Thursday, July 16
Today was just more boards. We used a different method of determining the side of the boards. That way we get exposed to several different methods. Geoff (the teacher) has a set of patterns for the boat and we will just start using his patterns tomorrow for the rest of the planks on each side. That will speed things up quite a bit.
Since we didn’t do a lot that I haven’t talked about before, I am going to ramble on about other things.
I think all of the sailing schooners visit the school each week. Normally around mid-day a bunch of people will show up. There are signs up about not disturbing the classes but most of them will ask you a question if you are close to the door and don’t appear to be busy. Of course, since we after a few days are all experts in the joys of boat building we are more than willing to impart great knowledge upon them. I had to leave the shop today for a couple of minutes to get a tool I left laying on the picnic table where I had lunch. As I was leaving, a group asked me about the class and I expounded with great knowledge. They then ask where I was from. I replied I was from Jersey. For some reason they didn’t believe me. They were all from North Carolina and where here escaping the heat.
One of the things I like about the school is the friendliness of the staff and teacher. There are great group of people who work here. And the community of Brooklin is a great little place. The students are a strange mix of people. Everyone in my class has either a graduate or a professional degree. There seems to be a bunch of highly educated people looking to learn how to use their hands and not their minds. Or, it could be that they are just looking to take a break from the stressful mental strain of today’s work environment. Every now and again you will find some soul who is tormented and wants to become a professional boat builder but this seams to be a rare occurrence. You see a lot of father and son, grandfather and grandson and husband and wife teams. While the former normally take classes together the husband and wife rarely take the same classes. In this group there are three women taking boat building classes while there husbands are learning to sail. Also about half of the people here are repeat offenders. It just seem to be a place you just can’t go once.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
I know it isn't perfect
Wednesday, July 15
Today was a good day, we are starting to make a boat. Bruce, Rajan and I were assigned the task of getting the transom on the boat and getting it ready for planks. When you say it fast, it sounds like an easy task but it took most of the day. First of all, it is a three dimensional problem with none of the surfaces vertical and it floats out in space and has to be supported. We had it perfectly in place and one of the clamps went flying across the floor. After a few dirty words, we started over. You can always do something faster the second time. After a lot of measuring, sliding, bumping, nudging we got it “close enough” and screw it in place. Then we pulled the screws out removed it added a bunch of epoxy and repositioned it. Once you have the screw holes to go back into, it is an easy task to reposition it back on the boat.
After the transom is in place, it has to be beveled to match the plane of the surface of the boat. The transom is initially cut with square edges, which would leave big gaps when the planks hit the side of the transom. The angle of the bevel varires from top to bottom and it must symmetrical about the centerline. That is a bunch a picky, time consuming hand work but it is really neat to see the end result especially knowing what you had to do to get it to have a flush and tight joint.
Then we were on to planking the boat. Since we have two people in the class that have never built a wooden boat before Geoff took some time to teach how to figure out what a plank in the boat should look like. It is one of those things I read about, studied about and couldn’t quite comprehend. Then I came to the school the first time and watched Harry do one and the light bulb went off. It is so simple it just using basic plane geometry that you learn in high school and we use it almost every time we lay out a building on paper. I just never thought of applying it that way. You are basically just finding the intersection of a circle using the arcs off the arc of another circle. You can take the method and construct any irregular surface once you know the procedure.
We have the first plank ready to go on the boat. Since Geoff has built this boat, several times, he has a complete set of patterns for the boat and we can simply trace them. But, he took the time to teach Will and Rajan how to do it if you don’t have the patterns. Tomorrow we are going to be using the patterns and tracing the shapes from the patterns. The shapes of the boards are quite unusual. Many of the boards are almost “S” shaped. It is a three dimensional projection of surfaces that causes the shape. At one time, I knew how to sit down with drawings and figure all of that out. But, that was back from a freshman drawing class many years ago, for a skill I have not used since. Anyway, it wouldn’t make sense to try to pre develop the shapes because the forms are more than likely not perfect. I know for a fact the transom isn’t perfect.
