Just fore the fun of it:)

[knottyBuoyz]

Don't those lil' clippy things you made go on the inside of the can?

Simon and I were talkin' about you working with metal. He said and I quote "This ain't gonna end well!"

[MiddleAgesMan]

Just a little aside for the screw-butchers who have to deal with phillips screws in a world that should have gone Robertson decades ago: if you're anything like me you probably have #2 phillips drivers out the ying-yang, and you might even have a tiny #1, but, if you can't find your #3 phillips driver--it's been years since you needed one-- just grab a #2 Robertson/square driver bit. That bit fits a #3 phillips screw head better than the intended phillips driver. It's a snug fit with no tendency to jump out of the head when you really have to get down on it.

I have not tried other sizes but perhaps someone on here could try a #1 Robertson in a #2 phillips. It just might work, and, if my experience with the larger sizes holds true it might be even better than the proper phillips driver.

[tigerregis]

MAM, how right you are. I was surprised at your port of hail, so good sense has no geographic limits.

[RFNK]

I think Knotty and Simon are being unfair. I reckon Peter's solution is canny!

Thanks for all the commentary re the Roberstsons. All the bronze screws that I use are Robertsons. I get them from a mail-order supplier here in the Land of Oz. The Robertson screwdrivers I have are colour coded but I order the screws by the numbers. Square drive screws (as we call them) are not common for general use here in Oz although an increasing number of larger hardware and building suppliers now have them, especially for decking and flooring applications in building. The info about Ford's decision to go with Phillips as they will cam out is really interesting. I've seen a few builders laying hardwood decks with SS square drives, and I've noticed quite a few broken screws, which is a bit of a disaster. It suggests to me that some of our builders are still getting used to these screws and need to be a bit less optimistic with their driver torque settings.

Rick

[Slacko]

I am a fan of the Robertsons too now I know what you are talking about. They are pretty common in the hardware stores here.
They also do a drive that looks like a phillips/pozidrive stye but the slots are wider and deeper.
Virtually anything will fit it phillips, pozidrive, robertson, flat blade, kitchen knife, and none of the listed will slip.
I'm a big fan of them too, because I don't have to ferret around looking for the other bits for my battery drill.

[floatingkiwi]

I think Knotty and Simon are being unfair. I reckon Peter's solution is canny!

Thanks for all the commentary re the Roberstsons. All the bronze screws that I use are Robertsons. I get them from a mail-order supplier here in the Land of Oz. The Robertson screwdrivers I have are colour coded but I order the screws by the numbers. Square drive screws (as we call them) are not common for general use here in Oz although an increasing number of larger hardware and building suppliers now have them, especially for decking and flooring applications in building. The info about Ford's decision to go with Phillips as they will cam out is really interesting. I've seen a few builders laying hardwood decks with SS square drives, and I've noticed quite a few broken screws, which is a bit of a disaster. It suggests to me that some of our builders are still getting used to these screws and need to be a bit less optimistic with their driver torque settings.

Rick

I avoid those, quite common here, square drives.They are a curse. If one is backing them out, only one very slght slip and they are ruined. Stuck there. The things are so damn soft I am surprised they are able to be driven at all. Sometimes they are not. Destroyed a few nice bits of timber due to those square drives for sure.

[P.L.Lenihan]

"How cheap can you go" back at it!



Every once in awhile,during the coarse of ones busy life, it sure would be rather handy to claim alien abduction, probe implants, finger transplants and even hebetic toe fungus as an iron clad alibi for a long absence. I suppose my life isn't yet busy enough, for all I can offer is a computer glitch here at work which was blocking access. As we can all see now however, Mother Merlot must have been working her magic behind the scenes for voila, I can once again access my stuff on the computer!

Returning quickly to the previous excitement of seat-o-the-pants precision engineering, for which I'm certain many have felt the need to up their medicine intake to steady the shakes during this latest intermission, I was last seen tracing precisely where my custom mini brackets would be seated.Of primary importance too, was the need to situate a proper centerline for the up coming union of ex-water pitcher and mini brackets. As the old saw goes,"anything worth doing is worth doing well."











Thus, once I had gone around the perimetre of each ex water pitcher, tracing clean neat lines at four(my lucky number) locations, I was ready once again for my center-punch from heaven. Here we see events just prior to the mighty blow from the screwdriver seen earlier.

Now at this point, it may be fair to ask something along the lines of, " What in the name of all that is good and holy is this clown doing?" I, in turn, for lack of better words,will simply respond with, "Ya know something,I've been having the same worrying thoughts myself!" As we shall see next, my worries were not entirely unfounded.....................









.........as I sat staring at this. Cheeses! A couple of pretty darned good centerlines to choose from, pretty much like NASA always with a couple of good landing sites for a returning shuttle flight to chose from, and yet I somehow go off and produce a messy off-center hole!

Fortunately, my lost years of building this boat via the expedient known as "wood-butchering", has taught me many lessons. The most important so far has been the one of symmetry. In other words, yes, I screwed up, again, but if I just repeat the same screw-up and do it an even number of times, symmetry will occur.Thus, the casual eye of the untrained observer will think nothing of allowing the mouth to blurt out" Oh my! What a nice bit of junk you've produced there young man!"






And so, with this lesson firmly hovering in front of my one good eye, I proceeded to produce the first of 8 ( 2 X 4) precisely reamed off-center holes.







One can see the pure power available here, when some Molson muscle is generously brought to bear on a scary sharp drill bit as it penetrates the mysteries of stainless steel.








"The hymen",observed the oaf,"she is pierced!" or something to that effect. As most may know, the first one is usually easy. What seperates the fools from the clowns, is the ability to repeat this 7 more times, with exactly the same degree of precise imperfection, to finally achieve symmetry.

All I can say is,it's a good thing the ice out-lasted the beer!








Without giving away the whole story, I'll leave you to guess whether I was the fool or the clown while you gaze upon this wickedly expensive precision tool as it prepares to address the flesh wrecking burrs lassoed around each hole.


