Tongue and groove lining board aesthetics

[PeterSibley]

I've shifted this query from Spissgatter W-9's excellent thread on raised panel aesthetics.

Could I ask your opinions regarding matchboard dimensions.I agree with ACB re " fussiness" but the width is a difficult thing to decide.The aesthetic is work boat, but good workboat, perhaps the kind of thing you would expect to find on a pilot cutter.The boat has 10'beam and 34 'oa....to give a scale.I'm going to use matchboard on bulkheads ,beneath bunks, in fact everywhere ....so I need to avoid the fussiness thing.Some but not all will be painted,probably a cream satin finish.The bright sections will be Queensland red cedar.

Your suggestions please.

[Ken Hutchins]

A few days ago I was in an old former mansion which is now an Inn and restaurant. I was looking at the wainscotting around the room, it was various widths ranging from 1-1/2 to 4 inches in 1/2 inch increments. So as I was sitting there I tried to find a pattern to the widths, all the way around I could not find a repeat of any kind of pattern, it was totally random. It seemed to be quite pleasing and helped to highlight the other moldings and the small simple carvings around the fireplace.

[Bob Smalser]

You gonna mill this "matchboard" yourself, Peter?

Often called "beadboard" or "lining" here, it was real popular in the Victorian era when architectural moldings were mass produced in millwork plants from prime, oldgrowth timber we'll never see again. I see a lot of it in older workboats....almost always painted white like in kitchens, where it was also popular. But it was a stock item, and generally had a decorative beads milled into the face, the beads forming the pattern. I'd have to find a piece of it to get the dimensions....but they were narrow...1 1/2" - 2 1/2".

PS:

"Match" planes = matched tongue and groove planes = "match" board.

http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/148.jpg

http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/48.jpg

[ 07-08-2004, 09:14 AM: Message edited by: Bob Smalser ]

[PeterSibley]

Thanks Bob,Thanks Ken.Interesting about the random widths , thats something we don't have and never have as far as I know.Our boards, the commercial stuff,is always 3",4" or 5 1/2", with a variety of edge treatments.It looks fine in houses but not really for boats.
My personal preference is for around 3" with either a bead edge(regency) or a straight v.

[Meerkat]

There are faux versions of this available as sheets (as in plywood) available in the US. I've seen the narrow old-fashioned kind...

[shamus]

If you want to bead it by hand I can lend you the plane, but I was imagining a V joint type moulding from your post. The nearest thing I have to hand is myrtle ship lap which is 75mm but I would think something narrower might look better in your boat. Larry Pardey triple laminated a bulkhead for Taleisin to give the effect of v jointed T & G on the visible face. He used 1 3/4 by 1/2 with 1/4 x 1/4 V joint. I think you could widen it a bit on that- sounds a bit fiddly at that width.

[shamus]

BTW Carbotec have a nice little machine in their catalogue for this sort of stuff, if you'd just hurry up and move down here I'd go ya halves.. smile.gif

[PeterSibley]

Hmmm....thats strange I posted a reply last night but its not here..

Anyway thanks Ken and Bob,
the idea of random width lining boards is interesting, we don't have them here , I've never seen them.We have a variety of widths available commercially, 4"and 5 1/2" being the most common .

Bob, yes I'll run it myself, saw it out then do the rest on the router table.I'd enjoy doing the job with those "matching planes" but the only ones in my family went to the dump with all my grandfther's tools when I was about 12.No one asked me !He was a master builder and cabinetmaker,"No man should call himself a carpenter if he can't build a spiral staircase",I'm kind of glad he never asked me smile.gif I'm afraid I'd have trouble qualifying ! Houses I can build,staircases OK...spirals I've never tried.Should be able to I guess,just need a bit of thinking time.I think I'm getting off the subject! smile.gif

[PeterSibley]

Shamus....yeah I saw that lovely little toy! Very nice...it would be useful but I think I'm going to have to do it the slow way.Carbetec do sell a good looking set of T&G cutters though.I try to stay away from them...they can make a big hole in your bank account very quickly!By the way, I don't like the Pardeys lining boards at all.Too narrow,too much varnished teak.

I thought the best way to do it would be with a cutter that did the v and the groove at the same time and run that on both sides of the board then join them with floating tongues.It should simplify things.Probably around 80mm wide x 12 thick in red dedar...what do you think ?

Ps whats this about comming down to Tassy? My memory for plans like that gets bad in mid winter and my wife looses enthusiasm too ..as it reaches 36 here though smile.gif ( It is the plan though )