Fairing the Mizzen Mast - Episode 157 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- There is a lot of work going into restoring Victoria's old mast to be our mizzen mast. We already set up a sort of lathe and jig to cut kerfs into the mast so that we can then bring it down to a six inch diameter. To do that, I used a combination of a power planer and a hand plane to get down to all the kerfs. Once smooth, I'll put it on rollers for the final touches.
In the mean time, Steve keeps working on the bulkheads and gives us a quick refresher tour of Victoria's other parts we'll be able to reuse. Did somebody say 100 year old Honduran Mahogany?!
Finally, we are going to be revamping our Patreon account and making things simpler for everyone while at the same time adding something real fun.
On May 1st, we are going to be switching to a monthly support as opposed to per creation, which means that whatever amount or tier you choose to support at, that is the bill you will get at the end of the month. No more trying to figure out how many videos you would like to support per month.
We are also going to be doing monthly live question and answer sessions for Patrons. There will be a couple of tiers to chose from to benefit for that and all the sessions will be backlogged for you to look at later on Patreon. And to give you a taste of what those Q&A sessions are like, we are inviting you all to the next one, which will be on April 16th at 5:00pm EST. Click the link below to access that:
• Live From the Boat She...
We are looking forward to seeing you next Friday! Thank you, as always, for the support!
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Acorn to Arabella is a boat building project taking place in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve and Alix started as amateur boat builders building their own 38' wooden boat in their backyard: designer William Atkin's Ingrid with a Stormy Petrel's gaff rig. These videos follow the journey from tree felling, to lumber milling, to lofting, to the lead keel pour and beyond-sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY project will continue well past launch, when they will travel and learn to cruise aboard the boat that they've built. Just kidding about all that, this channel is about a Siberian Laika named Akiva.
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I love how Alix went from "just" being the techy guy for the video stuff via woodwork apprentice to proper woodworker. Arabella is not only the journey of a wooden boat.
just spend half an hour of my life watching a guy work his wood aaaah life is great
I recommend "Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration" for some tips on sympathetic restoration.
I would agree. He does wonderful work and cares about the history pieces.
Glad you made this suggestion. I was just scrolling through the comments to see if anyone mentioned Tom.
He is an outstanding craftsman and always answers questions posted in his comment section. I am certain he can offer a solution for matching finishes.
A road trip to Maine would certainly be worth a couple of days out of the boat house.
Neat suggestion, thanks!
I always get weirded out when I realise that I watch exactly the same channels as a bunch of other folks. I think my viewing is quite eclectic but maybe not so unpredictable after all
YES, he is highly skilled and balanced in his approach. Very good at using dyes to match the color of existing surfaces as well.
Hey, don't be so hard on yourselves you are doing something many can only dream about. I image tools flying around the workshop when the cameras are not rolling, that's life.
When finished with the video, go back to 6:04 and contemplate on the wood end-grain. That mast is less than a quarter of the massive old tree it came from... whoa!
Yea my thoughts exactly
The best cabinets and furniture and the most satisfeing projects I've made over the years has been from old and used timber the satisfaction and achievement in saving something from being dumped and wasted is just enormous 🙃
Nothing better than redoing old wood. I redone an old farm house that was built in 1867 loved it.
It's Friday how many of you have been anticipating this since last Friday 😊
Me. Its the high light at the end of my Friday workday
ME!
I'm anticipating next Friday now!
@@moosebonsai me too
Me, as I do every friday.
Guilty!!!!...." and loving it"!!!! only 7 days till the next one...
I really like the flashbacks and how the storytelling is evolving! And it's amazing to se the steady pace of the project, and how you go about navigating it!
The interior from Victoria does indeed look very beautiful
I really look forward to your updates! Fascinating, well-made videos about a wonderful project. I'm 68 years old now, living on a boat and still planning the next one. You don't stop sailing when you get old, you get old when you stop sailing. Having said that, Covid has tested my patience. This is Day 87 at the same mooring, out of over five months in the same general area. The wanderer in me is not impressed! :-)
That slick pipe centering and all that work certainly has produced a nice round mast.
Quelle boulot sur ce mât de misaine !
That ShipMate cast iron stove is beautiful. The saloon table is stunning. All the bright work is fantastic. Arabella will be an outstanding ship.
