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Thread: Roves or burrs?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2023
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    Bellingham, Washington, USA
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    7

    Default Roves or burrs?

    I have a bare 8' rowing sailing dinghy that is FG and lapstrake. I have bent my in and outwales, cut my spacer blocks and have ordered my 2.5" -10 copper nails. I also ordered the burrs for the number 10 nails. I am hoping to make my own tool to set the burrs.

    Am I on the right track or should I be putting out the $$$ for the roves and the tool?

    I am new to the forum and still and still cannot figure out how to attach a picture.

    I live in Bellingham, Wa. and ordered my nails from Maine.

    Thanks,
    Bruce
    Last edited by Psalm107; 03-11-2023 at 06:30 PM. Reason: upload picture

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    Photos are required. Take the photo, upload it to your desktop, hit the "insert image" icon in the row just above, click choose file, then click upload file. Easy Peasy.

    Now, are you working with common round nails or square rivets? Copper washers, aka burrs, will work fine with common round nails. No special tools are required, but practice on some scrap stock until you figure out the right technique to get a decent peened head.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
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    Victoria BC, Canada
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    631

    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    No need to order tools. Get a piece of half or three quarter inch rod, drill a hole slightly bigger than your rivets down the centre of the rod, and you've got a rove set. Add a heavy hammer, 2 or 3 pounds, to hold against the rivet head and you've got the specialized tools. Use a light hammer like an 8 ounce ball peen or make your own with some more rod.

    Jamie

  4. #4
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    Walney, near Cumbria UK
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    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    I drilled a hole in the head of an old redundant small lump hammer for the rove set, then use the hammer to dolly up the nail when peening over.
    It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.

    The power of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web
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  5. #5
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    South Puget Sound/summer Eastern carib./winter
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    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    A fiberglass dingy?
    jus lam the clamp, skip the silly blocks
    one lam on the inside, two or three on the outside
    copper rivets … pffffft

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
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    Dorset, UK
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    2,081

    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    Set of 4: Dolly, small and large rove punch plus a dresser in case any wants the proper tools...




    https://www.traditionalboatsupplies....duct&id_lang=2

    They look to me that they'd be a nice small lathe project...

    When dealing with the gunwales, if you can taper them in both directions, it will look significantly better for a little effort. And if it's a tender to a large boat, I'd go to the trouble of a canvas covered foam gunwale.

    Don't know the shape of your boat, but areas of outward flare will tip the inner edge up and outer edge down, which as it goes to vertical at the stem (usually) will optically give a bit of powderhorn. If you want to avoid that plane the wales horizontal or bevel the wales accordingly so they sit horizontal.

    I wouldn't want rivets on the outside of a tender gunwale, so you'll need to counterbore/ sink them then plug the hole if it'll be used for that. If you want to avoid metal fastenings, wooden dowls glued through will work well. Just cut 'em flush with a zero kerf Jap saw.

    Run a round over bit in a laminate trimmer along all that will become outer edges or use a a hand plane. Optically give it a bit extra sheer just before the bow and stern improves things due to convergent lines.

    Grain ideally vertical, but grain runout ideally should be aimed aft. Also taper of the inside, so that the grain runout is against the hull surface and covered.

    If you have knees down to your thwarts get them secured between your inwale and hull and secured all through the outwale with a fastening so it's all triangulated from gunwale down to the thwarts.

    If your're going to row this little boat then have a longer thanb normal inwale piece at the rollock location so that it distributes stress over a wider area - if you're doing the open inwale thing.

    Rebate the oarlock sockets with a chisel and hand router for an afternoons fun and it looks more professional. Galvanised oarlocks revolving in bronze oarlock sockets I've concluded is optimum now. The galvanised oarlocks won;t snap and are cheap. The bronze sockets self lubricate and if you bore a hole the exact size for the oarlocks in a small piece of bronze flat bar stock, is cheap and it avoids all slackness in the sockets and a quiet row. Most of the time you'll be looking at the nice bronze, the oarlocks will be in the ships bag.
    Last edited by Edward Pearson; 03-09-2023 at 07:03 AM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2000
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    7,400

    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    Either roves or burrs will work. Traditionally roves are used with square shank nails, and are more European. Burrs are used with round common copper nails and are more American (As in I have never seen a lapstrake boat commercially built in the U.S., back when boats were wood, with roves).
    For a “set” I have used just a short length of brass tube for more than 40 years ( piece of cut off brass window curtain rod). I use a variety of things for bucking irons (window sash weights among them.)

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    I always use Roves, by personal preference.... I keep 3/8 to 3/4 in stock in my boat shop at all times. I have several rove sets that I have turned on my south bend lathe... I actually just acquired a piece of 2" bronze shafting that I plan to make a new roveset out of for 3/4" roves and big boat nails. If you don't have a machinist lathe, just give someone that lives near you a 6 pack to turn it for you.... its an easy job.
    There is a joy in madness, that only mad men know. -Nieztsche

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    Quote Originally Posted by Edward Pearson View Post
    Set of 4: Dolly, small and large rove punch plus a dresser in case any wants the proper tools...




    https://www.traditionalboatsupplies....duct&id_lang=2

    They look to me that they'd be a nice small lathe project...