The adjacent class was doing steam bending of frames today. They were having a blast doing it. I think everyone got a chance to do the bending and judging from the smiles on their faces, they were having a great day.
One of my former instructors John Brooks came thru the shop today. He told us he was “gainfully unemployed”. He works at the Brooklin Boat Yard and has been working a 90-foot boat for the past year. Apparently, the boat is finished and there isn’t another one behind it so they have laid off most of the workers.
Today was a good day, we are starting to make a boat. Bruce, Rajan and I were assigned the task of getting the transom on the boat and getting it ready for planks. When you say it fast, it sounds like an easy task but it took most of the day. First of all, it is a three dimensional problem with none of the surfaces vertical and it floats out in space and has to be supported. We had it perfectly in place and one of the clamps went flying across the floor. After a few dirty words, we started over. You can always do something faster the second time. After a lot of measuring, sliding, bumping, nudging we got it “close enough” and screw it in place. Then we pulled the screws out removed it added a bunch of epoxy and repositioned it. Once you have the screw holes to go back into, it is an easy task to reposition it back on the boat.
After the transom is in place, it has to be beveled to match the plane of the surface of the boat. The transom is initially cut with square edges, which would leave big gaps when the planks hit the side of the transom. The angle of the bevel varires from top to bottom and it must symmetrical about the centerline. That is a bunch a picky, time consuming hand work but it is really neat to see the end result especially knowing what you had to do to get it to have a flush and tight joint.
Then we were on to planking the boat. Since we have two people in the class that have never built a wooden boat before Geoff took some time to teach how to figure out what a plank in the boat should look like. It is one of those things I read about, studied about and couldn’t quite comprehend. Then I came to the school the first time and watched Harry do one and the light bulb went off. It is so simple it just using basic plane geometry that you learn in high school and we use it almost every time we lay out a building on paper. I just never thought of applying it that way. You are basically just finding the intersection of a circle using the arcs off the arc of another circle. You can take the method and construct any irregular surface once you know the procedure.
We have the first plank ready to go on the boat. Since Geoff has built this boat, several times, he has a complete set of patterns for the boat and we can simply trace them. But, he took the time to teach Will and Rajan how to do it if you don’t have the patterns. Tomorrow we are going to be using the patterns and tracing the shapes from the patterns. The shapes of the boards are quite unusual. Many of the boards are almost “S” shaped. It is a three dimensional projection of surfaces that causes the shape. At one time, I knew how to sit down with drawings and figure all of that out. But, that was back from a freshman drawing class many years ago, for a skill I have not used since. Anyway, it wouldn’t make sense to try to pre develop the shapes because the forms are more than likely not perfect. I know for a fact the transom isn’t perfect.
The adjacent class was doing steam bending of frames today. They were having a blast doing it. I think everyone got a chance to do the bending and judging from the smiles on their faces, they were having a great day.
One of my former instructors John Brooks came thru the shop today. He told us he was “gainfully unemployed”. He works at the Brooklin Boat Yard and has been working a 90-foot boat for the past year. Apparently, the boat is finished and there isn’t another one behind it so they have laid off most of the workers.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Blood Mobile
July 13, The blood mobile
Today was the 1st day of classes. We started the day talking about the history of the boat which is pretty interesting. The boat we are building was Nat Hershoff’s personal boat. For the non boaters he was a famous boat designer in the late 1800’s who designed all the boats for the America’s Cup races and the yachts for the rich people in New York, Boston and Newport. He used the boat for many years and it was destroyed in a hurricane in the 30’s. It was and interesting prospective on the man and the boat. He did no drawings for the boat. Just made a few notes and gave it to his craftsman to build. Geoff took the notes and spent several months trying to figure out what they meant and how to draw the boat.
There was a boat like the one we are building in the harbor this morning. We had to take a field trip to see it. We used school launch and got up close and personal. It really is a beautiful boat. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me and when I went back at lunchtime is was gone. The boat resides in a harbor close by and I will sneak off later in the week for some Kodak moments.
