A New Build Wooden Broads Cruiser

[JanetAnne]

Now where was I? ah yes scarph joints...

Oops, can somebody clever resize these for me?

As the days move on we are able to build up the layers of the keel.

 

Here you can see the shape starting to appear at the rear

While our glue is allowed to set fully - thats normally overnight this time of year - other areas of the construction are being looked at. The stem post is machined from a nice piece of oak ready for its flutes to be cut by hand.

Using a spokeshave is something I have never really learnt and, after watching one side of the stem post formed expertly, I was handed the tool and told to do the other side... gulp!

Of course my side is the good side....

And then another layer goes on the keel

 

[FairTmiddlin]

5 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

Using a spokeshave is something I have never really learnt and, after watching one side of the stem post formed expertly, I was handed the tool and told to do the other side... gulp!

Of course my side is the good side....

I always thought of you as a grinder and flappy disc sort of man. Hand tools my god!

[JanetAnne]

Before we continue I have had my attention drawn to a point of order regarding the stem post mentioned last time. The spokeshave was used to shape the flute at the top of the post rather than the whole post. That job was achieved using a selection of sharpened woodworking implements.... which I failed to take a photograph of !

Vaughan recently mentioned "I also remember that one of the worst, but most important jobs, was drilling the hole through the keel for the prop shaft tube.  This was done with a big hand auger with a shaft about 8ft long.  Everyone took turns to stand there and wind it in for hours until it came through".

One of the advantages of laminating the oak keel together is we can cheat a little bit at times. Yes, of course, we still  need the shaft hole through the keel but without Vaughan's 8ft auger to hand (where on earth would you buy such a thing in the 21st century) we went about it a different way.

Using Robins extremely accurate bench saw (dim saw or dimension saw) we started with two lengths of oak that would become the tube chock. A first cut of the right depth was made through the middle followed by a slightly shallower cut each side of the first...

and so on, side by side, slightly less each pass

until you have two pieces resembling this

Next comes the cleaning up

and getting everything nice and smooth

before checking the fit of the tube

and clamping the two halves together.

Have I over simplified it? Oh yes!

[JanetAnne]

In the meantime we continue to build the keel up. You can now see the shape starting to appear along the length

layer by layer we continue to build

Until we reach the point where our nice tube chock needs to be introduced.

First job is to get it set up in place and then marked both for final position and so the waste wood can be trimmed before gluing and clamping into position.

 

Dont worry, it is all the same width, just a poor camera position!

The shafts intended angle is confirmed and we break out the long clamps once again.

Next day, above the tube, the final layers are added to bring us up to final height aft. 14 layers in total...

A couple of days later, with everything nice and hardened off, we can begin the cleaning up and finally see the shape come to life

Better go and finish the other end now!

[Turnoar]

39 minutes ago, JanetAnne said:

In the meantime we continue to build the keel up. You can now see the shape starting to appear along the length

layer by layer we continue to build

Until we reach the point where our nice tube chock needs to be introduced.

First job is to get it set up in place and then marked both for final position and so the waste wood can be trimmed before gluing and clamping into position.

 

Dont worry, it is all the same width, just a poor camera position!

The shafts intended angle is confirmed and we break out the long clamps once again.

Next day, above the tube, the final layers are added to bring us up to final height aft. 14 layers in total...

A couple of days later, with everything nice and hardened off, we can begin the cleaning up and finally see the shape come to life

Better go and finish the other end now!

How long is this fine vessel, is it a bike ride to t’other end lol?

[Smoggy]

1 minute ago, Turnoar said:

How long is this fine vessel, is it a bike ride to t’other end lol?

Only if over 600cc otherwise it will take a while.

[BroadAmbition]

Nice one - Thanks for sharing

Griff

[catcouk]

This is all utterly amazing! Seeing the actual craftsmanship going on here is a delight. Not to say that modern boats don't need a similar level of skill but there is something magical in seeing wood shaped and formed with such precision!

[jeffbroadslover]

That must have been one heck of a high tide to leave those two boats stranded as high as it did!!!!!!

Jeff

[JanetAnne]

It must be about time I got back on here and bought you all up to date. Its been a busy couple of months both with the build and other factors getting in the way. Boat shows, funerals, holidays, life in general etc have kept me away from the laptop but not too far from the boatshed.

Last time we were here we were making the stem post. This is joined to the front of our keel using an 'apron' and a 'fore foot'... well thats what they are called in Robins shed! Something that has come to light, and been quite entertaining, is that we all seem to have different names for the various components that make up a wooden broads cruiser. There is a plank that runs along the top of the keel (I'll introduce you to that later on) called either a keel cap, a keel baton or a hog according to whichever one of us you are talking to! Then there's the shaft log or is it a tube chock? Even google cant decide..

Anyway, the apron. This chunk of wood joins the keel and the stem post together by means of bolts. It offers a huge amount of strength in the nose of the boat so needs to be a decent size. Back in the day, when Vaughan boat pictured above was being constructed, the apron along with similarly sized parts would have involved a visit to Darby's wood yard and the selection of a bough of an oak tree that had grown in a similar shape to what was needed. These days we dont have such luxury and so our apron will be formed and laminated.

