Freedom Boat Service Mound Minnesota

[Breakaway]

In Minnesota and took a couple hours to visit with David from Freedom Boat Works in St. Paul before my flight out today.

He employs five fulltime woodworkers and specializes in restoration and repair of classic wood boats. He has clients from all over, but a big part of his trade comes from the affluent Lake Minnetonka area, perhaps 30 minutes from his Mississippi River waterfront location.

This 23 Hackercraft was getting a new quote, 5200 bottom, unquote. The black sheet material protects the topsides during the repair.



Sheet plywood aft; plywood plank laid on a bias forward. Okoume.



Transition point from sheets to plywood strips. ( note all screws clocked)



Once that is laid, mahogany planking will be laid fore n aft, set in a bed of troweled on 5200. Here is that planking stock.



These tick boards hold plank widths and other info. The data was picked up off the old plank at frame locations when the boat came in. These will help lay the new plank in a dry fit prior to being glued down.






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[Breakaway]

Here are the original stem and a detail of the new stem. Notice the head of the carriage bolt was filed to a narrow shape and also clocked so that when the stem is shaped, tapered, the head does not get in the way.







Here is Brutus, the shop dog, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.




Kevin


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[GregH]

Great looking bit of work! How does he bend those strips of plywood (3/8"?) approaching the stem, per the third to last photo??? Great looking pooch BTW!

[Breakaway]

Great looking bit of work! How does he bend those strips of plywood (3/8"?) approaching the stem, per the third to last photo??? Great looking pooch BTW!

Manually, pushing and pressing and taking off to tweak with a shave from a plane and then try again til he gets the fit he wants. Basically, the strips are proportionately long enough and thin enough to do what plywood is not supposed to be able to do: bend in two dimensions.

The last piece against the stem will be a triangle.

Hopefully, one of our more experienced members will chime in with a better explanation than I provided.


Kevin




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[Hwyl]

Thanks Kevin....

[skuthorp]

Yes, thank you.

[Breakaway]

Some other boats. This restoration launched the day after I was there. Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Engine.






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[Breakaway]

Kevin


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[Breakaway]

And...



Kevin


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[Dr. Strangelove]

Thanks! Those are some beautiful boats!

[Breakaway]

^ My pleasure. I really enjoy visiting such shops and usually find the owners welcoming.

Kevin

[wizbang 13]

Yes Thanks Kevin
Dealing with these boats of such pedigree ....whoa... one might need to be not drunk or high half the time I guess .

[Breakaway]

^ I'd bet the boatbuilders are kept busy with docking ding repairs, booze and weed or not. I know my friends who repair glass boats do.


Kevin

[Alan71]

Hello Kevin,

Seeing the photos of the shop and the runabouts in it were a pleasant surprise for me this morning.

I'm trying to build a little runabout as a first boat and first woodworking project; so seeing photos of shops with boats 'in progress' and especially 'detail' photos is of great interest to me.

Thank you very much for taking the time to create a thread and post the photos.

Isn't that GarWood something!! Wow!!!

Regards,
Alan