There was a boatload of kids from the Outward Bound School here this morning. My instructor participated in the program when he was a kid. He said he was the only person in the boat that the court hadn’t sent there. He said he heard about it being a high adventure program and talked his parents into sending him. None of them had a clue what he was getting into. It must have made an impact because later in life he worked with the program after college.
The rest of the day was on lofting which is basically drawing the boat to full scale. It was called lofting because was normally done in the lofts of the building where they built the boat on the floor below. It is interesting but it is basic drafting, projecting views, intersecting lines, etc. I am sure it was Greek to some of the people but for someone who has spent a lifetime doing it was just another day at the office.
We got to glue up some boards this afternoon to make a curved section of the boat, which is fun. You get to slop some epoxy on boards and it gooses out as you add more clamps. At the end, you have a big mess that hardens overnight. Tomorrow we will turn it into a useable board.
I am lucky to get things posted on the blog. It is a dangerous trip to the building where the Wi-Fi is located. As soon as you sit down and start, using the computer misquotes start attacking. I think I lost more blood than I did the last time the Blood Mobile was in Pell City. They actually have a net you get under to keep from being carried away. It gets a little cozy if you have several people trying to get on line.
Today was the 1st day of classes. We started the day talking about the history of the boat which is pretty interesting. The boat we are building was Nat Hershoff’s personal boat. For the non boaters he was a famous boat designer in the late 1800’s who designed all the boats for the America’s Cup races and the yachts for the rich people in New York, Boston and Newport. He used the boat for many years and it was destroyed in a hurricane in the 30’s. It was and interesting prospective on the man and the boat. He did no drawings for the boat. Just made a few notes and gave it to his craftsman to build. Geoff took the notes and spent several months trying to figure out what they meant and how to draw the boat.
There was a boat like the one we are building in the harbor this morning. We had to take a field trip to see it. We used school launch and got up close and personal. It really is a beautiful boat. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me and when I went back at lunchtime is was gone. The boat resides in a harbor close by and I will sneak off later in the week for some Kodak moments.
There was a boatload of kids from the Outward Bound School here this morning. My instructor participated in the program when he was a kid. He said he was the only person in the boat that the court hadn’t sent there. He said he heard about it being a high adventure program and talked his parents into sending him. None of them had a clue what he was getting into. It must have made an impact because later in life he worked with the program after college.
The rest of the day was on lofting which is basically drawing the boat to full scale. It was called lofting because was normally done in the lofts of the building where they built the boat on the floor below. It is interesting but it is basic drafting, projecting views, intersecting lines, etc. I am sure it was Greek to some of the people but for someone who has spent a lifetime doing it was just another day at the office.
We got to glue up some boards this afternoon to make a curved section of the boat, which is fun. You get to slop some epoxy on boards and it gooses out as you add more clamps. At the end, you have a big mess that hardens overnight. Tomorrow we will turn it into a useable board.
I am lucky to get things posted on the blog. It is a dangerous trip to the building where the Wi-Fi is located. As soon as you sit down and start, using the computer misquotes start attacking. I think I lost more blood than I did the last time the Blood Mobile was in Pell City. They actually have a net you get under to keep from being carried away. It gets a little cozy if you have several people trying to get on line.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Potters Need Not Apply
July 12, 2009, Potters need not apply
Since the official school doesn’t start until about 5:00 in the afternoon, I went cruising this morning. Actually, I was on a mission to go to Badaduce for lunch. It one of the top 10 places in Maine to eat. It is just a shack on the side of the road that has been in existence since the 1940’s. If you are ever in the area it is adjacent to the reversing falls at Brooksville. I did find one location that my cell phone works on the top of Caterpillar Hill. I might have to go back there and check in with Carole later in the week. It is about 20 miles away but the closest thing to cell phone coverage around here.
Speaking of Carole. Carol was in this morning to clean up the building. She has been working here for years. It was good to see and talk to her. Her accent is about as Maine as mine is Alabama. (I know all of you who live in the south don’t think you have an accent but believe me you do.) I love to listen to her. We got caught up on her kids, grand kids, her new husband, (the previous one died of cancer a few years ago), her sisters husband passing with cancer a few weeks ago, etc. I told her about our garden. She has never seen or tasted okra. You would have to wonder what she would think if we set her down in front a big plate of boiled okra.
