This second jig helps you PRE-SPILE planks edge-wise. The curved planks
will reduce the need to edge-bend the planks at the same time you are trying
to glue them into position. The planks will lay flat across the bulkhead edges.
The lower edge of the planks will not lift up off of the bulkheads.
Stop #1
Stop #2
Spiling guide
Spiled plank
To complete this step you will be planking only five more rows
on each side of the hull (under the initial plank you positioned).
These five planks will complete the framing around each gun
port. This first layer of planks can be glued to the hull in one
length or two. There is no need to plank the 1st layer in 25’
lengths as would have been the case on the actual ship. You
might find it easier to plank around the bow first with a shorter
piece and then apply one longer plank to complete that row.
Whatever method you choose, each row should be notched
around the top and bottom of the gun ports as needed. Cut the
planks so they are flush with the inside edges of each gun port.
See the photos provided on page 6 which show step 2 complet-
ed. Note how the planks were trimmed flush around each gun
port. Another photo (top left on page 7) shows the bow planked
after step 2 was completed. Note how the initial plank doesnt sit
flush with the deck of the beakhead. This area will be planked
later in project.
Steps 3 and 4
- The third step would be to plank the hull further
so that half of the remaining space towards the keel is planked.
The fourth and final step would logically be to complete the
planking towards the keel, but this time you could reverse your
direction by starting from the keel UP. For both of these steps
you won’t have to contend with notching or trimming the planks
around the ports. But there are other considerations which you
are probably starting to encounter. As you progress further down
the hull you will no doubt notice how the planks at the bow are
no longer sitting flat against the edges of the bulkheads. Even
though you took the time to pre-bend these planks in a jig, when
you position them around the bow they need to bend edge-wise in
order to get a tight seam with the previous row. By trying to
force this edge bending, the bottom of the plank lifts up and
doesn’t sit flush against the bulkhead edge.
To address this issue, you will no longer need to pre-bend the
remaining planks in the jig you constructed. The bend around the
bow is less severe now as you progress towards the keel. But a
second jig built to pre-bend the planks edge-wise will correct the
lifting of the planks. It will make it easier for you to get them to
sit flat against the bulkhead edges. In real ship building practice,
this phenomenon was prevented by “spiling” each plank to its
proper shape. The planks would not be straight along the bow
and would instead be curved edge-wise so they would fit proper-
ly. You would need to start with a plank three times as wide as
those provided in this kit. After you determine the correct curve
for a plank it would be cut from this wider strip. This method
creates a huge amount of waste and takes a considerable amount
of time and practice to master. The additional jig offers an alter-
native to this process. Should you want to learn some advanced
planking and “spiling” techniques, Model Expo offers an excel-
lent book on the subject. A superbly illustrated guide called
“Planking the built-up ship model”.
This second jig will “pre-spile” each plank to the approximate
shape you need without having to cut and trim them. A laser cut
“spiling” guide has been provided for this purpose. It is 1/16”
thick. The curve for the remaining planks has already been deter-
mined. Simply glue this spiling guide to a scrap length of 1” x
6” inch lumber. Then position the two “stops” as shown on the
photo provided above. The stops are positioned so three tapered
planks will fit snugly into the jig. Each stop was cut from a scrap
length of 1/16” x 1/8” strips. That same photo shows the jig with
three planks being pre-spiled to shape. The spiling guide and
stops have been painted black so you can see them in that photo.
A pre-spiled plank is also shown and you can see how it retains
its shape. Soak the strips and push the three tapered ends into the
jig together. Then carefully bend each plank slowly, edge-wise
until it is firmly against the spiling guide. Bend one strip at a
time back towards the guide. Hold it down flat against the jig’s
surface as it will want to twist and spring free. The last strip will
be bent back and held in position by the 2nd “stop”.
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Summary of Contents for Mayflower 1620
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