For those interested, I've posted new photos on the progress of my new ship so far. Today I attached the decks for the holds and planked them, and attached the main deck as well. Following the contours of the bulkheads, the main deck had a tendency to curve, but since the cargo hold decks went on perfectly straight before that, I'm going to assume for now that the main deck is meant to curve the way it does.
I'm not sure how I'm meant to file/sand the parts of the bow where the bulkheads are sticking out from the main deck (ie, whether they're meant to stay that way or be filed/sanded to follow the edges of the deck), as the instructions and provided diagrams don't really show it or explain very well.
As an added bonus, my father brought me home an early birthday present yesterday (3 weeks early!) in the form of my own brand spankin' new Dremel kit and a set of 150 extra attachments, making my job a lot easier. It'll also make my warhammer stuff look a whole lot better, as i've wanted one of these for years. I used to work as an apprentice jeweller with one of these all day, and I must say I've been missing not having one handy.
So, for those in the know, please take a look-see at the new photos and let me know if I've missed anything or done something wrong that can be fixed before I go too far into construction. As much fun as I'm having with this, I certainly don't want to get halfway through building it only to find I've missed a vital step somewhere!

Prior to the planking process, you will need to smooth down the bulkheads. This is called beveling. Right now the outer edges of the bulkheads are square, parallel to the keel. If you were to plank now, as you bent the planks around the shape of the hull, they would only contact the corner of the bulkhead. So there wouldn't be much surface to glue to, and there wouldn't be much support. You'll need to trim down (bevel) one side of the bulkhead (the forward side in the bow bulkheads, the aft side in the stern bulkheads) so that the planks will lay flat across the outer edge of the bulkhead.
Then you will need to "fair the hull."
Most planking guides recommend taking a flexible strip of wood (called a batten) and bending it over the curve of the hull. It should bend smoothly and touch all the bulkheads. The bulkheads will need to be sanded down or built back up so that this occurs. Go slowly, don't take too much wood off at once. Test with the batten over and over, and in different spots of the hull to make sure that when done, your planking is smooth and solid.
Fairing the hull is an extremely important part of the planking process. Take your time. There are plenty of planking guides out there, read a few of them for tips on fairing the hull. I think I recall that some of the members here linked some of them in your previous topic about your grandfather's model. If not, let me know and I'll post some links.

Awesome, thanks for that. My main question is about the bow. If you look at the photos, I don't know if you can see it too well, but the bulkheads are sticking out from the main deck (if looking from a top-down view). So should these be beveled to a point where they are even with the deck and no longer stick out as they do now? The way they're sticking out was unavoidable, it seems the deck was cut a little too small for the bulkheads that lie under it.

Yeah, I saw that from the pictures, but it looks like the only part of the bulkhead that's sticking out is the forward edge, which would be removed when the bulkheads are beveled. Each bulkhead in the bow will be widest on the side that faces aft. It looks like the aft-side of the bulkhead is flush with the edge of the deck. The problem with them sticking out should be eliminated when you have beveled the bulkheads.

Thanks, I think I'll also take some advice from a few of the articles I've read and also use some chunks of balsa wood between some of the bulkheads, particularly at the bow and stern sections, and sand those along with the bulkheads to give me an easier guide when I eventually begin the planking. My pop had started a similar process on his ship as well (between the first few bow bulkheads) and i found it much easier attaching planks on that end than at the other end where all I really had to stick them to was the bulkhead itself.

A good source for a lot of the balsa and other items you'll need is your local arts & crafts store. We have "Michaels" & "AC Moore" to start with. You'll find yourself visiting them a lot.
As for the deck and hull planks, make what's called a batten. A very thin plank that can be bent to the shape of the hull to test the way the planks will lie on the frame. Aircraft balsa works well or any wood that is very thin and flexible will do.
The only places you'll really need blocking is the bow and stern. The rest of the hull will be fairly straight.
The curve in the deck that you mentioned is correct. It's so that water will roll off the ship toward the scuppers or drains and not accumulate on deck.
Finally, when you start bending the planks, it's 3 parts water to one part clear ammonia. Heat as you bend with a soldering iron and a blunt or no tip at all.

Post some more photos as you progress.

