Thread: Building a Waller TS540

Hi Rob,
Looking great and fingers crossed for tomorrows weather.

Now when are you going to start the laid deck so I can watch and learn

Mike

Originally Posted by m2c1Iw

Hi Rob,
Looking great and fingers crossed for tomorrows weather.

Now when are you going to start the laid deck so I can watch and learn

Mike

Thanks Mike, but watch and learn? It may well be watch and laugh!
I decided months ago that a teak veneer deck was an affectation and not the sort of thing I wanted on a work-a-day boat...but it kept coming back into my mind, and when I saw how much surface area I still had to paint ( I hate Painting ), well the wood sort of found itself and my non-sensible (romantic) self sort of took over and here I am contemplating a thing which my logical self doesn't want to have anything to do with. I have all these guys in there and working out which one is me sometimes takes some doing.
Anyway, I'll start converting the timber soon, but have a few other more pressing things over the next week. I don't know which of me will do those.
Rob

Psst; Mike, this is the stash of Teak. Don't tell Rob

Originally Posted by rob540

Psst; Mike, this is the stash of Teak. Don't tell Rob

Well non sensible Rob,
I thought I caught you admiring ScottyKs deck as I did and safely assumed this here Waller was going to get the treatment.
As my non sensible side is also demanding a laid deck on my project we are both, that is logic and me are going to watch with interest as you and your logic work out the wrinkles.

First question: what dimensions have you decided on for the teak, seams etc.

Second question: what pattern

Good luck
Mike

Well, we are undone!
The flitches are 50+ x 75+ and the initial plan is to cut them on the quarter, and to be honest I haven't checked the grain direction on all of it, but I know at least a couple are slab cut and will therefore yield good quarter sawn 50 x 4+, or if I lose a bit straightening the boards, 45 x 4+. So that is the board width and depth...I'm pragmatic enough to go with the most economical cut that I can manage from the flitches. I hate waste, especially when it is a special material. Visually I'd probably prefer 40mm wide strips but will see what the old saw turns out and use it as wisely as possible. If some isn't oriented as I'd like, then I may have to cut squares and re-think the dimensions.
Haven't decided on the gap but it will be pretty standard, a little more or less depending on how it looks on the deck.
I have only committed to decking the cockpit floor, and will then see how I feel about the seat tops, because if I do those I would probably end up going all round and include the side and foredecks. I'd really hate one of my selves then. Pattern will be pretty unimaginative, a border and fore and aft strips. If the decks were done they would follow the centreline rather than the gunwales, again to save waste.

What I feel uncomfortable about is the notion of integrity. This is a modern dinghy, not some millionaires plaything and I want it to be honest and workmanlike, not pretentious. The thing that keeps me interested is the nature of the material and the fact that I just love mucking around with and looking at wood more than perfect painted surfaces. Teak is just one of nature's wonderful materials that is perfectly fit for our purposes, but I still have doubts...It will be nice to think that you are as silly as me Mike, so don't let me put you off!
(and by the way, how right you were!)

Started the laying on of veneers. Looks like absolute chaos. The hold down strips are only screwed between boards (some have holes from previous drilling). The spacers are tile spacers, 5mm. Only had time to do half of the cockpit floor deck. This shows about one third. I couldn't orient the grain as I'd hoped because the boards had so much run out from a small radiused log that I would have wasted too much...couldn't hand pick the boards and I don't think it will be too much of an issue at this width. The graphite powder is very dense and was used with West 403 filler at bet. 5-10% ( I didn't count the grains!)

good work rob that teak will look amazing with the graphite between the boards,

just wish i could have afforded teak for some of my work, but as i live on a small island every thing has to be imported (which seems to double the cost) plus the big boat yards won't supply the public so all my timber has to come from a builders merchant

You've shown on your build that making do with what is available can be outstanding.

Some more progress shots of the Ballroom dance floor construction;

(just have to decide where to place the piano)







The process all went very smoothly, the graphite works extremely well, and although it involves a lot of shoulder work with a belt sander, this method avoids the need to mask everything, as you would need to if using flexible caulking.

looks great nice job

Mike

Oh... wow..



AJ

Thanks Mike and AJ, but you didn't tell me where to put the piano.

top left for the piano (great view over the stern whilst playing)

that looks fabulous and well worth the effort you have put in to it, you do very good work

Right, Richard, we'll put you down as the pianist at the launching. You'll need to book air tickets. Mate, I'm sorry but it will only be a BABY grand- it is only a big dinghy- but now we have to find a bass player who will play an electric, while seated, because with an acoustic bass I'll never be able to tack properly. Any volunteers? Might have to put the drummer in the cabin, but that will cool the atmosphere in there a bit...