    When dealing with the gunwales, if you can taper them in both directions, it will look significantly better for a little effort. And if it's a tender to a large boat, I'd go to the trouble of a canvas covered foam gunwale.

    Don't know the shape of your boat, but areas of outward flare will tip the inner edge up and outer edge down, which as it goes to vertical at the stem (usually) will optically give a bit of powderhorn. If you want to avoid that plane the wales horizontal or bevel the wales accordingly so they sit horizontal.

    I wouldn't want rivets on the outside of a tender gunwale, so you'll need to counterbore/ sink them then plug the hole if it'll be used for that. If you want to avoid metal fastenings, wooden dowls glued through will work well. Just cut 'em flush with a zero kerf Jap saw.

    Run a round over bit in a laminate trimmer along all that will become outer edges or use a a hand plane. Optically give it a bit extra sheer just before the bow and stern improves things due to convergent lines.

    Grain ideally vertical, but grain runout ideally should be aimed aft. Also taper of the inside, so that the grain runout is against the hull surface and covered.

    If you have knees down to your thwarts get them secured between your inwale and hull and secured all through the outwale with a fastening so it's all triangulated from gunwale down to the thwarts.

    If your're going to row this little boat then have a longer thanb normal inwale piece at the rollock location so that it distributes stress over a wider area - if you're doing the open inwale thing.

    Rebate the oarlock sockets with a chisel and hand router for an afternoons fun and it looks more professional. Galvanised oarlocks revolving in bronze oarlock sockets I've concluded is optimum now. The galvanised oarlocks won;t snap and are cheap. The bronze sockets self lubricate and if you bore a hole the exact size for the oarlocks in a small piece of bronze flat bar stock, is cheap and it avoids all slackness in the sockets and a quiet row. Most of the time you'll be looking at the nice bronze, the oarlocks will be in the ships bag.
    Nice set of rove sets.... I like to knurl mine as well, but I don't have any pictures on my phone. mine are a mix of steel and tobin bronze, depending on what I have laying around when I needed that size.
    There is a joy in madness, that only mad men know. -Nieztsche

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    Quote Originally Posted by Psalm107 View Post
    I have a bare 8' rowing sailing dinghy that is FG and lapstrake. I have bent my in and outwales, cut my spacer blocks and have ordered my 2.5" -10 copper nails. I also ordered the burrs for the number 10 nails. I am hoping to make my own tool to set the burrs.

    Am I on the right track or should I be putting out the $$$ for the roves and the tool?

    I am new to the forum and still and still cannot figure out how to attach a picture.

    I live in Bellingham, Wa. and ordered my nails from Maine.

    Thanks,

    Bruce
    I actually just acquired a fiberglass dyer midget that needs new inwales. The original ones were riveted in and I will be riveting in the new ones. I will be steaming the new inwales out of sassafras (the originals were white oak).
    There is a joy in madness, that only mad men know. -Nieztsche

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Walney, near Cumbria UK
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    60,651

    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    OK, I'll join the photo fest
    DSC04092.jpg
    Three sizes of rove punch and a dolly in one, with an optional handle.
    It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.

    The power of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web
    The weakness of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    1,209

    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    My dolly is made from a torsion spring from a scrapped car. I think it was a 1970-ies Toyota Dyna. Fitted in a hole in a birch block that is shaped to be comfortable against the leg. The same dolly fits in a hole in a bich board which can be used under a boat.
    My rove set is made from a piece of a broken rock drill. The center hole through which the pressurized water travels to clean the hole is just the right size.
    Amateur living on the western coast of Finland

  13. #13
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    Apr 2015
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    St. Helens, Oregon
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    5,487

    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    OP says it's mixed FG & lapstrake? I'd love to see a photo

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Still Above the Grass
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    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    IMG_2698.jpg

    Two hammers and a lot of tappety-tappety.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2023
    Location
    Bellingham, Washington, USA
    Posts
    7

    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    Guys,

    Thank you so much for all your insights. You are helping me steer the right course. I have tried uploading the picture of my little vessel and got it. But when clicking on the insert image button nothing happens.

    Thanks again,

    Bruce
    Ps.107

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2023
    Location
    Bellingham, Washington, USA
    Posts
    7

    Default Re: Roves or burrs?

    Sorry, It is all fiberglass with a lapstrake pattern, like a Ranger Minto. It is not a tender. It hopefully will slide into my 4runner and I will take it down to South Lake Whatcom, here in Sudden Valley (Bellingham, Washington) and troll for Kokanee ( small Sockeye). I hope to make a rudder, tiller, centerboard and do some sailing.
    My brother is going to bring me a mast, boom and sail. I don't ever know what brand of boat it is, but like the shape. I used to sail a little Gig Harbor 8' sailing dinghy and I was very happy. I have owned motor and sailing boats- CC34 and Bayliner 38. I also had a 1920's cedar rowing skiff 9' made by Davis up in Metlaketla, Alaska.
    I have worked as a shipwright in Ballard, Wa. on old wooden fishing boats and have commercial fished up in SE Alaska.

    Bruce
    Last edited by Psalm107; 03-11-2023 at 06:49 PM.

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