Ok, so I cut some square chunks of balsa (of which I already have loads for building Warhammer stuff, but thanks for the tip), glued them into the gap between bulkheads 1 and 2, then used the Dremel cutting wheel to carve it up like a christmas turkey before finally sanding it into a reasonably rounded shape.
Like the new photos say, maybe it's just me, but it looks as though I've made a mess of this and may have to dig it all out again. For one thing, it doesn't look to me like I can get it to the proper angle to wrap the hull planks around it. For another, before I filled it I was sure where the planks were going to end, and now it all sort of blends together and i'm no longer sure.
Have I buggered this? Should I go back and dig it out or leave it as is and continue sanding it down?
I know I'm probably starting to get annoying at this point with my supreme newbie-ness, but short of having someone sit me down and physically show me step by step, this is the only place I've found any sort of meaningful help thus far.

Brad:
When you begin the fairing process the bow area will be sanded/filed into a smooth surface level with your bulkheads.
Does the kit provide additional wooden pieces to form the bottom of the keel, stern post and bow? Or is the keel you have the final form? I'm not familiar with the Swift's lines.
It's not "buggered-up" yet (that comes later ;) It appears you're progressing well and with-in limits. Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy, this is supposed to be fun, not torture. :)

To answer your question, the kit comes with extra prefab parts for the keel, sternpost and bow. Aside from the regular instruction booklet, it also came with a set of diagrams for each step, and the reason I haven't yet attached them is because it says not to till the entire hull has been planked (as have a few of the guides I've read). However, some of the photo diagrams showing each step are at dreadful angles, hence my confusion.

OK, got it:
This type of kit will have you plank up to (or down to) your present keel/bow/stern structure. later you will clean out the channel between port and starboard planks the same width as your keel; then you add the additional parts to the keel. This alleviates the need to cut a rabbit in the keel (difficult for some people).
The extra balsa-wood in the bow/stern will sand/file well, so your planks go on with a "good flow to the planks".
Let you eyes (and fingers) be your guide as to "smooth flow" and "clean lines" of the hull.
As you continue to place filler blocks keep an eye on your keel and bulkheads to be sure they are straight and square. Some glues (Elmer's wood glue for example) have moisture and can warp wood if it not properly held in place.
I use CA with excellarator almost exclusively(sets instantly) it will stain the wood if not used sparingly but that's just my preference and I paint all my models anyway.
When it comes time to run your planks, I would suggest you get a small elec. tea kettle to heat your water to a boil (it speeds-up the softening process to minutes) they cost about $9.96 US and work well. I got the tall, skinny model. I don't use ammonia in the water (it just boils away and stinks); some have stated it doesn't do any good anyway and may stain your wood in the process. If you plan to paint, it's not a problem.
Many here are masters of this hobby and won't hesitate to answer any questions; so keep at it and don't hesitate to ask questions.
As always: Good luck with your model and "Carry on".

The reason you're getting confused is that you can't see what the finished hull is supposed to look like until you finish planking it and unless you build the same model twice you never will.
Just work the planks to the shape you're frame determines. This is the first layer of planks so you can make corrections in the shape of the hull with patch pieces and filler putty like Bondo or wood putty. They'll be hidden by the next layer.
The rabbit that was mentioned is a notch between the keel and frame running the length of the keel. A book I have called "Planking techniques for model shipbuilders" by Dressel emphasizes that the rabbit is extremely important. I don't know for sure but if it helps to hide the ends of planks and helps keep them in place I'd put it in. Usually it means just raising the keel off the frame by a thickness of a plank so the ends can slide underneath or cutting a notch in the keel..
I hope I didn't confuse you with all that.
Here' a sketch of a rabbit.

Ok, I think i'm finally starting to get it. It's kinda like learning an entire new language, it sometimes takes a dozen or so explanations before it begins to sink in. I'm worrying way too much about how things will look after the first planking stage. As some have stated, once the first planking stage is done, I can always fill in gaps and such with putty or spare pieces of plank, and if the worst occurs and i totally get it wrong by some miracle, I can always remove and redo the procedure anyway. I've got plenty of spare planks (the ones in my grandfather's kit are the same length, thickness and material) and my local hobby shop where I bought the boat has said they have loads of spare planking.
So, here goes nothing, and i'll post new photos once I've finished the first lot of planks.
Thanks again guys :)

Welcome to the club. You're lucky to have a hobby shop nearby that supplies ship parts.

