Research Note

Deck Planking

Mike Tavella, John O. Kopf

In Historic Ship Models by Wolfram zu Mondfeld, on page 99, he shows a number of different deck butt patterns. Some French or some continental. Whether any of these would apply to your ship , I don't know. But here is how they work.

4 Plank shift.

Depending on the plan, you start with a full length deck plank, the next plank is some fraction of that and so on. For example for a simple 4-plank shift, you start with a full plank of 5 units long, next to that is a plank that is one unit long, next is a plank 2 units long, next a 3 unit plank and a 4 unit plank and finally a 5 unit plank.

4 Plank shift.

For a three plank shift, start with a plank 4 units long, next to that place a 1 unit long plank, then a 2 unit plank then a 3 unit plank, than a 4 unit plank.

After the first row of planks is laid, use full length planks (e.g., either 5 units or 4 units) the rest of the length of the deck and the butt pattern automatically follows.

Now, the big question is how long to make them? Unlike hull planks, deck beams were not length-limited, so you don't have to go too short. For a French Ship of the line that was scaled 1"=7.5 feet, I used a modified French five plank shift, where the longest planks were 5 units long. I used 5 inches for this length, as it made cutting the other planks much simpler. 5 inches equalled 37.5 feet, which is perhaps approaching the top limit for a deck plank.

I would advise picking a workable length, that can easily be divided by the number of divisions you want to use.
{Mike Tavella}

Remember that plank-butts are a source of weakness; avoid them if a full-length plank would fit into the space, such as between deck structures.

Partial view of Deck of my model of Iris, Ex. Hancock.

Note also the relationship of hatches to the deck beams.

{John O. Kopf}

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