degeusjordan

Hey everyone.

I am about to start my first build shortly. I am planning on building a Star 45 and a Footy. The problem i am having is the planking. What is the easiest way to cut the wood in thin sections? and since im in fiji i can't get plywood or any other wood at a thickness of 1/32 or 1/16. The thinnest ply wood or any other wood i've see for sale was 3mm. Would 3mm wood be to thick? i am thinking maybe if i just build a much bigger boat, say a star 45 at 1 meter or a 2 meter? if i built it that big would 3mm thickness be to thick?? and when i want to cut it for the planking what is the easiest way to do that?

One more thing, what is a good website to buy rc gear (sailarm or sailservo, servo for rudder, and a control unit)??

thanks everybody.

Jordan

LtDoc

Jordan,
Cutting your own planking isn't exactly the easiest thing to do since it's so thin. If you happen to have the tools to do it with, then have at it. If you're like most of us, you probably don't have the necessary tools, and it may be cheaper/easier to just buy it.
Using a 3 mm thick plank is certainly possible! Just sand the dang thing down to the 'proper' thickness (before or after planking the boat). Oh, you'll love that part ! It's basically a matter of, if you don't have the 'right' thingy to start with, use what you do have and then make it 'right'. Usually means more work, but that's half the fun anyway.
- 'Doc

Guiri

There's also the possibility of selecting your model to suit the material available. You could try a hard chine type of hull to avoid having to cut the wood into so many planks.
there are a few on: https://sslrelay.com/s84068217.onean...MAR2973%253D29
In any case, 3 mm ply is going to be difficult to make conform to tight curves and you could try other materials: balsa (if there are any model shops), plastic foam sheet, wood veneer etc.

lightning mike

Build your star 45 as a V bottom. then you don't have to cut the wood into strips. I built one this way and it works very well. Of course , you might step on some toes if you are going to race it, but if you want to sail it for your own enjoyment (and this is the way it should be) try it.

degeusjordan

I really like that idea of the V hull. I am thinking alot about that right now!

craigtx

do you have a tablesaw or bandsaw? you can cut strips from reg wood get a board the withd of the planking and the set the fence to the thickness 1/16 etc.
i have cut lots of planks this way plus you have great looking wood,dont use plywood

Al Stein

Working with strips is easier, but the curvature in the Star's bottom is actually very mild so there's no real need to strip plank it. A piece of sheet will take that curve OK without cutting it into strips. I used two pieces of sheet for each side of the bottom only because each side is wider than the 3inch balsa I build with. Properly fit, though, I think you could do it in a single piece of plywood or veneer or such for each side.

If you want to still go with strips to make it easier, take a look at how the Master Airscrew balsa stripper works (I know it's hard to get things in Fiji, but take a look at pictures.) Its only fancy part is the fine adjustment of the strip width... but for a boat bottom you could make all strips the same width, so you could easily make your own stripper withput any fancy adjustable parts. The trick for using the stripper on plywood or veneer is to take multiple shallow cuts. I've cut strips from basswood up to a quarter inch thick (bass is similar to obeche if that helps you know what kind of wood I mean).

mahoo

The star 45 hull bottom does need to be strip planked, but the sides can be planked with a sheet. There is a set of laser cut frames available from Steven Areomodel and keel and rudder.

Here is a link to the wood star 45 build web site. http://woodstar45.blogspot.com/

Mitch

Al Stein

Actually, the bottom can be strip planked but doesn't have to be. Mine wasn't. Here a couple of pictures from mine, in which I used 3" balsa sheet at its full width. I don't think this would be a fun way to go for a first building project, but it is doable if you take your time and fit the pieces together well.

A good first act in building a Star45 is to sign up for the Star45 group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Star45/ There are pointers to the great build blog that Mitch pointed to plus plans, pictures, discussions, and other useful stuff. In the photo section are albums of a couple of builds including mine ([link=http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Star45/photos/browse/1b42]http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Star45/photos/browse/1b42[/link]). (The hull bottom is in photos 16, 17, 20, and 21