Weeks away from mega-launch!

What is mega-launch? If you have to ask, you aren't ready...

If you haven't figured it out, my boat is about to bust out like an alien from a space ship worker's chest. I spent a little time today making a cleat to go on the transom. I used the excess laminated poplar and, like everything else, it is a big pain in the ass. That is one of the only drawbacks to lamination. If done properly, all of the grains of the pieces contradict each other, so that makes for a tough time planing or sawing it. I ended up using a combination of hammer, chisel, saw, and then belt sander.

I am prepping some videos as we speak because one of my most successful ventures was scarphing together some boards. Check it out:

I am a proud supporter of Titebond III

I tried a few methods at first. I tried sawing, cutting kerfs (sp? kerfs are little cuts), chisel, yada yada. I eventually ended up making a scarphing jig and using a router with a straight bit. God bless the router, what an amazing tool. Next blog will be a semi in depth look at scarphing!

But first, let me give a few honorable mentions to some helpers around the shop (I only have pictures of a few, so far)

Castro amidst a beautiful sunset

                                   Matt and his better half Sarah

 And Salty Cap'n Seth poppin' a wheelie
                                      

Others not pictured are Josh and Austin. Austin cleaned up the shop because he is a nut case and Josh provided me engineering expertise. Also, I have to mention Mr. O for lending me clamps and Jocie for lending me a bunch of other stuff too. Also, the most important, my lil queen bee, Kelly!!!

It's good to have friends :)


Check in often, check in soon!

BRETT!!!

The Dory, Raw and Uncut!

I have been gone for quite some time, but behold!

                                                               the glory of the dory!!!

Like the new butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, the dory has taken form...

Ok so the last few weeks I have been extremely derelict in posting my boat build. For this I apologize, but anyone who has become deeply obsessed with a project knows that any spare time one may possess is quickly used up. Since school ended I have been at the boat from 9-5, sometimes even later. Add a high-maintenance girlfriend (I will pay for that comment) and a the new Call of Duty: Black Ops online and you can quickly see that I have been stretched thin.

Let's take a look back at what she looked like:

If you look at the extreme right you can see a transom knee!

Nothing but  wooden basket "some even quietly referred to her as the emperor's new clothes..." (Inside joke about the Elissa, email me if you want to know!).

With school, beatings, and exams, I really struggled to get that much done. But I had my work cut out for me, well not really, I still had to cut it out. I added the transom so that I could begin the fairing and the planking.

Blood, sweat, tears, wood glue

The transom, or tombstone, has been left unfinished at the top. I have left the excess on in many pieces so that I can always have it to make adjustments. I never read about this technique but I found it was very beneficial and allows me to customize my boat as I go along.

There she is, one last picture of the glory:

There she is her her raw and basic form. I know I have omitted the planking stories, but soon grasshopper, soon.

Like I said, extremely basic, but now she is technically a boat. Can she float? Well I don't know yet, I still have a little more finishing out before I water test, but I bet (hope) she will.

Thanks to all my friends who helped, your efforts will be rewarded with free boat rides!

Check out my friends at JPL Marine Labs and another great blog about tall ships Sailing Monster. 

Email me if you want to lend a hand or for questions in general!