clinker plank shapes

[randywr]

I'm having trouble figuring out exact plank shapes on a swampscott dory I want to build. Ive read a few explanations but still not sure. Any advice on how to do, or advice on books that would make it crystal clear.
Thanks
Randy W

[ken mcclure]

John Leather's book on clinker boat building, Greg Roessel's book on small boat building and/or Iain Oughtred's book on lapstrake boat building.

Roessel and Oughtred's books are available from the WB store.

[G. Schollmeier]

Ken has it right. Roessel's "Building Small Boats" from WB. If he doesn't do it for you, find a class to get you over this hump. It's not really a black art, just seems that way the first time around.
Gary

[G. Schollmeier]

Randy,
Bemidji, isn't to far from Duluth, is it? I'm not good at it but I do understand it. I think.
Gary

[PugetSound]

There is only so much you can learn from reading a book. Get one of the books suggested above, then build a Large scale model using the exact techniques you'll be using in the full scale version.(about 1 1/2" = 1'-0" at least). Your investment in materials will be minor and you will learn what the author is talking about. You can even save time by building a half-hull model (suitable for mounting and display).

[jason stumpf]

i highly recommend a book called "lapstrake boatbuilding" by walter j simmons. you can find it on his website www.duck-trap.com. he's also got some information on spiling on his website you may find helpful.

[Art Read]

Nothing like cutting out real, (expensive) wood to make you "intuitive". Read all you can stand, make your spiling plank or patterns as carefully as you can and figure out something to use the rejects for somewhere else in the boat. Then just start cutting. That's the only way to learn it and it'll come to you easier than you'd expect. (Also, plan a really nifty magazine rack for the nearest bathroom like I did... "See? I didn't waste it...")

[Don Maurer]

The easiest way I know of is explaned in "Ultralight BoatBuilding" by Tom Hill. Basically, you place stringers where the planks will overlap and at the top of the shearstrake. Make sure the curves are fair. Then get the cheapest doorskin, plywood or masonite you can find, clamp it over the mould in the garboard position. Make sure it lays flat along the stringers for the full length. Trace along the outside of the keelson and the first stringer. Cut about 1/4" proud of your lines. Place the template back on the mould and make sure it fits flat, covering both the keelson face and stringer. This is the template for the garboard. Before you make your real plank and glue it in place, make a template for the second strake the same way, making sure the first and second stringers are covered. You also need to shim the first stringer by the thickness of your finished plank. On the second template, and all subsequent ones, you need to trim the bottom edge so it follows the stringer exactly. Leave the top edges proud. When you make your strakes, you use the stringers as a bevel guide and also a router guide to cut the top of the strake fair. The book does a much better job of explaining it than I did.

[MikeP]

