Reference · How-tos · Hull planking

Making a drop plank with masking tape as a template

Cut a drop plank to the English system, using a piece of masking tape as the template for the lower strip, so that the clinker effect at the bow disappears.

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1. 1Find where the drop plank has to go

   Before bending, hold each next strip under and against the last one and bend it carefully to the shape of the bow. Where the strip wants to lie over the previous one, the clinker effect appears. Lay a drop plank in dry fit: the gap between the top of the drop plank and the plank it has to lie against shows exactly how big the problem is.

   taper to half the plank width or a minimum of 2.5 mm

   

   Tip from pietsan: Most builders start tapering too late. Hold each next strip under and against the last one, bend it to the shape of the bow and taper exactly at the point where the strip threatens to ride over the previous one. Repeat that for every strip.

   Watch out: At 5 mm the kit strips are too wide for the curves. Tapering alone (to half width) or drop planks alone did not work; we combine the two.

2. 2Stick masking tape where the drop plank goes

   Stick a piece of masking tape on the hull exactly where the drop plank is to go. The tape covers the area of the upper strip, the drop plank itself and the lower strip.

   

   Tip from Pingu57: Spiling is planking for the advanced. I also suffered from the clinker effect and solved it with an extra drop plank.

3. 3Mark the square cut for the upper strip

   Put two pencil marks on the upper strip: on the right where the point of the drop plank goes, on the left where the upper plank regains its full width. Between them comes a straight line. Mark the square cut first, so you can draw that line cleanly.

   

4. 4Cut the upper plank to size

   Cut the upper strip with the hobby knife along the marked line. Work in several light strokes so the edge stays clean. This strip fitted perfectly first time.

   

5. 5Lay the plank dry fit on the masking tape

   Lay the cut upper plank and the drop plank in dry fit on the tape and press them down a little to follow the curve of the hull. Pin them with drawing pins if needed.

   

6. 6Cut the masking tape along the underside of the drop plank

   With the left hand hold the upper plank and the drop plank in place, and with the right hand cut the tape along the underside of the drop plank. Cut only the tape, not the planking underneath.

   

7. 7Remove the upper part of the tape

   Peel off the upper part of the masking tape; it comes away easily now. What remains is a piece of tape with exactly the shape of the lower strip along the drop plank.

   

   

8. 8Transfer the tape to the lower strip and cut it to size

   Stick the piece of tape onto the lower strip and cut the strip along the edge of the tape. You see the difference with the upper strip straight away: because of the curve the lower strip has to stay much wider.

   

   Tip from Henkl: With the kit you actually get the wrong sizes of wood to make your curves nice and round. Converted to 1:64 the planks should be about 3.9 mm wide and 2.5 mm thick.

   Watch out: With the previous drop plank the adjacent plank was already glued and had to come off again to be made wider. Only cut the lower strip once the template is right.

9. 9Test in dry fit and glue

   Lay all three parts in dry fit on the hull and check that everything meets without force. Only then glue, and hold with drawing pins until the glue is dry.

   

   Watch out: The first drop plank was given a square butt end. That is the Dutch system; the Diana is an English frigate, so the drop plank should end in a triangular point. Luckily that first one disappears under the wale.

Result

The strips now meet without us having to apply any force; the upper strip on the keel side was only loosely pinned and still closed up nicely. On the other side we have to repeat the same 'mistake', because it does have to be symmetrical.