New member checking in

[Deadeye]

Hey all,

I've been a boatbuilder for the last 10 years on BC's west coast. I've since left the biz to begin building my own boat: a 20-year goal that's finally coming to fruition. It's funny because I want to start cutting wood in the spring (once the monsoons end,lol) and I still haven't settled on a design.
Eek, I'm running out of time!:P

That's where I need your help: I'll post my requirements and my design shortlist (in the appropriate threads) for your input. If some of my ideas are out to lunch, then by all means call me on it. I never take anything posted personally, so if you want to offend me you'll have to make that REALLY clear, ok?:D

If any of my experience can help you folks out, it's yours freely given. I still think I'm getting the better end of that deal though, lol.

Cheers,
-Brian

[Frosty]

I like your introduction, cant help you with your question but Im sure someone will. Welcome to the nut house.

[Fanie]

He he, good thing you met Frosty first. He says things as they are so from here on it's smooth sailing :D

Build a cat and get it over with, otherwise it's going to haunt you forever ;)

What's with the cutting wood ? You want to fell some trees to make planks to build the boat from and contribute to global warming ?

There are newer and better products like fiberglass to build with, you know...

[TeddyDiver]

Wood is the most versatile and best composite material ever used in boat building... ever :D

[Fanie]

In SA we use wood for a ritual called 'braai'.

For boats I prefer other materials.

I'd hate it if someone looks apon my boat as a potential floating braai :D

[safewalrus]

You also use tires for much the same ritual or am I getting mixed up! It is roasting flesh isn't it? well kind of!

[TeddyDiver]

I'd hate it if someone looks apon my boat as a potential floating braai :D

Some 2partpoly coat to camouflage it grp ;)

[Fanie]

Wally,

It's actually gone out of fashion here letely. The newest is they wait until they see people having a braai, then casually move in with their guns and holds the party up, loot what they want and disappear. And no, the police (if they come out) doesn't theck the robbers' fire arm licences. They will however check your's ;)

Or

they go to where the people are watching tv, smash the window in and they are holding the people hostage before the guy could lift his bum off the chair.

Or

They come in gangs of as much as 14 and with brute force just breaks the front door (or anywhere else) down and go get what they desire. Nobody will interfere. Oh, afterwards they will kick up a lot of dust. If a few hosts gets shot and killed it may maybe reach some local little newspaper. We don't want the whole country to imigrate suddenly if they realize what is really going on eh !

Or

The list goes on and on.

It's simple really. If you defend you or your's, you are taking the law in your own hands, which is illegal. If you use force you are the agressor and you get arrested - and your firearm(s) gets confiscated and if you fired shots you also get arrested. What remains is your family without someone to defend them in a broken open house.

There is no police force here. If the police philamon does come out (slim chance), he is so shit scared he refuses to go into the premesis where the burglars hide.

Why do you think so many whities are leaving the country ? Main reason is called 'gatvol'. Mugabe said it best. Unpatriotic whites.

[Fanie]

Oh, I left something out. One of these days they are going to mess with the wrong guy's wife or kid, and this criminally sympathetic philamon gov of ours is going to be very very very sorry.

[Frosty]

Well Deadeye, you"ve had 8 posts, did you find anything interesting?

[masalai]

Yes - build a sailing cat or a motor-sailer if one is confident of finding fuel too, and kill a pussy.....

[Deadeye]

Thx for the warm welcome, all. Sorry so long to get back - not trying to be rude.

Hey Fanie, at least wood smells better than resin as it burns....and the nice crackle of a wood fire can't be beat - regardless of what's roasting over it.
And as for a cat ? Well, I've been sailing long enough that I've actually taken the training wheels off - I've even sailed with no hands...well just a single one, lol.

The liberal crime laws in Canada are along the same lines...if you're going to defend yourself, you better get them all...
Fortunately we don't have the need arise very often, at least where I moved to.
Our previous gov't cost us billions trying to make it difficult to keep our firearms and get new ones with the idea that it would deter crime. Nevermind that most 'crime guns' come from B&E's south of the border :rolleyes:

[Fanie]

Aye Deadeye. Yes well, when you're slow you're slow eh;)

the nice crackle of a wood fire can't be beat - regardless of what's roasting over it.
And as for a cat ?
I like fires and cats too, couldn't you choose squirrels instead ? :D

[Boston]

Wood is the most versatile and best composite material ever used in boat building... ever :D

ya woods got my vote any day

it floats

instantly makes it suitable to take out on the water

and hey Brian welcome to the group
so what kind of building experience do you have ?

