Steve Downs Posted November 26, 2003 Posted November 26, 2003 Just thought I'd try to post a couple of pictures just to see if I can do it. Bear with me, I've never done this before. The first one is what I have been working on so far while waiting to get the keel underway. I do have my lumber now and after Thanksgiving I can get serious about it. The secone one is my workshop I just completed so I can move my operation out of the garage and make my wife happy. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin] Quote
Barnacle Jim Posted November 26, 2003 Posted November 26, 2003 Hi Steve, Looks as if you have a great start! Nice craftsmanship! Thanks for the photographs. Quote
Bill Paxton Posted November 26, 2003 Posted November 26, 2003 I'd like to make a prediction: your boat will be a beauty! Your care attention to detail is already evident. Enjoy the process, but don't forget that the real fun starts when she hits the water. Good luck, Steve! Quote
Frank Hagan Posted November 27, 2003 Posted November 27, 2003 Wow! Nice handmade blocks and deadeyes. Bill's spot on, it looks like you will have a great looking boat. Quote
Jan Williamson Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 Steve, I am truly impressed. And I agree your boat will be beautiful!!! You have got a lot done too. Are the dead-eyes complicated to make? So is the other pic of your new shop? Quote
Zeroice Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 Looks like a very nice start! I started my weekender with the wheel and some trim pieces as well. Quote
Steve Downs Posted December 4, 2003 Author Posted December 4, 2003 Thanks Jan, yes that is my shop such as it is. It's small but it will be nice to work in during the cold months. The deadeyes were really very simple to make. I used a hole saw on a fir 2x4 and cut the recess on the table saw carefully nibbling away the material. The upper deadeye was just cut away with a round file by hand. I then used a 1/4" roundover bit on the outside and holes. The bit didn't have a ball bearing so it fit inside the holes just fine. The ironic part is that I did those and cut out and turned the wheel parts 15 years ago. Not that I'm a procrastinator. I got my keel lumber planed down to 3/4" so this Saturday I can start piecing the planks together to the right size. Can't wait, but I have other commitments till then. How's your yacht coming along? Quote
Jan Williamson Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 Steve, Your shop looks nice. We'll see the inside as you go forward with the boat. My garage is pretty messy with all the sawdust and epoxy. I'll have to look into the blocks and dead-eyes a little further. I not completely clear on how to make them. You said you use the table saw? On a round piece? Did you make a jig to hold it? I took two week off of boat building. I made a trip to Colorado to say good bye to my son (Army) heading to Iraq. And with Thanksgiving the following weekend well.... So I will resume next week. With one hull side complete, toe rail and rub rail and I have the second hull side half on, and the other side of the cockpit to be completed. I have only made the grab bars as far as hardwood bits and pieces. I think I will utilize the scroll saw at my local high school woodshop for the steering wheel. I did notice that yours are turned spindles which look very nice. I may opt to use the lathe instead. I'll show a pic, but my boat is nothing to brag about like yours I am rather sloppy. :oops: [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin] Quote
Steve Downs Posted December 5, 2003 Author Posted December 5, 2003 Jan, you have nothing to be ashamed of. That's beautiful work. You're coming along nicely. There's no jig involved in cutting the recess on the deadeye. I just set the fence at the proper distance from the edge, hold the disc on its edge and push it through carefully. Hold tight and don't panic. Rotate it and push it through again. Do the other side while you have your fence set up then move the fence out another 1/8" and do it again until all the material is gone. It takes awhile but I couldn't figure out another way to do it other than with a rasp and a lot of elbow grease. You might want to place a piece of 1/8" masonite over the blade and run the blade up through the masonite to the correct depth so that there are no gaps to fall through on the sides of the blade. I don't know if I'm making myself clear, it's easier to show you than tell you. Quote
Jan Williamson Posted December 5, 2003 Posted December 5, 2003 Steve, Thanks for the compliment. I know exactly what you mean now, I think I would use the tenoning jig to hold the piece and keep it from rotating as it is going through. I'm chicken :oops: Thanks for the extra explanation. Quote
Pat Mellema Posted December 5, 2003 Posted December 5, 2003 Jan Another way to cut the grooves is to put a bolt through the center hole and chuck it up in a drill press and turn it like it was on a lathe. I have turned spools for another project that way and it worked well. Your boat is looking good. Quote
Barry Pyeatt Posted December 5, 2003 Posted December 5, 2003 That would be my approach as well. Drill press and just shape them with a rasp or a good file. And sand them at the same time. At a slow speed it is also a great way to apply either oil or varnish finishes. :wink: Quote
Phil Gowans Posted December 5, 2003 Posted December 5, 2003 I didn't want a hole in the center of my deadeyes, so I cut them out with a jigsaw. I cut the strap recess with my router on a router table by simply hand rotating the deadeye at the appropriate offset. Real simple, perfect depth and placement and only took about a minute. I did the groove for the cable the same way. Quote
Konrad in Lincoln Posted December 9, 2003 Posted December 9, 2003 Your 4x4 posts in the breezeway... are they bearing on the concrete slab? Quote
Frank Hagan Posted December 9, 2003 Posted December 9, 2003 Your 4x4 posts in the breezeway... are they bearing on the concrete slab? Wondered the same thing myself, especially since the post anchors I had to use for my deck are so ugly (about 14" high up the side of the 4x6 posts, with 18" square footings flush, but visible, with the patio). Looks like there are post anchors on the posts, but the small 4" high ones. May have the footing actually under the slab on top ... if that's the case, its a good finishing job. Looks nice ... unlike my posts. :? Quote
Steve Downs Posted December 9, 2003 Author Posted December 9, 2003 Actually the posts are two 2x4 with a 2x2 sandwiched in between so they wrap around the header and there are footings under there with the posts sitting in a steel anchor to keep them out of the water. Thanks, it is coming together. Quote
tdrown Posted December 10, 2003 Posted December 10, 2003 Looks great, congradulations. You should have have a fine looking boat with your attention to detail. Have you started the keel now that it's after Thanksgiving? Quote
Steve Downs Posted December 10, 2003 Author Posted December 10, 2003 I spent Saturday splicing timbers together to make up 1x12x14' planks. I used gorilla glue and pocket screws to edge join everything. Now that they are dry I will take out the screws, plug the holes and start lofting this Saturday. I'm planning on a similar process in doing the laminations; gorilla glue and screws then removing the screws when it is dry. It's getting there even with all the interruptions - company parties to both attend and to perform at, Messiah rehersals, grandkids Christmas gifts and so forth. I'm a pretty busy guy. :shock: Quote
Jan Williamson Posted December 11, 2003 Posted December 11, 2003 Steve, Congratulations on your start. I was so fired up once I bought the wood and got started in Sept., nothing was getting in my way, but my boat building had to go on vacation till after the new year, because of holiday things. Too hard to do it all and be knee deep in epoxy. I decided to focus on the holidays. Once January rolls around winter bordom sets in big time around here. Good time to heat up the garage and get back to work. Have fun Quote
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