Finding Gold in the Locust Pile - Episode 211 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat
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- Опубликовано: 28 апр 2022
- Open House information: www.acorntoarabella.com/open-...
Put your name on a plank: www.acorntoarabella.com/merch...
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Nearly every piece of wood in Arabella, from the backbone to the deck framing, came to this project as a tree. This means it wasn't ordered from the lumber yard or even from a mill, and that the many imperfections in each tree won't be known until it's milled-not just cut into boards, but put through a thickness planer. When one considers what is useable from a tree, it starts to become very real that our dwindling piles may present new challenges.
For deckbeams and other important places where we want strength and rot resistance, we've employed locust for the job. The drawback? Locust grows quickly and wildly, twisting sometimes, the heart of it is sometimes gnarly and unusable for any woodworking project, let alone a boat. We open up the locust pile and discover that we've got to be very careful with how we use the rest.
We get to an interesting steaming experiment as we try to figure out how we can use our stock for the locust covering boards.
It's been a while since we've scarfed together some planks, but we get to the last two here. THE LAST TWO PLANKS. The sheer strake is of locust, the whiskey plank (the final plank on the boat) is of cedar. The last plank will go onto the boat on May 28th. More on that soon!
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Acorn to Arabella is a boat building project taking place in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve started as an amateur boat builder building a 38' wooden boat in his 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 he and the crew 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 live in the south of France in what was an old coaching station, stables and barn, built in 1723. It's up on a mountain pass. Over the last 22 years since I bought it I have been converting it to a house. It has granite walls 3 feet thick. I've cut timber from my forest, planked some and made beams from others using a home built chainsaw mill. I know the aches and joy of making everything 'at home. I made 4 beams from Sweet chestnut, 15" square and 33 feet long all hand hewn finish. I have owned old wooden boats too, I had a 39 foot yacht, built in 1899, the Mazurka, sold her back in 1979, regretted it every day since. The house will be finished this year, you have inspired me to build another boat, only about a 20 footer, I have lots of seasoned white oak, sweet chestnut and cedar.
Wow, please do keep us updated on your projects. Fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
Time for Mazurka II !!!!
Are you near the Vaucluse? Definitely cedar and chestnut rich. Had friends in the Dordogne that resurrected a ruin. Was quite the project.
@@MaShcode Montagne Noire, 35k north of Carcassonne.
That sounds awesome! Would love to see your house, but I am in the states. Ever think of doing a RUclips channel? Of
course you sound pretty busy. Cheers.
One of the most fascinating things about this project for me is watching the full cycle and every step of a TREE becoming a BOAT. We forget that yes we can just order lumber from the lumber yard but forget how it even got to the lumber yard. Add that now Arabella gets lumber with the unique grain sweep needed for each area, can't get that from lumber coming from a yard. I am NOT a wood guy, I weld metal, so maybe Arabella fascinates me more then others. Love this channel, the people on it and Arabella.
Do you forget your metal comes from ore?
Thank you very much, that’s very kind… and thanks for your support on Patreon, too! 🙌🏼 Turning trees into a boat-we’re probably not the only channel doing it but it’s unique in the boatbuilding world in general to have to do felling and milling as well as selection and building. It’s been a great experience for us, too.
@@AcornToArabella And, if I've understood this most amusing story right, it was your forefathers who managed the seedlings into the trees you ultimately felled?
@@SteifWood Some of them, yes. And managed the woodlot here, if they didn't plant them.
@@AcornToArabella don't forget to plant some new ones for the next generation 😉
Your beautiful high quality videos have captured so many incredible moments along this fascinating journey. It is an honor to be along for this ride from afar and I wish I could attend the open house. I can't, but I know that you will record the event so well that we out here can participate vicariously and not feel left out!
Very kind of you, thanks, and hope you're able to watch the livestreaming events or catch up afterward!
BEN, I love your titles and editing each week! "Engine Whisperer" had me actually LOLing!
😁
Steve if you make a 1" pvc pipe manifold to distribute the steam to different parts of the steam bag you'll get better results. Instead at one end. Great minds thinking alike! 🤔👍
I like the quick strait takes, helps give perspective on everything, like the sheer labor cost of milling lumber. She may the last boat truly built on one yard.
Hmmm. Not sure about that. We’re not the only ones out here doing this, so we don’t dare to claim that. For example, right off the top of my head, Josh Swan in Wisconsin both builds boats and specializes in maritime lumber. I bet he churns out a small boat a year from what he cuts. Here’s a video with him in it: ruclips.net/video/RjmB8krCTA4/видео.html-Anne
Go see the "Tally Ho" Restoration.
