Oars and Cleaning

There is a connection...

Having decided to make my own oars I have been researching plans and materials. I've got the Jim Michalak article on making oars, the WBF oar plans arrived this week, and I've read Clint's posts describing the dimensions of his oars. While spruce appears to be a unanimous choice if money is not an issue, I am in need of a less expensive material. Other woods suggested for oars include DF, WRC, and "cheap pine."

DF is probably the natural choice after spruce but hearing tales of DF splintering while planing makes me leery.

WRC struck me as being too light and not strong enough for oars. This was based purely on my limited experience with WRC while building the GIS.

Richard suggested making a practice set from "cheap pine" to learn the process. It would also be less costly if I made a mistake with the cheap stuff.

However, this afternoon I was cleaning up a bit. I grabbed three pieces of WRC (19mm x 45mm x 1830mm which is 3/4" x 1 3/4" x 6') to put them in the closet. I held them together (sort of stacked) and I was struck by the heft of the "block" they formed. The cross-section measured 57mm x 45mm (2-1/4" x 1-3/4") which is actually smaller than the 57mm x 57mm cross-section the blank for the oar loom will be. Now, it is true that this sample was only 6' long so the 9'6" oars will be much longer, but it wasn't glued together either. I am impressed enough with today's observation to plan on using WRC for my oars. Glued up the blank will be strong enough. Properly sized and shaped, the oars will be fine.

Jackpot!

Okay, so it wasn't exactly like Christmas, or winning Super Lotto, or even hitting a jackpot on a penny slot machine, but today was still pretty exciting.

While out for a lunchtime walk I stopped at the bookstore and bought the latest edition of WoodenBoat Magazine.

When I got home from work I checked the USPS Tracker System for the two packages I knew were on the way... good news, both were delivered today! So I grabbed those two items out of the mailbox. Along with all the junk mail advertising there was a flyer from the local Wood Craft store. Now, there isn't much in that store I can afford to purchase, but it is fun to browse.



What arrived in the mail? A set of oar plans from the WoodenBoat Store and a set of brand new, bright and shiny rudder gudgeons from DuckWorks.

The gudgeons are probably more substantial than need be but they'll work just fine - after I modify the rudder box a bit. The gudgeon straps are longer than I'd like them to be so I will need to use a wider spacer between the cheeks of the rudder box. That is not a problem but I think I'd like to lengthen the cheeks by the same amount. So, I will rebuild the rudder box using the gudgeons as a starting point rather than an add-on at the end.

Random musings... And Another List...

Another weekend of repeated sanding, priming, sanding the dagger board. Not a lot of visible progress but there are other types of progress.

One of the upcoming projects - related to the Goat - will be making a set of oars. This weekend I gathered more information, received some common sense advice, and decided the first set I make will not be made from expensive spruce, DF or WRC. It makes sense to make a "practice" set with less expensive material. From what I have seen on-line, the material doesn't matter a whole lot, the oars will work, and will probably last a long time. I'd rather climb that learning curve without making a mess of nice wood. I'm not sure what I will use but I will see what the lumber yard has to offer.

Last month I decided I would attend the COOTS' messabout at Timothy Lake in Oregon. (That link is to a report of last year's event.) An added bonus was learning that Michael Storer (yes, THE Michael Storer) would be at Timothy Lake. I had the crazy notion to get the Goat built in time for Timothy Lake. But after speeding up my work effort and making numerous minor errors attributable to rushing things too much, I decided it wasn't worth the stress. I decided to slow things down and regain my sanity. I'm glad I made that decision. I'll go to Timothy Lake without the boat. But... there are a couple of events on the not too distant horizon that may serve as motivation.

The Sacramento chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association Schedules many events throughout the year. The Wet Turkey row Thanksgiving Weekend is my new target date for having my Karen Ann ready to go in a rowing configuration.

