All You Need To Know About Plank Tapering

The majority of beginners working with different model boat kits have various concerns about planking. There are different things about planking that every scale modeler must be aware of. However, let us get started with plank tapering.

If you spend some time with a piece of string or a tape measure and a ruler you will quickly notice the reason it is essential to taper the planks to a tapered width at either one or both ends. There will be an apparent dissimilarity when you calculate the distance from the bottom of the keel to the level of the deck. In merely theoretical terms, if the dimension at one frame is 80mm (for example) and at another frame, it is 120mm (for instance), then every plank requires being narrowed down to 2/3 (80/120) of its total width at the 1^st frame. With this, every plank will arrive at the keel jointly.

In general terms, a bluff bowed boat model will necessitate less tapering as compared to a sharp bowed ship. Even though it is likely that some tapering will be necessitated as planks go towards the stern, however, it is even fairly possible that the distance, deck to the bottom of the keel, will be bigger at the position of the last couple of frames than it is at.

Determine from the instructions provided by the manufacturer of model boat kits or the plans, the location of the initial plank. Even though it was common to begin planking at the keel and progress upwards, however, in scale modeling, the professionals typically begin the initial plank in one of the following three positions:

1.    With a boat model that has a straight or flush upper deck, the initial plank must be laid with its upper edge level with the deck surface. It’ll have the top edge up to 5mm to 10mm underneath the level of the deck. Anywhere this is carried out, it is for the purpose of making the construction simple at a later phase but in any case, it’ll be corresponding to the line of the deck.

2.    With a ship model in which the weather or upper deck is in either 2 or 3 different parts, at conflicting levels, the initial plank usually runs along the line of the main or middle deck, which then follows its natural course. There quite a handful of ship models that simply fall in this type of category.

3.    A lot of boat models that feature below deck open gun ports necessitate that the initial plank follows the line of the gun ports and it’ll run right away below or above a row of gun ports.

Once the specific place of the initial plank is recognized, PVA glue must be used for the purpose of sticking it and keep away from tapering it. Ensure that both planks must follow the same line and are a mirror image of one another.

While working with any of the model boat kits, make sure that you keep the points mentioned above for accurate plank tapering.