Pictures for Dingo and others

[capt jake]

OK, here are the mast hoops. Finally have a decent finish on them and hope to install them this weekend.

[Barry Pyeatt]

Lovely to look at. Can you advise us as to the actual dimensions you used and how many laminations you wound up with when you glued the ply together to make your blank?

Any challenges in turning them other than rip out of the cross ply fibers?

[Greg Luckett]

I wonder how mast hoops were made in the past, when sail was king? Any suggestions where to learn this?

Thanks gang.

[Guest]

Picture for Shane and others.

For more beauty, click twice. :wink:

[Ken_Potts]

Oh, man - To think what I was doing when that photo was taken! Traffic - Ick.

I think I recognize that bridge, though. Good memories of last weekend.

[Barry Pyeatt]

Greg,

Traditional Wooden Mast hoops were made by stripping Ash (for example) into lengths that would wind at least 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 times around the mast with some free play. The strips would be scaled to fit the size and loading of the sails. On say a Weekender sized mast they would be in strips essentially 1/8 -3/16 thick by about 1/2" wide. These were placed in a steam box for just long enough to make them limber and easily bent.

They would then thread (wrap) the strips around a block of approx the same size diameter of the mast and clamped or wired together in layers. They would cool and stay in the shape for the most part when released. Before releasing they would mark the overlaps on the edges and then taper the ends of the strips so that they were pretty smooth and faired into the hoop to make at least three complete wraps with the overlap being smoothly taperd to bring them together.

Then they would be treaded around the mast and aligned with the marks and held together with wire bands to hold them while holes were drilled in the ends and thru the laminations and spaced around the circumfrence of the hoop for rivets to be placed to hold the laminations together. No glues were used only rivets (copper generally).

The sails would be laced on as per the binding techniques shown by the Stevenson's in their plans. Spanish Windlass and coated with black tar. Strong and secure and easily maintained. The hoops would be coated with fish oils to keep them from cracking and breaking due to weather exposure. But when they would need replacing a new strip would be prepared and simply threaded around the mast and riveted together.

Pert Lowell still makes them this way and offeres them unfinished. Often they are varnished although they would be much more authentic if saturated with boiled linseed oil. They would also be stronger and better protected from the elements.

http://www.pertlowell.com/wood/wood.html#mast_hoops

I would use a form such as a 4" ABS pipe coupler to form them after soaking in hot water in the bathtub. Then rivet with copper rivets, two in the overlap taperd ends and one 180 degrees around from there or two place about 120 degrees apart.

The strips would need to be from relatively straight grain Ash and split and then stripped from the stock rather than cut from it. You want as long and straight a grain as possible intact. Cut grain will make them weaker than continuous running grain that is stripped. The rough strips were generally pulled between two stationary metal strips that determined the width of the strip. This stripped them down to the necessary width and then they were run thru two others that determined the thickness. This is the same technique traditionally used to size canes for weaving seats or strips for basket making.

[capt jake]

Well, let's see here....

ID: 4 7/8"

OD: 6"

Started out at 3/4" thick but ended up at 5/8" due to chip out while turning.

14 plies, this was accomplished by laminating 3 pieces of 1/4" marine ply together. Ply is Meranti.

I used a roughing gouge to true the outside diameter (after rough cutting the circel ocircleband saw)on teh lathe. No problems there. Then sanded, no real problems there either.

Inside was cut with a diamond shaped parting tool is multiple cuts to open up the kerf to minimize heat build up on the tool. Parting tools are not designed to cut from the side, so proper placement of the tool rest was important. Chip out on the opposite side of the parting tool was pretty extreme. I had to sand off that side, removing all of one ply to eliminate the chip out. No big deal, 8" disc placed on the lathe to accomplish this.

1/4" radius round over bit on the router table, then hand sanding. After several coats of Linseed Oil, they needed to be sanded again, and again. I lost track of the number of coats oil followed by a water based poly (Varathane Diamond Coat).

Actually pretty easy actually. I need to take apart the mast hinge to install them. I will do that some time this winter.

[Guest]

Well, another shot for Dingo and others. :wink: I need a sailing partner for the weekend. :wink:

[capt jake]

Dang Oyster, you need to move closer. I would love to go sailing this weekend. Of course it's colder than the dickens and raining salmon and goeduck! :shock:

[Wild_Dingo]

Well done Jake!!

Brian thanks for the info

Had a short email from Mike Field of woodenboatfittings.com.au but as hes busy as hell at the moment it went like this

Masthoops? Don't the Stevensons advocate cut pieces of 4" PVC pipe? (Those make good clamps too, by the way, if you use heavy-duty sewer pipe and put a saw-cut in them to turn them into C's.) Traditionally you'd use a long strip of thin timber which you laminate round a circular former and then rivet. They look like this

So you were right Brian... mmmm and I was wrong? dahmn!! and here I was lookin forward to a bit more lathe practice too!

Cheers

PS... Mike? Your spending WAY too much time havin fun!!! :cool: