The method of planking deck I have developed from when I built the U.S.S. Vermont. The base for the decks are cut from sheet marine plywood and sanded to the exact shape of the hull.  This can be the secured to a work base, rather than working on the actual model.  The centreline is marked along the length of the deck base.

I obtained 175 lengths of 3mm x 1mm lime planking from Mantua Models UK Ltd, Windsor, Berkshire 01753 856321. This gave me a total length of 569ft of deck planks. The camouflage scheme the model will depict shows that the decks where actually stained blue to match the scheme, thus making the ship harder to spot from above, during conflict.

Plywood base for deck planking

Planked deck positioned on hull

Having marked all the outlines of the superstructure and bollard recesses I could start to lay out each individual plank. Starting from the centreline each plank was glued in place with white PVA wood adhesive.  This process is time consuming and patience is needed to keep the work consistent. Eventually I had worked my way to the edge of the deck.  Once the deck planking is complete the whole deck can be removed from its' base board and positioned on the hull.