Tudor Reformation

[Timbo]

Someone pointed out the other day that I have bits and bobs about Royal Tudor scattered over several different threads on the NBN and between Twitbook, TubeFace and YouTwit.
"What's happening?" they cried. "one minute you're in a hotel the next sleeping under a bush, you're in Norfolk one weekend, Lincolnshire on Friday, back in Norfolk on the Saturday and Sunday you are in Lincolnshire again!"
"Calm down Ellie!" I said. "Can't a bloke indulge in his hobby once in a while? It's not like I've done anything reckless like buying a wooden boat or anything!"

So for folks interested in my general ramblings and toing and froing around Norfolk and Lincolnshire, they will find my burbling, ramblings and brain farts in the 'Tramping' thread, and for my woodworking and all things with the actual work being done on Royal Tudor you're going to have to ask Doug find them on this thread here.

Now then a quick recap on the story so far. Sand, sand, sand, fill, fill, fill, paint, paint, paint and then the old girl was left high and dry. So we loaded her on a lorry and took her somewhere where they know about wooden boats. Uncle Albert throws a spanner in the works and then...look there's so much that's happened and is happening that I might get all of this out of order. My role in the proceedings is to try and learn as much as I can, get on with the more tedious jobs, make coffee and stand around with an expression I borrowed from a stunned gnu.  "I'm a gnu, how do you do?". You can blame the Hockham Admiral for putting that particular ear worm into my head!

As she currently stands Royal Tudor has had six planks replaced on her port side. Has had various bits of her cabin replaced including the whole of the bow section and we are about to replace the aft port cabin side. Her engine is being taken out for cleaning and servicing and so we can clean the bilges. She's having a new calorifier, heating system and fuel tank fitted. There's a new fridge and cooker for the galley as well as a new toilet...fit for a Queen.

That's Watson btw. While Doug has been doing the hard work of fitting planks etc I've been sanding, filling and making new cockpit sides. I'm now moving on to my hardest solo joinery project and making the new aft doors for Royal Tudor.

Historically RT has had a sliding door as access to the aft cabin from the stern well. This was a heavy, clunky and impractical affair made from a single sheet of marine ply spray painted white. Not to mention draughty and dare I say it, I'll risk it, a bit ugly! We are going to replace this sliding door with two bi-fold doors, with glass in the top panels and solid wood in the bottom panels. I recently took the opportunity to photograph Broad Ambition's aft doors, as the design I've come up with will be very similar to these.

So with the old door removed, it's time to start drawing up plans for the frame and door that is going to replace it. I have a mind like a computer you know. You have to punch information into me. Especially the kind that has to do with numbers. The original idea was to build a door frame into the aperture between the two aft bulkheads. I took all of the measurements that I needed...and then got to thinking perhaps there's a better way that won't reduce the size of the aperture. So redesigning everything I took a day trip with my future father in law, and Watson's Dad, Ben Gunn to remeasure everything again. Back at home, I realised I did not have the correct measurements still, don't get me started, and Doug had to come to the rescue.

So I'm currently at the drawing plans to scale stage. I'm using a piece of scrap 3mm ply to draw out the components to scale. The only section I have not mapped out is the middle rail.

This is because I'm still hunting door furniture in the shape of a polished chrome rim lock with doorhandle. As with anything else with 'marine' in front of it a marine grade rim lock (smaller than the standard household type) makes the price jump from around £15 to £60! SO if anyone has any suggestions of where to buy such an item I would be most grateful.

The timber to make the new doors has been delivered, I have eight 8' by 8" by 3/4" planks of some quite beautifully figured Sapele. Dylan is not too happy that his dinner bowl has been moved out of the way to accommodate them!

So tomorrow I start planing and cutting timber starting with the frame so I can fit the doors accurately...right after a visit to the dentist.

 

 

 

[Polly]

You have as nice a pair (of doors) as I have ever seen.

[BrundallNavy]

These doors are his final test piece after doing his 4 year apprenticeship if they fit I'm hanging up me plane and buying an apron as I have to look the part as the new tea boy.

[MauriceMynah]

43 minutes ago, brundallNavy said:

These doors are his final test piece after doing his 4 year apprenticeship if they fit I'm hanging up me plane and buying an apron as I have to look the part as the new tea boy.

Ohh gawd, another bloody Mason.

[Timbo]

No one said anything about an examination...Oh well!

Chewing gum Lucky menthol tips, Lucky 2oz Amber Leaf, Lucky Rizzlas, Lucky Zippo, Spare Lucky Zippo, Spare Lucky Flints for Zippo, Lucky Lighter Fluid...Silence while the exam is in progress...

A bit of a slow start. I'm having to wait for one or two new tools to arrive in the post. First up a second 'Grrrrripper'(TM)! For those not in the know, a Grrrrripper (TM) is a modern variation on a push block for the table saw. Very useful for putting small bits of lumber through the saw and retaining your fingers! They are expensive, I have one already, but a second will help push longer narrow lumber through the saw.