Just about ready to start the hull planking (and actually looking forward to it too), but I have one last question first. When I bought the ship it came with plank benders (they look like plastic pliers witha small blade inside the vice part). Would I be better using these or simply bending as I attach? And if I do use them, HOW do I use them? Seems to me if I were to use more than the slightest bit of pressure, the blade built into them would slice through the plank.

They work alright on some wood but I didn't like the way they mangled the planks. It takes a lot of pressure to cut into the plank with them and they didn't cut through the wood but you have to cut a lot and I mean A LOT before the plank starts to bend. They also break easily.
The way you use them is keep on scoring the plank with the blade on the inside part of the wood, the side that won't be seen. If you look closely at it the part opposite the blade is slightly canted so that as you squeeze down the board bends toward the blade. Try it on a scrap board about 2mm x 5mm. A soft wood works better than hard wood and a brittle wood like coral or mahogany you cant use it at all.
The best plank bender is a soldering iron and water or steam.

And thus we have the first screw up, nearly causing me to throw the boat at the wall. I began gluing and nailing down the first plank, and everything went perfectly....until i got to the last nail in the stern. If you look at the attached photos, there's no surface for them to nail or glue down to. I tried filling the gap between the 2 pieces of the stern with putty, but nails just slide right out of putty, so they have no purchase.
Please tell me there's a way to fix this before I end up tearing apart the stern section trying to nail down a plank that wont stay down. The way it's been designed seems ridiculously narrow, and it's bad enough they've already made one of the bulkheads around the middle of the ship too narrow so it doesn't line up with the rest. I'm basically having to skip a bulkhead as i wrap the planks around it because it was cut too small.
http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/data/824/thumbs/Stern_plank1.JPG (http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/data/824/Stern_plank1.JPG)http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/data/824/thumbs/Stern_Plank2a.JPG (http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/data/824/Stern_Plank2a.JPG)

The frame that's too small can be built up with small pieces of scrap wood shims and wood glue.
The section that the plank has nothing to nail to can be filled in with balsa and don't rely on nails to hold planks. It's the glue that is important.
If you're using wood putty try wood filler instead or Bondo for cars ( I've never used it but some of the more experienced members swear by it ).
Also a CA glue like Loctite super glue is good for hard to hold places but use it sparingly, it doesn't come off and you can't stain over it.
Elmer's carpenters glue or some type of carpenters glue is more forgiving it just takes longer to dry.

Brad: A few questions.
1.Look at the box the kit came in; does it show a photo of the stern? What does it look like? round, square, or something else?
2. Are you shaving/shaping the planks? Doesn't appear so but you must because all the bulkheads are not the same length top to bottom.
3. Do the instructions call for you to fill-in the stern? If not, don't.
4. Did you run "battens" to visualize the run of the planks before you started planking? It would be a good idea to do so.
5. I've found plank benders to be a waste of time
(my personal opinion, others use them with good results)
6. Here's a tip: when running planks; place the plank in place and hold in place with "push pins", visualize the run to see if it conforms and fits well with the prior plank,then glue in place.
7. If you have one bulkhead that is consistantly to small, it may be in the wrong position. If it isn't, then "shim " it to proper shape with a strip of wood. (final planking strips work well for this.

I can't find a photo of Swift other that a "pilot boat that was a precursor of the Baltimore Clipper type of vessel and none that show the stern but I'd hazard a guess that being a "beginner's" model it does not call for a large amount of shaping/changing hull configurations from the plan.

The kit's instructions came with a separate booklet of step by step diagrams in the form of actual photos that are meant to go along with the instructions. From what I can gather looking at the pictures of the stern after the first planking stage is done (and out of 32 steps this is the only picture of the stern) it's squared rather than rounded.
I realised later on that I had forgotten to put another small piece of deck on top of the last 2 bulkheads at the stern end, so now at least I have a line to guide me as to where I should build up the inside with balsa, and a proper angle to sand it down to.
For the moment, I'm going to take a couple of days to build other parts of the ship, like the masts or cargo hold covers, while I search for some more definitive pictured on the net and pick through the instructions and diagrams as many times as it takes to make sure i get it right.

Brad, what company made the kit? Was it Artesania Latina?

Hi Brad,

I started my AL Swift in 1991, put it away in frustration in 1992 and finally got it back out and finished it in back in December of last year, so perhaps I can help a bit.

