imported_Glenn
09-20-2003, 08:41 PM
Hello,
I am well into planking my first boat. It's a Catspaw Dinghy which has 1/2" white cedar over steam bent white oak frames. The planks are fastened to the frames using copper nails and roves. A rove is like a flat washer except its shape is like an african congo hat (i.e convexed or concaved).
I am using #12 x 1 1/2" copper nails with #13 copper roves. When the plank is clamped and ready for fasteners, I first drill a 7/32" hole through the plank and the frame. I then place my nail in the hole, which fits snugly, and take a light ball peen hammer to set the nail head flush with the plank surface (using the flat side of the hammer head). The hammer I use is shown in the photo below.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/pe022c6620ded004536f324fee83b2ca0/fb09cac6.jpg
Next I take my home made rove set that I put together with about a dollars worth of hardware shown below in the photos.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/p74aa3720740bc262ff98c0eafc7075a4/fb0906c6.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/pf49168f6057d2770bc1607393592cbde/fb0906c5.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/p1baeb8c45a2b55581db410d2219dc426/fb09cb48.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/p8201140531292308589d3a96af358e92/fb09cb43.jpg
The important piece that makes this all work is the one inch long nut with threads on one side to screw onto the carriage bolt and with the other smaller hole to accept the tip of the nail. With the small opening on the end of the one inch nut, I am able to balance a rove to allow me to place its concaved end onto the tip of the nail that is coming out of the frame.
Once the rove is set on the tip of the nail, (being right handed) I hold my rove set with my left hand and use my hammer in my right hand to slide the rove onto the nail until it hits the frame. Once the rove is home, I then use the round end of my ball peen hammer to force the nail head to be slightly below the surface of the plank while at the same time my rove set is preventing the rove from moving away from the frame. The indentation on the surface of the plank which is very small (about 1/2" diameter) allows me to fair the nail heads with epoxy that is mixed West's 410 to give it a peanut butter consistency. Before I place the epoxy in the indentation, I first nip the nail head exactly flush with the rove and then I use the round head of the carriage bolt in my rove set as a backing iron and I lightly peen the tip of the nail to secure the rove. Congratulations, you have just fastened your plank using a copper rivet without the assistance of a helper!
My next tip is a slick way of pushing in the hood end of your planks into the stem rabbet. I purchased a tool called "a third hand". It is simply a spreader that can adjust from 5' up to 12'. I put one end on the wall of my shop and the other end about 1 inch from the tip of my plank at the stem. I then pump the grip and my plank is pushed right into place with the pivoting 3" square feet on each end of the spreader. See the photo below. (Note: You need to tip your head sideways to view this image). The spreader is the red pole you see.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/p53d6e2b5bd3c87a5c61e0586901f89e6/fb0906c7.jpg
I am well into planking my first boat. It's a Catspaw Dinghy which has 1/2" white cedar over steam bent white oak frames. The planks are fastened to the frames using copper nails and roves. A rove is like a flat washer except its shape is like an african congo hat (i.e convexed or concaved).
I am using #12 x 1 1/2" copper nails with #13 copper roves. When the plank is clamped and ready for fasteners, I first drill a 7/32" hole through the plank and the frame. I then place my nail in the hole, which fits snugly, and take a light ball peen hammer to set the nail head flush with the plank surface (using the flat side of the hammer head). The hammer I use is shown in the photo below.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/pe022c6620ded004536f324fee83b2ca0/fb09cac6.jpg
Next I take my home made rove set that I put together with about a dollars worth of hardware shown below in the photos.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/p74aa3720740bc262ff98c0eafc7075a4/fb0906c6.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/pf49168f6057d2770bc1607393592cbde/fb0906c5.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/p1baeb8c45a2b55581db410d2219dc426/fb09cb48.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/p8201140531292308589d3a96af358e92/fb09cb43.jpg
The important piece that makes this all work is the one inch long nut with threads on one side to screw onto the carriage bolt and with the other smaller hole to accept the tip of the nail. With the small opening on the end of the one inch nut, I am able to balance a rove to allow me to place its concaved end onto the tip of the nail that is coming out of the frame.
Once the rove is set on the tip of the nail, (being right handed) I hold my rove set with my left hand and use my hammer in my right hand to slide the rove onto the nail until it hits the frame. Once the rove is home, I then use the round end of my ball peen hammer to force the nail head to be slightly below the surface of the plank while at the same time my rove set is preventing the rove from moving away from the frame. The indentation on the surface of the plank which is very small (about 1/2" diameter) allows me to fair the nail heads with epoxy that is mixed West's 410 to give it a peanut butter consistency. Before I place the epoxy in the indentation, I first nip the nail head exactly flush with the rove and then I use the round head of the carriage bolt in my rove set as a backing iron and I lightly peen the tip of the nail to secure the rove. Congratulations, you have just fastened your plank using a copper rivet without the assistance of a helper!
My next tip is a slick way of pushing in the hood end of your planks into the stem rabbet. I purchased a tool called "a third hand". It is simply a spreader that can adjust from 5' up to 12'. I put one end on the wall of my shop and the other end about 1 inch from the tip of my plank at the stem. I then pump the grip and my plank is pushed right into place with the pivoting 3" square feet on each end of the spreader. See the photo below. (Note: You need to tip your head sideways to view this image). The spreader is the red pole you see.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid80/p53d6e2b5bd3c87a5c61e0586901f89e6/fb0906c7.jpg