[Deadeye]

Don't knock squirrels Fanie, they don't taste bad...not your cat-food munching yard squirrels mind you, but way out in the bush there's lots of 'em and they're easy to catch...although cats I'd roast just on principle.
Nuthouse indeed, Frosty!

I've pretty much always worked with wood and it's something I enjoy doing, so it makes sense. Living on the west coast of Canada, Douglas Fir, Red Cedar, and Sitka Spruce are native trees so the availability is there as well. No matter where you go in the world, if there's a populated coastline then there's people who build wooden boats and a market for those who can repair and maintain them.
Don't get me wrong, I'm no technophobe - since the advent of epoxies, wood has become an even better building material. Laminating offsets the structural weaknesses inherent in wood and encapsulation will deal with the water absorption problem.
Plus, it just LOOKS so damn good....

Sadly, the only wooden boats I've built were my own, and the were just small disposable S&G boats. When I started, I was working for a company building 28 ft 'picnic launches' (think lobster boat) on a contract for an American company, then went back to building the company's own boat - 43 foot glass cutters. Now those are some nice boats, unfortunately the market just isn't there to keep production going constantly at the standard the owner likes. Still, he's about the only guy I've worked for in this biz that I'd go back to work for: I love those boats.
One of my last jobs with them was a full-custom one-off 56 foot foam & epoxy cruiser with clear red cedar as coring for all the hardpoints. That one had an Aerorig among all the other toys - interesting rig...
I spent a few months building for a company that produces a line of pretty well known (locally) power boats, but I had some doubts about how they were built vs how the owner was representing them.
The last 4 or 5 years I was building aluminum power boats, from small (24') water taxis and crewboats right up to 45' yachts.
I reorganized things a year and a half ago so that I could start on my own liveaboard. So far things are on track to get started when the weather breaks although a it might take an extra year if(when) the economy gets any worse. Still, I think we'll be in good shape to be fitted out and provisioned in 5 years.

Cheers!

[Frosty]

Squirrels are Ok but a good rat is better. Im not talking scrawny sewer rats that carry desease but a real good jungle rat and way out in the bush there is a bunch of them, and their easy to catch too.

Snake is real good.

Nut house ---told you!

[rasorinc]

I'm a wood guy. Wood Last Generations. Also when you die you can use your boat for a Viking Funeral.

[Frosty]

You a wood guy??? you mean like Pinocchio ?

[Deadeye]

Yeah, those bubonic urban rats are definitely something to avoid...ain't it lovely how sailors shared 'em with the world ? At least a rat's tail can be a toothpick...damn squirrel tail fur always gettin' caught in the teeth...grumblegrumble

Now, the viking funeral has always sounded like a grand exit to me. If the missus is still around she might have a problem with it though! Still, given the cost of a casket, a longboat might be worthwhile...I doubt I'd have time to study immersion rates and vanishing stability though...

You a wood guy??? you mean like Pinocchio ?
Ok...I KNOW I'm gonna have fun here ! hehe.

[Boston]

well your preaching to the pope on the wood issue
although Im sure everyone's got there faves, mine is wood as well

I know plank on frame but thats about it and you are right about it being a pleasure to build in
something about the smell of the wood and the spin of the blades that makes you fee alive and at the same time reminds you of how vulnerable those fingers are
count em kids, ten fingers, ten toes ( wiggles fingers in the air )
nothing quite like an old time wood shop, a pile of wood to work with and a few beers to keep things interesting ( har har )

cheers
B

[teakcell]

Hi, I'm new too and did not introduce as well as you did. I'm not building boat but spare parts for it. Lightweight honeycomb furnitures and teak decking panels on plan. If I can help you by any way, I'd be happy to help you achieving your 20 years goal! Congratulation by the way, and good luck.

[TeddyDiver]

Squirrels are Ok

Never tasted one from northern forests? Spuce cones gives them a perfect flavour of rosin... geoo....org!!

[Boston]

there not really at there best less they have been run over first
kinda homogenizes the less palatable bits
oh
served in a nice white pine nut sauce with an acorn stuffed in his mouth
( assuming his head didnt get squished )

bona pettit
B

[Frosty]

Hi, I'm new too and did not introduce as well as you did. I'm not building boat but spare parts for it. Lightweight honeycomb furnitures and teak decking panels on plan. If I can help you by any way, I'd be happy to help you achieving your 20 years goal! Congratulation by the way, and good luck.


Mayanmar ?-----you mean ---Burma?

