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The first of these I have named "Planking Clamp One", and is made out of a spring type clothes pin and a short length of stiff wire. A bicycle spoke is ideal. The top sketch shows that the first step is to jam the gripping end open with a short piece of 1/2" dowel or such. Then a small piece of sandpaper is glued in place as shown and a hole drilled through the two squeezing legs about 3/8" in from the ends. I think I used a 3/32" drill - you want the smallest hole possible which will allow the wire to rotate smoothly. Next, make a bend in the wire about 1" from the end, not quite a right angle, and pass the long end through the hole, all the while with the pin jammed open, and grab the wire to make the second bend with the dimension "X" slightly longer than the combined thickness of your plank and the thickest part of your thickest plank. It will be noted in the bottom sketch that this bend of the wire is considerably more than right angled, and further, the end is ground at an angle so that it's point can grip the inside of he frame. In use. the plank is held at it's desired location, and the sandpaper leg of the clamp placed on the plank.The legs are squeezed shut so that the wire protrudes through the space between the frames and is swivelled and released so the pointy end grips the inner face of the frame.
************************************************************************* "Planking Clamp Two" is a little more complicated to build, but is easier to use than the former. It is based upon what I will call a "pickerup" as depicted in the second sketch. Overall it is about 18" long. These can be bought at our local "Dollar Store' for one dollar in a package which also includes a kind of "wand" with a magnet in it's end so that it is not an expensive proposition. The first step is to cut the spring wound cable and it's inner wire, and discard the lower piece and the gripper. You will find the cable is very hard, and requires a grinder to cut it.. Next, unscrew or tug the cable cover from the shiny ferrule and junk that also. Then make the wooden block as shown some 5/8" square and 1-1/4" long with coarse sandpaper glued as shown. Drill a 1/16" hole through,and follow that with a drill just large enough to take the ferrule with a push fit. Insert the wire and slide the ferrule to the full depth. The wire is bent, cut and ground sharp as in Clamp One, and it is used in the same way. I found that having 8 or 10 clamps on hand is useful so that when one plank is secure, it's clamps can remain in place for a good cure of the glue while you are fitting the next plank on the opposite side of the ship.
You can contact Charlie at: mandcsim@rogers.com
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