Wonderful job on that mast Alix. That is one beautiful stick of 100 year old Douglas Fir. Arabella is going to be stunning inside. Take care guys.
I love how you are using all those bits from Victoria! When we had our house renovated, I was sick about all the wood that wound up in the dumpster.
Alex: not to worry about that bit slip: after 60 years of wood working I’ve found that the difference between an amateur and professional is how they fix their mistakes.
25 years for me- I always say that true craftsmanship is making your mistakes look intentional! :)
@@stevekreitler9349 Putting in some "structural ornament" where they f**ked up helped woodworkers (and other craftsmen) for centuries, which is what You learn right in the beginning of restoring or repairing old boats, houses, coaches or furniture when disassembling and assessing what will have to be done.
Fifty one years for me since I started professionally, 60 years if I start at the age of seven when my dad taught me to use a dovetail saw and make a plain dovetail housing joint. I've had quite a few router bits slip in my time and as they say shit happens, it usually happens if some 200 pound gorilla has tightened the collet chuck too much and distorted the collet, but in Alex's case it can't have been that so it was just that it had been used all day and worked a fraction loose and the knot pulled the bit out. Bad luck but as he said they will do something to fix it, as I'm sure they will.
Manufacturing is all about managing mistakes. If you don't screw something up, you're not doing anything. Get busy!!
Still so happy to see that interior from Victoria be saved & safe after all this time. 💙 What a treasure Arabella will have & be.
I am so impressed with your patience. Especially you Alix, planing down that mast is incredible. I take my hat off for you😯. Great work as always👍
Nice editing right before and after 5:00. The pile of shavings, then Alix talking about the fragrant aroma, then Alix admiring the mast and snacking on an apple. Three sensory images stacked. When the cut at 5:19 showed the end grain of the mast I almost cried it was such an ancient lovely tree.
Yes! I, too, could not believe the end grain. That must have been SOME tree,
@@rexmyers991 We had old growth fir here in BC that was used for masts on boats around the world. I've seen some of them 10' thick at the base & clear for 60-70'. The trucks that hauled them out from the bush had one on each end with the truck at the back in reverse.
So true gave me chills
I saw how deep those groves were and thought, "Man that's a lot of wood to take off." You're a total trooper.
I saw an actual mast lathe down in Mexico. It was a level area near the boat house. They dug and poured concrete beams to make a railroad track for the carriage and rotary cutter head. It was almost 100 years old at that time.
Very cool stuff. The spar lathe at Mystic Seaport is very cool to see, too!
thanks for uploading
and, thanks for showing how failure (bit walking) isn't an ending... just another step along the path. After all, as it says in the titles... this is a journey. It's a mindset that is perhaps subliminal at times. keep failing, keep learning, keep balancing.
I like the idea of cleaning up the original interior brightwork. A cabinet scraper and a coat of varnish would work wonders.
Oh, my! My arms are sore from just watching Alex work the mast to size. And Stephen’s enthusiasm for the beautiful Honduran mahogany is infectious.
Alex: I agree with Larry. It will look great when you finish. Just another story of this adventure.
Alix, to save time doing this kind of work where you need to remove a lot of material, consider using a roughing plane. It can remove a lot of wood to get you down close to the desired diameter with a lot fewer hours of work. Then shift to the plane you were using to smooth things out. Add one to your tools - you will not regret it. Hope this helps! Great work on the mast!
A sailing version of antiques road show!
Love the amount of old you're putting into the new!
As a math teacher I always told my students that a mistake is just an opportunity for learning...nothing more.
Also, I love the ideas you have for the types of wood for the interior. I can almost see how beautiful it's going to be!
That rounding was so satisfying!
Alix, you are not a freak - it totally makes sense to a lot of people, to focus on a task, to feel it take shape, and to meditate / listen to stuff while you do it! Heck, even watching it brings a bit of serenity! Ben’s perfect matching of tunes to the arc of your journey helps, of course!
Nope. Totalllllll freak. ;)
I for an Instance like the sound of filing down metal for hours - without music!
@@SlosvnSluessel Not sure I could enjoy that so much myself, but that’s my point exactly - we _get_ it, right? Each in our own way, but there is something in it!
@@mumblbeebee6546 absolutely!
That's funny. He's a freak. And we're all watching him intently. I love it!!