As for another list... here is the latest list of things to get done to facilitate building my Goat:

1. Build a set of saw horses
2. Build a "Ladder Table" to support working on hull panels
3. Build a work bench
4. Buy a random orbital sander

I also need to shop for materials for my oars, purchase four more sheets of plywood, purchase at least one more plank of WRC for the chine logs, buy two planks of DF for the gunwales and inwales, and buy the hardwood for the gunwale caps, knees, and skids. That's all...

Saturday Afternoon

Well the apartment is looking a bit empty today. Kati picked up her table yesterday, creating a large empty space in the living room. I definitely need to build my own work bench.

I have been thinking about doing just that but I will build my work bench a bit differently than I built Kati's table.

The legs will be 4x4 and 31 or 32 inches tall (instead of 36"). The rails will be 2x4 and I will follow the design a bit closer than I did with the table. I will use 1/2" material for the top and shelf, doubling the 1/2" material for a 1" thick top. I will compare the costs of a full sheet versus three quarter-sheets, and I will compare MDF to plywood.

The foils are becoming a never-ending project.

I primed the dagger board and discovered just how much work it needs. I sanded one side and applied a coat of slightly thickened epoxy to fill some of the still-open weave and to smooth the edge of the last layer of FG cloth. Part of me wants to say, it will be good enough. It will be good enough - after I spend more time on it!

Change of Plans

My carefully detailed plans to take a lot of material and tools up to Ed's tomorrow have been postponed. The Jeep is not yet running (my fault - procrastination, don't you know?) so I have no means to pick up the plywood let alone getting it up to Ed's.

I do have the part (I think I need for the Jeep) and the shop manual (with instructions for that part). So there may be progress today...

In the meantime I will work on the foils. The dagger board needs at least one more coat of epoxy. Once that sets up later today I can begin sanding and fairing it.

The rudder is so very close... it needs some sanding and some very localized touch up repairs to little imperfections.

After that I will clean!

Chuck at DuckWorks responded to my questions about the rudder hardware so I will order that today. I should have it early next week and be able to finalize the rudder box/tiller assembly.

Planning for the Weekend...

Saturday I plan to take some plywood, DF, WRC, and possibly walnut up to Ed's place to mill some wood.

Ed offered me the use of his garage floor to layout the plywood so I can draw and cut out the hull panels. The DF is for gunwales and inwales. The WRC is for chine logs. And if I can do it this weekend, the walnut is for the transom frame and gunwale caps.

Since this Friday is another furlough day, this is another short workweek so I need to figure out what I can get done on Friday to prepare for Saturday.

I need to put the wood rack on the Jeep early enough so I can get over to Hughes Hardwoods to order the plywood and possibly purchase a piece of walnut. Then I would head over to Berry Lumber for one or two pieces of DF.

The foils (rudder and dagger board) and the parts for the rudder box need to be ready to go. I want Ed's help in measuring the thickness of each foil. Once we have that figured out, we can cut the spacers for the center case and rudder box. I also want to take the saber saw so I can cut out the panels. Other items to take include the 4' rule, the metric tape, pencils and the plans.

Getting all that ready for Saturday will keep me busy on Friday.

Filling the Weave in the FG

I spent a good part of today working on the foils. The dagger board received several coats of epoxy in order to fill in the weave in the FG cloth. Because I used a heavier cloth it takes more coats to complete this task. Also, the method I am using applies thinner layers of epoxy which means I really am using less resin. It just takes more coats. I'm learning to mix smaller batches of epoxy so there is less waste. Based on how the dagger board looks this evening, I will need to do one more coat tomorrow.

The rudder - which I thought was done - received some additional attention today. Upon closer examination I decided I didn't like the somewhat uneven surface at the bottom the rudder. That uneven surface was the result of my original mistake when I first glassed the rudder back in April. Today I wrapped 80-grit sandpaper around a piece of scrap wood and sanded the rudder smooth. It is not perfect but it is much better than it was this morning. I am satisfied with the rudder. It is ready for primer and paint.

The rudder is a good example of Greybeal's Japanese principle of boat building, known as wabi-sabi (I honestly do not know if that is a legitimate Japanese phrase or if David made it up):

• Nothing is ever complete
  
• Nothing is ever perfect
  
• Nothing lasts forever
  

I did not quite finish the rudder this evening so work will continue on it this week.

