Ok, this may not be the best way, but this is what I do (I hope I don't forget something):
1. Photograph deck next to a ruler so you know where the deck gear goes
(I thought I had a picture for this but I cannot find it)
2. Slice off deck gear with a wide xacto chisel style blade. Work the knife back and forth and cut into the item a little bit on one side, then go at it from the other. Take your time. Be careful. Develop this skill by practicing on junk kits. It's OK, even preferential, to take a little deck with the piece. You can sand the item even later and fill the deck impression later also. Take as much deck gear as you think needs to come off the deck. With the first ship I did (a modern BB) I removed ALL deck stuff in the way. On this one I only removed the non-square items because I knew I was going to put some PE on most of the hatch areas. In retrospect I probably should have removed more items, as I did in the first attempt.
3. Decide on a pattern inlcuding how long to make the lengths. I have done continuous and cut lengths, I like cut lengths better. I used 20mm for the Bismarck. While 10mm would have been closer to scale, but I didn't want to lay that many pieces.
4. Decide on whether to build the deck pieces separately or together. If you are going to assemble the deck prior to gluing the wood, make sure you do anything necessary to trim deck items in the way before gluing them together. Make the deck joints firmer if the kit's joints are weak. I built the first separate and the second together. I like putting the decks together first.
5. Decide on where to start planking. I usually begin in a more open part of the deck. Since all of the ships I have built had engraved lines, I could follow them for the line up and start almost anywhere as long as I used the engraved deck lines as a guide. If there are none, then finding a center line and starting it off of that would be the best.
6. Cut the lengths (I used the Chopper)
7. Drop some CA on a surface (wax paper)
8. Use small tweezers to pick up a length, touch one end of one side in the drop, then wipe that drop back over the length.
9. Place the butt end of the length where you want it. Touch that side with the back of your blade in your other hand.
10. Lay the rest of the length down, maneuvering it quickly if needed before pressing down. You will have to develop your own technique here. Mine basically is to wipe the length down with one finger (being careful it doesn't stick to it) to wipe off the excess CA and to set the length.
11. Sometimes you will need some pressure to get the length to sit down, and here I use tweezers or the back of my blade or something else.
12. Keep laying the pieces following your pattern, making cuts on the lengths where necessary to fit against the superstructure or anything you have left on the deck. Sometimes I will do the fill in later after I have the area pretty much covered.
13, Overhang the edge and trim/sand later. Sand downward or sideways mostly to avoid catching an edge and pulling up the piece.
14. Continue untill all deck areas to be wood are covered
15. Lightly sand the deck
16. Stain the deck with your favorite stain combination
17 Alternative Glue Option: Use white glue, paint an area on the deck, lay some lengths, get them aligned & seated. Clean up the area around the section just placed. Repeat. Pick back up at #12.
I think that's it. If you have any questions, let me know.
Ed
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I will miss you Werner. Fair winds and following seas.
