Restoration of MINDE, a 1903 Pilot Cutter

[JoshuaIII]

Nice project!
I am curious about that juniper for treenail... Can you give me the latin name of your juniper, as here juniper is a weak wood weaker and lighter then cedar... Which I would certainly not want for treenail!

[chas]

"here juniper is a weak wood weaker and lighter then cedar... Which I would certainly not want for treenail!"

Au contraire, mon ami. Swamp juniper or tamarack, not far from you, is mighty fine stuff for that. / Jim

http://www.macphailwoods.org/tree/larch.html

[JoshuaIII]

"here juniper is a weak wood weaker and lighter then cedar... Which I would certainly not want for treenail!"

Au contraire, mon ami. Swamp juniper or tamarack, not far from you, is mighty fine stuff for that. / Jim

http://www.macphailwoods.org/tree/larch.html

Not larch, but Juniper(Juniperus virginiana):
http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...tic-red-cedar/

I guess it answer my question... The Juniper in question which is not in the Juniperus family is in fact larch...

[svaap]

Joshua,

I really don't know the latin name for the Juniper that we have locally.
All I know is that is it the first choice of wood to use for wooden trunnels up here, and always has been.
It is very rot resistant and tough, and often is the best part of most old rotten wooden vessels...


Cheers,
Ole

[Peerie Maa]

And its berries are what turns alcohol into Gin

[PeterSibley]

I'm surprised Australia didn't develop an export trade to Norway with ironbark planks !

Trunnel suppliers to the world !

[chas]

Way back when I had dreams of being a boatbuilder, I went to visit a man by the name of Johnny Williams from Beach Point, PEI. Johnny had a reputation for his Cape Islander style of fishing boats and had conducted some teaching at the local college so was a man I needed to speak with. I found him in his shop working on his last boat before retirement. She was a 46' schooner that he was building for himself so that he could fulfill a lifelong dream to sail around Newfoundland. He spoke at length about the qualities of 'swamp' juniper and how he reckoned it was good wood for boatbuilding because it was "used to" a high water content.

That part I've never forgotten, the idea of using particular woods for particular purpose, because the wood itself is "used to it". A lesson in tradition. Minde is a beaut and thanks for your efforts in documenting your work on her, Ole. / Jim

[svaap]

Jim,

It is always facinating how different types/shapes of wood can be utilized into building a boat.
When I am passing trees I always look for shapes that could be used into a build. "What a nice curve, that would be perfect for a stem... There you have a strong floor/frame...." etc.


I do not have many pictures of Mindes interiour, but here you have one. There are one berth on each side, elevated a bit from the sitting-benches. There are 5 fixed berths, two of them quite wide.









Several waterpins were installed at strategic points were water could ingress.






After fairing the frames was complete, I started laying out where to the planking would be butted to provide sufficient strenght.
Some compromizes was necessary, but I think it will be strong enough.


The planks was just a tad under 2" thick and of oak, so they needed two hours in the steamer to soften up a bit.
The lower planking is quite hard to twist, since they are vertical at the stern and about 45° forward.






The garboard is fastened with 4" ships-spikes in the rabbet and 6" in the frames - all with a strand of oakum under the head to prevent leaking.






First plank in....






Cheers,

[chuckt]

I'm curious about the machine in the shed. What is it?

[svaap]

Hi Chuck,

What machine are you refering to?

[chas]

Hi Ole /

I'm wondering about the requirements regarding the depth and diameter of pilot holes for ships spikes with that shape and if there is a risk of splitting frames. Guessing from earlier pics, it appears that the 6" spikes would go most of the way through the frames. Tks / Jim

[svaap]

Hello Jim,

The ships spikes that you can see on the picture is a mix of the type we have been using up here for years (the 4") and the new type (the 6") that has been supplied recently. The boatbuilders hate the new one. Actually, it is not a new type but the production has been moved to another country, and they have not managed to get a stabile production-result. They vary a lot in dimension/shape, and have this wedge-type shank under the head.
The type we are used to is rectangular in cross-section, and of even diameter all the way except from the tip that is a bit rounded/thinner.
The new ones can vary a lot. Some are square in cross-section, the diameter is changing a lot from spike to spike.. I hope they manage to get a repetetive production up and going, as this is a big problem for all users.