Next: we shall finally witness the coming together of these odd efforts and birth my brain fart...I mean...idea. I can hardly wait!!!




Cheers!


Peter

[Breakaway]

Welcome back, Peter. I'll go fix some lunch and return after intermission for the next act of the show!

Kevin

[P.L.Lenihan]

"How cheap can you go"......the pain is almost over folks!



With all the hard work now done and the various bits toyed with as far as I could go, it was time to put them all together. Fortunately I was spared the embarrassment of screwing up my inspired idea by the fact of having kept a quickly scratched drawing done that fateful day out shopping with Nat.





I know, this is the Woodenboat forum and not the special forum for holders of advanced degrees in drafting and engineering, but just in case there are some here, this is the drawing I had to work from.It is pretty much what I saw projected up on the small screen inside the amphitheater some call my skull. By some quirk of nature, this paper came with all those neat little 1/4" squares already on it which really made things easier for me to measure when it came time to perform my earlier surgeries.








With the plan thoroughly reviewed again, I was thus able to proceed with confidence in assembling the bits in proper fashion. Here we see the first group of 4 mini brackets as they get screwed to the inside of the first ex water-pitcher.











Being the cautious person I am, the tiny bolts were then snugged down with tiny nuts and tiny lock washers just to keep me from having to spend sleepless nights clutching my own tiny nuts, worrying over these other tiny nuts ever working loose and causing me to go nuts locating them once they fall off.

Once things were all tight, I went for my custom made ABS pipe sampler, which happily matches, exactly, the very diameter and wall thickness of those two glorious stainless steel pipes boldly rising with pride from my aft deck.Man, am I ever lucky!

Twisting off another cap and enjoying another dose of medicine, I felt the tiny hairs on my neck stand errect, my spine hunch over just a pinch and my exhaust port tighten, considerably, as I prayed the ABS pipe sampler would fit.Grasping the ABS pipe sample with one hand, I closed my eyes and was heard to whisper,"Please baby, I promise not to put it all the way in" , just before breaking my promise.







Not hearing any screaching nor feeling any resistance, I opened one eye, then the other.Unbelievably, I was greeted with this wonderful sight! The bleedin' pipe sampler fit!! I could go on gushing about the ecstatic glee I felt and how the weight of worry was felt to slip gently from my relieved brow, how the sky appeared bluer than usual or how I heard angels suddenly singing Joy To The World but that would just be hyperbole. Instead,I shouted myself another cold one and smiled like a dork at the trees looking down at me.







As the celebration beer was finished up, I then fumbled around in one of my pockets and dragged this nice hose clamp out.With but a few turns of the screw, the darned thing dropped over the horns of the mini brackets with ease. Heady times for a wood-butcher, folks!


Feeling the unique pride of a new papa, I leaned over to peer into my baby's eye.......







"Hello there you sweet thing you!" I said gently. Before I could catch myself, I called over to Simon,announcing proudly, "Hey Simon,he even has his father's nuts!"


"Tenner, ya two neuroned wack job, yer talkin' to a water pitcher, ya fool!"



Next: having seen the parts now assembled, we'll have a gander at how handsomely or not, they cap the big stainless steel errections on the aft deck.




Cheers!


Peter

[m2c1Iw]

Captn L I fear this thread is badly in need of an index especially for members like moi who lack any degree of retension, perhaps that is a good thing in some cases....... Anyway I found myself totally absorbed in catching up on the lastest happenings thoroughly enjoying the process when it occured to me I had no idea what you are making. So trawling back over the posts I came across the post of enlightenment, eureka I found it.

Carry on mon ami

[johnno]

Have mercy on us all Mike....

[P.L.Lenihan]

Don't those lil' clippy things you made go on the inside of the can?

Simon and I were talkin' about you working with metal. He said and I quote "This ain't gonna end well!"

On behalf of myself, I'd like to thank both yourself and Simon for your votes of confidence,Rick. It goes a long way when one hasn't a clue where one is going........

On a better note, we can all witness your keen sense of affairs,brilliant analytical mind and self- effacing manner with your sly question regarding the mini-brackets. I suppose it was just a matter of time before someone spoke the truth and saw through my charade! Excellent!

And the answer to your question is yes, the brackets go inside.

Hope all is well along the shores of the upper St.Lawrence!



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

I avoid those, quite common here, square drives.They are a curse. If one is backing them out, only one very slght slip and they are ruined. Stuck there. The things are so damn soft I am surprised they are able to be driven at all. Sometimes they are not. Destroyed a few nice bits of timber due to those square drives for sure.

Interesting experiences there Kerry. All I can offer as counter point is to be wary of knock-offs made in foreign lands.Only genuine Robertson drivers and screws have that just perfect, tight, no-slip fit we boomers seek. And yes, I've tried the knock-offs and experienced just what you've so well described. Lesson learned then and not repeated since.

Of coarse I don't work for nor even know anyone who works for,with or is related to Robertson anything! Just a very satisfied customer.


All the best Kerry!



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Captn L I fear this thread is badly in need of an index especially for members like moi who lack any degree of retension, perhaps that is a good thing in some cases....... Anyway I found myself totally absorbed in catching up on the lastest happenings thoroughly enjoying the process when it occured to me I had no idea what you are making. So trawling back over the posts I came across the post of enlightenment, eureka I found it.

Carry on mon ami

Greetings Mike!
An index,you say? I would not want to be the one tasked with putting one together for fear of eventually entering into Scotable territory.Besides, who ever heard of an index for light hearted fun-n-foolishness? Lack of retension is, as you say, indeed a good thing, in so many ways and for so many things.Nuture it well enough and long enough and eventually every day will be full of brand new things to see and do.....


Happy to have you drop by Mike and relieved to read you've found what the latest madness is all about.



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Have mercy on us all Mike....

Give Mother Merlot a prayer and see if she can help you out there, John. She's always been very merciful with moi.........



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Welcome back, Peter. I'll go fix some lunch and return after intermission for the next act of the show!

Kevin

Thanks Kevin. Hope lunch was good and the intermission not too long!

Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

The end!The end! Thank you baby Cheeses, it is finally here! OR "how cheap can you go" concluded.


I suppose I'll never know how very fortunate I have been to have Simon around during the building of this boat.Sure, he gets on my nerves sometimes as do I get on his, apparently, but through it all, he has always been someone to encourage me, offer tips,suggestions and even buy the beer. A woodbutcher couldn't ask fo more!

As usual, despite his latest nasty words to me,his curiosity got the better of him and he just had to come over for a closer look at what I had assembled from scrounged bits and a couple of water pitchers.








"Hey Nimblenuts,come here for a second will ya. Ya know something, considering yer two near dead remaining neurons,this ain't such a bad looking thing you've gone and built."


Why thank you Simon.Coming from you that really makes my day and I......

"Shut up Tenner! I ain't finished. Now, as I was about ta say, considering yer need ta cover the openings in those pipes from rain fall and still let air flow down them, these here water pitchers is pretty good an' should do the job just fine."


Well yes Simon, that was the beauty and intention behind my inspired plan that day shopping with Nat. Do you...

"Tenner, ya lying bum! When oh when will you ever just come out with it and admit the idea was mine.Just like all the other so called"ideas" of yours. Cheeses, yer so full of it, yer attracting flies from miles around!"


But Simon....


"Enough buts,tinynuts. The good folk who have followed this thread ought ta be told the truth,finally. Ya, yer a woodbutcher and a fool alright just don't you ever forget who owned the brains during this project or else I'm gonna make ya into Ms Tenner once I'm through with ya.Ya got that jerk?! Well?..... Do ya?!"

Alright Simon, I got it. Now why don't you go lay down over there under some shady tree. I think you may have had a touch too much sun today,little fella, while I show the folks what the ex water-pitchers look like installed. Thank you Simon! I'll come and wake you when it is time to leave......



(poor litle bastid.Not used to so much sun, so soon in the season!)



Anyway,here we go!




This here are the two now completed air intake caps.As one may notice, there is a comfortable 1 inch inner margin around the pipe for air to flow easily into the pipe opening yet no way for rain to get in unless the boat turns turtle....







This here is the port side pipe cap looking perhaps a bit out of line but that is just because of the odd distorted reflections off the reflective surface. A keen follower may also just notice the addition of a nice swagged bit of 1/4" S/S wire to hold up the dance floor when it is in the lowered postion.








Starboard side, as viewed from the ground.I like the way it all looks so clean and shiny. I'm worse than a kid in a damned toy store sometimes! Once again, keen followers may also notice the edge of the dance floor has been painted to match the side of the aft deck










A view now from astern, with the dance floor down,cabin doors openned and the music blarring loudly from within while the two newly capped pipes stand at attention, waiting patiently for the Queen of the Ball to come waltzing in at any moment.







Just for the sake of contrast, here is a view from a later day, with the dance floor in the raised postion and the port side cap about to perform its' job of keeping the rain out.


So that is it for this little project. I hope you've all enjoyed it.


Next up will be a random number of lesser tasks which were not properly completed last fall before launching the boat.These include adding the finish trim to the two opening side windows up front,repositioning an incorrectly located turning block for the centerboard,painting the dance floor and correcting the waterline.There may be one or two other things I cannot recall right now but it is a start toward curing anyone with a bad case of insomnia!





Cheers!



Peter

[RFNK]

They look great Mr L!

But at least one keen observer HAS noticed the price tag or whatever which remains atop/abottom one of the ex-jugs .......

Rick

[P.L.Lenihan]

Thank you, Mr. CL Rick! As for the sticker left on the bottom, which your not yet feeble eyes have so correctly spotted, it was smartly dealt with shortly thereafter with a rag and some spirits.No, not the type of spirits which inhabit my head nor the type you swallow but the other type known as paint thinner.



Stay warm!



Cheers!


Peter

[M. J. Notigan]

Peter,
Just fantastic ingenuity! 2 discount s/s water pitchers......who would have guessed? At each and every turn you have me scratching my head, wondering where you are going to take us. You never let the peanut gallery down, at least here at Eyeball Engineering and Boat Drydock (crew of 1)! You now have me thinking about those 2 plastic West Marine vents I so painstakingly installed for my Microtrawler Fuel Tank compartment vent system............your system makes intrusion from the elements a near impossibility.......mine, not so much. Back to the drawing board I go and I tip my hat to you in awe! Please do tell of the stainless steel pipe, are they covers for PVC pipe or the real deal? Can't wait until the next study in fabrication. Bravo and well done!
Take Care,
Mike

[P.L.Lenihan]

Here now begins a loose collection of odd jobs which were not addressed properly just before my late August launch of last year. The mayhem and chaos which accompanied that rather hectic time is almost gone from my memory....almost.

We'll begin with a refresher photo, for those who missed it and for the rest who,like myself, would rather forget it.








Once again, I'll trust that your eye sight is keener than mine and that you will be able to notice how the pane of glass just above the green "X" seen behind my head of madness is simply sitting in its' rabbet, held there by Sikaflex alone.While I've little reason to ever doubt the holding power of Sikaflex, I did not like the way it appeared.That is; one could clearly see the less-than-perfect Sikaflex bead beneath the glass and the very edge of the glass too. What was missing to properly finish this opening, swing-down, window was some sort of molding.

This is how I did it:





Scrounging up some same sized mahogany batten stock, I mitered the ends,traced a reference line down them to indicate the edge of the glass beneath them and screwed the battens down in a nice bed of Sikaflex, mindful to drive my screws on the outside edge of the traced line. This was repeated with the window from the other side of the boat and the works were left to set up for a few days. When the sun returned, the windows were set up on some bits of old Styrofoam and the Sikflex tested for its' state of cure. It was good!








Next, my best tools were brought into arms reach in preparation for the light work of removing the excess Sikaflex squeeze out from the glass(1 utility razor with handle,check!),knocking off the corners/edges of the battens for a nice radius(1 block plane,check!) and a finally, an all around sanding(80 grt sandpapaer,check!).









