The milling prices at Johnson's Workbench were very reasonable.
I have learned a lot about spiling from the many experts on this forum so I have a good feel for how it works. However, reading about how to do something and actually being able to do something are two different things. I will take my time
The third layer of planking on the bottom is done including trimming Yay! Another milestone The sides are sanded and ready for the final planking layer. The next step is to line off the hull both on the sides and on the transom. The final planking on the transom will be done first. Some of the genuine mahogany planks have been sorted in preparation for planking.
Just wondering if LL Johnson had thicker stock if you could have gotten better yield when resawing?
I've purchased 3 large lumber orders from them and they give a price break at 100bd-ft, even if you are mixing sizes and species, and their milling prices are very reasonable.
-Jim
Nothing says poor craftsmanship like wrinkles in your duct tape!
I did get a price break because I bought over 100 bf. They told me I could only get two planks even with 5/4 by the time they plane/sand and clean them up. They did have some thicker stock but I decided to stay with 4/4.
The sides and transom are lined off now. I used a vinyl (or PVC, I can't remember) screen molding as a batten which worked well. I also started ripping and planing the genuine mahogany for the transom planking. The milled pieces I recently bought were 6.5-7mm thick so I planed them down to around 5mm or a little less. The picture below shows four of the five pieces that will become the transom planking.
Lee
Attachments
Last edited by denbrlr on Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Those transom planks are going to look great after they are installed. When you apply them, take time to fit each edge. I noticed mine started to develop gaps after just two planks applied and I had to go back and clean it up.
I decided to order brown Raptor brads for my transom and side planking so while waiting for them to arrive, I started spiling the side planking. I used a reference piece to transfer the strake line to a higher point on the hull and then transfer it back to the planking piece. I also made a vertical line on the hull to help with relocating the reference piece. I did this every foot or so and then connected the reference marks on the planking piece to show where to make the cut. I learned that this gets you close but there still is a lot of hand fitting (which those who have done this before already know ). Here are some pictures.
Lee, I use your method to get the top (bottom) of the row to the line. After the first row is on, I temporarily attach (clamp somehow) the next row about two inches above the row before. Then I use an old fashioned compass to scribe the bottom (top) of the that row. That method gets you very close to a good fit. After I get the fit I want, I use your method to mark the top (bottom) of the plank. Your build looks great. Enjoy !
Thank you. I guess I don't fully understand when you said "I temporarily attach (clamp somehow) the next row about two inches above the row before. Then I use an old fashioned compass to scribe the bottom (top) of the that row.". Do you have a couple of pictures?
I don't have pictures of that process, but you can attach the board you want to scribe above the row that is already glued on. I use all kinds of ways to temporarily hold it in place. I use small square pieces of plywood (about 1.5" square) and put a few of them above and a few below the new plank by putting a 1.25" drywall screw through them into the hull. Put the screws right above and below the new plank. Both pictures below show these little blocks in place. You can fill the screw holes before you attach the new plank. I like to make the smallest part of the gap no smaller than 3/4" between the planks. Then I mark the new plank using a cheap compass, I set the compass slightly wider than the widest part of the gap, and, keeping the compass straight up and down as I go, I mark the line on the new plank. That will get you very close to a nice joint. Fine tune it however you do that, and then mark the top with the method you are using. I will put a couple pictures (not pretty at all) here to show different ways I hold the planks in place for gluing. In the top picture, you can see I also use pneumatic staples through the blue rope to hold things in place. Send me a PM with your phone number, if you like, and we can talk about it.
The compass isn't really necessary. Using your last photo as an example...
Get the first row ready for fastening as you've shown clamping the planks to the hull. Slip the bottom edge of the plank(s) for the second row behind top edge of the first row planks so there is minimum overlap and scribe a line on the second row plank. I could not find a photo with the plank tucked behind. This is the closest I could find.
I planked my Gentry using the method you described Tom.. It worked out great when I was using 1/8" planking. But I am now using 1/4" and found it challenging to get the one board behind the next and follow the curves and convex surfaces. It is much more accurate than using a compass if you can make it work with the thickness of your planking. Some also use a trim router, but that method scared me. I have also seen where you cover your hull with clear self-stick shelf paper. Then draw the lines and then pull off the shelf paper with ready-made templates. But in the end, the trick is to be patient and make each plank fit tightly to the row under or above it, no matter which method you use...
Thank you guys. I was originally planning to use Tom's method of slipping the next row under the previous row. My planks are about 5mm thick so they might be too thick. If that doesn't work, I will have to try Neel's method. Either way, it seems like there still will be hand tuning and fitting to get the joints tight.
Both of your joints look nice and tight. Did you use some wood filler for some areas where they weren't so tight? If so, does it blend in well after staining and varnish? Please let me know. Thank you.
