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MODEL MAGAZINE AUGUST 1989 £1.50 = Me orgs: le NAVIGA WORLD STATIC BRITISH take 10 medals! Sternwheeler Full-size Plans ISSN 9 0144-2910 |||| 770144°291008 have been building models for longer than I care to remember, and over the past ten years or so have completed a number of planked on frame models. Perhaps, like most people, I shied away from this method of construction, believing it to be ‘too difficult’. Perhaps, also, like most people, I have since found that it is not at all AMMONIA! The latest aid to modelling — or easy plank bending – described by Captain Tony Oakley difficult, and I cannot see myself ever building a model ship’s hull any other way. This has nothing to do with realism, or a vague sense of trying to follow full size practice, (though these feelings are both there) but more to do with being by far the easiest and quickest way of developing the complex double curvatures found in most hull shapes, both ancient and modern. The only tricky bit in planking a framed model, is to bend the planks without them breaking. Despite the high quality of the wood supplied in most kits these days, one must still accept that constraints on costs will limit the choice of the manufacturer. At this moment I am planking a model of the Bounty, from the popular Billing Kit, and the wood supplied for this is a form of obechi. Now, this is not the easiest of woods to bend, and the instructions suggest soaking in hot water for ten minutes to soften them up. Whilst I have found that this certainly helps, there is a better way. The trick is to soak them in ammonia. About 10 or 15 minutes is enough, but this is not critical, and you can put a whole handful of planks in to soak, taking them out one at at time, as you need them. This way, some may stay in to soak over night, but I have found no adverse effects. Safety First Ammonia is a poison, and must be treated with respect. It should be kept out of the reach of children and pets, and should only be used in well ventilated areas. A bottle of ‘ammonia’ can be purchased from most any chemist, and the liquid supplied is in fact a solution of ammonia in water. It gives off a very pungent smell, which whilst not in itself unpleasant, is extremely irritating to the throat and lungs, and particularly to the eyes. Any contamination to the skin should be immediately washed under cold water, and should you be so unfortunate as to get splashes into your eyes, copious The ammonia container from 1 in. plastic waste pipe and fittings. Planking strips in soak, and cold water nearby for final rinsing. cold water should be used to rinse them out, and you should seek medical attention. Now, how can we use this substance in a normal household, without having to issue gas masks to all the family? Well, here is a simple method I have used over the years, with great success. At the moment I am living in temporary accommodation, and am making my model in the living room, with no complaints. (At least, not of the smell. I have learnt how to put up with all the other wifely complaints!) and plug will be needed for the other end. When finished, the end of the planking strip should reach to about an inch below the outer end of the second coupler. This second coupler should now be assembled onto the cut end of the pipe, at which stage one of the planking strips should be placed inside the tube, to check for length. Now remove the rubber ‘O’ ring from inside the free end of the coupler, and place it over the shaft of the remaining plug, pressing it up against the end to The Container First of all, make yourself a container to hold the strips of wood for soaking. I use a length of plastic waste pipe, with the Bounty, stern planking complete, prior to sanding and second skin, from underside. 46 necessary fittings, which are all available at any D.I.Y. store. Apart from a length of pipe, you will need two ‘straight couplers’ and two ‘access plugs’. (These are just blank plugs.) This waste pipe comes in two sizes, 1’4in. and 14in. Either size is suitable, but make sure you get the correct size of fittings for the pipe. Assemble a plug into one end of the first coupler, and then insert one end of the pipe into the other end of the same coupler. Then, using a planking strip as a guide, cut the pipe to length, remembering that another coupler 1.8 x 7mm obechi plank rolled into a 40mm diameter coil after soaking in ammonia for just 715 minutes. MODEL BOATS Bounty, bow planking complete, prior to sanding and second skin. ensure that it lies evenly. This plug will now act as a ‘lid’ for your container, but it will not be a tight fit, so the container must always be used with the open end up. Some waste pipe fittings do not have ‘O’ rings, but instead have rubber seals, which are tightened up after assembly. These are just as good, if not better. In this case, all the joints should be well tightened, except only the top one, which may be lightly closed to make a good fit for the lid. In Use Next, take your container into the open air, and fill it to within three inches of the Bounty’s bow planking in progress. may be placed into the tube as you wish, though I find that about 10 or 12 at a time is about right. Keep the lid on at all times, except when actually handling the strips. After the required soaking time, the strips should be removed, one at a time, as you need them. After taking one out, replace the lid, and then rinse the strip under the cold water tap to wash off the surplus ammonia, drying it with a paper towel to remove the drips. Though there will still be a slight smell of ammonia on your strip, this will be quite acceptable, and it will remain pliable for ten minutes or more, giving you ample time to shape and fix it onto your model. As a bonus, the softening process will also prevent the wood top with ammonia. Avoid breathing the fumes, and if there is any wind, keep your back to it. (As a guide, my container is made from 1’4in. pipe, is 31%in. long, and it takes one and a half, standard 500cc bottles to fill it.) Cover the open end with the plug, and keeping the container upright, take it back indoors, or wherever splitting when you use nails. If the slight residual smell of ammonia is unacceptable, for whatever reason, then simply exposing the wood to the fumes of you wish to keep it. In my case, I keep it in ammonia in the bottom, and to arrange a the bath, using the hole for the bath plug to stop the base from sliding. As many pieces of the planking strip using bits of thread. However, the drawback with this method is that at least 24 hours exposure to the fumes is required to produce the same degree of pliability as 10 minutes of soaking. \ACCESS PLUG “O” RING ane A TRANSFERRED ‘TO PLUG acked on 1 ammonia will still produce the required softening effect. In this case, it will be necessary to make your container long enough to hold two or three inches of STRAIGHT COUPLER ‘false bottom’ to hold the strips of wood above this level. Or else, the strips may be hung from the top lip of the container, LENGTH TO WASTE PIPE SUIT, ABOUT 1” LESS THAN PLANKS (APPROX. 31”) STRAIGHT ‘COUPLER r “if Another shot of Bounty’s bow planking in progress. All photos: Author. AUGUST 1989 ACCESS PLUG 8 T+ 47