Thanks to the bright warm sun that day, it was a pleasant exercise.The sanding felt particularly good, in a nostalgic sort of way. Once both windows had been cleaned up, the screws which were used to hold the battens in place while the Sikaflex cure, were now removed.Keeping the screws in would have been over kill(I have confidence in adhesives!) and leaving them showing would have been a sin. Also, with the battens less than 3/8th thick,the screws would have had to be set slightly deeper to the point of providing little true holding power just to get a bung in deep enough to ensure worry free future refurbishings of these battens.


Once the screws were removed, the screw holes were rebored to full depth and bungs were used to plug the holes and provide the necessary illusion of there being screws holding things together, not unlike the wooden cabin cladding elsewhere on the boat.








The following day, with the glue holding the bungs now cured, the bungs were all given a nice trim job, the battens their final bit of sanding and the first coats of Cetol applied.Apologies to all folks who orient their bungs grains at right angles to the stock. Mr Gibbs is your go-to-man for details regarding your affliction.....


Unfortunately,no further pictures exist for the moment of the finished windows.I'm not certain why, but suspect I must have been busy.......busy enjoying another beer.




Cheers!



Peter

[johnno]

Peter, speaking of jobs, I seem to remember some plastic wrapping on the roof as well, or is my memory failing me????

Nice work on the windows, it will be great to be able to lean out for a peek backwards at those who are left in your wake, obviating the need for wing mirrors.

By the way, your anchor seems to need some attention, as does that nasty wound! I'd suggest soldier's joy for the latter. Work on, and enjoy these wonderful sunshiny days!!

[P.L.Lenihan]

Peter,
At each and every turn you have me scratching my head, wondering where you are going to take us. Please do tell of the stainless steel pipe, are they covers for PVC pipe or the real deal? Bravo and well done!
Take Care,
Mike

Hi Mike,

Never fear Sir, you are not alone! I too find myself scratching my head wondering where the blazes I'm going. Whenever that happens, I just take a wee bit more medicine and suddenly the scratching stops. Still don't know where I'm going mind you, but at least I'm not sratching anymore.........

As for those stainless steel pipes,yessirree, they be the real thing Sir as PVC pipe would never be strong enough to support the lowered dance floor, especially with my fat hairy arse waltzing about on it.

If you click here:

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...of-it-)/page28

and scroll down to about post number 1354 or there abouts,you'll be able to observe the pipes in their earlier,unpolished,near virginal, state.

Thanks for your enthusiasm and compliments too!

Any news on your photo posting progress regarding your Microtrawler? I'll bet there is considerable enthusiasm for a nice thread right there with your build!



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Peter, speaking of jobs, I seem to remember some plastic wrapping on the roof as well, or is my memory failing me????

Nice work on the windows, it will be great to be able to lean out for a peek backwards at those who are left in your wake, obviating the need for wing mirrors.

By the way, your anchor seems to need some attention, as does that nasty wound! I'd suggest soldier's joy for the latter. Work on, and enjoy these wonderful sunshiny days!!

Nothing wrong with your memory John.In fact, it is spot on and I'll be getting to that nightmare in the coming days.Thanks for keeping me honest on that score!

At the grand and stately rate of 6 knots, I will be spending more time looking ahead at the transoms of the suppository speedboats around here leaving me in their wakes. But yes, these openings are handy, to a point, when looking aft.

Speaking to your last observations however, and I don't mean to scare you or anything but, you may be in need of some ophthalmologic drops(comes in brown bottles) for the anchor pictured is brand new and the"nasty wound" just some red bottom paint.


I'm doing my level best to remain well hydrated,per doctors' orders, and by golly, I'm one compliant patient!


Stay warm during winter John and keep tender bits well covered to protect against frost bite!





Cheers!


Peter

[knottyBuoyz]

On behalf of myself, I'd like to thank both yourself and Simon for your votes of confidence,Rick. It goes a long way when one hasn't a clue where one is going........

Oh I was on your side the whole time. It was the lil' plastic bastid who said it wouldn't end well. I had full and complete confidence in your abilities to pull this off.

On a better note, we can all witness your keen sense of affairs,brilliant analytical mind and self- effacing manner with your sly question regarding the mini-brackets. I suppose it was just a matter of time before someone spoke the truth and saw through my charade! Excellent!

I could see exactly what you were doing when you first showed the water pitcher in your hand! Brilliant idea! I'm glad I thought of it!

Hope all is well along the shores of the upper St.Lawrence!

Not all that well. Small domestic accident followed up with a pleasant ride in an ambulance. I've been hobblin' around on crutches for the better part of two weeks now. Just getting to the point where I can twaddle from the couch to the veranda and back. It's not much, but it's a start. Going to be a bit of a long rehab. I have no liquid medicine.

[chuckt]

Whoa. When did Simon ever buy any beer?! I think I've read every post and don't remember that and it seems inconsistent with his character.

[ben2go]

Good work Peter.Those window frames look great.

[John Bell]

Slight hijack follows, sorry Peter...

I got spend a few days last month with a friend who built a little brother of TB and thought you'd enjoy the photo. He says he plans to sell it in three years and I seriously want dibs. What a great little boat.

[M. J. Notigan]

Hi Peter,
Thank you so much for the info on the vent pipes. What can I say, but WOW? There is nothing on your boat that fails to impress. It is clear that I need to revisit this entire thread again, having missed the fabrication and installation of the vent pipes. On a side note, it was sad to read Saltiguy's comments during the vent pipe build up. It would have been a bittter sweet thing to see his Champlain build thread continued in some way, shape or form. I miss that tongue in cheek give and take the two of you gave to each other. I imagine he is looking down on all of us Bolgerites, lending a guiding hand as we work our way towards a completed boat........

I have yet to hire a production company to compile photographs in the dresser drawer here, digital pics in a hard drive there and somehow compile them altogether in a build thread for my little boat. For better or worse, I give you my word that I will put this on my schedule and attempt to make sense of a build thread for what i have wrought.... Time and date to be determined of course. But I promise I will give it a good go......! I am indeed honored to know that you show interest in this little backyard boat build!