For a rectangular spike we drill to match the smaller side into the frame. The hole through the plank is wider, and especially with the wedge-like shank you need to be particularly aware of the danger of splitting the wood. Normally no problem, except for near the end-grain. The excessive countersink in the plank is closed by using oakum under the head.

As for the dimension, I only use 6" in the lower frames/floors as they are a lot deeper. I will use 5" from the third row and upwards, in addition to the trunnels.


You can see that the earlier repairs to the planking is deviating from the original planking layout, probably to remedy some bad seams.













Both garboards in place






/Ole

[chuckt]

Hey Ole--I was talking about the machine in the shed next to your steam box. Maybe it is a power generation unit?

[svaap]

Hi Chuck,

That is the boiler for the steam box. It is heated by prophane now.

[Peerie Maa]

Hello Jim,

The ships spikes that you can see on the picture is a mix of the type we have been using up here for years (the 4") and the new type (the 6") that has been supplied recently. The boatbuilders hate the new one. Actually, it is not a new type but the production has been moved to another country, and they have not managed to get a stabile production-result. They vary a lot in dimension/shape, and have this wedge-type shank under the head.
The type we are used to is rectangular in cross-section, and of even diameter all the way except from the tip that is a bit rounded/thinner.
The new ones can vary a lot. Some are square in cross-section, the diameter is changing a lot from spike to spike.. I hope they manage to get a repetetive production up and going, as this is a big problem for all users.

For a rectangular spike we drill to match the smaller side into the frame. The hole through the plank is wider, and especially with the wedge-like shank you need to be particularly aware of the danger of splitting the wood. Normally no problem, except for near the end-grain. The excessive countersink in the plank is closed by using oakum under the head.

As for the dimension, I only use 6" in the lower frames/floors as they are a lot deeper. I will use 5" from the third row and upwards, in addition to the trunnels.

/Ole

The long ones that you don't like are called cut boat nails in the UK, the others are ordinary boat nails or spikes. The cut nails are literally made by cutting, they are sheared off of the end of a strip with a gillotine set to cut the taper. They are then gripped in a vice and headed up, which is why they taper the wrong way under the head. They are universal for hanging plank in UK working boats. The best way to avoid splitting the frame is to place the nail so that the chisel point is across the frames grain.

[PeterSibley]

Bridge spikes in Australia.

[chuckt]

Maybe my eye is fooling me as to the size of your box and steamer. Both seems huge to me but maybe I've got the wrong scale.

[Soundman67]

Hi Chuck,

That is the boiler for the steam box. It is heated by prophane now.

So does this mean that swearing like a sailor can boil water?

[Duncan Gibbs]

Absolutely brilliant Ole! I'm in complete awe of your efforts!

[svaap]

Chuck,
The stembox is quite large - about 50 cm by 70 cm and aprox 7 meters long. It is fitted with two rows of cross-bars to take two planks at the same time.


Soundman67,
I'm sorry but my English skills is not sufficient to catch your point...

Thanks Duncan!


I thought I'd post a picture of the messy goop that was lurking in the bilges.... Good for you that I can not include the smell...

[PeterSibley]

Erk! That lot would give me nightmares !

[Peerie Maa]

Soundman67,
I'm sorry but my English skills is not sufficient to catch your point...

Svaap,
You miss-spelled propane. You did not spell profane right either, but it did sound like very hot swearing.

[WX]

Originally Posted by svaap
Hi Chuck,

That is the boiler for the steam box. It is heated by prophane now.

Spelt that way it would be pronounced profane, which is to swear.
I think you meant propane.

[svaap]

Oups...



There you have it.. Sleeping in my English classes was not a good idea..

[Farfalla]

Ole,
If you can do all that you do and don't wind up swearing sometimes then you are in line to be canonised.
I don't mean "Shot with a cannon", it's "becoming a saint".

I asked a while back about Minde's dimensions, I guess you were caught up in all the pics.
The whole thing looks to be quite the undertaking but she's going to be a beauty when you're finished I'm sure.

Have fun,
Sophie

[svaap]

Sometimes it is hard to find the words to use, then you have the spelling and grammar... It is easier to build the boat than to communicate the progress .

I can promise you that swearing can be heard. Yesterday I drilled the hole for the stern-tube, and the drill-bit got stuck in the pilot-hole when I was enlarging the diameter, with the consequence that the machine hit me in my chest - repeatedly! In fact, I have bruisings all over my chest today. I managed to get the hole to it's diameter of 55 millimeter, perfectly alligned with the direction of the engine/gearbox. (Phew..)
I have a flexible connection from the prop-shaft to the engine a "Aquadrive". Anyone here with knowledge of this device? Do they last?