First, as I am sure you have discovered, the decks of this model are critical to the strength and alignment of the hull. You absolutely must have that aft deck in place before you attempt to plank.

Second, I would recommend that you use 5-15 second CA to attach the planks. As I recall, AL makes their bulkheads and center keel out of plywood and trying to get a tiny nail to hold in the edge of the plywood is an exercise in frustration. Don't try to use the watery "Instant" CA glue. It has it's uses, but they are few and far between in ship modeling. The 5-15 second stuff will give you time to position things where you want them before it sets and it also will stay put and not run all over the place like the instant variety. CA glue will set rapidly enough that it will allow you to hold the planks in position by hand without the need for nails.

Fairing the hull is vital if you hope to have a nicely shaped final product. As others have said, use a piece of your planking material as a batten and see how it lays against the bulkheads. You will always find some bulkheads that are a bit over-sized and some that are a bit undersized. The purpose of fairing the hull is to identify which is which and adjust them accordingly so that the batten lies in a natural, smooth curve all along the hull and at many points along the entire vertical run of the bulkheads. Sight down the batten length-wise to observe how it is laying on the bulkheads. If, as you say, one is undersized, then you must build it out with strips of scrap (very thin planking material works well here) until it meets your batten. If another is over-sized, you must sand it down. Your batten should lay nicely against every bulkhead. The whole ship modeling process is a matter of filling and sanding and fitting again and again until it is right. THEN, and only then, do you pick up the glue.

You apparently have a later version of the Swift kit. Mine had drawings only and no photos. Your pictures look like the same ship, however. The stern is indeed squared off on this model.

Your balsa filler pieces are a good idea. When I built mine, they only provided extra pieces of plywood to essentially double the width of the center keel at the bow, which is not nearly enough surface to glue to as well as establish the shape of the hull. You should only need them at the bow and stern. In reality, basswood makes a better filler block as it won't suck up glue like balsa does, but balsa is OK for now. Just make sure that the filler blocks are faired along with the bulkheads.

I don't know what your instructions are like, but the ones in my kit left much to be desired. I would strongly suggest some additional reading on basic ship modeling as a supplement. "Ship Modeling from Stem to Stern" by Roth and "How to Build First Rate Ship Models from Kits" by Lankford are two good books. As you said in one of your posts, there is a whole new language to learn in this hobby and those two books will give you a fairly good basic understanding of the lingo as well as some insights into the building process.

Approach the Swift kit methodically and patiently and it will give you a nice model. Again, ship modeling is all about patience. Don't try to rush it and you won't have to do it over.

I will take some photos of my Swift and see if I can figure out how to post them in the Gallery.

Have fun and happy building.

Bob B.

After reading all of your replies, I'm thinking maybe I should stick to solid hull models. I was going to go with a POB kit next. My first two builds have been the Phantom & Sultana.

The "Dallas" that I'm building is very similar to the "Swift" so I'll be looking for the pix of your model too. I'll be posting pix of my progress, whatever that may be, as well.

Bob, thanks a million for the tips, you've explained things perfectly for me and I'm really starting to understand things a lot better.
While I'm sure a solid hull kit would have suited me better for a first time build, it unfortunately would not have given me the experience I need to build the ship my grandfather left me afterwards. It's become all too obvious to me over the last week that planking the hull is without doubt the hardest part involved (aside from maybe the rigging), but my salvation has come in the fact that there are a million and one other, smaller jobs that can be done separately while the hull is being prepared and planked, and I've found myself having a lot of fun doing these extra bits, not to mention feeling at least some sense of accomplishment when they come out just right.
I'll come back with fresh pics when the first planking stage is finished and keep you all updated :)

Brad: One suggestion; you should read the instructions and view all the photos at least three times before starting (start to finish) to get a feeling for what will be required.. If you do that, your frustration level drops dramatically :)

DAN: Don't be put off, POB sounds difficult but it's not that bad.
get the kit or plans for the ship you want to build and go for it.
solid hull has it's own set of problems (all that time carving, sanding, shaping; all those cut fingers ;) ).

Brad: Check out the poll "what's your least favorite modelling task" or words to that effect. Once the formulae for proper planking technique is figured out, it's a "cake walk" compared to some other aspects of the hobby. can you say "RAT LINES" does the Sultana have any?
Rigging is my favorite task;; not because it is easy but because it brings the look of the model to life.


good luck and carry on.