John: What a lovely boat! I've seen this MT on the Yahoo Microtrawler site. The traditional dark green with red striping provides a great look to the boat.

Take Care,
Mike

[P.L.Lenihan]

Correcting chaos and other forgotten bits continued..............


It is truly amazing to me the number of items which had been forgotten or simply left un-done in the rush to launch the boat last August. But as they say in the movies,"You can run but you can't hide!"

This next little bit will address the centerboard control mechanism.








This is the up-haul as it was just before the launching and as seen by me when I started making things right this Spring.As one can clearly see, a cheap-n-nasty bit of common 1/8" line was used.The same can be said for the down-haul too, cheap-n-nasty. And would you just take a look at that sad bit of mahogany scap used to keep the line from running out the hole made in the centerboard to secure one end. The remedy was quick,cheap and much more to my liking, not to mention kinder on my hands.That 1/8" stuff is a bastid to heave on!








First I went off and bought two short lengths of 3/8th line. One stretchy line for the down haul and one non-stretching line for the up-haul. I then rounded up two scraps of MDO 1/2" plywood, made two little disks and proceeded to drill twin 3/8th holes for the lines. I know this picture make not make much sense at the moment but the next one will shed the needed light of clarity, for better understanding.








The up-haul line(black with white racing stripes, for speed) and the stretchy down-haul( all black,for business) installed on the centerboard. As one can imagine now, there is a hole bored through the head of the centerboard running fore and aft. The down-haul runs aft ,a bit, to a small block(pulley) before heading back to the forward centerboard headlog.

So far so good? Well I certainly thought so.Thus I figured it was time to push the two control lines through the forward neoprene gasket intended to keep the holes from "spitting" in certain boating conditions, just to see how the set ould work now.

Of coarse I had not forgotten the last line through the neoprene was a measely 1/8" thing and as such the bigger 3/8th" line would need some means of allowing me to drive it through the tiny holes. Without thinking too hard about the whole deal, I did what I usualy do with all my lines.






I know, very un-seaman like. In fact, darned ridiculous but what a great ice breaker whenever one enters a new club or marina.Well meaning folk come over and willing show me the proper way to finish off the bitter ends of my lines.God bless them! When they are done, I usually offer to pick up the tab over a few beer and bingo, a new acquaintance is born! But back to the story; with the line now wrapped tightly in some fine tape, I attempted to push it simply through the smallish pilot hole left from the 1/8th line.


It must be an Irish thing, for I soon lost count of the number of curse words I had let loose,because no matter how much I pushed, teased, cajoled or threatened it, that blasted line absolutely refused to penetrate the wee pilot hole. Feeling somewhat flustered, I was just on the verge of e-mailing knottybuoyz or RFNK or any other Rick out there who would surely know how to get something big to fit into something small when I recalled owning a speciality tool for exactly such events.

Heading out to my rolling tool box, I retrieved my ACME Custom Line Threader,Beaver Poker and Cork Screw warmly given to me a few years ago on my eigthteenth birthday. A true sign of imminent man-hood to have be given such a noble and versatile tool!

Once back inside the boat, the tool was secured to the recalcitrant line and I stoll a few minutes to re-read the operators' manual, just to be on the safe side.







Here we see the ACME Custom Line Threader, Beaver Poker and Cork Screw secured to the line ready for some formal penetration.

As with any "first time", there were the obligatory introductions, small talk about the weather, discussion about local beer prices and of course, club memberships. After this preliminary sniffing out stage was completed and both parties had signed the requisite consent forms, it was time to proceed with the consummation of the deal.







With a tenderness so rarely witnessed in Natrional Geographic documentaries, the evening news or even in the back seat of hatch-backs, ACME gingerly entered the tiny yet eager hole with a finesse even Giacomo would be proud of.I quickly drew my hands to my mouth to silence the words I was trying so hard not to mutter......but they slipped out anyway......"Cheeses I gotta go pee!"




To be continued..........





Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Small domestic accident followed up with a pleasant ride in an ambulance. I've been hobblin' around on crutches for the better part of two weeks now. Just getting to the point where I can twaddle from the couch to the veranda and back. It's not much, but it's a start. Going to be a bit of a long rehab. I have no liquid medicine.

Now that's a bummer if ever there was one,Rick! I know that during the building of my boat (9 years) I would sometimes catch myself wondering about just how long can I go without an acident happening.With daily commutes over a rusty and decrepit bridge,several dozen daily trips up and down ladders into and out of the boat, not to mention handling sharp tools, it's a bloody miracle I never had more than a scratch.


Sorry to read that your boat building project is on hold due to an accident and terribly troubled to find out you have no "medicine". Don't they deliver? On the other hand, perhaps medicine is what lead to the accident and if so, adjust the dosage !


I hope you are a quick healer Rick and that Lori is managing to deal with her patient. And here is a tip for you to keep in mind: A "good" patient always garners the best care!



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Whoa. When did Simon ever buy any beer?! I think I've read every post and don't remember that and it seems inconsistent with his character.

My mind isn't what it used to be Chuck and I cannot recall exactly which year he did buy the beer but surely ta Gawd you aren't suggestioning I bought all that beer.... by myself.... are you? Really? If I had more free time away from Nat's relentless work whip, I'd go looking back in this thread somewhere because I'm almost certain that little plastic bastid paid more than once for the beer.....a cheap ploy to win back my respect for him, if I recall. It was most successful!

Have you got yourself a wee helper yet for your Concordia renovation or are you just too busy swatting away the attentions of myriad females various, swooning at the very dashing sight of you? I wish my own LPBC would work like yours.....


Cheers!



Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Good work Peter.Those window frames look great.

It is always a special treat for me when long time followers of this crazy thread chime in.Amazing really. Thanks Ben!!

Hope all is well with you and yours!



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Slight hijack follows, sorry Peter...

I got spend a few days last month with a friend who built a little brother of TB and thought you'd enjoy the photo. He says he plans to sell it in three years and I seriously want dibs. What a great little boat.