Taking the information from our lofting boards we are able to construct a former that will give us our desired shape.

Then we manufacture seven lengths of oak plank about 2.4m long 175mm wide and just 6mm thick.

Once again the West System and Colodial Silica are mixed and our planks are glued (both sides to allow decent soaking in and ensure no voids) and then its a case of simultaneously clamping and bending seven lengths of the most slippery wood imaginable together whilst not gluing yourself to the job...

You need a lot of clamps to hold this little lot together!

Heres a quick look at the laminations once its all cleaned up

 

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by JanetAnne
Piccy problems!

[JanetAnne]

On the bench being cleaned up and checked against our hardboard datum.

And here it is having its first trial fit

[Vaughan]

Great work!

I was hoping we would hear from you again soon.

[JanetAnne]

Where the keel joins the stem post, in front of the apron, we still have a gap. This gap is filled in with another piece of oak called a 'fore foot'... well thats what we call it here (it seems ).

The fore foot is usually a solid single piece and doesnt lend itself particularly to us laminating it so a decent lump of oak is required. Fortunately our supplier had just the thing in stock. It is quite a lump and was badly split and cracked in places, but, in the middle was just what we needed. Here it is on arrival. I put a 12in rule across it so you can see the size

First job is to reduce it down to the piece we need. The rest is saved and will be used later, as you will see. Our desired part is placed on our lofting board in position ready for marking. Yes the lofting boards are wet... remember that torrential rain? Anyway, the floor is a lot cleaner now!

With the apron in place we add the stem post and can then begin to mark it all out.

Here you can see the trial fit of the fore foot as it begins to take shape. Sadly I dont have any piccys of the machining  process because it took two of us just to hold the thing in the band saw! Talking of bandsaws, I cant even begin to imagine cutting this out by hand...

And here is the finished item in place with its scarph joints cut to match the keel and ready to accept the stem post.

Once its all bolted together we will plane in and sand the final profile so she cuts through the water nicely. Before then we have an appointment with a very long oak plank but more of that next time.

 

[Victoryv]

Seems a shame to put it in the water to rot!

[JanetAnne]

50 minutes ago, Victoryv said:

Seems a shame to put it in the water to rot!

Ali wants to varnish it, keel and all....

[Victoryv]

She's odd that one.

[FairTmiddlin]

45 minutes ago, JanetAnne said:

Ali wants to varnish it, keel and all....

Queen of the Paint Brush strikes again.

[BroadAmbition]

Tvm for the update 

Griff

[MargeandParge]

Just amazing thanks from Marge and Parge 

[JanetAnne]

Doesnt time fly... and am I somewhat embarassed that its almost three months since I was here?

Before I bring you the next instalment can I just say thankyou for your comments and support so far. Our anonymous customer has joined the forum and checks in here to see and enjoy your posts and words of encouragement regarding his project so please keep them coming. On launch day we will have to do a big reveal...

 

 

With our keel now completed its time to assemble all the relevant parts. We start with a final finishing of the keel and the drilling of holes ready to accept the bolts that hold it all together.

You need really long drill bits / auger bits for this job. Get it wrong and the drill stops and you keep going!!

With all the holes drilled its time for a nice coat of waterproof primer along the top surface where the hog/keel baton/keel cap joins. Once dry the actual joint is sealed with Robins favourite butyl rubber sealer. Beads are applied...

 

and then smoothed out to ensure a proper watertight joint

after which the hog/keel cap etc is lowered into place and bolted together

Here you can see the front end of the hog in place awaiting the apron.

 

 

[JanetAnne]

Before we fit the apron there is a very important ritual to be completed. For luck and so the ship is never destitute (or something like that) it is customary to place a coin within the keel. Our chosen coin duly arrived 

and its new home is prepared

After which the coin is inserted

ready for its life aboard our new boat.

[Smoggy]

Those clamps look very hi-tech, this is how they do it in woodbridge....

Looking at the build so far a winning lottery ticket should be in the keel not a 50p coin, gotta admit I'd never heard of that.

[Lulu]

Perfect choice of coin .  So when is launch day! 

[JanetAnne]

On 03/01/2024 at 10:58, Lulu said:

Perfect choice of coin .  So when is launch day! 

We were hoping for this week but the weather was a bit too chilly so we'll wait a while

With the front end (sorry, forward end) now assembled it was time to turn our attention to the aft. Our designer had drawn a similar apron to the front which meant we were able to utilise and modify our existing tool to do the job.

More lengths of oak were prepared ready for glueing and clamping

And, after the usual application of our west system epoxy, the shaping and clamping begins.

Keeping 10 lengths of very slippery oak in place whilst you bend them almost 90 degrees is always fun. You can see the little blocks on the former that help hold it all

All done. Just needs overnight for the glue to do its job.

[JanetAnne]

Once our aft apron is cleaned up, trimmed and prepared we need to make up the bits that form the corner the transom will sit against. You remember that slab of oak we used part of at the front, well more of it is used to make good at the rear.

First we cut and prepare the pieces and then start to glue them together. Here the ends are completed and the centre section is being marked out

Now the ends are glued and the centre prepared

And here is the finished item. I have shown it in place on the keel so you can see how it goes together.

Thats it for tonight. In our next instalment our world is turned upside down!