Preview: How to Build a Wooden Boat, Plank-on-Frame Lobster Boat, Part 17 – Trimming the Timber Heads

6 Responses So Far to “How to Build a Wooden Boat, Plank-on-Frame Lobster Boat, Part 17 – Trimming the Timber Heads”

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  John O'Brien says:

  While I will likely never be involved in building a boat of this size and type, I have thoroughly enjoyed following the series thus far and look forward to additional episodes. The craftsmanship, attention to detail, the camerawork, and the Mr. Buxton’s ability to articulate the process as the boat progresses is astounding to me. He is both artist and craftsman, and is providing the members of Off Center Harbor with a great gift in sharing his knowledge and experience via this series. My deepest thanks to everyone involved in this fine production.

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    Peter Buxton says:

    Thank you …

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  Eric Takakjian says:

  Love the shape of the boat, with the flare at the bow and a slight tumblehome aft!! She will be a great looking boat when finished.

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  Jerry Stavola says:

  thanks for this update on the boat.
  I can relate to the time and patience needed to get things done “right”.
  She’s gonna be a beauty!

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  Doug Day says:

  My question, at this point (#17 Trimming the Timber Heads) is: What consideration is given at this step in building to priming/painting and other what we consider later considerations. I’m coming at this question from my “restoring Old Volvos” frame of reference where it becomes more and more obvious when replacing a floor panel on a 1987 240, how good it would have been at the factory in Sweden if they’d considered what the guy 35-40 years later would have to deal with. Like a Swan’s Island barn, held together at this point with 1/4″ cable and turnbuckles, the restorer looks across the barn at the 80 year-old 15′ Moriches Bay sloop also asks: What in the original design could be improved to make the centerboard truck Not Leak. What kind of “overbuilding” would turn out, in future, to be not “over” at all, but just necessary? I’m also thinking of the incredible attention to detail in the house on Swan’s Island when rebuilding the roof, how the original builder (James Joyce) double-flashed with zinc each meeting of clapboard to roof board to shingle, even to the extent of coping each cut on both levels of zinc flashing! So, as I see this stage at #17 I’m thinking of the painting/protection of all the points where wood meets wood and wondering at what point does the builder say “it is what it is; it’s an imperfect process” or, “well, I think I will dip each and every shingle… twice.” And the Volvo restorer thinks, “a touch of copper goop” would probably be good here so the next guy doesn’t have to mangle this caliper bolt the way I just had to.” Cut to the Shaker barn being raised by the crane in Sabbath Lake and the modern guys marveling at how, two hundred years later, nothing is more than a 1/2″ out of square in the entire barn! So, what about those tops of the Timber Heads? At what point do we think of the grandson and at what point do we accept boat mortality, whether in wood or metal or glass?

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    Peter Buxton says:

    All those timber heads as well as the filler blocks etc will eventually be painted.
    I have on other boats soaked them in linseed oil as well.