No need to apologize John,you've got carte blanche here Sir!

That is a really cool picture! Did you get to put her through her paces? How is the handling? The onboard sprawling room? Cooler capacity? etc,etc..!! Curious minds want to know! I also think the head honcho over at EYEBALL ENGINEERING INC, Mr.Notigan, would appreciate reading your report also to inspire(or is it accelerate?) his very own MT build project.

I recall once thinking I would keep my previous boat( Bolger Micro) for about three years also. She held me in rapture for ten before Nels got her and I still dream of her. I wish your friend luck with his plans!


Keep a good thought John,ya lucky bugger!



Cheers!


Peter

[Ron Williamson]

Now that's a bummer if ever there was one,Rick! I know that during the building of my boat (9 years) I would sometimes catch myself wondering about just how long can I go without an acident happening.With daily commutes over a rusty and decrepit bridge,several dozen daily trips up and down ladders into and out of the boat, not to mention handling sharp tools, it's a bloody miracle I never had more than a scratch.


Sorry to read that your boat building project is on hold due to an accident and terribly troubled to find out you have no "medicine". Don't they deliver? On the other hand, perhaps medicine is what lead to the accident and if so, adjust the dosage !


I hope you are a quick healer Rick and that Lori is managing to deal with her patient. And here is a tip for you to keep in mind: A "good" patient always garners the best care!



Cheers!


Peter

Sharp tools?I didn't see any.
Who allowed you to handle sharp tools,anyway?

R

[P.L.Lenihan]

O.K. smartypants, ya caught me.It was/is just a little exaggeration to help Rick feel less miserable about his present hobbling condition. It can be tough, sometimes, risking life-n-limb in the pursuit of happiness.

Speaking of sharp tools,Ron, how is the champion diver doing this year? Any competitions scheduled for here in Montreal? I could have a full case of Boréal onboard if you're in the neighbourhood.Hell, I could even keep it on ice for you!


Cheers!


Peter

[Ron Williamson]

Yeah,I know.
I'm pretty surprised that I've only done minor damage to myself,despite some of the things I've done.

He's hit a bit of a wall,but is going to Provincials, in Ottawa, at the end of the month.
Nationals are in Calgary,but he needs a break,so we're not going and he won't be training during July and August
He's doing well in races that aren't his specialty, like backstroke,breaststroke and medleys,but seems to overthink the fly and freestyle.

If you put up enough beer,maybe we could arrange a small swim meet in the nearby St.Lawrence.
He wouldn't be happy,but we'd be alright.

Do you have any plan for cruising this summer?
R

[Ryden]

Here we see the ACME Custom Line Threader, Beaver Poker and Cork Screw secured to the line ready for some formal penetration.

As with any "first time", there were the obligatory introductions, small talk about the weather, discussion about local beer prices and of course, club memberships. After this preliminary sniffing out stage was completed and both parties had signed the requisite consent forms, it was time to proceed with the consummation of the deal.




With a tenderness so rarely witnessed in Natrional Geographic documentaries, the evening news or even in the back seat of hatch-backs, ACME gingerly entered the tiny yet eager hole with a finesse even Giacomo would be proud of.

A small tip for all you line threaders out there, notice that nut in front of the neoprene hole.
Gentle manipulation of that nut is said to facilitate insertion of big lines into small apertures.

The neoprene gasket might rip on first threading of the line and this is perfectly natural, most boats will notice some damage to their gaskets and this is something that you and your boat should discuss beforehand. If you take your time and the boat feels it's ready for a downhaul this will not be a problem. Some boats does not rip their gasket at all and this is also perfectly normal, it doesn't mean that the boat has had other lines threaded already that you never knew about. It's just that all boats are unique and this is perfectly normal.

If the line won't fit at all, don't force it! This might hurt your relationship with your boat profoundly, just give it more time and there are lots of other things you might do. A gentle torture boarding or a brisk polishing of the brightwork is also a good way to getting to know your boat. Most boats also like to have their bilges cleaned but you should ask first! Not every boat likes to have a swab shoved up its anchor chute unexpectedly.

Good luck!
Aunt Dorothy Grandbanks

[Cogeniac]

Peter;

I am unclear as to why one line is springy and the other not. It seems that some sort of simple windlass arrangement could be used to crank up the line in one direction and let it out in the other...sort of like the old school broomstick steering thing we used on soap box racers...It doesn't need to be motorized, and it could be completely hidden, with just a hole for a winch handle...

I am pretty sure I am not understanding the setup correctly.

Also, sometime it would be fun to see some pics of the "systems" end of the boat. I know this is a WOODEN boat forum, but I for one would like to see how you did the steering, motor, fuel, electrical, etc. When you have a spare moment of course!

Boat is lookin' good!

Cheers.

S

[John B]

Evidentally I am terribly distressed at your travails in getting the large line to fit the small aperture, as tears seem to be leaking out the corners of my eyes.
I can only hope that it all works out for you Peter.

[WX]

A small tip for all you line threaders out there, notice that nut in front of the neoprene hole.
Gentle manipulation of that nut is said to facilitate insertion of big lines into small apertures.

The neoprene gasket might rip on first threading of the line and this is perfectly natural, most boats will notice some damage to their gaskets and this is something that you and your boat should discuss beforehand. If you take your time and the boat feels it's ready for a downhaul this will not be a problem. Some boats does not rip their gasket at all and this is also perfectly normal, it doesn't mean that the boat has had other lines threaded already that you never knew about. It's just that all boats are unique and this is perfectly normal.

If the line won't fit at all, don't force it! This might hurt your relationship with your boat profoundly, just give it more time and there are lots of other things you might do. A gentle torture boarding or a brisk polishing of the brightwork is also a good way to getting to know your boat. Most boats also like to have their bilges cleaned but you should ask first! Not every boat likes to have a swab shoved up its anchor chute unexpectedly.