Imagine the days of hand-hewn beams and boards. The lengthy process of turning trees into lumber, then boat parts, with the aid of "modern" (antique) machines really gives Arabella a unique lineage not shared by many when she begins her world cruise. You will bask in the glory of making each piece during the countless hours of long passage.
It’s really astonishing to think about. The fact that the 1890’s thicknesser would have been a complete luxury at the time, and an impossibility 100 years before that… it’s amazing that wooden boats have been around as long as they have.
It's interesting to see that KP is learning all about timber and how it gets from a tree to useable timber and all the work involved. I love working with the old machines myself and milling down the timber to the size required. I am a boatbuilder of 40 years and have many similar machines but not as big and industrial as yourselves. It is also great that you show this part in your videos as people see what is involved as other channels only show the timber from the timber yard onwards.
To be clear, KP knew that beforehand, and did that on their apprenticeship, but has mostly worked at boatyards where it’s not necessary. Thanks for sharing your story!
Again another week of great work crew. Something I've thought about is how the family and neighbors is going to feel once done. It'll be great to see it leave but sad to see the spot empty, and all the wood piles gone. As someone else said it's crazy to see this go from tree to boat.
What a thought, Mike. And while it feels like forever away, it’s right around the corner really.
It is absolutely amazing how fast Arabella is coming together in these final stages of assembly... this is so awesome to watch. Maybe consider doing a timelapse that covers the build from the beginning to the open house would be a great way for newcomers to catch up on this fantastic project.
That’s a tall order but would be very cool! We did episode 200 which was a pretty good synopsis of the build thus far.
I loved to watch the process of firing up the big thicknesser - the fact that there’s no affordances on any of the controls is so different to “modern” device aesthetics. The order of operations, how many revs and how much fuel, all with a hand-written label it you’re lucky… you just gotta know how to do it, but once you do, the understanding is deep and really beautiful and satisfying.
Well put, Ben.
That thickness planer is something extra.
5:30….. The learning never stops. This project is like a hunter that knows where the steak on his plate came from. A to A’s lumber has that kind of history and attachment to it. I’m sure you appreciate the challenge and broadening of your horizons.
Folks, I have a cautionary observation. I've built a 20' double end yawl from wood that I cut/milled from live trees. I've done a lot of laminating bent frames but no steam bending, so take this with a grain... While watching your time lapse of the edge set locust (all my framing is robinia) I cringed at how much the boat itself was flexing to come to the board you were bending. It would not have been noticeable without the time lapse, but it seemed not inconsequential.
Yes I was also shocked at this. They probably had no idea at the time!!
I love your rough thickness planer. It absolutely fits the whole project. God bless your open house.
What an amazing team. Work well done and done well. I will be sending positive thoughts to you all. Thank you for the wonderful show.
What a wonderful episode! The time lapse footage of steambending the black locus was absolutely mind-blowing. And seeing how happy KP was by their success made my day. Great work everybody!
Thanks so much!
Love KPs energy they are bringing to this project. Every time on screen is a treat it’s great seeing the project through your eyes KP!
#A2Acoffeeclub Thanks for another fine episode. Sipping my coffee I'm thinking, "They'll never edge set that plank enough." I'm so happy to be proven wrong. Kudos to the entire crew for kickin' content and production values. You've come quite a long way from the days of harvesting lumber.
Thanks, Bill! Happy Friday, always good to have coffee with ya! #a2acoffeeclub
Thanks for posting and sharing. Nice to see how the locust bent.
Really enjoyed this episode. I've watched from tree selection, felling, drying out, planing and look forward to seeing planks going down.
Mike from 🇦🇺
I have really enjoyed watching this project! Way to make your dreams come true.
Thank you, Jerame! 🙌🏼
My best therapy is watching this crew build the most awesome craft.
Shucks, Paul, thanks!
You do realize that your open house is on Mother's Day weekend. That should really make the neighbors happy.
Moms like boats too.
Good morning A2A crew. Another beautiful Friday. Thanks Ben
Good morning, Tom! Happy Friday to you.
I own a 20 foot pontoon for fishing. It’s all I need or want for a boat. The concept of building a boat, of any kind or size is totally alien to me. I watch this channel to see the tree fall and then become lumber. I have picked up all kinds of tips and tricks about woodworking from this channel. The people on this project are skilled and interesting. Great videos always!
