to serve beer in such sizes! Started the planking tonight after work and seems to be going OK. I can't work out whether it's boring as hell or quite therapeutic!

 

[Ian M]

Hope the hangover is soon passed you over.

I find it to be one of those jobs that makes the time fly past. I s'pose its because you get absorbed in concentrating on the job. I find it quite relaxing though.

I don't know if you will be planking the decks as well, but if you are a good way of getting the black caulking between the plans is to cut some thin black card/thick paper into thin strips and trap it between the planks as you glue them down. After the glue it dry you can trim them down and sand them flush with the planking. Some use black cotton but I have always found that it goes fluffy (and looks like poo!)

Ian M

 

[delmonteman]

The hangover has finally gone but it did last a couple of days! The deck was one of my next questions to be honest. The deck that comes with the kit is printed board but does look a bit poo. Is it just as simple as cutting some planking to fit and sticking it on?

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[Ian M]

Short answer yes. Long one....If you can find a bit of ply that is a bit thinner so the deck planking and the new deck are about the same thickness as the old deck, if you see what I mean.

Some times the extra thickness of sticking planks on the supplied deck can be enough to put things out of whack so you get all sorts of problems geting all the things on the deck to fit the railing height.

Other time it don't have any effect. Also the printed deck is a good guild as to how the planks should be laid.

Ian M