How wonderful to have a real old interior. As for the Mizzen mast gouge don't worry it'll buff out.
The grain on the mast is amazing...
Interior is going to be beautiful. Yeah the oak is lighter BUT victoria's interior was dark. So the combo of old growth mahogany, oak, cherry, and pine will be amazing
That mizzen mast is looking good but there are always clichés, not to worry. The interior joiner work will be absolutely enchanting when completed. Going sea in Arabella will thrill one every time ya set sail.
Give that wood and the hardware some TLC. It's gonna be beautiful.
Alex do not apologize for anything you are doing a great job!
I am, as I am sure many are, very impressed with the progress that is being made to incorporate 'Victoria' into the design of 'Arabella' .. Not many builders would take the time, and or dedication that you two are doing to keep a classic vessel alive through a new ... So good on you !!
Keep Doing What You're Doing .. Because What You Are Doing Is Amazing !!
My dad and mother, for a few months as a young married couple, in the early 1950's owned and lived on a older boat on Puget Sound. One of the few things my Dad always talked about that time was the astonishing mahogany work on that boat.
I came for the boat building, but I'm really loving the funky noodling soundtrack! Thanks Ben!
Very well done work and video. A pure pleasure to watch. I love the aged mahogany from Victoria and agree it is going make Arabella and even more special.
If that mast is a cylindrical as it looks then that's a hell of a good job you've done there. Not that everything else you have done is anything less.
Who needs the gym just show up and plane the mast for days amongst other things quite a workout. I'm impressed Alix your skills are really coming along
We have a friend who calls her boat shop her “crappy CrossFit gym.”
Ahahaha! "Jeepers" is a word I do not hear often enough.
I try but can never put into words how impressive this project is, and the great way you go about it. So wonderful.
"There will be more of victoria in arabella than there is in most restorations"
Arabella will be a daughter-boat of Victoria. Victoria has passed, Arabella is a new boat. But Arabella will have inherited lots of identity from Victoria.
Maybe (re-)name her AraVica?
@@SteifWood Nah... Arabella's tender should be named "Vicky"
I'm curious to know if Victoria's balast keel ever got started on it's build?
@@petert3355 Great idea!
@@graham6229 indeed it is. See my question about this very issue.
I’m sure you know this but for some that don’t. You’d be surprised on how well a little bit of hot water and vinegar 2:1 would do cleaning up everything.
I owed a 1952 42’ Chris Craft and I had almost the same amount of cleaning to do.
I also used a modified wallpaper steamer with many rags, tooth brush, steel wool and it turned out better and more beautiful than I could ever imagine.!!
I know you’ll get the same results in what ever efforts you guys do.
Good luck!!!
❤️💪🏼💪🏼👍🏻🙏🏻🤣🤣
Thanks for the suggestions and for watching!
Great work on the mizzen mast. So much love and attention to detail. The mastwood is in superb condition and will look the piece once finished. Can´t wait to see you starting on the interior.
Can't wait to see all that mahogany installed. Nice work on the mast Alix & hard on the elbows.
Alex, we appreciate your humanity in dealing with your mistakes. If someone hasn’t made mistakes then they haven’t done anything. No need to apologise for anything you’ve done. If anyone can’t understand that, invite them to change channels.
Zen and the art of mast thinning
The brightwork made me swoon and I''m so impressed! Arabella is absolutely an amazing and beautiful piece of living and breathing functional art and with all the hard and well thought out work going into her, her soul perfectly shines through!
All those shavings would make some great dog bed stuffing. Since the mast is tapered where the void is, talk to a Cartwright about a red hot iron sleeve than can be slid over the mast.
Aaahh! the Zen of planing. . . It was a relief to see the shavings head out to the yard. Great to see the plans for that old mahogany. Treasures indeed!
Fantastic interior mahogany, wow, I cannot wait to see it onboard. I could Actually live long enough to see it , in the interior. Thanks for showing old interior.
You just have to hang on a bit longer, maybe less than a year. We want you to see it!
You are not a freak. Working with wood does this to you. It's memorizing, fulfilling, satisfying. Never let anybody else label you for anything.
I have seen a floor sander that was like a giant, wide, belt sander. That way the operator can sand with the grain of the wood.
That's what my dad used in 1964 to sand the new floors in our house. I didn't know they still have those types.