There are a lot of places for sell here. Carol said that many are in foreclosure. If you want to buy, a house in Maine now is the time to do it. If you do, don’t think you are going to come up and do hand thrown pottery for a living. If a house doesn’t have a “For Sale” sign in the yard, there is a sign for hand made pottery. I guess all the hippies from the 60’s have retired to Maine and think they are going to make a good living selling pottery. I have actually heard this is a good place to buy art “stuff” because some many people have moved here to do their art. Because of the quantity of stuff available, everything is cheap.
The small boat regatta was canceled this morning because of rain and fog. About the time they all hooked up and headed out the sun broke thru and it has been a beautiful day ever since although it is a little warm. Must be about 70 in the sun. One thing I observed on my drive is how people put their lawn chairs out in the sun here. Now, no self respecting person in Alabama would put out a lawn chair that wasn’t under a good shade tree.
5:00 is the time for dinner and orientation. I have been orienteated again. I think Rich (the school director) had one new joke this year. The instructor for the course is Geoff Kerr. This is the 2nd time I have taken a course taught by Geoff. He is a great instructor and a lot of fun. With only 6 of us including him I am not sure how far we will get. This boat has a lot of planks to put on. I think it will be a great learning experience.
I will try to start posting some photos as soon as I get a chance.
Since the official school doesn’t start until about 5:00 in the afternoon, I went cruising this morning. Actually, I was on a mission to go to Badaduce for lunch. It one of the top 10 places in Maine to eat. It is just a shack on the side of the road that has been in existence since the 1940’s. If you are ever in the area it is adjacent to the reversing falls at Brooksville. I did find one location that my cell phone works on the top of Caterpillar Hill. I might have to go back there and check in with Carole later in the week. It is about 20 miles away but the closest thing to cell phone coverage around here.
Speaking of Carole. Carol was in this morning to clean up the building. She has been working here for years. It was good to see and talk to her. Her accent is about as Maine as mine is Alabama. (I know all of you who live in the south don’t think you have an accent but believe me you do.) I love to listen to her. We got caught up on her kids, grand kids, her new husband, (the previous one died of cancer a few years ago), her sisters husband passing with cancer a few weeks ago, etc. I told her about our garden. She has never seen or tasted okra. You would have to wonder what she would think if we set her down in front a big plate of boiled okra.
There are a lot of places for sell here. Carol said that many are in foreclosure. If you want to buy, a house in Maine now is the time to do it. If you do, don’t think you are going to come up and do hand thrown pottery for a living. If a house doesn’t have a “For Sale” sign in the yard, there is a sign for hand made pottery. I guess all the hippies from the 60’s have retired to Maine and think they are going to make a good living selling pottery. I have actually heard this is a good place to buy art “stuff” because some many people have moved here to do their art. Because of the quantity of stuff available, everything is cheap.
The small boat regatta was canceled this morning because of rain and fog. About the time they all hooked up and headed out the sun broke thru and it has been a beautiful day ever since although it is a little warm. Must be about 70 in the sun. One thing I observed on my drive is how people put their lawn chairs out in the sun here. Now, no self respecting person in Alabama would put out a lawn chair that wasn’t under a good shade tree.
5:00 is the time for dinner and orientation. I have been orienteated again. I think Rich (the school director) had one new joke this year. The instructor for the course is Geoff Kerr. This is the 2nd time I have taken a course taught by Geoff. He is a great instructor and a lot of fun. With only 6 of us including him I am not sure how far we will get. This boat has a lot of planks to put on. I think it will be a great learning experience.
I will try to start posting some photos as soon as I get a chance.