More Progress on the Foils

Work continued today on the foils. The dagger board looks pretty good and will only get better as I fill in the weave on the FG cloth. I applied the first fill coat of epoxy on the first side this morning. I'll sand that a bit and apply another coat this evening. The second side will be worked on tomorrow. So far I am pleased with how the dagger board is coming along.

The rudder got another sanding late this morning and one side received another coat of slightly thickened epoxy early this afternoon. That has set enough for a light sanding and a coat of paint primer. It needs a little more attention to two spots (it is amazing what the primer reveals) before I can work on the other side.

I am pretty pleased with these small, but necessary, steps toward finishing the foils.

Before long I will need to make a decision about paint. I know I want the hull and foils to be yellow. But there are so many yellows available that picking the "right" one is difficult. I suspect I am making this more difficult than it really is - after all, whatever I pick will be the "right" one.

Working on the Dagger Board

I previously reported being done with the dagger board... but that wasn't quite right. I was done shaping it but hadn't glassed it, or faired it, or painted it. Seems there is a bit more work to do before I can truly say the dagger board is done.

The first layer of FG cloth went on reasonably well last night. This morning I lightly sanded one side of the board, cut a piece of 4 oz FG cloth to size, and "painted" that side of the board with epoxy. Carefully placing the piece of FG cloth, I was able to get it right where I wanted it the first try! I "painted" a bit more epoxy onto the cloth using a foam brush and then used a squeegee to "push" the epoxy into the cloth.

Four hours later I repeated the steps on the second side of the board. And, about four hours after that, I completed the task by coating the front half of the dagger with epoxy and draping a layer of 8 oz FG cloth over the board.

Tomorrow I will work on filling the weave of the cloth using the squeegee and foam brush. I like this combination of tools better than the roller I used on the rudder. It is obvious to me I used less epoxy and got a neater result on the dagger board. Filling the weave will provide a nice smooth - and hopefully, a nearly fair - surface needing little sanding to prepare it for painting.

Progress Notes and Pictures

While saving and reviewing some earlier pictures this evening, I realized I haven't posted any recent progress pictures lately. So, here we go...

Finished frames posed...


If you look sideways and squint a bit you can almost see a boat's shape there in those frames.

Here are the center case side pieces with the outside cleats being glued...

Nothing very exciting about this - other than it is another step toward completing my boat.

Here are the new bar clamps...

The new set of eight clamps gives me a total inventory of 34 clamps. I've gone from a total of ten clamps on hand when I began this project in April, so having 34 clamps seems like a lot to me. However, apparently a woodworker - and particularly a boat builder - can never have enough clamps. And, as it is, I am already planning to buy more!

One more picture... This is the dagger board being glassed.

Again, not much to see really. Once the FG cloth is wetted through with resin it "disappears" from view. You can see the tag ends of the cloth at the ends of the board.

I am using a different technique to glass the dagger board than I used for the rudder. The rudder was done with a single piece of cloth draped over the leading edge of the foil. Applying the resin to both sides was an adventure, and resulted in one minor (could have been worse!) incident. When trying to make sure the cloth was not puckered I pull too hard on it and pulled the resin covered foil off its support and onto the floor!

For the dagger board, I draped one piece over the leading edge but only brought it about half way down the board (on both sides). Each side will get a layer of cloth which will over-lap the first piece. A third layer will be draped over the leading edge and over-lap the sides. Once that sets up I will sand and fair the board. I plan to get all that done in about 10 days as I want to take the board up to Ed's to measure the thickness of the board and cut the center case spacers to the correct size.

Continuing On...

A set of new bar clamps arrived today. There are 8 6" bar clamps and while they are relatively inexpensive they appear to be good quality. (These were $3.70 apiece including shipping; Home Depot sells very similar clamps for $6.95 each.) I now have a collection of 34 clamps. Following the adage, a boat builder can never have too many clamps, I will probably order another set of 8 early next month.

