Restoration of MINDE, a 1903 Pilot Cutter

[Farfalla]

Hey Jim, that's really good!!
A nice way to spend a bit of your weekend and a great subject too!

[svaap]

Here are a few pictures of the festival at Isegran this weekend.

On Saturday I hung the plank that was prepared last week.





Dry-fit just to check the angle towards the stem.

You can see that the steamer is quite large, compared to my plank.





On the slipway they were working on a nice "Risør" skøyte in very good condition - love the lines of these boats!






The plank was hot and soft, and went in like a dream.

I was allready way down into my seccond beer, and the Festival could finally start.

A couple of pictures:

[svaap]

[svaap]

This one did not attend the regatta.
It is the "Oscar Tybring" a original Colin Archer build.
Hopefully someone will take care of this historic vessel - anyone?



l

[Duncan Gibbs]

Hopefully there's another "Ole" out there who'll do her justice! Is she another lifeboat?

The festival looks glorious and I want YOUR life! My own version of it anyway Ole!

[jsjpd1]

That's excellent Jim, do you do much watercolour ?

I probably paint one a month Peter, usually from a picture of mine or one here that strikes my fancy.

Jim

[Portland]

Ole , what do you think of this boat ? http://www.finn.no/finn/boat/used/vi...nkode=35170920 .
To me , she would be something very special.
Regards Rob J.

[PeterSibley]

I probably paint one a month Peter, usually from a picture of mine or one here that strikes my fancy.

Jim

I did for a while then it just got lost, time to start again Jim.

[svaap]

Rob;

That was a nice little fishing boat!
Looks like it is in very good condition too, and with an engine with the right sound...

Duncan;

The "Oscar Tybring" is a rescue boat (RS8), and a original Colin Archer build.
Look at this clip on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZEwXHAd42U

[Portland]

Ole , google translations can be hard to understand , but I didn't think that red boat was strictly speaking , a fishing boat !.
After seeing that clip on RS8 , I truelly hope she can find someone to put the time and effort in to reviving her.
Ironically today I was reading an article on the Archer family (including Colin) and their time as graziers in Australia.
They certainly didn't let the grass grow under their feet !.
Regards Rob J.

[Duncan Gibbs]

What a terrific short movie Ole! Thanks for posting it!

If I were closer (and didn't have my Dragon resto' as a result) I'd certainly jump at Oscar Tybring in a flash. Is she still owner by the Oscar Tybring Society, or has she been abandoned?

[Redeye]

She looks like she might need more than just a lick of paint...

I imagine a fairly large amount of woodwork will need replacing, but wouldn't it be grand!

[Duncan Gibbs]

Just the provenance alone makes the ship worthwhile, but she'd be a go anywhere boat in just about anything once you'd finished her.

[svaap]

Duncan:
The ownership of the boat is a bit of a puzzle.
The vessel is in need of a total rebuild - I think only the ballast keel will be able to reuse...
As I understand from earlier information, the boats timbers are mostly original.


Yesterday I commuted to Isegran, to fasten the plank steamed on Saturday.
I noticed that it was in need of some adjustments, and that I needed to take the plank off to manage to do it with the tools I had available.

This plank did not spring back at all when I unclamped it.
The twist was rather extreme - more than the picture illustrates









I got it back on the hull, after a bit of a struggle with it's weight..










Next session will be to fasten the planks. I need to cut 6" nails down to 5", as they are struggling to get supplies of them these days.. (for some reason?).

I am actually considering a change or routine for the planking.
Due to the distance to the boat from home, I need to consider taking the planking-stock home to prepare the planks for installation there.
Lining out at the boat, (making good notes to be able to finish the plank), bringing lining-battens home to finish the planks.

That would make it possible to concentrate on steaming/installing at Isegran, and a greater progress during the weekend-stay.

It will be a challenge to get the 11 meter long planks home though....

/Ole

[PeterSibley]

Ole, I am amazed at the quality of your planking stock!! You have been very fortunate . Congratulations.