Damn it is cold
July 11, Birmingham to Brooklin
I tried to blog the trip to the Virgin Islands and that just didn’t work. The days were full and we were having too much fun to stop and write. Besides some of it, you couldn't write about anyway. What happens in the islands stays in the island. Anyway, I am off to the Wooden Boat School again. It is my vacation from reality. There are no TV’s and cell phones. Internet is available but you have to sit on a bench outside in the cold without any lights to access it.
This was supposed to be an easy day with a 9:30 flight from BHM and a drive up the coast of Maine. Well Mr. Delta screwed with me again. They changed the flight to 6:00, so the alarm went off at 3:30 to make it to the airport on time. My luggage is full of planes, saws, and other tools. I am sure I will get one of those tags inserted saying that TSA need to look inside my bags. I will probably get some kind of star by name saying we need to watch this guy he is weird.
One casual observation. I was following two “older” women thru the line in Birmingham to get some coffee. You have never seen such disorder. They couldn’t figure out how to get a tray (just pick it up), how to work the coffee machine (just put the cup under it and push the lever), were the cream was (with all the other condiments), etc. Yet with all of this, they had no problem in telling the guy serving the food where to put the eggs. Don’t touch the eggs and gravy. That isn’t enough gravy. And, the poor girl at the counter got a lesson in why cream should be beside the coffee. Why can’t some people just accept the way things are and not try to boss everyone around.
At Portland, I picked up a rental car for the drive to Brooklin. I was trying to find the “best” place on the coast for clams but when Katherine (our GPS) told me I was there, I didn’t see anything that looked like a place to eat. If I had seen it, I am not sure I could have got back in traffic. Highway 1 can be busy this time of year. Someone told me that they were having a jazz concert in Rockland and had the streets closed for the party and I need to avoid that area. There is a cut off road around town but it misses the Maine Prison Store and I wanted to stop by to see what they had. For those of you who haven’t been, it is a real treat. It is full of woodworking “things” made by prisoners in shop. It resembles the stuff that came out of shop class when I was in high school. Although some of it reminds me of things that Bro. Owens would have the boys in Vacation Bible School do when I was a kid in Sycamore.
I “had” to stop at the Lincolnville Lobster Pound. Carole you could get two 1 ½ pound lobsters for $30.00. There were a couple of kids swimming in the water at the beach near the restaurant. I don’t know how they could even wade into the water as cold as it is.
I stopped at the grocery store on the way in to Brookin. It is about 20 miles from the school to the main grocery store for the area. There is a local “Shields” type market at the intersection but that is it. While I was waiting in line, the people in front of me bought some yellow squash. It was a $1.00 for each squash. I took Julie and Larry 20 of those things yesterday out of the garden. If anyone wants, $10 or $15 worth of squash, I am sure Carole will be more than happy to share crop with you. She is going to have her hand full with the garden over the next couple of weeks. We are getting about 2 grocery sacks full every day of it now and the okra is just starting to come in.
There are few people at the school who are staying over to take the 2nd part of a class or who are taking back-to-back classes. The farmhouse is about half full. Kim was nice to me and I am staying in the room normally reserved for instructors. Apparently, the attendance at the school is way off this year. The course I am taking only has 6 people in lieu of the normal 12. The fundamental course under Greg is about 3 short of a full class.
There is a small boat regatta going on this weekend at the school and there were about 40 boats signed up to participate. Maybe I can get some good photos as they leave out tomorrow morning. Most of those people are camping out in tents. It looks like a tent city over the top of the hill toward the waterfront. Which brings up the discussion of weather.
My body had acclimated itself to the 90 degree temperatures. When I left the house this morning and pulled out of the garage the temperature on the car was 76 degrees. On the way to the interstate, it cooled down to show 70 degrees. Right now, it must be in the upper 50’s with about a 20-knot wind blowing. It didn’t take long to unpack the jacket. I may have to head up to the Bean Outlet tomorrow and get be a sock boggin for my head.
I will probably go exploring for part of the day tomorrow. I have to explore far enough to get something to eat. The local breakfast and lunch place is closed, I heard the waitress was sick and they didn’t have anyone to take her place.
