All donations are securely managed through PayPal. Amounts donated are not published online.
Many thanks for your kind support.
Model Boats Website Team
Donation History
December 2018: 4 people November 2018: 11 people October 2018: 9 people September 2018: 13 people August 2018: 5 people July 2018: 8 people June 2018: 8 people May 2018: 7 people April 2018: 24 people March 2018: 11 people
Steve, something like a 2B pencil is a good density, but keep it sharp. If you like a nice contrast then a fine fibre point marker pen would do it. Bear in mind that most sailing boats had planks that followed the edge of the boat whereas motor boats had straight planks that follow the king plank down the middle. On a sail boat the curved planks joggle into the king plank in a variety of patterns, all tedious to draw! I lived on a Victorian racing yacht for a few years and its deck planks were, oddly, straight, so it ain't a golden rule. They leaked so bad I had a Gamalan orchestra of pots and pans catching the drips until the deck "took up" and stopped leaking, then the sunshine would shrink em all again for the next rain shower. I would draw the planks on before you glue that ply deck down. So much easier.
Thanks for the reply. Had already sussed the curved planks but think I will stick to a simple join to the king plank. Just bought some fibre tip pens 0.3mm which should do the job. So, seal and sand the ply first?...the ink would track into the grain otherwise. Doing it before fitting means you can bin it if not happy or turn it over and start again.
Hi I seal first one coat of Danish Oil then i use Biro pen and finish with several coats of oil The Biro does not fade over time but it does if varnish is used Cheers Ian T
"Danish oil is a hard drying oil, meaning it can polymerize into a solid form. It can provide a hard-wearing, often water-resistant satin finish, or serve as a primer on bare wood before applying paint or varnish. It is a "long oil" finish, a mixture of oil and varnish, typically around one-third varnish and the rest oil. Rags used for Danish oil have some potential risk of spontaneous combustion and starting fires from exothermic oxidation, so it is best to dry rags flat before disposing of them, or else soak them in water." 😲 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 Cheers Doug
Hi Neville, I was curious! I'd never seen or heard of 'Danish Oil'. I know and like Danish Blue, Danish Bacon and Danish Pastries😋 (not necessarily all at once!😲) but had no idea what the Oil was. So I Wikied it to find out. Saw the warning and thought it might be a good idea to post it - Just In Case!! I know the same thing can happen with turps / white spirit and other solvent rags. I always let 'em dry out before disposal. Happy and safe painting folks 😉 Cheers, Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 Cheers Doug
Hi Biro is good just rolls along less effort than pens or pencils it also indents the wood slightly and gives a very good effect Tung oil is also good The first deck I did I used varnish and the Biro faded but not so with the oil I like to think I invented the method but thinking can be dangerous Cheers Ian T
Hello from Australia, First start off with a scrap piece of plywood the same as you intend to use for the deck. Work out the width of the planks and score lightly with a scriber (not to deep). Using a ruler or suitable guide ,mark the lines with a no 3 fine tipped marker pen. wait till dry(usually 24hours to stop bleeding) then either spray or paint on satin laquer. (3coats). Always works for me. Good luck. Sid
I always either washout the rags for re use or burn them outdoors in an old paint tin. Reason is that even dried out the rags can combust in the bin. Not good. Ask me how I know. First I rinse them in turps/white spirit then wash with a good detergent/soap powder.Dry on a clothes line outdoors. Be safe out there.👍
May be too late, but have you thought about real planking? This was my first attempt following advice on various youtube videos and studying pictures of the full sized boat. Planks supplied by Jotika. They have various sizes and woods and worked out to quantity when I gave them the deck measurements. I used cyano to glue to a plastic deck and sealed with a proprietory outdoor satin varnish. I found it very satisfying and was pleased with the end result.
Ps. Please excuse the black dots of fly sht. on the deck in the first picture.
Nice work but in my case the planks are all curved and herringbone jointed so far more complicated than I am prepared to put into this model. It is going to be hard enough just trying to draw it. Steve
Very nice finish all round Number One Sah, (Salute) (C .. I didn't forget😁) Guess you'll have to make a scale fly swat and dustpan & brush now! 😲Interesting and useful tip about Jotika working out the quantity, nice service. Cheers, Doug
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 Cheers Doug
Not just the planking Steve 👍 Rambling induced through good mood due to enjoying a Gewürztraminer while watching a newly acquired BluRay restored / enhanced version of the Battle of the River Plate. All good stuff chaps! 😉 "Smoke bearing RED 100" ........ G'night all 😁 PS "Number One, fly sht. removal detail to the foredeck, ON THE DOUBLE IF YOU PLEASE!" - "Aye aye Sah" 😁 Can heartily recommend the BluRay version of Battle of the River Plate / Graf Spee, Only criticism, USS Salem is a poor double for the Graf Spee, even considering the excuses worked into the film script. 😉 Attached pic shows my version. Graupner Premium but in need of significant rework in several areas 🤔 Doug 😎
Attached Files - Click To View Large
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 Cheers Doug
Don't know if it is still available, but I downloaded the construction manual for the Graupner Valvdiva, which has a joggled king plank and curved planking which is started on the outer edge of the deck. I haven't tried it yet, but it appears to be a good "how to." Greatest concern for me is bending the planks to the curve of the deck, as they are wider than their thickness.
15th Oct 2018 12:42