Nice job on the mizzen Alex. It has been fun to watch the skill level rising as the boat comes along. You guys will be giving Thad advice before you are done. .
Alex Denet trying to teach us “It’s about the journey, not the destination” - 4:30
That mast has some seriously good looking grain
Arguably the most cherished wood for furniture and flooring in South Africa. Only really found in really old houses for flooring, and used for high end furniture. My entire house has Oregon pine (AKA Douglas fir) suspended floors, the interior door frames and one set of double divider doors is solid Oregon, 2 1/2 (about 65mm) inches thick. Took 3 guys to hang them, 2 to hold and 1 to turn in the screws...
Great to see the interior starting to take shape!
I’d say there’s definitely a nice rum cabinet somewhere in all that old mahogany.
Very cool, always join like vessels to each other, good sailing karma.
Ohh man! All that beautiful old and dark mahogany being lit up in the beautifully bright house on Arabella is going to be a spectacular sight!
When you get your builders plate made, you should add a plate telling the story of Victoria and how she was used in making Arabella. That way, the story will live on with the boat regardless of who owns her.
We’ll need a whole ‘nother boat to carry a plate with that story on it 😉 how about a book and a documentary instead? That’s kinda the plan right now.
@@AcornToArabella You mean you have not been writing in ABABELLA"S Log every day since day one? How very dastardly!
After half a century of woodworking, it has been my experience while using a router it is necessary during the day to check and make sure the collet is tight. Vibration from spinning at 15 to 25k rpm's will loosen up the best that is made.
Yes, and temperature shifts or putting a cool cutter in a warm collet; it's all part of woodworking.
Also if you tighten the collet on any part of the radius on the shank of the router bit it will eventually loosen up.
... that work shed must smell absolutely amazing ...
That scratch can be easily filled with sawdust/epoxy sludge, or filler piece and glue. Also a good spot to check where the mast hardware goes, and how much do they need for inlays. If the scratch is still worryingly deep after the final shaping and needs to hold the end the mast and maybe even the gaff, route some 1" or so deep grooves longitudaly and glue some 2 ft long strips across the scratch while filling it. Those longitudal strips act like stitches reinforcing the tapered section and the scratch. With some tight wrapping of cloth+glue or just rope or string, that spot will be stronger than before. That hoard of Victoria's furniture easily saves a year's worth of woodwork, and indeed, a century old hardwood is definitely a treasure.
Jeepers - Very period for Victoria!
Router bits mostly walk because chips build up in the collet, which pushes the collet open a bit. When using the same bit for a long time, you need to frequently use compressed air to clean out the chips.
Using your router with dust collection will also keep the collet clean.
That mizzen looks absolutely beautifuk !!! What a great job Alix ! Your ingenuity was amazing ! That little gouge means nothing , and is a reminder of all the hours you put into it a piece of art !
What an encouraging comment. Thanks Jon.
@@AcornToArabella Someone told me once that the mark of a true craftsman is making your mistakes look like you planned it that way.
How satisfying was it to watch the end of the mast get circled 5:20 . Every time Alix will look up at the mizzen mast he is going to rightly have a sense of pride. Loving the oak-mahogany combination.
Thanks!
Nice work, Alex, Steve.
I'm loving how much of Victoria will be recycled into Arabella. It's going to look incredible.
Its great that you guys are putting some of Victoria's DNA into Arabella. Love the idea of just cleaning up the woodwork and leaving the patina. She is going to look Stunning!
you guys are cooler than the other side of the pillow
last night I was wandering around and came across some of your early videos, this was pouring the keel. I marveled at two things, how far you both have come in skills and most amazing that you are still friends. Oh I am sure there have been and will be some disagreements. I am very proud of knowing the two even if just through the RUclips medium.
👍
Brilliant job Alix… incidentally have just watched the firing of Tally Hos mast too so nice to see both boats under construction
Should be a luxurious interior!!! :))
Your not the only one that have experienced the bit slipping.
A tradesman never blames his tools.
What about a backyard builder? Ha.
OUTSTANDING
Putting on a podcast and doing something for hours is my favorite.
As a model builder, here's a little tip which you might be aware of. When it comes to adhesives and puttys, there's also an additional filler that's called 'Micro-Ballons' which is nothing more than a powered substrate added into the adhesive which creates a thick 'filler' covering any holes.