[Ryden]

It will be a challenge to get the 11 meter long planks home though....

Få en god takstativ bare så det er ingen problem...

[johnno]

Ole,
you might be interested to know Colin Archer's family have been close friends of my family for three generations now, and I used to visit them as a boy. I was up at their beautiful homestead Gracemere outside of Rockhampton just last year. It's an historic old slab building, and has a lovely half hull on the verandah that I got a picture of. I suspect it was the Ellida, which he sailed up the Fitzroy River, but I can't remember for sure. They were a great pioneer family here. My auntie is buried in the old Archer family graveyard which is up high on a lonely hill overlooking the billabong that Gracemere was named after.
Here's a couple of pics of their old house, family portraits, and the half hull..thought you might enjoy.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

cheers
John

[Duncan Gibbs]

That is seriously uber cool John!

[svaap]

Wow!

Thank you so much for very interesting photos and information about the Archer's.
I recongnize the portrait at the far left on the picture from inside their house, from one of the books I have about Colin Archer.

I am really grateful for this - Thanks!

[johnno]

Wow!

Thank you so much for very interesting photos and information about the Archer's.
I recongnize the portrait at the far left on the picture from inside their house, from one of the books I have about Colin Archer.

I am really grateful for this - Thanks!

Ole, no worries. I didn't want to divert your wonderful thread, but there is a lot more information on the web as well as my own photos if you're interested. The Archers were very significant European pioneers here.

[Quest]

Leaving Langedraag





The photo above and all the history you've outlined are enough for me. That is a beautiful boat and I look forward to seeing the restoration it so richly deserves. Well done.

[Hallam]

Ole, no worries. I didn't want to divert your wonderful thread, but there is a lot more information on the web as well as my own photos if you're interested. The Archers were very significant European pioneers here.

Thanks also for posting your pictures and connection with the Archers. Very much appreciated.

[svaap]

This weekend I nailed the 4th starboard plank to the frames.

The supply for 5" nails is late, so I ended up cutting off 2" from 7" nails (same diameter).









Did the same procedure for the 3rd plank on the port side.

With no clamps in the way, I could spile the 4th (port) and the 5th (starboard) planks, and cut them from suitable planking stock.




Got the bevels planed yesterday, so they were ready for steaming today. Some preparations on the boat was necessary, but at 1500hrs the first one was ready. (I put the other one in the steamer one hour after the first, to get enough time to hang the first, and make neccessary preparations for the second plank)

5th starboard:






I drilled a hole for the trunell for the 6th plank, to use it to drive a trunnel in and vedge down the plank.
I accidently drilled in in the wrong futtock - no harm done, but it will break with the pattern for the other planks.

[svaap]

The 4th on the port side came in ok.










The sterntube was let in to be able to measure the final lenght. The hole needs to be increased in diameter in the outer 40mm, to let in the outer bearing.





The sternpost will be adjusted to line up with the bearing.

My plan was to spile the next two planks, but time ran out and I didn't find time to nail the planks in place before I had to leave.


The sterntube was cut to lenght, and I did a test-fit for the shaft.






The shaft will be cut down about 80 centimeters.


Cheers,
Ole

[Lew Barrett]

Great work, really impressive fitting.

[J.Madison]

You are fast! May I ask what method of spiling you are using?

[PeterSibley]

You are fast! May I ask what method of spiling you are using?

+1 Very quick indeed !

[svaap]

My spiling tecnique is the traditional way.
x) Spiling batten sprung above the previous plank.
x) Taking measures with a carpenters divider on each frame
x) Marking angle for the ends on the batten.
x) Measuring bevels for each frame-station, marking on the batten.
x) Finding a suitable plank, laying out the batten to avoid any defects
x) Transferring the measurements with the divider
x) Nail a batten to the marks on the plank, draw a line
x) Saw the plank with a sirkular saw
x) Plane the plank to the lines at 90 degr angle.
x) Transfer the bevels on the plank, new outer line
x) Plane the bevel
x) Mark out the rabbet, plane the rabbet.
x) Measure the angle for the end of the plank and it's bevel. Cut this with sirkular saw.
x) Plank through thickeness planer - ready for the steamer.

