Hi Shipmates!

Well today I got issue 38 and it shows the real keel parts, the curved stem & stern post looks like ply as for the bottom of the keel this looks like lime wood strips. I was thinking about getting walnut strips for the lower hull and maple strips for the upper hull in the New Year to double plank the hull, but with this keel I think not!. There is two options here for the person doing the ship in natural wood finish.

1:- Stay single planked and stain the lower hull and keel .
2:- Go down the double planking road and replace the keel with walnut sheet using the parts in issue 39 as a template.

What to do?

I’ve even been thinking of using this build as a dry run as this is the first period ship I’ve made, before getting Caldercraft HMS Victory later in 2011. Up to now I’ve made only modern ships and boats.

I’m not saying we should have had better wood used in the kit, as this kit was never meant to be double planked or use walnut for the lower hull, just that what will I do now! stay single or double plank. I have the skill and tools to remake the sections needed, but others don’t and some will have bought the planks already to double plank in walnut. A ply & lime wood keel will spoil the look.

AGAIN I’m not saying we should have had better wood used in the kit.

This post has been setup to help find a solution to this dilemma for people doing double planking.

SO DON’T START KICKING OFF! PLEASE!

The use of lime wood for the keel is a good medium as we have already used it for the main hull and if you are going to stain the model you would want a uniformed look to it, so its only right it stays the same type of wood.

This is my first Wood build , I have managed to do a reasonable job of the planking , However I am still going to double plank, Simply because I want to have a Natural finish not paint. Top of the Hull will be Lime and bottom of hull Walnut. The Keel I intend to remake out of walnut. I agree with most that they should of supplied better materials . I have invested a great deal of time and extra funds into this build to make a model I hope I can be proud of .

If you are going to double plankwould it be bent to open the gun ports by 2mm then use 2mm thick lime wood planking for the framing, this would give a better affect so that the second planking would cover the edges and slso the limewood would take a stain much easier.
hope this would help only whished i had thought of it before i started my planking,

Hi Spity

CMB seem to have a good stock of timber strip (watch out for the additional timber postal charge)

I couldn't find wider pieces of timber on their site. I was looking for a 5mm sheet of walnut at the time. If I had waited until Christmas I would have had loads of scrap pieces of 5 mm walnut from my new Caldercraft kit as I remove the machined pieces!!

I solved my supply problem by going to Hobbies Site for a Walnut sheet. Good service, I had already used them when I bought my proxxon lathe.

Thay also do strip for planking, I'll leave it to you to compare prices, postage etc.

Hope that helps!

Mike T

Hi Willz

I have pm'd you to avoid potential stormy seas!

Mike T