I tried to blog the trip to the Virgin Islands and that just didn’t work. The days were full and we were having too much fun to stop and write. Besides some of it, you couldn't write about anyway. What happens in the islands stays in the island. Anyway, I am off to the Wooden Boat School again. It is my vacation from reality. There are no TV’s and cell phones. Internet is available but you have to sit on a bench outside in the cold without any lights to access it.
This was supposed to be an easy day with a 9:30 flight from BHM and a drive up the coast of Maine. Well Mr. Delta screwed with me again. They changed the flight to 6:00, so the alarm went off at 3:30 to make it to the airport on time. My luggage is full of planes, saws, and other tools. I am sure I will get one of those tags inserted saying that TSA need to look inside my bags. I will probably get some kind of star by name saying we need to watch this guy he is weird.
One casual observation. I was following two “older” women thru the line in Birmingham to get some coffee. You have never seen such disorder. They couldn’t figure out how to get a tray (just pick it up), how to work the coffee machine (just put the cup under it and push the lever), were the cream was (with all the other condiments), etc. Yet with all of this, they had no problem in telling the guy serving the food where to put the eggs. Don’t touch the eggs and gravy. That isn’t enough gravy. And, the poor girl at the counter got a lesson in why cream should be beside the coffee. Why can’t some people just accept the way things are and not try to boss everyone around.
At Portland, I picked up a rental car for the drive to Brooklin. I was trying to find the “best” place on the coast for clams but when Katherine (our GPS) told me I was there, I didn’t see anything that looked like a place to eat. If I had seen it, I am not sure I could have got back in traffic. Highway 1 can be busy this time of year. Someone told me that they were having a jazz concert in Rockland and had the streets closed for the party and I need to avoid that area. There is a cut off road around town but it misses the Maine Prison Store and I wanted to stop by to see what they had. For those of you who haven’t been, it is a real treat. It is full of woodworking “things” made by prisoners in shop. It resembles the stuff that came out of shop class when I was in high school. Although some of it reminds me of things that Bro. Owens would have the boys in Vacation Bible School do when I was a kid in Sycamore.
I “had” to stop at the Lincolnville Lobster Pound. Carole you could get two 1 ½ pound lobsters for $30.00. There were a couple of kids swimming in the water at the beach near the restaurant. I don’t know how they could even wade into the water as cold as it is.
I stopped at the grocery store on the way in to Brookin. It is about 20 miles from the school to the main grocery store for the area. There is a local “Shields” type market at the intersection but that is it. While I was waiting in line, the people in front of me bought some yellow squash. It was a $1.00 for each squash. I took Julie and Larry 20 of those things yesterday out of the garden. If anyone wants, $10 or $15 worth of squash, I am sure Carole will be more than happy to share crop with you. She is going to have her hand full with the garden over the next couple of weeks. We are getting about 2 grocery sacks full every day of it now and the okra is just starting to come in.
There are few people at the school who are staying over to take the 2nd part of a class or who are taking back-to-back classes. The farmhouse is about half full. Kim was nice to me and I am staying in the room normally reserved for instructors. Apparently, the attendance at the school is way off this year. The course I am taking only has 6 people in lieu of the normal 12. The fundamental course under Greg is about 3 short of a full class.
There is a small boat regatta going on this weekend at the school and there were about 40 boats signed up to participate. Maybe I can get some good photos as they leave out tomorrow morning. Most of those people are camping out in tents. It looks like a tent city over the top of the hill toward the waterfront. Which brings up the discussion of weather.
My body had acclimated itself to the 90 degree temperatures. When I left the house this morning and pulled out of the garage the temperature on the car was 76 degrees. On the way to the interstate, it cooled down to show 70 degrees. Right now, it must be in the upper 50’s with about a 20-knot wind blowing. It didn’t take long to unpack the jacket. I may have to head up to the Bean Outlet tomorrow and get be a sock boggin for my head.
I will probably go exploring for part of the day tomorrow. I have to explore far enough to get something to eat. The local breakfast and lunch place is closed, I heard the waitress was sick and they didn’t have anyone to take her place.
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