I have a feeling i'm gonna have to do some rescue work here

I spent ages fairing the hull and thought it looked fine. However, the first 3 planks went on great, but the 4th has a distinct step in from the 3rd one around the curve of the bulkhead. Does it sound like I've made the cardinal sin of taking too much off the bow former?

If so, can it be rescued?

Actually, i think i'm going to have to just lift the planking and start again. Close up pics look absolutely awful. So bad that I would be embarrassed to show them on here. I think my eyesight is struggling tbh. I'm not noticing things with normal vision. It has shown that some of the bamboo on the other planks is slightly split despite pre drilling with a 0.5 bit.

Tough lesson, but you live and learn. Now to try and get the planks off without causing too much damage.

What I need to know is whether the planks have to feel baby bottom smooth from top to bottom or whether everyone has some undulations that need sanding or filling?

Yes, i'm half thinking about just fitting balsa in the bow. That is without doubt the most problematic part, so a balsa fill might well help me. Then if I have taken too much off, I maybe able to fill in between the balsa. It will be more difficult though as the bulkhead is in situ.

Thanks. I removed the planks and fitted balsa between the bow formers. It has replanked quite well. There are some minor undulations, but definitely nothing that a good sand and fill session wont fix.

How many planks on average do you guys manage to fit each building session. I'm finding i'm doing a row each side and needing a break.

I used to do two to three rows a night but that slowed down when adding steelers. if you are painting rather than staining you can always use filler or even some additional planking on top sanded down to smooth out the hull shape. it worked for me. also how are you bending the planks? one i moved away from using the scissors type plank bender to a soldering iron it improved my planking no end.

J

Hi Rob, there is an easier way, slightly more lengthy, but the planks that require a significant bend around the hull I soaked first for a couple of hours. Then using a t-light in a tin can I slowly bent the timber around the outside of the tin can. It works very well and because the wood is wet, it does not split and when it will dry to the shape. It is a technique that I have used before, but on a bigger scale for bending the handle in a walking stick........wood is wood and flexible if handled sensitively.

Mike