Building Clinker Model Boats

Clinker-built boats have planks that overlap like the slats of a clapboard house. Each strake laps over the one below it. The look is distinctive: a run of crisp shadow lines along the hull that’s hard to fake once a model is painted. Building a clinker hull at model scale takes more planning than smooth planking, but it’s very achievable with the right setup.

What clinker construction is

In clinker (also called lapstrake) construction, the lower edge of each plank overlaps the upper edge of the plank below. The overlapping strip is called the land. On full-size boats, the planks are fastened to each other through the lands, traditionally with copper rivets or clenched nails. The hull is usually planked first, and the internal frames (often steamed timbers) are fitted afterwards.

Clinker construction has a long history in northern Europe. Viking-age ships are the best-known example. It was also used for many small craft: ship’s boats, rowing and sailing dinghies, and beach boats.

Clinker vs carvel

On a model, the build order often follows the real boat: the planks go on over temporary moulds and the frames are added once the shell is off.

Kits or scratch build

Several wooden kit makers offer clinker ship’s boats and Norse ships. Some include pre-cut plank shapes, which take out the hardest part (spiling). A kit is a sensible first clinker project. Scratch building gives you full control over scale and plank layout, but you’ll shape every plank yourself.

Building jig: building board, moulds and backbone

Most clinker models are built upside down:

1. Set up a flat building board with a centreline.
2. Make temporary moulds from the body plan sections and stand them on their stations, square and on the centreline. Our overview of making a model boat hull explains this setup.
3. Fit the backbone (keel, stem and sternpost or transom) into slots in the moulds.
4. Make sure planks can’t be glued to the moulds: tape or wax the mould edges.

Unlike carvel planking, the moulds don’t need full-width bevels. Each clinker plank only touches the mould along a narrow line. The mould edges should still be faired so the planks follow a smooth curve. See how to fair bulkheads before planking a model ship for the general method.

Materials for clinker planking at model scale

• Thin plywood (for example 0.4 mm to 1 mm birch ply) is stable, splits less than solid wood, and holds an edge well. Kits often use it.
• Solid strip or veneer in basswood, lime, pear or similar woods looks more authentic under a clear finish, but it is more prone to splitting along the grain.
• Card or styrene can work for small plastic-kit boats where a painted finish will hide the material.

Plank thickness matters more on clinker than on carvel hulls, because the edges show. A plank that’s too thick makes heavy, toy-like laps. For more on species and sizes, see our guide to model boat timber and planking supplies.

Lining off the laps

Lining off is the most important step on a clinker hull. Every lap is visible, so the strakes must run in smooth, even lines.

1. Decide the number of strakes from the plan or references.
2. At each mould, and at the stem and transom, measure the girth from the keel (or the hog) to the sheer.
3. Divide each girth by the number of strakes to get the plank width at that station. Add the land width to each plank.
4. Mark the lines on the moulds and stem, and check them with a thin batten. The lands should run in fair curves when viewed from the side, the end and below.

Expect the plank widths to vary a lot along the hull, with planks much narrower at the ends than amidships.

Shaping and hanging each plank

Spiling plank shapes

Clinker planks are rarely straight. Laid out flat, most are curved and often banana-shaped. To find the shape, many builders spile each plank:

• Hold a strip of thin card against the hull where the plank will go.
• Mark the edge of the previous plank and the station marks onto the card.
• Use the card as a template to cut the plank from sheet stock, adding the land width along the top edge.

Bevelling the lands

So each plank sits snugly on the one below, the land on the lower plank is often bevelled slightly. Without a bevel, the planks can rock or leave a gap. On small models, gentle sanding along the land is often enough.

Gains at the stem and transom

Toward the stem and (on a transom-sterned boat) the transom, full-size clinker planks are often rebated so the laps fade out and the planks lie flush where they meet the stem. This rebate is called a gain. On a model, you can create a gain by tapering the thickness of both planks over a short distance near the end, so they finish flush in the stem rabbet. Without gains, the stem ends look stepped and the planks won’t seat neatly.

Gluing and simulated fastenings

• PVA gives working time and is easy to clean up from the lands.
• CA is handy for tacking a plank end in place, but use it sparingly on surfaces that will be varnished.

Apply glue along the land only. Hold each plank in place with small clamps, clothes pegs or bulldog clips along the land until the glue grabs.

On a larger-scale model, you can simulate rivets with fine copper wire or pin heads set into the lands at regular spacing. At small scales, a light row of pencil or paint dots can suggest them without looking overdone.

Removing from the moulds and fitting frames

Once planking is complete and the glue has fully cured:

1. Free the backbone from the building board.
2. Lift the shell off the moulds carefully. Some moulds may need to be cut away in pieces.
3. Fit thwarts, risers and stringers to brace the shell if the design calls for them.
4. Fit the frames (timbers) on the inside, bending thin strips to follow each lap. On a real boat these are often steamed timbers that follow the stepped inside surface, so small fillers or notches may be needed.

Finishing a clinker hull

• Sand gently along the planks. Rounding the lap edges spoils the crisp shadow lines.
• If you paint, use thin coats so paint doesn’t fill the corners under each lap.
• Clear finishes show off the lands well on natural-wood models.
• A working clinker model needs sealing like any other wooden hull. See our guide to waterproofing a wooden model boat hull, and avoid thick coatings that would blur the laps.

Common problems

Clinker planking rewards patience. Each plank is a small project, but the finished hull has a texture that smooth planking can’t match.