Hanging the plank is much easier if it doesn't go in between other planks. Twisting it and fitting it in a tight opening is hard, especially when it enters the opening at the wrong angle...

[svaap]

Hi folks,

Last friday I drove down to Isegran with big plans of spiling/hanging a couple of planks, but things did not go that very well...

I started with drilling/fastening the planks from last session, after adjustments were made to the bevel for the chaulking.
Again, I was amazed by the way the plank holds it's shape after steaming:






I find it quite time consuming to drill the countersink (change drill), drill the hole through the plank (change drill), drill the hole in the frames - for all the fasteners.
I wish I had a "one bit does it all" in one motion - that would save me some precious time. (I know they come i smaller dimensions, but I have never seen them in the size I need).


As I was driving nails, a very interesting boat visited Isegran. "Folkvang" is a beautiful fishing-cutter, designed by Norwegian boat builder Nils Skandfer.
Probably inspired by the English cutters, I think.
It has been restored over a long period (10-15 years), true to the methodes/materials as built originally. "Folkvang" was on it's way to Brest to compete.







I spiled the 5th port plank, and started looking for a suitable plank to cut it from
The stack is getting smaller now, and I actually had to turn it all over to find one to cut it from.
The troubble is that there are cracks and knots, making it hard to use.

This is the one I finally ended up with






The beast was almost 12 meters long and 63 milimeters thick. I needed to use a tractor to lift it onto my trailer, before rolling it to the boat.
After lining out the plank, I started cutting with the Skilsaw. A loud crack got my attention over the sound of the saw. It appeared that the plank was full of tensions, and the cut released some of it, resulting in a crack going into the area I intented to be my plank.... Luckily it happened after only a meter into the plank, and I will probably be able to use it on a different location later.


My girlfriend, our dog and my mother and father in-law came to the yard, with lunch and cold drinks, and everything was ok again.
We found another plank and did the same routine again, and left for the evening to their cabin in the shore-line, south of Isegran.

Talking about oak - this is one massive tree we passed the day after on a nice walk in the area.










I must admit I could see quite a few frames in her.... A huge tree!


The next day, I completed measuring the bevels, and lined out the 6th plank starboard side before I loaded them on my trailer to finish them at home.

Today I got the 6th plank stb done.






I had to move my planer to get room for the long plank.

Started lining out the 5th port plank, but heavy rain stopped my progress for the evening...



Cheers,

[svaap]

The finished plank is 10" wide and 2" thick.

This picture is taken before I planed it down.

[Larks]

Ole, this really is one of my favourite threads!!! Wonderful work mate! Funny how, when you get involved with wooden boats, you go through life looking at trees completely differently to most other people isn't it?

[Redeye]

I was in the forest during the weekend. It was awful, I can't remember how many times I tripped up while looking at the planking and spar stock instead of where my feet were going. All that lovely mountain grown fir, larch and spruce. All tight grained and straight as a die with no branches for +16 m ... sigh...

[svaap]

Larks & Redeye, I have many times made comments about trees in the forest when walking with friends, and about their suitability for this and that part of a boat, only to get this strange look in return... I think we are tuned into what nature has to offer, and the fantastic utilisation of the shapes mother nature has provided through the trees natural fight against the elements. It is sometimes sad to cut down a big old tree, but at the same time, we put love and care into prolonging the wood into parts of our boats, and that justifies it somewhat..

I remember when I was in the early start of rebuilding Svaap, and how I took the handsaw with me into the forest where we lived, after I had marked a tree with the perfect shape for one of the floors. I cut the tree and carried it back home on my back, completely draining all my energy, and really struggling to carry the load.
The next day my back was nearly black of all the bruising... Crazy? Probably, but the fat Pine log ended up as a nice floor with arms going way up on each side of the keel, and now, 15 years later, it is satisfying to think back on the effort put into it.


