Scribing deck planks on Italeri 1/35 PT 596

Um, excuse me? 

The planking on those boats were so tightly together that it'd appear that it was a solid decking ...

 

Garth 

 

Here's a few picures from PT Boats, Inc.  It's very hard to make out any seams between the deck planks - they look like a solid deck.  The PT boats were double planked with Dynel cloth and adhesive between the layers of planking. 

PT 131

PT 515

PT 596

Thanks for the correction. I was going by the top view illustration from the kit book.

I have yet to visit PT-617 at Battleship Cove which I will before I start this model. The photos of 617 online show no signs of seams on  this boat, however I did not know how accurate this was to a wartime boat. 

wasn't the decking plywood like the hull?

They were NOT made from plywood.  They were made from mahogany.

Based on a review of original ELCO drawings, photos, and the tech/spec books for the 80' ELCOs, it appears that the decks were planked through PT383.  I have a photo taken at the ELCO factory showing boats with planked decks, on one of which the chart house and day cabin have 3474 chalked on them.  Hull number 3474 was PT 339, which indicates that up to that boat at least they had planked decks.   The first plywood decked 80' boats appear to begin with PT 486.  Interestingly, the earlier 77' boats had plywood decks, while their 70' predecessors had decks planked in a herringbone pattern. 

Al Ross 

Al,

I can't put my fingers on it right now but I thought that the decks were covered with canvas which gave it a smooth appearance.  Is that correct and if not can you elaborate?

Thanks

Dave

weebles wrote:

Al, I can't put my fingers on it right now but I thought that the decks were covered with canvas Thanks Dave

Not according to the specs books or plans. Keep in mind these boats were built by companies which built yachts, so their joinery was to high standards. In fact, as mentioned in 'AT CLOSE QUARTERS', ELCO was criticized by the Navy for making the boats to such high standards.

The only boats for which I've seen specs calling for canvas over the decking are the 63' MIAMI aviation rescue boats.

Al