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Reference · Techniques

Coppering a model ship hull

This is the phase that was done twice here. The first few hundred plates followed the straight line of the keel, and towards the bow and stern that inevitably drifts out of step. They all had to come off again. The second time the bands were set out first and a planking run halfway along the hull was taken as the guide. Reckon on months: from late December to mid-March, with two small drops of CA per plate so a mistake can still be undone.

How-tos (4)

7 steps Marking out the waterline for the coppering
Set the ship level, draw a horizontal line round the hull with a simple jig and mark it with masking tape, so the top row of copper plates finishes on a crisp line. 8 steps Laying copper plates, and removing them again when it goes wrong
Glue the copper plates onto the hull row by row with a minimum of CA glue, lay the first row tight, and know how to lift plates off again if a row turns out wrong. 8 steps Planning the coppering belts with a template and paper strips
Mark out the belts for the copper plates along the sheer of a strake, using a template for the plate width and printed paper strips to see where the plates have to be cut at an angle. 5 steps Cleaning and polishing the copper for an even patina
Remove the glue residue from the coppering with steel wool and copper polish, so the copper can then age evenly everywhere; do not varnish it.

Problems you run into here (6)

Problem	Fix
Waterline The first plates along the waterline looked like a 'wave pool'.	Plates off, induction hob as a level base, line drawn crisply with a mechanical pencil at equal distance from keel and wale. in the register
Coppering The plates on the underside of the keel were not centred, so port comes out lower than starboard.	Took everything off (came away easily) and started again. in the register
Coppering Cutting plates to size with scissors bends them.	Cut with a knife instead of scissors. in the register
Coppering The plates followed straight lines instead of the sheer of the strakes.	Marked out rows following the sheer of a plank, stealer plates at stem and stern, keel and posts horizontal. in the register
Keel At its shallowest point the keel is only 1 or 2 mm deep.	Glued on a piece to about 6 mm, exactly one copper plate wide. in the register
Coppering Considerable colour difference between the copper fore and aft.	No varnish, let it age; only remove the glue residue. in the register

In the build log

23 December 2018Copper first, then the mouldings
Decision to copper the hull before fitting the mouldings, three questions for the experts, the waterline marked out and the first plates laid at the keel. 24 December 2018The first few hundred plates
The first rows along the keel over the Christmas days, with a lesson about laying the plates tight and a third row that has shifted. 27 December 2018Keel deepened and belts marked out
Keel deepened to about 6 mm, rudder and sternpost tapered, Henk's drawings of the English system, and the belts marked out on the hull with a small template. 14 December 2019Scrubbing the copper clean
The glue marks on the copper were too annoying: scrubbed and polished the entire coppering with fine steel wool so the patina can become even; then started on the gratings of the gun deck.