In the meantime, I've cut and planed the wider boards for the door frame. I cut the boards to a shorter length with the sliding cross cut before putting them through the table saw. It was at this point that I noticed the cross cut saw was slightly out of true. So I took some time to align it and while I was at it aligned the blade and fence on the table saw.

I then set about cutting the two mortise and tenon joints. This went quite quickly using the pillar drill to remove most of the waste from the mortise before finishing off with good sharp chisels. The tenons I cut on the tablesaw and then used a sharp chisel again to clean the cheeks of the tenon. 

So time for a test fit and I notice two things right from the word go. First I don't have a bench long or wide enough to support the frame. Second things are a little too tight with the joints, so a careful shave of the tenon with the chisel and I have a first class fit. Once I glue the joints and clamp them I will have some tight joints. But I won't even reach for the glue bottle until I have everything made including the doors.

Before I get to glueing and clamping I'm going to make some spacers to fit in between the stiles to help keep my joints square. I'm also going to look into making myself a workbench large enough to accommodate the job, a portable one so I can take it into the house should the weather turn inclement again.

My next door neighbour had been watching me work this afternoon and commented how four years ago I didn't know one end of a hammer from the other. Apparently, the neighbour's think having a wooden boat has 'done me some good'. I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoy woodwork and there is a distinct improvement from four years ago when Doug and Matt spotted me reading the instructions for a £40 table saw from Argos, determined yet clueless on how I was going to fix the boat!

Tomorrow I will tackle the bench...oh hang on Ellie has two days off...so tomorrow I will probably be...oh hang on a minute I forgot we are taking Gracie out for tea as it's her fifth birthday on Friday...so tomorrow I will be riding imaginary horses that are riding imaginary motorbikes and then we shall play 'Captain's Aboard'!

[Timbo]

And it's all gone Pete Tong!

I've been struggling to hold small parts in my hands, oi!  Let's start at the beginning.

The frame worked out well. I then set about cutting and milling the lumber for the doors. Each of my 8' x 8" by 3/4" planks had started to cup, so I decided I rip the planks to width and pop them through the planer. As soon as I started ripping the planks I knew I was going to have problems. As each length was cut it almost curled up on itself. If anyone has any suggestions they would be much appreciated?

So I milled the timber and it took 'some' of the 'bow' out, but not all. I cut the stiles to length and started on the rails. The top and bottom rails were fiddly. The tenons being larger than the 'meat' of the rail. At times my fingers seemed to be perilously close to the saw blade. Eventually, I had eight rails fro top and bottom cut, I will clean them up later with a chisel.By teatime, the neighbours were complaining about the amount of noise I was making! SO...I pushed on to finish the cutting of the middle rails which are wider than the top and bottom ones.

I was tired...no I didn't cut my fingers but...I cut the rails too short. They are the right length...just the tenons are too long.I will cut new middle rails on Monday along with the panels for the bottom. I'm hoping that when I glue the rails and fit the panels they will stop the warp in the stiles?

[grendel]

Tim cut the pieces in half through the thickness and turn them back to back, then reglue, clamping well, then the curls would cancel each other out.

[MauriceMynah]

Wood I be correct (sorry about that, couldn't resist it :) ) in saying that well seasoned timber doesn't do this? If so try going to some of the larger charity shops for old furniture, especially tables..  

[BrundallNavy]

Have you been storing them inside, As MM said if it wasn't correctly seasoned and you store it where it gets hot it will dry out and you get the said result. You can try soaking it and then clamp two pieces back to back until they dry.

Doug.

[ranworthbreeze]

I have always found that with twisted or bowed hardwood, you can do all that has been suggested above, but in the end you will always end up with a imperfect job. 

Regards

Alan

[Wildfuzz]

Sorry Tim, but I think Alan is right, I have tried some of the above methods but never with a great success, If the timber is not thick enough to plane out the cups it may be as well to get some fresh timber, its a lot of work to do if the doors are not perfectly stable when in situ and refuse to fit after the inevitable movement that comes with wood and moisture.........

 

Nice work by the way, new kitchen units when RT is completed????? 

[Timbo]

Do you know, I'm immensely proud of my better half. She's a smart cookie! Whilst checking my boards to see if any were straight I noticed that the deformation of the boards was quite odd. The boards, although not cut in sequence, all have a 'curl' about a third of the way down as well as a slight 'cup'. So while I'm busy trying to find a straight board Ellie is looking at how they have been stored. I 'thought' I'd laid them flat in my hallway. I had laid them flat in my hallway. But George my cleaning lady had popped a rug under the planks to protect my floor. Consequently where the rug ends is where I have the curl.

So I've taken the rug away. Rotated the boards and laid them down flat...again. I'm hoping, in the long run, they will lose the curl now there is no mat in the way. If not you can all expect Christmas presents made out of small sections of sapele. In the meantime, now that I know the curl is my fault, I'm reordering enough timber to make the long stiles.

So while I wait for the timber merchant to deliver the new planks (I may yet go and pick them up myself...which means a trip into sunny Scunny) I can get on with making the window rails and the 'bow plate' cum mud weight plinth...if that is the correct term?