Thanks so much!
I'm UK bound but wish I could see the boat. As I've said im just a UK joiner it's a totall joy watching arrabele grow and come to life
Who knew Grape jelly would be so good at joining boards together... :P
Ha! I guess FlexEpox does look a little food-like compared to other glues!
Amazing team work, it is a pleasure watching you guys work together…..
Greetings from across the Atlantic... I grew up in an area where one would find several carpentry and lumbering shops...over the last decade they disappeared and today one can only buy pre set boards or bits ...watching u picking and chosing amongst those boards...brings back memories even smells that is difficult to come by...humongous thanks to u all...every week I whait patiently for the evolution in Arabella...thank you...
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for watching!
Nice job on that Locust cover board, that much edge-set is always going to be a big ask.
As a retired marine engineer who’s also done a bit of classic boat restoration, I so wish that I could be there to give a hand, both with the machinery maintenance and with the joinery, but there’s a large hole full of the wet stuff between us and getting away from the farm for long is always tricky (livestock etc.).
I’ll definitely be with you on the livestream though, whatever time it ends up being, wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Greetings and best wishes from here in the SW UK 🇬🇧.
🖖😎👍🍻
I have been watching this for years now, from 4 different U.S. states. I’ll make the trek to the open house, wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Wow, Jeffrey, thank you very much. See ya there!
Wishing y'all a great Open House. Wish I could attend, but looking forward to the video coverage.
It is my fortune to live at the opposite end of this continent but I wish for you and all share next weekend without a joyous and fun weekend. That whiskey plank is a treasure to be shared by all, all go to sea.
The whole harvesting yourself all of the milling thing is why I think this is the best boat building project on RUclips. Not to criticise any other project but like sawmilling and processing of timber, I like that you're capable of doing all of this yourself - it's pretty liberating I'm sure and while time consuming you must have saved so much money by having this resource and skillset to make use of.
Thanks! Harvesting and milling our own wood made it possible to do the project in the first place. Purchasing it? Not possible.
Lots of lumber lumping going on!! Be safe Arabella crew!! Great episode!! 👍👍👊👊💪💪
Thanks! 🙌🏼
"Engine Whisperer" 😂😂😂
😁
Enjoyed seeing a team work with such passion. I heard the board say if I bend we can be on AkA and it bent.
😁 we think we hear the wood whispering sometimes, too.
Looking Awesome. Wish I could join you all there.
Love the fact that i can get my name in physical form on boat itself all the way from Europe! Good luck with the event and upcoming launch, i will be watching!
Thanks for being on the journey with us!
Dear Anne, Katie, Steve and Aaron,
Happy Friday first of all😃. You all were working on Arabella in this vlog and you also had a lot of help with the thickening bench for the raw wooden parts for Arabella. We love to see all this and we keep saying that Katie is a blessing for all people who love to work with wood. For us she’s a master carpenter. This counts the most for Dick since he worked a lot with furniture carpenters before he got retired. He was a sales manager with a booth builder but you could find him always was in the shop where the special items where made in the most difficult shapes so he learned a lot how to work with wood but not in such an amazing way as Katie can. We wish you all lots of success by finishing Arabella and wish you as well as your entire family all the happiness of the world plus we send you ❤️ from the Netherlands.
Best regards,
Willeke and Dick de Graaff.
Happy Friday, Willeke and Dick! We will pass on your kind words to KP (whose name sure does sound like Katie!) which they will appreciate so much. Thank you for being here every week!
Good afternoon from a rather cool Bedfordshire, its looking good.
Stay warm, Nick! We also haven’t been able to put our sweaters away yet. Come on, spring!
Good morning from Cape Canaveral
I would love to see Arabella sail by someday !
Slow suspense on the beam steaming :D
I'm always amazed how the engine planner and machines like it don't have the the big belts slip off. Even old and running with "Frankenstein parts," she is a very beautiful machine; "Mike Mulligans Steam Shovel of the boat yard! DD
She is! We love a good Mary Anne-type machine! What a great book. Thanks for bringing it up. -Anne
Just abusing physics, those big wide belts run on a pulley with a crown at center, because the belts like to ride 'up' the crown and self center.
@@brunsy1990 Thanks! DD
Matthias tells us! ruclips.net/video/6sM0Qjumyro/видео.html
Great guitar work (and everything else) on this vid!
Thanks, Chris!
I received two Covid shots plus two boosters but what really got me through the last two years was a weekly dose of A2A. You’re the best.
