Build log · Phase 2, Planking the gun deck

First half done, and a better method

1 July 2017 · How-to · Problem and fix

After a long break I’ve picked up the boat again. The fine weather had the garden growing like mad, and that took priority. Now, thankfully, a Saturday of bad weather: the first half of the gun deck is done. It remains an exercise, so it isn’t perfect, and there is no oil or varnish on it yet. What I’m not happy with are the caulking seams. They aren’t consistent, even though I blacken them all equally. I also can’t yet get rid of the unevenness on the deck properly. Perhaps that will improve once there is varnish or oil on it.

The first half of the gun deck planked, the other half still bare
The first half of the gun deck planked, the other half still bare
The bow with the joggling into the margin plank
The bow with the joggling into the margin plank
Amidships around the hatches
Amidships around the hatches
The four-butt shift at the openings for hatches and masts
The four-butt shift at the openings for hatches and masts
The stern, where the joggling starts again
The stern, where the joggling starts again

Piet avoids unevenness by sanding the strips before he fits them. That way they end up practically the same thickness and smooth, and the caulking seams more even. I had done that: I had sanded myself silly on those planks beforehand. Piet also thought I might be a bit too hard on myself. After sleeping on it I had another look and was actually quite pleased.

A different approach

The next day I carried on with the second half, and took a different approach after all. For the first half I had prepared all the planks in advance: blackened the edges, cut them to length and then glued everything down. I also pressed everything hermetically tight together. As a result the planks weren’t always the same width and I had made the caulking seams practically invisible.

Now I make one strip, glue it down very carefully so that the caulking seam runs on exactly, and thereby also becomes slightly thicker and more visible. Only then do I cut the next plank off the long strip that the previous one came from. That way they are always the same width and the butt end always fits properly. In the photos the bottom rows are the new ones, the top rows the old.

New method: the rows with a continuous, more visible caulking seam
New method: the rows with a continuous, more visible caulking seam
Old and new rows side by side at the bow
Old and new rows side by side at the bow

Now I really am pleased, and I have good hopes that the upper deck will turn out fine.