Carvel Planking, Part 3: Hanging Planks
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Episode Summary
In Part 3 of our series on carvel planking, host Rich Hilsinger and boatbuilder Greg Rössel continue with the planking process, taking the viewer through the steps to creating a good-looking, watertight, smooth-planked hull. At the conclusion of Part 2, the guys cut out and dressed the newly spiled plank; they are now just about ready to fasten it to the Whitehall pulling boat. But first, we’ll need to hollow out the inside of the plank to fit the curve of the frames and plane the planking bevel. Using homemade tools, Greg will show how simple these tasks are to accomplish. He’ll also discuss both commercial and shop-made planking clamps. Steam-bending the hood end of some planks is a necessity, and we’ll demonstrate a simple, efficient procedure to do this.
Viewers will also be presented with an in-depth look at boatbuilding woods. The choices vary greatly throughout the world, and the Mastering Skills crew encourages builders to use locally sourced wood whenever possible. We’ll discuss the important qualities of lumber, including strength, rot-resistance, fastening-holding ability, glue performance, steam-bending potential, moisture content, availability, cost, and lots more.