There's also different homemade versions, one being by filling a gap using dry 'Baking Powder' and then 'CA' (Cyano-Acrylate Liquid Adhesive) is dropped on to the Baking Powder that's in the hole and this can be done building it up in steps to the desired height. The setting time for this CA filler is also instant within secconds and cures to the hardness of steel.
When working with wood and if cracks, holes, checks or splits need to be filled but look invisible blending into the wood, a great tip is to 'sand' the same wood collecting the sanded wood powder and using that as a filler which can also be used with wood glues like Titebond or even CA adhesive.
The nice way to finish the wood surfacing is to very quickly apply a final very thin layer of adhesive and then immediately dust over some sanded wood dust and pat it down right away. Once it's all set, just sand finish the surface and you will be the only one who'll ever know where those flaws were! Hope that helps.
Alix put a dutchman over the bit slip area and dove tail it at the top and bottom so as to add strength to the run of the mast. That will solve the issue. Yes bit slip is a pain and it happens in the right conditions. Press on and move forward. Love watching the process.
Good job Alix 👍👍
It has been so much fun watching Arabella take shape. I'm going to have to go back through and marathon binge when this is done. Which should allow me to catch any time I may have missed giving a like.
Got to love the ones that Never make mistakes! Keep up the good work! Makes my Friday!
Incredible work!
Imagine, the guy who build Victoria’s doors in 1920 would know that his doors outlive the whole boat and now get another hundred years in Arabella. 🥲I’d be so proud and happy!
The mizzen is an incredible, beautiful, 100 yr old piece of wood. Now a note of caution about the mahogany from the "Victoria", be careful when using modern finishes over old varnish, sometimes there is a reaction between finishes. Beautiful work.
Is shellac varnish (literally just a mix of shellac and methylated spirit (denatured alcohol in the US?)) resistant to a marine environment? If so, it is likely to be that.
Trying to wipe off an unobtrusive section with a meths-soaked cloth would answer the question, shellac varnish / French Polish will rub off.
@@andypughtube That's just it. What did they use in the 1920's? Shellac, pine based varnish, or what? And what did they use as a thinner?
@@richardhoffman9729 well let's hope it not the shells of the lac bug.
@@richardhoffman9729 It could also be nitrocellulose based laquer.
This is one very good reason to refinish the wood. I understand the patina aspect, but this isn't a Seymour dresser with provenance or anything; it needs to be respected, but it also needs to be re-sealed for longevity.
I love combining and contrasting wood species for finish work.
A weekend without A2A is no weekend! Great Job.
Watching you guys work and the love and care you have for victorias memory is a joy to watch. If I lived on the same continent I would be volunteering to sweep sawdust on this project as a minimum.
A joyful Arabella Day to one and all!
everyone makes mistakes, the true measure of a craftsman's skill is how he repairs his mishaps
Thanks for that thought, John.
Arabella is going to be such a fine looking boat when you guys are done.
I had good luck sanding my floors with a USand which has 4 random orbital discs that spin simultaneously. It is slower than a belt floor sander, but definitely gives you much more control.
Nothing more beautiful than to use old wood from the old ship to donate to the new one, specially as its that darn beautiful, goodnes gracious. Truly inspirational recycling, heh, nothing that can be used goes to waste, even cutting and making your own boards, no large factory and long shipping to waste on fuel. I dont know woodworking to save my life but it felt iffy for me to use the old mast, but it seems to be good wood and not rotten, and i trust you know what you are doing, for the most part, hah. i'll enjoy the show as it goes on.
It's fantastic you have Victoria's interior to give Arabella that extra special feeling of originality in her rebuild.
Rebuild ? I thought this was from acorn !
Typical from some people, if all they can offer is negativity then they are better keeping their comments to themselves.
Graham, friend, he only shaved a half inch of depth off. Toothpick? I think you may be hyperbolizing a bit much, bud.
Beside which, I get that you're into the whole "shabby chic" thing, but a brand new, built from scratch sorta boat isn't an appropriate place for that aesthetic, especially as the original finishes and flaws would inhibit the ability to seal it properly for longevity.
Form follows function, and all that, y'know?
Looking forward to see the transformation of the old interior and then putting it into Arabella :-)