Minde's dimensions/specifications are:

LOD: 11,5 meter
Beam:4,22 meter
Draft: 1,8 meter
Weight: 16 tons
Keel/frames/stem/sternpost/planking/deckbeams/superstructure: Oak
Deck: Pine
Mast/boom/gaff/bowsprit: Larch

[WX]

Oups...



There you have it.. Sleeping in my English classes was not a good idea..

If it's any consolation I don't know any Norwegian.

[svaap]

Some of the planks that came in during the former owners work on Minde, had to cross the natural run of the planks. This is probably due to bad seams.
I needed to cut the planks back to the original lines using a skilsaw and a batten to guide it. This procedure was used at several planks.





I glued wooden pegs into the holes from the old spikes.

[Peerie Maa]

Sometimes it is hard to find the words to use, then you have the spelling and grammar... It is easier to build the boat than to communicate the progress .

Minde's dimensions/specifications are:

LOD: 11,5 meter
Beam:4,22 meter
Draft: 1,8 meter

Poetic justice. Most of your readers do not speak Système international d'unités.

[chuckt]

Laugh. That's a huge steambox! And that is some disgusting goo behind your planking.

You are a better writer than most on the forum. I had you pegged for an ex-patriot when I first read your thread.

[PeterSibley]

If it's any consolation I don't know any Norwegian.

Svaap writes better English with less errors than I can manage! The subject matter is far more interesting too!

[Soundman67]

I apologize for the lil joke. Sometimes I cant resist. I think Svaap does a fantastic job of English.

[Harm P]

Ole,
What keeps amazing me most is how you manage to do all that work on your boats, run a farm and entertain & educate some 30,000 (?) forum readers at the same time. I cannot even find the time to restore a Mirror Dinghy!
Thank you for sharing with us.
Looking at the pictures I understand why the SSRS (Svenska Sällskapet för Räddning af Skeppsbrutne) logo is so prominent in the entrance of the doghouse....

Cheers,

Harm

[svaap]

Hey, no need to apologize about making a joke - I have a sense of humour and laugh about myself all the time...
But I must confess that spelling and grammar is not what it used to be, so I often find myself struggling to formulate my postings. But I know you are forgiving about minor errors.

Harm:
I am quite passionate about wooden boats, and it gets a fair share of my spare time.

Minde is fitted with a massive deck-pump, a model that is capable of lifting a can of beer from the bilges (...).
Will post a picture of it - it is a work of art!


Slowly, planks are getting in, one by one.
Working only a couple of weekends each month doesn't give much progression, and I am a bit stressed about getting her afloat before the wood dries up too much.

Clamping the ends can be a challenge.
For the planks ahead, I plan to prepare the aft end with countersunk holes (need to pre-drill into the sternpost as well) to be able to set the plank in tight with a nail before I start bending/twisting.
Of course, I will still need the clamps to prevent the pressure under the head of the nail to be too great.















I found it difficult to get the last plank clamped into position, because of the combination of the twist and the tight space forward, between the other planks.

As planking progress, the twist decrease and the bending increases. Bending is easier than twisting!


3rd plank on starboard side





Next project was the stern-tube.
Much easier to control the direction before the hull is planked.

Cheers,

[Thad]

Good pictures and description. All what you say sounds right!

[boatbuddha]

My new favorite thread. I can't wait to see her when you're done.

[svaap]

My daughter and I went down to Isegran to measure out the correct angle of the prop shaft/stern tube towards the fixed "Aquadrive".
I have a lazer-unit that was perfect to find and mark out the line for the hole I was about to bore.











Ideally we should have done this later in the night, to be able to see the lazer better, but we packed the boat in her covers and it worked out well.
The line was marked on the knee and sternpost, and I nailed a batten on it to make it easier to follow the line when drilling later.

The first hole was bored freehand.
It was later enlarged to make room for aligning the boring-jig later. This procedure was rather brutal, as the dril-bit got stuck in the hole and the boring-machine kept hitting me with massive force. Actually, during this almost two-hour operation, I completely teared my sweater and gloves. The next day my chest was full of bruises.

After enlarging the hole, I could presicely align the boring-jig. The jig was actually just a 20mm steel-rod with a hole-saw welded on the middle.
Blocks with 20mm holes on the inside and outside of the sternpost, secured with screws, made sure I had the right direction once I started the final cut.


