building a mast

[Curtis George]

Hello everyone.
I am new to this site.
I would like to make a sail boat.(size not choosen yet.)
My Big question is the mast. I know of, solid and birdsmouts (holow masts) but how much money dose a mast cost?
Has anyone had one made? Or has anyone made one them selfs?

Thanks in advance.
C.A.G.

[seayou77]

A Concordia 41 sloop Mast Boom with hardware a cool 50 grand not sure if that includes shrouds, There is about ten grand worth of sitka spruce. Which is about five grand if you were to be in Canada.
I picked up a mast for a Lightning, with shrouds for forty bucks at the consignment store. Does that help?
Wanna make a small fortune with a boat? Start with a very large fortune!

[paladin]

lotsa time/ Low on Munny? laminate staves from douglas fir.....make birdsmouth....more goo, less wood...same weight as spruce...stiffer...twice as much time........

[StevenBauer]

I made the mast for my John Gardner skiff from a 16' spruce staging plank that cost $23 at the local lumber yard. I had enough left over to build a pair of oars. What kind of mast are you talking about? I think you have the price range defined right here on this thread already: somewhere between $23 and $50,000. :D

Steven

[NormMessinger]

First things first, Grasshopper. The mast is one of the easier parts.

What do you want to use this boat for?

Now we can begin to help chose a design if you like.

[Gary Bergman]

Well, one of my boats has these nice, Herreshoff designed, Sitka Spruce masts, the other boat just has solid trees...both sail well, so you need a more specific task requirement, methinks....

[Tom Moss]

I build the Mast for my Penobscot 14 using the birdsmouth method. Wood was lumberyard spruce 2x10x14 which I painstakingly ripped and scarfed into clear straight staves. Surprizingly it was not possible to get more than a couple of clear staves out of a 2x10 but all could be made by scarfing clear sections together. Birdsmouths were cut using router bit from Lee Valley. Once properly set up with feather boards to guide and hold stock these turned out flawless.

I cut 4 supports with a semi circlular surface to facilitate holding the staves for gluing and assembly. These were aligned with a cheap laser level to ensure the mast would straight. Clamps were a combination of surgical tubing and spanish windlass.

All in the 2 1/4 x 13+ foot mast cost less than $75 Cdn. (and most of that was the router bit)

Lots of fiddling to get scarfs right and staves cut but I consider my own labour free.

[Ken Hutchins]

An artist starts with a clean piece of canvas and visualizes a painting to be. Some of us boatbuilders walk in the woods and see plain old trees and visualize a mast to be. ;)

[Curtis George]

Hi guys I took the weekend off and did some work around the house.

The reasion for my question is, most elements about makeing the hull are manageable (meaning I can do that.) but the mast is a differnt story, How do you turn a mast? with a spokeshaven? or hand plane? and if made out of soild wood, then what?
I think you would need a special lathe, lets say 18 to 20 feet long. thats gota cost $$$.
Just curious.
At this time Im trying to gather up as much info. as possible. no decidions on type or size as yet, But I think I am looking at the 16' to 20' range.

I am not a stranger to boats, Im just use to steel and Alum. not wood. and the sail, it has a huge draw for me.
Thanks for everyones replys, and I would still like to know more about HOW TO DO THAT STUFF! ;)
have a good day.
C.A.G.

[StevenBauer]

You don't use a lathe to make a mast. Although Mystic Seaport does have a huge mast lathe. smile.gif
You need to get to the library and get yourself some boatbuilding books. Or buy them from the WoodenBoat Store. As Norm says the mast is an easy part. As for books, look for books by John Gardner, Greg Rossel, John Brooks, Iain Oughtred, H.H. Payson. Many people here have descibed how they built their masts, use the search thingy. Or look in Jim's FAQs. Any effort you put into basic research now will pay off bigtime later. smile.gif

Good luck,
Steven

[StevenBauer]

Oh yeah, WoodenBoat Magazine! There are lots of how-to articles in WoodenBoat Magazine. I've been reading a lot of the old issues and they are just packed full of fantastic stuff! There is an online index you can get to from the homepage so you'll know which issues to get. Or maybe your library has them (or can get them from inter-library loan).
So what kind of boat do you like?

Steven

[NormMessinger]

We still don't know what size mast your might need. Ken has a thread (http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010961) else where here in which he describes finding a nice tall pine, dropping it gently in a nicely prepared bed, etc. However building up a mast from boards is easy enough: Start with a four sided piece of the maximum diameter of your mast, taper it as specified, still four sided. Now saw off four corners to make eight sides. Pick up your hand plaine and make it 16 sided. A little sanding and you have a perfectly round mast. Easier done than said. Almost. tongue.gif Hit the books, Grasshopper.

[ 02-07-2005, 06:01 PM: Message edited by: NormMessinger ]

[ssor]

I have read most of the posts here concerning mast building and the term "birdsmouth" comes up frequently. I know what a birdsmouth is when framing the roof of a building but I see no purpose for a cut like that on a mast.
Will somebody please help this ignorant old man and explain this term?
Thanks
Ross in Bel Air

[Frank Wentzel]

SSOR

Check this link. Also use the WB search thingy. The "birdsmouth" method is the easiest way to make a hollow mast or any hollow wooden item. I've even heard of birdsmouth kayak paddle shafts.

http://users2.ev1.net/~fshagan/bm.htm

/// Frank ///

[ 02-08-2005, 09:04 AM: Message edited by: Frank Wentzel ]

[StevenBauer]

This better be spiffy!

Here is the idea for the birdsmouth method:
http://pragdata.com/philboat/birdsmouth.GIF

You can build a spar this way that is lighter than solid, just as strong and easier to build.

Steven

[ssor]

Frank, Steve, Thanks! I have seen this method used for constructing porch columns. Have never used it, makes for easy assembly and large glue surfaces. Scarfing the staves and stagering the scarf joints would allow the use of less than full lenth pieces and still creat a sound assembly. Again thanks.
The birdsmouth as used in roof framing makes a simular cut near the end of the rafter to allow the rafter to rest flat on the wall plate.
Ross in Bel Air