Is there a Tool for Plank Seams?

[Larry Exum]

On my Chris Craft Constellation 45' the caulked seams show proud in a few areas and perfectly smooth (parallel with the planks) in others.

I would like to "Define" the plank seams better by cutting a very fine "V" between the planks only about a millimeter or two deep. This must be done very evenly, and very straight with no side to side wandering, as the view down the side of the boat must show perfectly parallel lines at each plank junction. I will then repaint the entire hull.

My question is: Is there a tool devised which will neatly trim the caulk and maintain a straight line while working on the side hull ?

I will not have anything to rest against to insure a straight line. I considered very fine nails into a long furring strip to use as a saw guide, but really do not want to let an electric saw get in to a potential runaway situation. I am afraid that would be overkill, and may end up with new caulk seams which were not intended. If feasible, I would like to use a hand cutter, but do not know if there is one devised for this purpose, and if so, where to acquire it on the cheap. It would only need to be used once, as I am not going to do this again.

[Bob Cleek]

Sure, there's a tool for everything! Some you do have to make yourself, but in this case, you are in luck. Store-boughten ones are available. The standard approach is to use a batten, exactly as you described, set along each seam as a guide. You then use a router to make the bevels. You may have to search a little (Jesada Tool catalog?) for the right router bit, but they're out there. On the other hand, you are absolutely right that a hand tool will give you greater control and for this application be a lot easier to use because of its far lighter weight over a powered router. (Although you might want to try a Dremel if you are really patient!)

Hand routers are still made. Check out the specialty tool catalogs like Highland Hardware and Garrett Wade. I do believe that O. Lie Neilsen makes a repro of the original Stanley hand router and has many blades available, including blanks for making your own. You could also use a combination plane, like the Stanley 45 or 55 with a veining blade, although it would be heavier (and a lot more expensive.)

Now, that's the answer to your question. On the other hand, maybe you might think about the answer to the threshold question... "Why would you want to do a crazy thing like that to begin with?" Your Connie is a classic or close to it. It would be a shame to give her a "seamed" look when she was never intended to have one. Beveled seams can look nice on some designs, but I am afraid it would look pretty crappy on a Connie, particularly up around the bow with its unique curves. Not only that but what you are contemplating is a huge amount of work. Multiply the number of seams times their length... that's a hell of a lot of routing without making a mistake, believe you me. For what? You can sand the proud seams where the stopping has bulged easily enough and she'll look just like she did the day she came from the factory. Be careful what you wish for. Cutting seams isn't all it's cracked up to be. For one thing, I'll bet you anything that when you go to fitting battens to do the job you are going to find that some, if not all, of those plank seams aren't perfectly fair and parallel. They were scribed and cut to fit the one next to each, and things tend to wobble a bit, particularly on a job where they never intended the seams to be accentuated. Take two asprin and fuggedaboudit. You'll thank me in the morning.

[Allen Foote]

To do this you need to rethink what you want. A retired painter showed me how to do this on his last boat...prior to dying from cancer. You need to clean out the seams and reputty them...you "cut" the groove in the seam compound as it drys. Overnight it will set up enough so the marking tool doesn't "drag" the putty but indents it. 1 coat of paint hardens the putty surface.

[Larry Exum]

Cleek may be on to something. 45 feet times two sides, =90 feet times 18 planks. DOH !

If if started now, I could be finished by the time I am 123 years old. Maybe, I'll just have a Margarita instead.

Larry

[RGM]

Larry, you are getting better at this, the margarita IS the proper tool for this particular situation.

[fisherman]

In "How to built a wooden boat" I saw the trick of using a V-shaped block of wood with some coarse sanding paper wrapped around it (grit 80 or something). I did it on my boat, removing the caulking with a Fein and after that sanding it down a litlle. It looks very nice. Over 300 ft of seams took me only 25 hours of hard labour. I think setting up the guidingsystem for routing will take at least double that time.

[ 08-22-2002, 04:09 AM: Message edited by: fisherman ]

[Scott Rosen]

Cleek's on to something. You need to check the fairness of the seams before you undertake the job. As to how to do it, I'm more in line with what Fisherman and Foote have to say about it. You'll sweat a little more, but the job will go quicker and you'll have greater control over the cut. In the case of Foote's idea, if you make a goof, you can fix it with a little putty.