Plans for Planking Bench

[John Gearing]

This one has probably come up before. Years ago in Messing Around in Boats, an outfit in California (C.W. Kraft Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.) used to advertise plans for a wooden planking bench. I've looked for the company online a bit and drawn a blank. Anyone have any info on them, or a suggestion for another source for plans?

[Wiley Baggins]

I went poking around looking for an old copy of the TSCA's "Ash Breeze" thinking I had seen an ad there some time ago, but struck out. Searching on line (which you've already done) yielded a comment from John DeLapp on the Old Tools Archive referencing a planking bench designed by a volunteer at the San Francisco Maritime Museum. DeLapp also mentioned that the volunteer sold plans (the message is from August, 1996) for $40.00. Maybe the folks at the museum can help you. Good luck.

[Jay Greer]

Don't look for plans for your own bench. Your own needs will dictate the design! While very builder has his or her own prefrences for dimensions for a planking bench, I will mention that my own benches are desigened to be accessable from either side in order to allow planing from right or left. My own bench that has served me for some thirty five years plus, is 19 inches wide. The bench is ten feet long and has a pattern maker's side vised mounted and an, adjustable sliding support jack for supporting various long components. The bench top is made of clear 2X4 stock that is edge drilled and glued with maple sorrounds.
The supporting frame is made of 4x4 stock with 2x4 stretchers to
offer solid support. Adding storage drawers for tools below will add weight and stability to the structure.
JG

[outofthenorm]

John, do you need it for one boat, or many? If it's one, a number of good solid horses and a long thick plank will do the job. Mine is a twenty foot length of Doug Fir, 10 inches wide and a full inch thick set on 4 purpose built horses. Works very well. If it's for more than one time use, I like what Jay suggests.

- Norm

[Robmill0605]

The Workbench book by Scott Landis has a section on boat building and planking benches.
http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070061.asp

Your library probably has it.

[Ken Hutchins]

I used 3 horses and 2 adjustable height work stands with a 6 x 6 x about 16 inches long block attached to the top of the horses. The blocks had slots about 2 inches wide cut about 5 inches deep across them, wedges were used to hold the planks on edge. This enabled me to work from either side. This simple setup worked good, planks are 1 1/8 thick, and the longest was 38'.