Testing the jig to check the directon.










Passing a milestone next...

[McKee]

"Minde is fitted with a massive deck-pump, a model that is capable of lifting a can of beer from the bilges (...)."
That should be the measure of capacity of all bilge pumps everywhere.

[PeterSibley]

Svaap, when you get a chance I'd appreciate a photo of the boring bar cutter .

[Tom Freeman]

Ole, I'm in awe of both of your projects. I was just talking about them with pcford last weekend. Please know that you have a lot of appreciative followers that may not post very often. Keep up the great work, and by all means keep posting.

Tom

[svaap]

Peter, I am going to Isegran on Saturday and I'll take a picture of the boring-bar.


Tom, thank you for your kind and supportive comment.


Cheers,

Ole

[JoshuaIII]

Nice work Ole,
One word of caution if you don't mind.

The guy living right in front of my shop was a electrician and a handy man building cedar canoe. Once he drill a long hole and the drill bit get stuck, instead of jamming it's his entire shoulder that twisted and turned. He as you can imagine, no longer work as a electrician, actually he pretty much do nothing with his right arm anymore except drinking coffee and holding a beer...

Watch out with those drill they are dangerous...(Related to your boring story)

[docboat]

Ole, I have been lurking in admiration for some years now - many thanks for your inspiration and fine work. I lust after your skills
Brian

[PeterSibley]

Peter, I am going to Isegran on Saturday and I'll take a picture of the boring-bar.


Tom, thank you for your kind and supportive comment.


Cheers,

Ole

Thanks Ole, I wonder how similar it is to the ones I'm used to?

[svaap]

I guess the normal routine would be to use a steel bar with a adjustable cutter-steel, but my set-up worked okay too.










I got one plank lined out, cut, bevelled yesterday before I had to leave, so not much progress....

[Bob Cleek]

Sorry, but I'm lost on the boring bar. I can see that the bar runs in the pilot hole (I presume), but how do you get the waste plug out of the hole saw as you go?

I've seen a similar arrangement using a length of steel pipe of the desired finish diameter with teeth cut in one end of the pipe. At the other end a hole was drilled through both sides of the pipe and a bolt run through the sides of the pipe and an eye bolt held by the through bolt in the cener of the pipe. The screrw end of the eye bolt was chucked in a drill motor and the whole pipe turned in the boring jig by the drill. It worked well, bu the waste core remained inside the pipe which, unlike the hole saw, was open its entire length.

By the way, when you fastened your iron boat nails and spikes with the oakum strands beneath the heads, did you also dip the nails and spikes in pitch or tar? I'm told this was done in times past to insulate the galvanized iron from the tannic acid in the oak, preventing, or at least forestalling, acid corrosion and the potential for "nail sickness."

[svaap]

Bob, your obervation is very correct - I needed to dig out the waste plug for each time the hole saw had progressed it's lenght (Wich in fact meant every 45 milimeter).
It was easy at first, but as the hole got deeper I needed to make an extension on my chisel to get it out.

I was considering cutting the hole saw in two, and weld in a thin-wall pipe with the matching diameter, but I did not find a suitable tube and just did it the hard way.
In fact, I did it the same way on my other boat "Svaap" and knew what I was in for.

Your description of the alternative pipe is interesting. Simple, but effective and would probably have saved me a lot of time.

This is the end-result of the process:





The boat nails was hit in as they are, no extra coating, although this is probably a good idea.


Cheers,

[PeterSibley]

!! Ole, I've never seen that set up before, I have to admit that it looks a lots slower and harder than a cutter slotted through the bar. That's the usual way in my experience.

But yours works and that hole looks clean and true !

[johnno]

Ole, this pictorial story is such a delight to follow. I had not seen it until just now. What one can learn from threads like this is worth its weight in gold. Thanks for taking the time to document it all.
cheers
John

[svaap]

Thank you John!


I have received the stern-tube and inner/outer bearing for the installation. I got a second-hand prop-shaft (in good condition) that I matched the order for the rest of the equipment to. Eventually I will install a "Variprop" - a feathering sailing propeller, to minimize drag when under sail.


I hope to be able to install a plank or two on Friday/Saturday.
On Saturday night/Sunday morning, I will join my neighbour on his small fishing boat, hauling mackrel nets! Looking forward to it!



/Ole