Lining off the planks

[JimD]

Time to line off the lapstrakes for an 11 foot witholz dingy sometimes describes as a fat whitehall in appearance. The only other boat I have planked is a 7 foot dinghy of my own simple design. I used the eyeball method, didn't do a lot of careful measuring beforehand. Actually made a 14" scale model set up of the station molds and 'planked' it in cardboard then lofted the cardboard planks full size. Worked out surprisingly accurately. So I expect to do the same this time.

Anyone have a preferred method or experience to share on the subject?

[Bob Cleek]

Long, long ago, in a galaxy far away... BEFORE the internet was invented, folks looked up information in books. I'd urge you to spring for a copy of John Leather's "Clinker Boatbuilding," or Roessel's boatbuilding book, or any number of other books which discuss lining lapstrake plank. It isn't impossibly hard, but it is tricky. I suppose it doesn't matter so much if you are gluing together a bunch of plywood strips, but if you intend to work the gains properly so she looks nice at either end and you don't want her looking dumpy (particularly a "whitehall" that looks "fat" already), you really should do some research. And, sad to say, there's more to it than anybody in here wants to type out at a single sitting! Good luck with the project!

[JimD]

Bob, I ought to have said its going to be glued plywood. I'm resigned to the fact that I haven't the woodworking skills to build traditionally. Aesthetics on the other hand I think I have a small talent for. The design has lovely lines and I intend to do my best to do them some justice. A little ironically the boat is designed to be built cold mold and I am modifying them for planking even if only in plywood.

[G. Schollmeier]

The books that Bob mentioned are good, I would add Iain Oughtred’s, Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual. He has a whole chapter on lining off, you may have to read it several times. For glued lapstrake it’s a great book.

Gary :D

[jerry s]

I have used door skin cut into 1 inch by 24 inch strips and then hot glued together, on the molds, to form a pattern of the plank. Pop it off the molds, lay it on the plank stock, trace it and cut it out staying a little proud of the lines. Take your plane and true up the edges, cut your bevels, if it's a lapstrake, and attach the thing to the boat frames. It is simple, cheap, and almost foolproof. Good luck!

[Ken Hutchins]

This is one of those things that is easy, once you understand how! Read several articles on the how and go at it. For an additional hint, if you are up to speed on Excell or other spreadsheet program, set up a file to do the math so that you can sit at the computer, juggle a few numbers many times as you wish until you have the number of planks, widths and garbard widths you like. Much easier to do sitting at the computer. If you have the complete version of Excell, I could sent the file I created for TALLY HO II for reference.

[Keith Wilson]

Greg Rossel's book does a pretty good job of explaining this. It's a lot more important on a lapstrake boat, since the plank lines all show. Ease of lining off is one reason I like Tom Hill's method (described in Ultralight Boatbuilding) of defining plank shapes with battens screwed to undersize frame molds - you can see all the plank lines full size before you go cutting up that expensive plywood.

[JimD]

Originally posted by G. Schollmeier:
The books that Bob mentioned are good, I would add Iain Oughtred’s, Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual. He has a whole chapter on lining off, you may have to read it several times. For glued lapstrake it’s a great book.

Gary :D Yes, Gary, I have a worn copy of Oughtred. He probably devotes the most ink to the subject of measuring and then adds the longest disclaimer that says in the end all that math probably won't work from an aesthetic point of view. I will probably use a combination of cardboard model and battens on the real molds.

[Harry Miller]

I'm not quite there yet but I want to ask a question about something I either read or saw here on the forum (but can't find using the search thingy) about lining out.
The jist of it is when you tack thin battens to the mould members to represent the overlaps and you want to judge how they look: if you are left handed you can judge well by looking at the lines in their upside down state but if you are right handed you need to turn away, bend over and look backwards between your legs!
Or maybe someone has been pulling my leg
I do have Leather, Steward and Simmons and IIRC they all seem to advocate finding a pleasing arrangement rather than trying to find a formula.

[JimD]

Originally posted by Harry Miller:
I'm not quite there yet but I want to ask a question about something I either read or saw here on the forum (but can't find using the search thingy) about lining out.
The jist of it is when you tack thin battens to the mould members to represent the overlaps and you want to judge how they look: if you are left handed you can judge well by looking at the lines in their upside down state but if you are right handed you need to turn away, bend over and look backwards between your legs!
Or maybe someone has been pulling my leg
I do have Leather, Steward and Simmons and IIRC they all seem to advocate finding a pleasing arrangement rather than trying to find a formula.Harry, I'm not flexible enough for that recommendation but the source of the gag may have something to do with whether or not you are left eyed or right eyed or just a joke on finding ways to look at the same thing from a different point of view. I paint oil on canvas landscapes when I have the time and I always have a mirror handy and as I go along I frequently look at the painting in reverse through the miror. It gives a new perspective on the lines and helps me see where I've gone wrong in the compostion. Since boats are sculptural...say! I thing you gave me an idea :D

[Paul Scheuer]

How 'bout shootng some pics and turning them over ?

[JFH]

Remember to mark your molds where the plank overlaps will go. If you decide to make another boat, you can save some time.

I've used the upside-down pic method and saved my backside. It works.

Another point to consider. The sheer planks on my boats are slightly wider to accomodate the rail width. That way, the sheer plank looks similar to the plank just below and not much thinner.