[teakcell]

Mayanmar ?-----you mean ---Burma?

yes, I guess so!

[masalai]

Yay Frosty, you got a neighbour, so to speak....

[Frosty]

yeah its just up the road from me. I used to nip accros to Queen Victoria island in Burma from Ranong in Thailand for a visa bounce.

5 US dollar or 500 thai baht, some one dont know the exchange rate.

You could rent a long tail to take you across the estury, you had to buy him some petrol first.

There is always a trick to get more money from you.

[Deadeye]

Teakcell, thanks for the warm wishes and best of luck on your adventure. I actually drew up and started a laminated wooden wheel for my first sailboat (the boat never actually got built but the exercise got me to where I am today).

Boston, there's NOTHING that can beat the smell of freshly sawn wood, esp red cedar. Those thin-kerf saw blades sure make life easier, eh?
And yeah, I had a good chuckle about the 'fingers' thing....I won't generally hire a wood bug if he's got fewer digits than me (10/10 myself).
It's like the old saying about how to find a good helicopter pilot:
Find an old one.

As for the 'somewhat squishy' squirrels: just stuff 'em with popcorn. By the time they're roasted the popcorn will have popped and de-flattened them. Hint: just tell the missus it's a traditional stuffing....

Teddy: I know rosin is great on bows, but as a seasoning ?
But then again, it serves the same purpose as maple sap as far as the tree is concerned so who am I to question it?:D

My only SE Asia story:
When I was in my early 20s (shortly after my 'practice' marriage:) ) I had a trip set up to tour northern Thailand with my then-girlfriend (who lasted longer than my wife, go figure) but being a young guy making a crapload of money I ditched on the trip. 20-odd years later I still kick myself but it's always been on my 'list' - above the middle east but right below the Aegean and right about the same time we're taking in India.
Last I heard (~8 years ago), the ex gf was still there.

[TeddyDiver]

Last I heard (~8 years ago), the ex gf was still there.
It's allways easier when trying to imagine ex(s) having now a house full of (grand)children, 120DD bras :eek: and not being able to make a deasent meal (still):P

[Boston]

I thank my lucky stars every day; specially the last time I bumped into my x, she was hiding under a hundred extra pounds or so of ( cough gag ) um; well Im not sure what that was, I just thanked my lucky stars and ran for it.

Hey Dead eye what kind of resaw would you recommend I need one here shortly as Ild like to try some cold molding but all the material I have layin round is 8/4.

[Deadeye]

If you've got a decent bandsaw already, just use the widest blade it'll accept safely. Slow feed, thin kerf, the more tpi the better. Oh, and wax the fence as well - it'll make life much easier.

The King brand is pretty ubiquitous in Canadian wood shops: nothing fancy but good solid equipment. For fellow Canucks: no, it's not the same cheapass King garbage you see in hardware stores.

I assume it's random-width ? Once 8/4 gets above 6" or so it becomes a bit of a pain to hand-feed, depending on how much you have to do. The cold molding I've done has all been under 1 1/2" so a bandsaw with a 2" blade is lots. You might want to ensure you have room to build on a full length outfeed table as well if you're going to be working by yourself. Rollers are a bit sketchy. If you have a lot to do, it might be worthwhile to just incorporate the fence into the outfeed table to keep everything locked up.

[Boston]

hmmmm
at 2" I might as well use the table saw with that thin curf blade we were talking about. Ild like to cut my strips as wide as possible for the given molds so I may be going wider which is why I asked as a taller piece goin through the band saw can end up with a following blade. The wood I have the most of is White Oak though and that stuff tends to work easily cause its density is so uniform.

Ild like to be able to cut say a 4" height either with a huge table saw or a mill style re saw. not sure what Ild do with strips that wide but having the capability always comes in handy. Thing is that on a table saw you need a blade stabilizer to end up without a warped blade and a decent cut but on a band saw you end up surfacing a lot soooooo in the end what you save on the band saw you loose in the surfacing and on the table saw what you loose to the blade you gain on surfacing assuming you can keep the blade straight after the first ten feet or so
also you have to use as many teeth as you can jam on the blade and its got to be a ripping blade and not a cross cut or you'll be putting even more strain on the motor than what torture your already putting it through.

oh
Ive got a pretty complete shop so I know what your talkin when it comes to balancing some sixteen foot hundred pound chunk of lumbar on a twenty dollar set of rollers over a table saw

and my band saw is definitely the weak link in the shop

pretty sure it was made by P.O.S. industries