Today, I cut the 6th plank on the starboard side, bevelled it and got it through the planer.
At this hight on the hull, the planks are not as wide aft as they have been up to this point. This makes installing a bit easier, as they do not require as much twist as before.






I put a liberal coat of raw linseed oil on the planks to prevent some drying. The plank I planed yesterday, had a lot of small cracks this afternoon, so I really need to get them on the boat as soon as possible. I always end my session at Isegran with 10 minutes with a water-hose, to wet the ground under Minde. I have "curtains" that goes all the way down to the ground, and hopefully they will keep some of the moist under the covers.


This is a picture of a boat that was on the slipway at Isegran. I do not know the exact data, but she is over 60 feet, and has a draught of over 10 feet (!), weighs 36 tons and is all teak. The hull is 2 1/2" thick.







/Ole

[PeterSibley]

I understand your meaning Ole, I have several very nice trees here that I planted 30 years ago (trees grow quickly here ).They are very like to become planking on a small yawl I have in mind. It's a good feeling to have planted those trees, I wish I had planted more of the same species!

[Sailor]

I wander around here looking at the dinky little trees we have and wish I could find just one nice big one suitable for a boat part. I have planted a few trees and I plan on planting plenty more in my lifetime but I know trees grow slowly here. They will benefit others, not me. I have yet to plant boatbuilding wood but I plan on planting some of the best, White Oak, Black Locust and whatever else I can get my hands on in sapling form. Keep it up Ole, We're all "rooting" for you.

[svaap]

Hi folks,

I am a bit in despair over the quality of my planking stock.
Cracks, rot-knots/knots are hard to avoid, and I find myself using wood that I am not satisfied with.

I need your advise on the possiblility of splining the most severe cracks using rescorcinol fenol glue, before steaming?
As far as I know, this is the only glue that can take the boiling?
Anyone with experience on this? Thoughts are appreciated!

I was supposed to drive down to Isegran after work today, with my trailer loaded with two new planks, but after a reality-check on the quality of the planks I think they are not worth trying to hang on the hull.
I am close to certain that they will crack, break or both.... (And that is a bit frustrating, knowing that the last plank has taken two 11,5 meter long planks and still no finished product. I can promise you, they are not cheap...)

Now I have to chase down a supplier of rescorcinol/fenol glue. I do not think the glue is commercially available to consumers in our country. (Hmmmm.......)

[PeterSibley]

Obviously I can't offer any advice on your planking stock (which has been amazing up until now ) but this thread about UK resorcinol sources may be useful.http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...-South-West-UK

Good Luck !

[svaap]

I contacted Akzo Nobel, the Norwegian representative for Rescorcinol Fenol glue.

He could confirm that one of the test measures, is that it should take 48 hrs of high temperature torture, and that steaming like we do with our boats is no problem for the glue.
Not a problem to buy the glue as a non-professional/private consumer either, so things are looking good again..

Peter;
Some of the planks are very nice, but the majority is rather 2nd or 3rd grade.
I ordered what they had left of planks that had been cut in 2010, and I guess they are left-overs ??

[PeterSibley]

Are there any other sources out there?

[andrewpatrol]

The finished plank is 10" wide and 2" thick.

This picture is taken before I planed it down.

I'm amazed even with steam that you can bend 10x2. It looks huge. Great thread Ole.

Andrew

[svaap]

Today I got hold of the glue for the repair job for the planks.

This glue requires a tight fit between the joining faces, as it is not gap filling.
Here are some of the cracks;













I decided to use my skilsaw to open the cracks into a defined and uniform opening, and to make splines to glue in.
The tools of the trade:






It was fairly straight forward to do the cuts. I cut some oak strips of the same thickness as the planks, and ran them through the planer to get them down to a tight fit.

