Trimming Planking

[Dave Osborn]

Does anybody have a good way to trim planking below the rib tips? Normally I scribe them with a pencil and cut them with a sharp utility knife. Every time I do that I think to myself that there should be a better way, somehow.
Dave

 

[Dave Wermuth]

I know!

How do they do that? I have a tool that marks the line with a scribe instead of a pencil. then I follow the scribe line a little easier than a pencil line. But not much. Perhaps a cutting wheel like they use for quilts and pizzas? I could be onto something.

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

Dave,
How about a cordless Dremel tool with one of their little saw blades. Even if it doesn't cut all the way through [though it should] it would reduce what would have to be cut with the knife.
Denis

 

[Canoez]

How about a mortise gage that has a knife blade. They make them commercially, but you could certainly make your own.

Alternatively, a palm router with a cutter and a bearing so that the difference between the OD of the cutter and the OD of the bearing is 2x the planking thickness.

 

[Dan Miller]

I've got a pencil holder to mark the planking for cutting. Rides on top of the gunwale and has a notch to ride over proud plank edges. Probably something from Rollin and Jerry's book or in one of their later articles (I didn't think it up on my own...!). T'would be a simple matter to make the same thing to hold a utility knife blade to be used in the same manner.

Pics if necessary when I return from bloody cold (and soon to be very wet) San Diego...

On the other hand, freehand cutting is fast, easy, and won't be seen again until your dead and gone...!

 

[Dave Osborn]

Found a good way....

I'll post a photo later, but I mounted a utility knife on a piece of wood. The centerline of the blade to the knife is about perfect for plank removal depth. Pulling the board w/ mounted knife cut through the plank material with ease if approached with the correct cutting angle using the whole length of the blade. It didn't always cut through, but enough to pull off the waste without splitting or tearing.

 

[Dave Osborn]

here are photos of the tool I cobbled together to trim plamking at the ribs tops.

 

[pklonowski]

Sort of a side-mounted spokeshave... Brilliant!

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Hi Dave

Elegant simplicity! Looks like excellent control. Mine are inverted 'U' shaped. One side of the U is longer than the other. Allows one side of the U to ride on the inwale and the rib tops do not get in the way if they are still a bit long prior to final sanding. I like your design better.

 

[cedarboater]

I know this is not "old school-hand tools" but I plan to use my oscillating multi tool by Dremel to cut the rip tips off on my boat. I have used this tool for cutting many things around the house / shop. Great control and safer too, won't cut you. Please don't chastise me to much, I am still learning / gathering the proper hand tools for some of these tasks that really are done better the "old way" Hope to meet some of you at QWS this Saturday, I was not able to make the Johnson's outing. Randy

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

Randy,
I was going to bring that tool up but since I don't have one and have never used one; I thus have no knowledge as to their performance. I thought I'd hold my thoughts. Though it does sound like it had potential.;
If you try it let us know the results.
Denis

 

[Steve Ambrose]

They work great for trimming rib tips (careful not to chew into the rails) but without rigging some sort of depth stop to keep out of the ribs and ring nail heads I can't see them working for trimming planking on the boat.

One method I've used is to clamp the sheer plank sections in place, mark the cut line with the pencil gauge, then remove the section and freehand to the line on the bandsaw. Fast, easy, and less frustrating than trimming in place with a utility knife.

 

[fred capenos]

I got one for Christmas and it is a great tool.. I replaced all of the rib tips on the Morris we are doing and it saw a lot of use. There is very little vibration, it requires very little force, comes with different blades and a sanding pad for that finesse work.. Here's a couple pictures of it in action. I use a small piece of copper to stay off the rails.