rabbet--chip, chip, chiping away

[Lulworth]

Well, just for fun, here is the progress* on the cutting of the rabbet for the sboat.

*(the word progress is used here in the way geologists describe the advancement of a glacier)

First I cut pockets every 9 " each with its own bevel using measurements from the original keel. One pocket looks like this...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid46/p9fd872ad911723335c4203b9ae390347/fccde49a.jpg

Then I join the pockets -- I've only got about 3 ft of the rabbet cut as of now but you can see the idea here:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid46/p09df215dbf337b1fa1d6cfea9b26952c/fccde49c.jpg

Also visible are the tools of the business: rabbet plane, 3/4 and 1/2" chisel, wooden mallet, bevel gauges, and bevel board. Here's a hard-learned hint for anyone thinking about cutting a bevel on a keel bent to an external form. Make sure the form allows chisel access. On mine, the cross beams interfere with the correct positioning of the chisel.

The bevel is a bit ratty but I have left a lot of material to allow for final fitting of the garboards. I'll be replacing the garboards (probably) so the position of the bearding line should be a bit flexible.

The problem with this part of the job is that I won't know how badly I've screwed up until the new keel is in place and that is a bit down the road...

Any hints would be welcome

David

[Roger Stouff]

Hint: Ya done good! smile.gif

[Art Read]

Looks about like I've always heard it described. I suspect you were wise to hold off "prettying" the bevels. They'll probably be pretty close once you get it on, but it's nice to have a little fudge factor. At any rate, a good tight seam is more important than a perfectly "fair" one. No one will see it but you! ;) As for those cross-pieces, any chance you could loosen the clamps holding your keel on the jig temporarily, and just slide it over closer to the near edge there? That would improve chisel access somewhat, no? Then slide it the other way to work on the other side?

[ 01-09-2003, 12:49 PM: Message edited by: Art Read ]

[ishmael]

Looks good. What Art said, and I think I'd be tempted to use a larger plane, at least for the outside curve. Good excuse to go tool shopping. :D

[Art Read]

"... I think I'd be tempted to use a larger plane, at least for the outside curve..."

It may be sacrelige, but after much trial and error, I found the most useful tool for final smoothing of my own rabbet was the belt sander. As long as the belt rides flush along one side, and you're very, very "conservative" with it. (Scary thought, ain't it? Having at that painfully, beautifully developed shape with a lowly belt sander? But it DOES work, and pretty damn fast too...)

[ishmael]

Art,

I hadn't thought of that. I used belt sanders a bunch in small production cabinet shops, where if it were up to me I'd have used a plane. In the practiced had they can be fast and accurate. Wish someone would put a muffler on one though. tongue.gif :D

[Bruce Hooke]

When I cut a stem rabbet recently I found it helped to get rid of the bulk of the wood first with a carving gouge. The carving gouge got rid of wood much more quickly than a chisel could because the gouge could be used with the grain rather than across the grain. Just make sure you use a gouge designed for heavy duty roughing out. Those lightweight carving gouges (such as the Swiss ones sold in about 100 different shapes and sizes by Woodcraft) are not meant for this sort of heavy duty work...

[Lulworth]

Art-thanks for the suggestion. I recognized that unclamping and moving the timber to one side or the other was the solution a while ago but I have an irrational fear that the thin end of the keel will start bending out of true. As I say, irrational since it could be clamped back into position after the work is done. Maybe I'll try it tonight.

Art, the belt sander idea is pretty wild -- I've been meaning to invest in one for a while now. On the subject of belt sanders, I am wondering about backing out the replacement planks -- did I read something that you wrote that said use the belt sander?

Ish-- you think that is my biggest rabbet plane? Hah, I've got a much bigger one. Actually, kidding aside, I haven't got enough of the rabbet roughed out yet to actually make proper use of any rabbet plane (or belt sander).

Bruce, I'll have to look into the carving gouge idea. What exactly is a carving gouge? One of those half round things that are used with a lathe? I'm not sure I've ever seen one.

I really do need to get this right or else this could happen ... (sboat (NOT MINE) sunk at the dock found on the web)

http://www.morphus.com/sboatproject/21AUG02/153-5318_IMG.jpg

Luckily the water wasn't too deep and it was refloated by building a coffer dam or so say people who would know. One thing I know for certain is that it must have been a bummer to find the boat sunk.

http://www.morphus.com/sboatproject/21AUG02/153-5328_IMG.jpg

I really don't know anything about the s-boat that sunk except that I hear that he replaced the same keel timber that I am working on. Maybe I'll go check those bevel angles again!

David

[Bruce Hooke]

Nope, you don't want a lathe gouge. What you want is something along the lines of these gouges from Woodcraft (http://www.woodcraft.com):

http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/assets/product_images/14T21.jpg

The are identified as "SORBY Sculptor's Firmer Gouges" (http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=1366&gift=False&Gift=false&mscssid=FC66AB898B0C4FBEB63424C759462E97)

[ishmael]

I was thinkin' earlier...why couldn't you waste most of this out with a circular saw. Either before or after bent, why not cut that v-section piece out of there, leaving plenty for hand shaping.

[Lulworth]

Arrggg.... Just as I was finishing roughing out the rabbet on the starboard side of the keel, the boxwood handle of my relatively new 1" Marples chisel split. Arrggg.... The brass band that goes around the bottom of the wood handle broke open and the boxwood split like firewood. In fact, it's 1/2" brother also has a broken ferrule (?). The question is, did I goof or are these chisels just for looking at? I used a small wooden mallet and didn't really wack very hard. Can anyone suggest a nice chisel that won't fall apart after a few hundred wacks with a mallet? For that matter, how do I replace the handle and ferrule on the one I've got?

Of course, I probably should have used the circular saw (as suggested by Ish). In fact I was intending to plot the position of the apex projected onto the edge of the plank and cut the apex line to simplify the job a bit but then I began to fret about the consequences of using such an unforgiving tool so I decided to do the whole thing by hand. Next time ....

David.

[Ron Williamson]

David
A socket style chisel may serve your purpose better.I have plastic handled beaters(not used much) and sockets.For my purposes the sockets are standing up better.
FYI a socket chisel has what amounts to a steel funnel welded to the shank,the handle fits inside of it.They are much more money,new,but used,not too bad.
R