Perhaps I can offer a solution, I tried the lauan method for making patterns for the Grey Seal. With the hard curves especially in the ends, 1/4" lauan just wasn’t cooperative. I wasn’t pleased with the fit of my garbord planks nor with the prospect of trying to repeat this feat with 7 more planks. I got an idea from one method of pattern making that Iain used in his Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual. Picture 5-50 on pg 59 of this hand book illustrates the idea. The process worked so well that I made all subsequent patterns with this method. I scarfed battens of clear 3/4 X 1/2" spruce to the length of the hull plus a couple of feet.
The battens were used to frame the actual shape of the plank. I lined up the pattern’s top batten with the upper line of the edge plank to be made. This batten ‘s top edge rests on the top edge of the previously installed plank bevel and gains near the ends (1" above lower edge of the previous plank). (I put package tape under the batten because I would be using epoxy in the later steps.) I clamped the batten down firmly to the installed plank. With the frames beveled for the next plank, lay the lower batten at the lower edge of the plank lands. Clamp this batten down as well.
If all looks fair, link the two battens with cross pieces of scrap wood. Iain uses screws, I used epoxy on wood cross strips to make a truss lattice with cross pieces every 8 to 10 inches. I dry fit the pieces, numbered them and marked their locations on the battens. All the cross pieces were removed, turned over and epoxy applied to portions that would rest on the battens and the corresponding areas of the battens are also brushed with epoxy. I mixed thickened epoxy and used that to glue the pieces back on their locations on the battens. I cleaned up the gobs with a belt sander after it hardened.
The pattern is removed the next day and will lay quite flat. After the pattern's excess epoxy blobs were cleaned up, it was placed back on the mold and frame locations were noted on the pattern. (Ply joints were lined up land on frames and staggered with previous scarfed planks, note these locations on the pattern.)
The pattern is used for marking plywood (about 1/4" extra on top and bottom edge), marking starting and ending lines for scarfs. I needed four sections of plywood joined together with 4" scarfs to make each plank. The pattern served as a template for clamping the scarfed pieces of plywood together to make the plank. That way there was minimal waste and the plank shape was nearly identical to the pattern before the final shaping. Final plank shaping with a router and a pattern bit. I made both port and starboard planks with the same pattern. With the 1/2 in ply I used 4 " scarf joints.
I flow-coated the inside surface with epoxy and hit the edges with epoxy as well. When the epoxy was dry, the plank was clamped to its location on the frames. I marked the previous plank and frame lands on the inside epoxy surface of the new plank and sanded off the flow-coated epoxy where the glue lands were. Make marks on the hull and the new plank to help you position the new plank when it is loaded up with epoxy! Apply epoxy and thickened epoxy on previous plank and frames and epoxy on the new plank. Carefully lift this wet noodle and place on marks. A second person would make the process easier. I did it by myself with boards clamped perpendicular to the frames 4 and 7 on the grey seal so the plank could be slid into place. I clamped the middle at the marks and worked toward each end. I used 3 to 4 plywood clamps between each frame. To prevent getting hard spots in the (especially at the stern end) lower edge, I also clamped a batten to the outer lower edge of the new plank while it was being clamped in place. Use slow epoxy and work quickly. If you can, get inside and clean off the drips and gobs before it hardens. I’m now cleaning up my gobs and filleting the interior joint edges. Oh so fun.
Just my 2 cents
M

[AndyFarquhar]

I've used Tom Hill's method (mostly) to build a few boats. I just finished a big canoe. You can see photos of the building process at http://www.andrewscanoes.com under "ShopCam."

Iain Oughtred's book is also very helpful. The process is easier than one would think.

Regards,

Andy Farquhar

[Peter Jacobs]

MikeP: It sounds like you're well along on the hull. Are you going to post some pictures for us Grey Seal wannabees?

-Peter-

[This message has been edited by Peter Jacobs (edited 01-23-2002).]

[Thaddeus J. Van Gilder]

Randy,
If you are building a traditional cedar on oak type swampscott dory, you have to learn to spile. it is not a hard task, once you try it.

if you are trying to figure out how wide of cedar you need, make a scale model, and use cardboard patterns and a scale rule to determine how wide your planks must be.

all I can say is, swampscotts have wide garboards. I am making a 10 footer, and the cedar flitches I picked up are 18 inches at the stump end of the flitch, and 8 inches at the narrow end. they ran me about $1.20 a board foot here in southern New Jersey.
I doubt that you will need anything wider than that, even for a 16 or and 18 footer.

[MikeP]

Originally posted by Peter Jacobs:
MikeP: It sounds like you're well along on the hull. Are you going to post some pictures for us Grey Seal wannabees?

-Peter-

[This message has been edited by Peter Jacobs (edited 01-23-2002).]

Here are some pictures, first is Iain's illustration for making a pattern with batten strips.
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid28/p3dac55e55f6e834cbc467e129ecda205/fdf9ad62.jpg
[/img]

On the Grey seal I'm working on I used this method for planks 2 through 8. Here is a picture of pattern for plank 2 being made.


For the Grey Seal wannabees here is the hull after it was saturated with CPES.


M

[MikeP]

Iain's Diagram try number 2


M

[Kermit]

Can someone fix the URL for Ian's pattern method? Or recommend a book illustrating same? I think I like it!

Wait a minute--I got the URL. But still interested in more info. Specifics?

[This message has been edited by Kermit (edited 01-25-2002).]