Aw Irwin thanks so much! That means a lot.
Great video! I would LOVE to be there, but May is my annual crunch-time getting my own boat ready for launching, and with only a couple weeks left before she goes in the water, I don't have free weekend time this time of year. Bottom painting, fixing a leaky hatch, fixing some worn canvas, a good post-winter cleaning, and a project list too long to list, but I'll watch the recap for sure as I watch every week, and hope to see Arabella sailing past me next summer!
I’m feeling that, Todd, as I do my fit out as well! Good luck with it! 🙌🏼 -Annie B
Most of my Plan C's include the turkey fryer as well. Great episode!
Engine Whisperer!!! Steve: you are the Pop Pop of boatbuilding on RUclips. Like Wu Tang; educating the masses!
Awesome video love the time lapse get to see the timber moving.
Glad you liked it!
Looking good 👍🏼
Nice work. Look forward to the next video.
Thanks!
Amazing how that locust will bend with steam power! Ben- I am really enjoying the cute credits at the end too (Engine Whisperer :)
😁
So happy this is up before I have to to turn in
Enjoyed the show
"...for the last time until launch." It's starting to become real, isn't it! Well done, you guys. Exciting days.
🎉🎉🎉
Good show folks.
Thanks for watching, Andrew!
Wish I lived close enough to visit. Such an amazing project
Thank you, richard!
Dear Arabellas Acorns.
👍👌👏 Very well done again and as always (video and work). I wish you good luck and great success with the open house event.
As always: Thanks a lot for making teaching explaining recording editing uploading and sharing.
Best regards luck and health to all of you.
Happy Friday, as always!
Dear @@AcornToArabella
As always: Thanks for replying and especially for another heart. ;-)
I always totally appreciate both.
Sincerely yours.
good stuff
Hope you'll tour the East Coast down to Florida's Space Coast when Arabella is sea worthy. Would love to see her!
The memories of those heat boxes for the gluing of the planking. lol, so much easier in good weather
It sure is!
Looking good!
🙌🏼
yall steamed the shit out of that locust. Wow what a cool view of the bend taking shape. Im super excited for the next step.
How much spring back did you experience. Did I miss that?
Loving it as usual folks! :-) XXX
Hooray, Simon!
Big doin's at the Boatyard! Wish we could drop by next weekend but unfortunately...but hoping to be somewhere near the launch!!
Hope so too, Bill!
A nice video . Thanks again fot this .
Bon Courage and stay safe.
Thank you for watching!
For whatever reason I am unable to edit my previous comment.
I would like to to offer that I have been following your channel for about about four (4) years. Sorry , I did not find you earlier.
I am continually amazed at the vast array of skills which you display. Additionally, the amount of forethought and planning is prodigious!
I try to appreciate the skills that are demonstrated in these videos and feel as though I fail. I am often in awe of the fit and finish which you are able to achieve.
Thank you, that’s very kind and we’re glad you’re here!
"Engine Whisperer" nice 😉
😉
Nice video as usual 👌
I am confused by KP's lack of understanding of the lumber process. To me, this was the number one draw to this project. ACORN TO ARABELLA, after all. She has described multiple times how she was used to by means of the order sheet, called in the needed materials and they just showed up the next morning. Well ok but do you have your head around it yet? A journeyman's mathematical proofs aren't predictions that is what you are paid for. Sorry, I'm just getting old I guess. Thanks for the show.
There’s no mystery to the lumber process for anyone. It’s that in a boatyard with more hands, everyone’s roles are more specialized, and not since KP’s apprenticeship over 10 years ago have they had to begin the next task or phase with milling. Heads are well around it.
Wish I could come meet the team and Arabella. But its a bit far from Christchurch (NZ). My next hope is that one day you make it down to NZ and I can join you on anchorage somewhere sweet, dinner on me
Hello from Hamilton NZ haha.
Happy Arabella day everyone!
I noticed the "engine whisperer." Love it.
😁
Wow, I thought those percussive sounds during the bending were the board creaking!
I love what y'all are up to. That is all.
Thanks, Jeff!
How cool would it be to see Andrew from Restoring Rosalind. I really enjoy his project, too.
We’ll tell him you said so!
Man I wish I could make it. Keep up the good work.
Best of luck. I’ll be there in spirit. 🇨🇦
Thanks, Bill!
