Plank-on-Frame hulls for card model ships

[Oliver Weiss]

Here's a little attempt at pushing the card model envelope. You'd expect this kind of thread from Gil - sorry for intruding on your territory, Gil!

I have long been dissatisfied with the traditional way of modeling card ship hulls. For one thing, mere mortals like myself can't produce a hull without noticeable seams. For another, no matter how well the hull plating is designed, there always remains a kind of angular look to the finished product. Considering the effort that goes into the above-the-water structures I think that's unfair.

Now, in a traditional, wooden ship model (what some impertinent people choose to call a "real" ship model) you find primarily four methods of hull construction:

1. Carved from a solid block of wood
2. Carved from a series of shaped and stacked planks (bread-and-butter method)
3. Plank-on-bulkhead
4. Plank-on-Frame

I'm not going to discuss the individual merits of each method, you can read that up on your own time. Suffice to say that the only methods holding any potential for the card modeler are Nos. 3 and 4.

In Plank-on-bulkhead, a number of formers, representing the bulkheads of the actual vessel, are fixed to a keel. Planks are then fastened to the bulkhead edges, forming the ship's hull.

In Plank-on-Frame construction, the process is similar, only instead of bulkheads the modeler constructs the actual ship's frames. While there may be only 10 or 15 bulkheads, there may be 100 frames or more.

Plank-on-bulkhead is the less involved method, but from what I gather it may result in sagging planking between the bulkheads, whereas the tightly spaced frames offer a better support for the planks.

The planks in both cases are thin strips of wood that are shaped and bent around the ship's hull formed by either bulkheads or frames and fastened in place by miniature treenails, regular nails or just plain glue.

Sometimes a second layer of planking is applied over the first to produce a smoother, sturdier hull. Depending on the ship being modeled and the desired effect, the hull is coppered, painted or left bare.

These methods are traditionally used for larger-scale models, primarily because handling wood at very small scales becomes cumbersome. However, I am pretty sure that given the right materials, the technique will work for small-scale card models.

Here goes...

[Oliver Weiss]

As a first test, I used a spare white model of the lower hull of my USS Alarm.

I started out using regular modeling card, but found quickly that the material is too thin. I then used strips cut from a manila folder. That material seemed to have just the right thickness and forming characteristics. What remained to be determined was the appropriate width of the strips used. I started out with strips about 2mm wide. (Blue circle) This worked well where the hull was fairly flat. At the curved sections at the stern and bow it became apparent that the strips were too wide. I then used 1mm strips. (Red circle) These worked very well, but in my next test I will try to hit the golden middle with 1.5mm wide strips. I guess much also depends on the hull size and shape. The Alarm's hull is pretty intricately curved, other ships may be constructed with wider strips.

[Oliver Weiss]

After I laid down one layer of planking, I started on a second one, overlapping the seams of the first. This added a noticeable degree of stability. The small amount of sagging I had observed in the first layer was entirely covered by the second, resulting in a nice, smoothly curved surface.

[Oliver Weiss]

I then applied a liberal amount of Future floor wax to harden the planks. This resulted in a very slight deformation of the planking. Using a non-water based fluid, such as wood hardener, will probably avoid this. I'm going to try that next.

After the Future had hardened, I applied a little ordinary spackle. It adhered well and dried quickly.


Lastly, I sanded a portion of the hull shown in the picture below.

Things I noticed: Where the acrylic floorwax penetrated deep enough into the planking, a smooth, wood-like surface with virtually no seaming was obtained. In other areas, the manila card started fuzzing up. Nothing a repeat application of Future couldn't fix, but using wood hardener would probably have prevented this from the beginning.

I found that the resulting hull conformed perfectly to the intended shape,. It was torsion-resistant and hard as a rock.

Definitely a method I will employ in my next hull construction!


Cheers,



Oliver

[Clashster]

Very cool, Oliver! Having constructed several wooden ship models, this way makes great sense to get that realistic look. I have several sailing ship kits in my paper stash, and the hull outcome has always been something I have wondered about...

[Zathros]

I have a sharpie style paperboat I made about 20 years ago outof paper. It has a centerboard and is completely made out of card stock except for balsal wood trimmings. I wished to make it water tight so I painted the model with liquid crazy glue. I sacrificed too many brain cells for that model but 20 years later it still is here. It is impervious to moisture and is incredibly stiff. Many people ask me where I got wood so thin and are astonished to know it is card stock (actually Bristol Board). She doesn't tack well up wind but runs well on a reach, Gaff rigged ya know. I haven't put it in the water for 19 years as it is the oldest model I have but liquid crazy glue is a good way to stiffen the paper.

[Oliver Weiss]

Yup, liquid crazy glue definitely does the trick. Personally, I have a hard time dealing with spills, though.

Cheers,

Oliver

[CMDRTED]

Oliver, I built up an old sloop of war using plank on bulkhead techniques a few years back. I used wooden ship modeling techniques, spiling, etc and came up with satisfactory results. I started with plain jane manilla folder and then laminated water color paper to it. If you get the watercolor paper with grain in it this simulates real wood just fine. Then use regular spiling techniques for each plank inletting toward the bowstem piece, inletting towards the stern or buttocks pieces. You also use the same plank technique for decking also. Although I cheated and laid out the entire deck first as one piece manilla card the planked over that1

[Oliver Weiss]

Yes, that's exactly it! Looks just like the real thing. Though in my particular case, I'm looking to model an iron hull at 1/250 scale, meaning I need to eliminate as much grain as possible. Another project of mine will require a 1/250 copper-sheathed hull, though - I'm sure some kind of paper grain will be useful there.

Could you explain what "spiling" means?

Cheers,


Oliver

[eatcrow2]

Originally Posted by Oliver Weiss

Yes, that's exactly it! Looks just like the real thing. Though in my particular case, I'm looking to model an iron hull at 1/250 scale, meaning I need to eliminate as much grain as possible. Another project of mine will require a 1/250 copper-sheathed hull, though - I'm sure some kind of paper grain will be useful there.

Could you explain what "spiling" means?

Cheers,


Oliver

Great thread Oliver... Info on "spiling" here........
http://www.duck-trap.com/building.html