Good luck!
Aunt Dorothy Grandbanks

One of the things I love most about this forum are the many worldly wise bits of wisdom, such as this to be had.
Once again, I turn my back and big mobs of activity happens but I am however, now up to date once more.

[floatingkiwi]

Interesting experiences there Kerry. All I can offer as counter point is to be wary of knock-offs made in foreign lands.Only genuine Robertson drivers and screws have that just perfect, tight, no-slip fit we boomers seek. And yes, I've tried the knock-offs and experienced just what you've so well described. Lesson learned then and not repeated since.

Of coarse I don't work for nor even know anyone who works for,with or is related to Robertson anything! Just a very satisfied customer.


All the best Kerry!



Cheers!


Peter

Yes. I should have mentioned the ones I were using were indeed the type sold at HD as decking screws. I wondered why they wre so inexpensive for an all stainless screw. Probably because they can only be used once.

[tigerregis]

We used those at the US Boat Shows for awhile. The bosses bought them from HD. What I always laughed at, besides what you pointed out about Robertson's working, was they were the only box box of screws to come with a driver. (I know that sounds a little Freudian)>

[P.L.Lenihan]

Who could have known it would take so long to answer just one, rather pressing, need?!( I sure didn't!) However, in what really took very little time,I was soon back on the scene to witness, like some dime store voyeur, one of natures' most wonderful and important acts.

With the cabin filled with the whispered quiries of "Are you still alright?" and "What's your name again?" came the hushed replies of,"Yes.Just go slowly." and " Cassandra."

Leaning over the top of the centerboard case opening, I stilled my breathing and stopped blinking just long enough to see dear ACME offer up his final thrust...............




against Cassandra's valiant parry.Suddenly she let out a heart churning scream as our man ACME finally burst through the final barrier,simultaneously blurting out, "Holy Meccano!"

Feeling just the slightest tugging of my own heart strings, I couldn't help but hum the opening strands of Onward,Christian Soldiers as ACME proceeded to out do his own good self.........







by going in well beyond his assurance cap to the point of no return.








I swear too, I heard Cassandra let slip the immortal question,"Will you still love me in the morning?", as ACME lay spent and joking with Mr.I.B. Drilldriver.

As with so many other things in life, the frst time is always the hardest.Once the downhaul line had been threaded properly through the neoprene sheath/gasket, the uphaul line was a cake walk.

Next, we'll see how the downhaul line is made to come back on itself:











Here we see the dry fitting of a nice pulley/block, secured by a common s/s eye-strap, bolted through the centerboard cap, with a custom aluminium re-inforcing plate(both sides) to discourage any tendency the small bolts may have to pull clean through the plywood centerboard cap should it come under a sudden,unplanned, load(read:centerboard hitting the bottom at speed).A chafe guard was also added, just forward of the pulley,to protect the downhaul line during the last few inches of pulling to maximunm draft.The forward bolt has been docked to allow the pulley to freely cant toward the direction of pull.The other bolt was left long as evidence of my inability to maintain a properly stocked box of small bolts.So fitting, in so many ways!









Satisfied with the overall fit and operation of things, the works were disassembled,bedded generously in some Sikaflex("Oh no, it isn't available in Come-Hither Red either,Mr.Lenihan!) and bolted up for the final time.



Speaking of Come-hither Red, next up will be the "correction" of the pathetic water line from last year and we'll be ready for re-launching!




Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Peter;

I am unclear as to why one line is springy and the other not. It seems that some sort of simple windlass arrangement could be used to crank up the line in one direction and let it out in the other...sort of like the old school broomstick steering thing we used on soap box racers...It doesn't need to be motorized, and it could be completely hidden, with just a hole for a winch handle...

I am pretty sure I am not understanding the setup correctly.

Also, sometime it would be fun to see some pics of the "systems" end of the boat. I know this is a WOODEN boat forum, but I for one would like to see how you did the steering, motor, fuel, electrical, etc. When you have a spare moment of course!

Boat is lookin' good!

Cheers.

S

Thanks Scott! The "springy" line is used for the downhaul as the centerboard is unballasted and floats of its' own accord.Thus, something needs to pull and keep it in the lowered postion.So far so good until one accidently runs into the bottom of the river, at the blistering rate of 6 knots, at which time having some give or spring in the line helps absorb some of the bone crushing energy before snapping the line in two or worse, knocking over ones beer.Can never be too careful, ya know! The crank idea is cool but too complicated for me.Just two holes, a cleat and a good heave works best for me.

"Sytems" so far are basic; interior lighting: candles. Interior plumbing: bottled water, beer, cooler with ice and sink with basic potable water supply from 52 gal. bladder drawn by hand pump. Everything to do with the outboard motor was done by a local mechanic and consisted of running 30 foot harnesses from the engine to the dash board dials and throttle. Steering is Teleflex wire. Head: one loveable,huggable, Luggable Loo.

In time, I hope to complicate my systems further to the point of finally achieving that genuine level nautical mayhem and expense sought after by so many.Being slow, I just have to work at it a bit more than others.

Nat is a patient and willing partner,so far, in this folly of glorified camping and I am lucky to have her!



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Evidentally I am terribly distressed at your travails in getting the large line to fit the small aperture, as tears seem to be leaking out the corners of my eyes.
I can only hope that it all works out for you Peter.

Oh dear, distress and tears all in the same post.Is it the extravagant sandpaper virus acting up again John B.? Have you run out of the good medicine? I hope salvation returns to your normally healthy self soon and that tears will only be seen on the faces of others, as they watch you haul in yet another fine offering from Poseidon's pantry.


Things continue to work out just fine for me John,strangely enough, but thanks for the kind thought all the same!



Cheers!


Peter

[knottyBuoyz]

"Sytems" so far are basic; interior lighting: candles. Interior plumbing: bottled water, beer, cooler with ice and sink with basic potable water supply from 52 gal. bladder drawn by hand pump. Everything to do with the outboard motor was done by a local mechanic and consisted of running 30 foot harnesses from the engine to the dash board dials and throttle. Steering is Teleflex wire. Head: one loveable,huggable, Luggable Loo.

