New Winter Project

[G.Sherman]

With nothing to do in the home office except wait for the phone to ring, I decided to fabricate some patterns for 3 blocks with beckets. Just shipped them this week to Mystic Foundry to have them cast. They tell me the castings will be about $40.00 apiece.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/CheekBlocks.jpg

I've already turned down the sheaves from some black locust I had laying around. The pins are 1/4 inch bronze rod stock. The wooden cheeks are cherry.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/PICT0010-1.jpg

Where else could I get these for under $130 a pop?:D

[G.Sherman]

Hot off the Foundry: These JUST showed up on my doorstep five minutes ago.... a little filing and some grinding and polishing and I'll be ready for phase 2- Drilling the holes for the pins.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/PICT0015.jpg

More posts as progress is made.....

[johngsandusky]

Pretty cool.

[Vinny&Shawn]

What vessel will you use them on and can't wait to see the rest of the story.

[PeterSibley]

Very nice indeed .I'm scratching my head as to how they caste them from your patterns without cores for the middle openings .

[BETTY-B]

Very cool!

[ian scott]

Peter. Turn them 90 degrees.

[Concordia...41]

OK, so call me the skeptic ;)

You post the initial project details and price at 2:01 pm.

Then the cast pieces arrive at 2:21 (and your post says they arrived 5 minutes ago :eek:).

I know it's Christmas, but isn't sixteen minutes a little too much of a miracle? :p

Come on, give up the rest of the story :D

[G.Sherman]

Very nice indeed .I'm scratching my head as to how they caste them from your patterns without cores for the middle openings .

Sand Casting. They've cast several parts for me in the past, including a matching pair of gudgeons and pintles for my catboat.

[kazeai1969]

Aren't home offices the best?!?!
PS very cool!

[G.Sherman]

OK, so call me the skeptic ;)

You post the initial project details and price at 2:01 pm.

Then the cast pieces arrive at 2:21 (and your post says they arrived 5 minutes ago :eek:).

I know it's Christmas, but isn't sixteen minutes a little too much of a miracle? :p

Come on, give up the rest of the story :D

The rest of the story?

I'm in "Black Ops" working for the Postal Service in a home office, I have sensitive information on Dick Cheney and Dick Cavette. My power is immense.

Plus, I mailed the patterns last Friday, got a call just before they poured on Tuesday inquiring about the number of castings to be made.... Went outside to check the mail today and found the invoice($105.50) then tripped over the box as I went inside the house. It's a miracle, anymore information and I'll have to hunt you down and kill you....:eek:

[Jim Ledger]

Very nice indeed .I'm scratching my head as to how they caste them from your patterns without cores for the middle openings .

I'm wondering the same thing. No draft on the patterns, either. How'd they do it? A parting line might give some indication, but I don't even see one. For forty dollars each, they couldn't have messed around too much.

Nice project.

[G.Sherman]

Maybe this is this month's project...

Here is one of the single blocks ground and filed down with the holes for the pins drilled out.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/PICT0016-1.jpg

This is a partial assembly to check that things move well and are ready for buffing. The cheeks will be bonded on to the bronze with Mahogany colored 3M 5200. Then varnished.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/PICT0018.jpg

The sheave pin will be cut to length and then peened over to allow the wooden cheeks to be installed.

More as I progress.....

[G.Sherman]

Update: Buffed Casting with sheave installed, ready for the cheeks.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/PICT0022.jpg

[G.Sherman]

I bonded the wooden cheeks to each block and am waiting for the 5200 to cure. Will attach a photo of the set as soon as they stop being sticky.

[G.Sherman]

Finished and ready for use....
The cherry really pops! Looks like I need another project to get me though the winter...
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/PICT0024-2.jpg

[Driver Mark]

Finished and ready for use....
The cherry really pops! Looks like I need another project to get me though the winter...
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/PICT0024-2.jpg
Those are absolutely beeeeeeeeeautiful:)

[switters]

like jewelry, very cool.

[G.Sherman]

I finally got delivery on the D shackles I had cast at Mystic River Foundry. Spent the morning finishing them by drilling and tapping the holes for the clevis pins.
Here's the finished shackles-
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/D-Shackles.jpg

and the final product with the finished shackles.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/FinishedBlocks.jpg

[Jim Ledger]

Sweet!:)

[Woxbox]

Nicest jewelry I've ever seen.

[G.Sherman]

Nicest jewelry I've ever seen.

So it's just too shiny or just too pretty? Cause it's gonna get green eventually!:D

[davebrown]

looks like you hvae saved a pocket full of bills. can this be done with some standup- length oarlocks?

[G.Sherman]

Don't see why not.... the yolk shaped oar locks? kind of a big "Y"?

[Svensk]

With nothing to do in the home office except wait for the phone to ring, I decided to fabricate some patterns for 3 blocks with beckets. Just shipped them this week to Mystic Foundry to have them cast. They tell me the castings will be about $40.00 apiece.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/CheekBlocks.jpg

I've already turned down the sheaves from some black locust I had laying around. The pins are 1/4 inch bronze rod stock. The wooden cheeks are cherry.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/PICT0010-1.jpg

Where else could I get these for under $130 a pop?:D
Beautiful craftsmanship. Would you ever consider making the sheaves out of Lignum Vitae?

[G.Sherman]

Would if I had any..... locust is pretty hard and I soaked the sheaves for 36 hrs in a 50/50 mix of Linseed Oil and Mineral Spirits.

[McMike]

These are really cool, I don't know how I missed this thread. Way to go!