[unclemike]

1 minute ago, Timbo said:

.which means a trip into sunny Scunny

can i help, tues wed thu i'm working in gainsboro

[quo vadis]

2 hours ago, Timbo said:

Do you know, I'm immensely proud of my better half. She's a smart cookie! Whilst checking my boards to see if any were straight I noticed that the deformation of the boards was quite odd. The boards, although not cut in sequence, all have a 'curl' about a third of the way down as well as a slight 'cup'. So while I'm busy trying to find a straight board Ellie is looking at how they have been stored. I 'thought' I'd laid them flat in my hallway. I had laid them flat in my hallway. But George my cleaning lady had popped a rug under the planks to protect my floor. Consequently where the rug ends is where I have the curl.

So I've taken the rug away. Rotated the boards and laid them down flat...again. I'm hoping, in the long run, they will lose the curl now there is no mat in the way. If not you can all expect Christmas presents made out of small sections of sapele. In the meantime, now that I know the curl is my fault, I'm reordering enough timber to make the long stiles.

So while I wait for the timber merchant to deliver the new planks (I may yet go and pick them up myself...which means a trip into sunny Scunny) I can get on with making the window rails and the 'bow plate' cum mud weight plinth...if that is the correct term?

Spot on Timbo

[Timbo]

A quick catch up...

So new timber has arrived from a new source...it's got curl. So I consulted some of the woodworking forums I frequent and got several replies, including some 'big names' in American Woodworking. It turns out that it is where and how the timber has been cut from the log that is the problem. I'm being supplied with 'flat' sawn timber and I should be using 'quarter' sawn timber. I'm enquiring where I can get quarter sawn lumber from but in the meantime, I have enough straight boards to proceed with the doors.

I will be undergoing a spot of surgery/dentistry next Friday...they are finally stitching my gob up...so I'm currently 'off my meds' especially the blood thinners. Dual edged sword really. On the one hand, I won't bleed to death under the knife, on the other hand, I'm running a high risk of stroke so I'm contenting myself playing quartermaster ordering and stocking up on supplies for the next push on finishing RT. I've ordered a case of sealant, foam brushes and rollers, paint and varnish buckets, thinners, dishwasher tablets for cleaning bilges, tack rags, more sanding discs, car body filler....as well as sorting out tools that I can't use (being not too clever with one hand) but Doug might be able to use, such as my spindle moulder, that will speed along the jobs we have to do on RT and elsewhere.

With a sheet of plywood being delivered, I was able to construct an assembly table for the glue-up on the aft doors. I got a 2 x 1 meter top cut from the sheet and then ran the remainder through the table saw to make batons to support the top. I had a couple of steel legs lying around that I'd bought from Machine Mart so bolted those to the top. I still have to cut the supports for the bottom...but the assembly table is shaping up. Eventually, I will pray it the same colour as the shed to protect it from the elephants, and the idea is that it will act as both assembly table and outside timber store with the addition of a sloping removable felted roof.

So after all that woodwork and spending of money...urrgggh...it's time for a lie-down...if only The Beagle Brothers would shove up!

[grendel]

Just now, Timbo said:

Eventually, I will pray it the same colour as the shed to protect it from the elephants

I always suspected a trace of witch doctor in you Tim.

[Timbo]

21 hours ago, grendel said:

I always suspected a trace of witch doctor in you Tim.

Ooh! Eee! Ooh! Ah! Ah! Bing Bang, walla walla bing bang. Ooh! Eee! Ooh! Ah! Ah! Bing Bang, walla walla Bing Bang! 

[JanetAnne]

It's "ting tang Walla Walla bing bang" 

[grendel]

 

[Vaughan]

57 minutes ago, Timbo said:

Ooh! Eee! Ooh! Ah! Ah! Bing Bang, walla walla bing bang. Ooh! Eee! Ooh! Ah! Ah! Bing Bang, walla walla Bing Bang! 

Welcome to the Old Coots Club, Timbo!

[Timbo]

9 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Welcome to the Old Coots Club, Timbo!

 The Real 'Old Coots Club'? I've finally made it? I'm a member of the Old Coots Club and can now wear the logo and fly the burgee from RT with pride? Do I get to take part in the Old Coots Cruising Club? It is an honour to join sir! 

[Timbo]

10 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

It's "ting tang Walla Walla bing bang" 

While you're doing your 'Ting' I'll be doing the dyslexic witch doctor!

[JanetAnne]

Da only ting 'round ere needen a walla walla bing bang is dis ting.....

 

[Vaughan]

1 hour ago, Timbo said:

Do I get to take part in the Old Coots Cruising Club? It is an honour to join sir! 

Come and join us in September, for the initiation ceremony!

[JanetAnne]

Just now, Vaughan said:

Come and join us in September, for the initiation ceremony!

You sure he will be ok Vaughan? He's not a local lad you know - he may not be up to some of the 'traditions' afforded good old Norfolk stock!