Sounds like an ideal boating experience to me!

Well except for the Luggable Loo. I was there the day it was installed!

Carry on Peter. Say Hi to Nat & Simon for us!

Rick & Lori

[P.L.Lenihan]

The science of painting a waterline or, as my friends call it,flying by the seat of your pants.

Some here may still recall last years' late summer launching and the bold discovery of how I had screwed up painting the waterline. In my defense, I can say with all honesty, how blasted difficult it was to actually paint a waterline on the boat, inside a bowshed,when one can only ever get to see half of the hull profile at any one time.It really was that tight and narrow in the bowshed. Just ask knottybouyz,Sailor, MoMan or Ron Williamson...they came, they saw, they left laughing.


At any rate, I was not satified with how the waterline I had painted gave the boat the appearance it was dragging its' arse.





This is how the waterline looked last year.Rather sad to think it was not dragging its' tail due to an abundance of beer stored too far aft!






And this is a wonderful bit of computer image magic artfully produced by ChrisBen to closely represent how the waterline shoulda come out had I done it right in the first place.A much happier looking boat and one which appears ready to take on considerable stores of beer and other medicine for the eternally thirsty.



Thus, with ChrisBens' image firmly planted in my skull. I proceeded to appeal to the Gods of Mathematics and Geometry,sometimes called Ernie & Bert. Recalling various treatises read over the years in Skene,Chappelle,Brewer,Beebe,C.A.Marchaj,Garden,Le chter,Gerr and the seminal work of J.F Lavigne,"L'art de dire les conneries comme un pro."(1st edition,Vol.4,pp.324-546), I took out my calculator and began the tedious task of crunching the numbers.After what felt like an hour had gone by,I knew I had finally found the correct formula, for my hull, and was ready to transfer the numbers generated onto the boat to be joined together with masking tape.

Of course, as with any other challenging task, once completed, one is often filled with an innate desire to reward oneself for such a concentrated and focused effort well done.

And that is when the first beer came out. Filled with a fine sense of satisfaction as I was, it went down remarkablely well.In fact,I took this as a good omen and rewarded myself for having such a positive up-beat thought by cracking open yet another celebratory bottle. I tell you,my stars must have been all lined up that day, for didn't that second bottle of cheer go down just as easy as pie. And speaking of pie, my own pie-hole had grown such a wide and silly grin from all the celebrations going on that, yup, an udder one was released from captivity and down ye olde hatch she flowed. With the band now playing like all get out and the chorus girls having a ripe old time, I just couldn't turn down the next bottle placed firmly in my right hand by none other than my left hand.Yessirree boys, we was firing on all two neurons now!

And that is when I suddenly remembered I was supposed to paint a fresh new waterline. Like a startled rabbit, I began hopping around the place looking left and right for my scribbled notes and numbers. I was on the verge of panic for I knew too well that without those notes and numbers I could not paint the waterline and if I did not paint the waterline, Nat would clobber me but good with a brand new spruce 2X4 she recently brought home to keep me in line. My world was crashing in on me!

I was just about to jump in the river and end it all there when "click!" a light bulb went off in my skull. Like watching a movie in fast forward, a solution came all at once to me.Heaving a grand sigh of relief I gave thanks to the Holy Mother of Merlot while allowing a gentle nod to my past as a woodbutcher.Walking over to my rolling tool box,aka:car, I pulled out my best roll of painters masking tape and boldly returned to the boat.Closing my eyes just for a moment, I recalled ChrisBens' magic. Opening my eyes, I let out a rumbling,tumbling,never-seems-to-end burp and began to blaze a new waterline.










There she be,struck in a moment of inspiration and hubris,as bold as anything I have yet done in my short life.





So proud was I, I even took another picture of it. The icing on the cake,of course, was repeating this same bold statement exactly on the other side of the boat!

Now some may think I'm crazy and wrong for committing such a travesty.Others may even suggest the gods will not be pleased that I mocked and made light of the greats of our past. And yes, there will always be those convinced I am certifiable and should be locked away and the key tossed in the river.Period.

But explain this to me,please......................







Why did the clouds suddenly disperse as I began sanding and prepping the surfaces to be repainted? And not just on the port side either..............




That's right! The sun continued to shine its' warming rays of approval and good wishes even while I sanded and prepped the starboard side as well!

It was a bloody miracle,it was! A miracle, I weeped!!!!





To be continued............







Cheers!


Peter

[WX]

You should try it on a double chine hull, mines got a big wiggle in it that I have to fix somehow.

[P.L.Lenihan]

A small tip for all you line threaders out there, notice that nut in front of the neoprene hole.
Gentle manipulation of that nut is said to facilitate insertion of big lines into small apertures.

The neoprene gasket might rip on first threading of the line and this is perfectly natural, most boats will notice some damage to their gaskets and this is something that you and your boat should discuss beforehand. If you take your time and the boat feels it's ready for a downhaul this will not be a problem. Some boats does not rip their gasket at all and this is also perfectly normal, it doesn't mean that the boat has had other lines threaded already that you never knew about. It's just that all boats are unique and this is perfectly normal.

If the line won't fit at all, don't force it! This might hurt your relationship with your boat profoundly, just give it more time and there are lots of other things you might do. A gentle torture boarding or a brisk polishing of the brightwork is also a good way to getting to know your boat. Most boats also like to have their bilges cleaned but you should ask first! Not every boat likes to have a swab shoved up its anchor chute unexpectedly.

Good luck!
Aunt Dorothy Grandbanks

One of the things I love most about this forum are the many worldly wise bits of wisdom, such as this to be had.

I share that exact same feeling Gary and feel very grateful for Aunt Dorothy Grandbanks having stopped by to explain the finer, more womanly, aspects of threading things with delicacy. I feel very much less the ape after reading her sage words and look forward to the day I may once again have the opportunity to penetrate small spaces.

About the only thing missing from her wise words is instruction on when and when not to use Vaseline for the more stubborn holes and whether or not Crisco is alright for vegans to use.



Cheers!


Peter