Monday, January 12, 2015

Shop updates 1-12-2015

We are often asked if we have enough work to keep us busy through the winter.  The answer is yes and then some.  We keep very busy year round but winter is usually one of our busiest times of the year - come spring and early summer is when everyone wants their canoes and boats. .

Work continues to go apace in the shop.  The sailing dinghy has moved along nicely, the Peterborough Admiral is finished, and other canoes and boats continue to be progressed forward.  We had several canoes which required inner gunwales to be replaced and lots of outer stems too.

We tore up our dust collection system, updated and moved it, and added some new machines.  The dust collector is now on the shop level and has a dust transfer component to it so we no longer have to handle the dust and shavings.


1930's OLD TOWN DINGHY continued
 
 
The new inner keel was steam bent on a jig. 
Here Emily has the keel removed and is
planning the rolling bevel on the underside.
 
 
More planning
 
 
The slot or mortise for the centerboard trunk is cut out
with a coping saw and finish with a chisel.
 
 
Test fitting the inner keel
 
 
Looks pretty good
 
 
Now that the inner keel is fastened in,
it is time for the inner stem.
First order of business is to make a pattern
so we can make an accurate jig for bending.
 
 
The new stem bent on the jig
 
 
The new blank next to the old stem
 
 
The bevel on the stem is put on completely by hand with a draw knife.
Above Dylan carefully shapes the rolling bevel along the sides
of the stem.
 
 
A view from the operators seat
 

 
Once the bevel has been established
the rib notches are cut with hand saw.....
 
 
......and chisel.
 
 
The new stem and inner keel installed.
 

 
Now that the new inner keel is made and installed
we can shift our attention to a new centerboard trunk.
 
 
Test fitting the trunk.
 
 
Before final assembly the trunk is sealed off on the inside.
 

Next is to make the floor boards.
Above, floor board stock awaiting.
 
 
Floorboards being laid out.
 

The dinghy with new inner gunwales, new inner keel,
new inner stem, replaced ribs and planking,
new centerboard trunk,and new floor boards. 
Ready for the finish room for some varnish.

 
PICTURES FROM AROUND THE SHOP
 
 
 
We tore up part of the shop and updated the dust
collection system.  It looked like a bomb went off
for a few weeks.....
 
 
....but is up and running and working like a charm.
It kind of looks like Dr. Octopus from Spider-Man
 but there is no more handling the dust, shavings, wood chips.
The dust is sucked up at each machine, goes through the cyclone,
and drops through a rotary airlock into a transfer blower
that blows the dust into a huge 14x8x8 bin.
 
 
Two Old Town's getting their inner gunwales replaced.
One with Mahogany, the other spruce.
 

 
Ribs being bent around the hull for replacement.
 
 
A look at the damaged interior of the Brodbeck.
The ribs marked with blue indicate those that
are damaged and will be replaced.
 
 
An Old Town ready for the finish room - new inner gunwales,
a dozen new ribs, some planking, rebuilt ends, etc.
 
 
An interesting project we were commissioned for.
A set of Adirondack chairs built to our own design.
 
 
More on this later, perhaps in its' own post, but for now
here is the new workbench we are working on. 
It will be a traditional cabinet makers bench with tail vise
and front vise.  The top is made from4 inch thick solid maple. 
The base will be solid hard maple mortised and tenoned together.
Here the underside is being flattened by hand.
 
 
The Admiral is finished,wrapped, and in storage for the winter.
We'll put up some finished pictures in the spring.
 

 
Until the next post, if we don't see you through the week
we'll see you through window.