I spent a good part of this afternoon's ride home figuring out how to rig the trimmer as an edge joiner (my term - a joiner makes a smooth square edge to a board). At home I looked at the trimmer and decided that particular tool would not be adaptable for what I had in mind. But, as happens more often than it ought to, there was a WBF thread asking about joiners. As the thread evolved it appeared that the original poster needs to do edge joining (apparently there are other tasks a joiner can perform). One response to that was to use a jack plane or a joiner plane. That makes sense if you get close enough with the saw cut, but it is something to keep in mind.

The dagger board is nearly ready for glassing. I suspect I will begin that process tomorrow.

Plotting and Planning

There are numerous components and elements I need to consider - and plan for - before I worry too much about finding space and assembling the hull. So, I have been plotting and planning.

I've decided that I will use DF for the inwales and gunwales. My guess is the designer knows more about this than I do, and the plans specify DF for those components. But I believe I can get what I need for both gunwales from a single 10' length of DF 2 x 4. The 3 1/2" dimension can be cut in half to provide 2 pieces 1 3/4" (or nearly so), and then those can be cut on the 1 1/2" side to provide four pieces that are 3/4" thick. Then two of those can be scarfed together for the gunwale.

The same sort of milling can be used to produce the 3/8" material needed for the inwales.

Thinking about it, a single 10' length of 2x6 would provide enough material for all of the inwales and gunwales and result in less waste. I need to verify that.

A similar approach can be used to create the gunwale caps from the walnut I will be purchasing. I do need to calculate how much walnut I will need for the caps, transom top frame, knees and skids.

It seems to me I should focus on getting the hull panels cut out and prepped for assembly before turning to the fun of milling the inwales and gunwales.

But it is fun to plot and plan!

Progess and Set Backs

So, I cannot complain about not posting for a week as it has now been weeks since I last updated this journal! Well, that's done so no sense in carrying on about it.

The progress has been slow but steady. The four frames are ready to be installed and give form to the hull. If only the hull panels were ready for assembly...

Components of the centerboard case have been cut and both side pieces for the case have been coated with epoxy. The outside cleats have been glued to the side pieces. The interior spacers have to be milled to size but that will have to wait until later in the month. Deciding what size those spacers should be presents the interesting problem of measuring the thickness of the centerboard. Since the board is a foil shape and relatively long, the thickness is not easily measured. Compounding this issue right now is the fact that the board needs to be glassed and faired before I can determine how thick it is. The spacers need to be 2mm thicker than the board.

The terminology I'm using needs some clarification. The Goat does not use a centerboard, it uses a dagger board. However, the plans refer to and describe the "center case" and I have morphed the word, "center" into "centerboard." I should shift gears mentally and start using the correct terminology, "dagger board."

I have reached a stage of construction where I need to consider what hardwood to use for the transom top frame, the knees, the gunwale caps and the skids. There are a number of woods to select from, Honduran Mahogany, African Mahogany, Cherry, Padauk, Maple, Mokore (also known as African Cherry), Walnut, and others. For the look I want - a rich dark brown to offset the hull's yellow - walnut is probably the best choice. The biggest drawback to walnut is an old superstition that walnut used in building a boat brings bad luck. The thing about superstitions is they are only valid - if at all - if they are believed. Since I didn't even know of this superstition until a couple of weeks ago when reading a WBF thread, how deep seated can this "superstition" be for me? I need to give this some thought.

I have decided to make my own oars. There are plans available and the articles I have read explain in pretty good detail the process of making oars. I am looking forward to that project.

Getting ahead of myself a bit, I ordered the study plans for the Penobscot 17 - a very good looking boat I am seriously considering for a future project. I guess once a boat builder, always a boat builder.

Set backs? Well, yes but the major set back is not as negative as it may sound. I have decided I do not have the time, space or resources to get the boat ready for the Timothy Lake excursion. I was pressing and making mistakes. I do not wish to make a major mistake and this decision relieves me of some of the self-imposed pressure to get it done!