[svaap]

The edges was rounded, to match up with the radius of the blade to make sure the splines filled the opening all the way.










When all the defects I intended to repair was ready, I mixed the glue and applied it.






I used a rubber mallet to gently knock the strips in place.
When all of them were in place, I applied pressure with clamps. This glue requires a firm pressure, unlike epoxy.












This should hopefully result in a plank ready to go on the hull, withouth the risk of breaking during installation.
A lot of extra work, but at least I get to use the planks I've got..


I'll let the glue cure tomorrow, and will probably fire up the steamer at Isegran on Sunday.


Cheers,
Ole

[PeterSibley]

I can see why you were concerned Ole but that repair should be perfect. The smaller cracks will just swell tight won't they ?

[chas]

Hi Ole /

This has got my attention...."He could confirm that one of the test measures, is that it should take 48 hrs of high temperature torture, and that steaming like we do with our boats is no problem for the glue." ... so I'll be checking back next week, LOL.

Most of the hardwood I've worked with is cabinet grade ie. smaller pieces, so Im not much help with your planking stock dimensions. It will be interesting to see how the splines work, once those big timbers get wet. I imagine you'll be watching closely to see if that checking extends any further. I've got some steamed plank repair in my 'not immediate' future, 5/4 red cedar, so know that I'm watching your progress with interest. Tks again for your efforts in documenting this for us all. / Jim

[svaap]

I hope this will work, once the boat goes into the water.
The smaller cracks will probably swell in, but I think I will close them as soon as the plank is on the boat, just to prevent air to open them even further.
For this I will use tallow, or simply ordinary butter (...)

The narrow cracks has been cut open, so I don't think they will cause stress forward of the spline since I've simply replaced the wood with same type/moisture content.

I will leave early tomorrow, heading down to Isegran to get the steamer going, and hopefully end up with two new planks on the boat.

/Ole

[svaap]

Today I planed the excess wood off the splines, and got the planks loaded onto the trailer for tomorrows trip to Isegran.














l hope to find someone to help me handling the planks once they are ready from the steamer.....


Cheers,

Ole

[johnno]

Good luck with it Ole, look forward to seeing how it all goes!

[svaap]

My drive to Isegran did not pay off because all people with keys to the buildings were off sailing... I could not get to my propane containers, and thus could not heat the steamer...

Instead I glued bungs over the spikes, and drilled out trunnels for planks to be removed. I left the trailer with the planks besides the boat, and will probably drive down after work tomorrow to try my luck once again....


The picture below is from the stern of a "Jakt" from 1850, and a funny display of a boats attempt to grow it's own timbers....





See ya

[shade of knucklehead]

Just a couple quick questions.

Are you keeping your planking stock covered up? The sun will cause it to check quite badly. Also, something I have found to stop checking is coating stock with a 50 50 mix of linseed oil and turpentine It stinks but its highly effective.

A third thing, when I am cutting out planks, especially if I am going to be cutting a curved one that crosses the grain a bit is I will lay out a temporary line and cut outside of it first. Normally it doesn't waste much because the plank runs near the sap line, but by precutting it you not only find out if the plank is going to crack, but it also allows all the tension out of the board and your final plank will end up exactly like your pattern.

Last thing, how do you know how much to bevel off, are you measuring the angles and calculating the offset or using a simpler method?

For whoever mentioned steaming 2 by 10 planks, we have steamed and bent 4 inch by 5 inch rubrails. Most anything will bend if you go about it right.

Finally, I admire your work.

[skaraborgcraft]

Haj Ole,
fantastic work and progress. Wasnt the Oscar Tybring bout up from the bottom of the Fjord or was that another rescue boat? My memory fades. I understood there was a "Colin Archer" foundation to look after this heritage....is that not so?
My own little oak double ender is also in need of a new owner,yet even at this size,it has so far been impossible to find someone to take her on,which i find kind of sad.