Watching you work your way through the various problems, and solving them is so satisfying - I'd have never thought you could bend so much plank so far with a bit of steam (and it'd be amazing to see what a "steam bending wizard" can do with your stock).
Love seeing KP discover "how" A2A works, have you taken them out to the depths of the woods where the trees came from yet?
Good stuff! Steaming wood is always fun (usually always lol)
that machine is a real beast, like she said you gotta apreciate those machines that are built to be tough workhorses. and like you are doing, don't de funny with them because they can be verry unforgiving if one is not carefull. loving my bilgedragon shirt. keep up the good work and if you are ever in belgium let me buy you a drink.
Thank you, Luc! Thanks for your support.
as always thanks for the videos! it has be wonderful watching the progress and process and people along the way and looking forward to the day in the future when we get to see it floating ;[ while i would enjoy the chance to help in person it is not feasible and i wish you the best with your open house and live events. personally i find youtube "live" to be chaotic at best the human brain can read or watch but not both at the same moment and there is no possible way you can even keep up with the questions or the comments or the remarks let alone all 3 and answer and be filmed all at once lol , so good luck with that i as us al will watch after its over . and its shedding season so brush akiva lol
It’s definitely an adventure to host! I try to keep it a calm experience for those watching. 😁 Awww thanks for looking after Akiva, too. -Anne
I wish I could join you for the open house but I'm sure it will be wonderful. Will be sending my best wishes to you all from across the sea.
Thank you very much, Ashleigh! Hope you join us for the livestreaming events.
@@AcornToArabella I will be there in spirit ! Have an awesome day . All the best from Bristol , UK .
Good morning from saipan, Acorn To Arabella!
Good Mornin’, Tyler! Happy Friday!
Nice music this episode, Ben.
I am now fully committed to visiting from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The 2 night hotel stay is paid for in Amherst, E-ZPass is paid, the car has its service on Monday, my exhaust is replaced, haircut booked for Thursday. I spoke to a nice officer from US Border Services and he assures me I will have no problem with UK and Canada Passport plux Nexus Card and I am fully vaccinated. I may make the end of Saturday, but I have offered to cook on Sunday, which is _my_ trade. Looking forward to meeting everyone and experiencing Arabella in person and enjoying a holiday away.
Would have loved to be at the open house. I'll be in north Jersey for a family wedding. Can't wait to see the video though.
Sorry you'll miss it! We'll definitely do a recap in an episode for ya.
Wish I could be there, since I am less than 30 miles away. But good luck. Pete
Very cool!
🎉thanks! Happy Friday!
@@AcornToArabella likewise! Have wonderful open house! Wish I could go! I’m here in Los Angeles sharing in your dream. I like the point that was made about how you’re cradle to grave in harvesting the wood from your own trees rather than buying it. That’s very humbling! Cheers!
It's not a real Friday if I don't get to watch this boat being built. Happy Friday 🎉!
Hey Harold, thanks! Happy Friday!
Good Morning y'all
Mornin'!
When do you hope to finish? I note the first episode was 6 years ago, though I guess almost no-one builds a boat from trees that they fell themselves. Literally Acorn to Arabella.
We’ll be launching in 2023! Yes, the channel is quite literal. 😁
I thought it was cool that they could keep the plank in the bag while they bent it. I always learn something new with these episodes.
Instead of a steam box, in which you’d heat the wood and then run it over to the place into which you want to bend it into shape, the bag acts as the box would, and you gradually clamp it as it comes up to temperature.
Never get mad at yourself for going double ended. For what you plan on doing with this boat, having it double ended is going to make sailing life so much better.
The steam bending bag is a nice trick! Good luck at the open house👍👍
Check out Restoring Rosalind here on RUclips, lots of great steaming in bag stuff!
@@AcornToArabella thanks, I'll check it out!
Coffee and Acorn to Arabella. Just in time to save what would have been a horrible day.
Oh! Glad we could be there for ya.
Those old flathead sixes always sounded like they were never going to start, and then all of the sudden they are running.
It definitely sounds like it’s not Hanna happen…. Every. Single. Time.
@11:30 Plan C: Telling the wood to get bent :-D
Hahahaha YUP!
Great work getting all of the locust milled. For the covering boards, if they can't be bent in at 7+ inches wide, would you be able to split them, bend them to shape and then glue them along the seam? The joints could be reinforced with bronze drifts. Just a thought. Have a great planking session and all of you stay well.
Long glue lines, or many glue lines, see what we’re trying to avoid with the bending. We shall see! Thanks for the kind words and for watching!