of masts and bitts

**Wild Dingo** · 18th October 2006, 10:10 PM

Well given that Ive become confused again but still maintain the list at just 3 which keep changing

I was out in the shed and got to thinking even if I do SOMETHING it will be better than NOTHING right? RIGHT! So...

First I grabbed a couple of 36in x 1in x 3in Jarrah boards and did a glue up... then after setup had several numerous in fact trials of sending a similar sized board of ply through the table saw on the nefarious angle Id chosen from this set of old time houseboat plans (note here her highness has hinted that this one should be it :eek: seems very reasonable she does with her logical mind her opinion is that it would be used a lot more by all the family than just a wee sailboat

but as the song goes WHAT ABOUT ME???

)

So in the end I got fed up with nothing working to a level I considered safe so out with a nice straight edge and on with the circular saw and finally there it was

A 36in mast... so what to stick on top of it cause it would look bloody stupid without somethin on top... so out with the jigsaw and a few cuts later out with the bandsaw to finish what the jigsaw freaked out with

And so a boomerang!!

This will sit ontop the mast with starboard and port lights and a spot in the middle... Then I thought mmmmm bedda do some starboard an port light holder/shelter thingymabobs eh? So grabbin up some more Jarrah I bunged a few 12in 11in and 5in lengths of 1in x 5in and whalla there be some light housings

Soooo what else could I do without havin to attack some frames and given that I havent quite decided on which design I thought... mmm what would be handy dandy on all three? I know BITTS! such things for moorin lines and such so... grab up a couple of lengths of 12in x 1in x 1in Durian and to the lathe I went 1/2 hour later theres one of the suckers done back and 1/2 an hour later theres number 2 done!! THANK GAWD FOR THAT!!

But then it struck me they werent very big... nor very TOUGH you know ROBUST and so I looked over at the chunk of 4in x 4in Tuart I intended to use as the post that the bitt would go through... mmmm thats too bloody flimsy yer galah I thought... so I wandered around and finally spotted a nice peice of 2 1/2in x 2 1/2in Tuart up in th loft and down she came

To the table saw and a few tics later there were 2 peices 12in long waiting near the lathe

Sooooo 3/4 hour later there was one BIG MEATY CHUNK OF BITT sittin on the bench... I was so damned please I returned to the lathe in a flash and turned out the second one!!

So far everything thats not turned is just slathered in Marveer to keep everything in check while the turned things got the EEE treatment!

So... pic 1 is the design she thinks will suit us and our needs/future needs
pic 2 is the mast with boomerang on top
pic 3 is the mast with the light holders next to it with some fake lights to show what I mean
pic 4 is the second two bitts made of Tuart
pic 5 is the first two bitts made of Durian

Note the Durian is an interesting timber... stinks like buggary when its being worked its hard and pretty bland... but when finished quite a nice timber

the two stacks of 1in x 1in Durian on the bench is for 2 ships wheels Im making one a 20in diameter one from the Stevensons weekender plans that will be a wall clock for daughter number 2 while the other well Ive had to scrap that one for now as its supposed to be a 26in diameter wheel and well I dont think 1in x 1in timber 13in long will cut it with a larger wheel so am hunting some plans when Ive found them I will make it up... I know woodenboat did a expose on making ships wheels some time back and although I did have the woodenboat cd set prior to the flood last year I no longer have them

**onthebeachalone** · 18th October 2006, 11:05 PM

Now c'mon. Tell me you tidied up the workshop specially for the pucture...

...and look at all those clamps!

And I just put my lathe on the market 'cause I wasn't using it and I needed the space to build a boat.

**Wild Dingo** · 19th October 2006, 02:24 AM

Nope... just moved the crap from one end of the bench to the other to make room

Heres the lathe area... that wee pile was swept by the young fellas backside and a broom into the area just away from the lathe so I could make even more sawdust and lathe dust today!! will take a pic for you tomorrow

probably 1/4 of one of the dust bags worth on the floor and bench at present

then theres the dust at the bandsaw along with some bits and peices of offcuts of plum durian jarrah and tuart layin around some odd bits and bobs of other cut up wood that I havent been bothered to tidy up and put away

Hey what can I say someone wanted a shower so I had to disconnect the extention lead and its a well known fack that theres no dark out there and ergo it bein known as the "cave"

Yes yes the clamps dont remind me!!... I do need to up the clamp numbers a tad every time the FSILs turn up I seem to loose a couple

But it were fun turnin those bitts today

I reckon they are now about the right size no matter what boat I build eh!

albeit I wont be buildin a 40ft schooner anytime soon

but even then I wonder if they wouldnt be about the right size for that! I wanted them big suckers! just in case I needed to help someone outta trouble give em a tow or such (Im not sayin what her highness said!! bloody woman! "or get a tow" indeed :mad:

no respeck that sheila none at all

)

Anyway cheers mate

**Daddles** · 19th October 2006, 11:03 AM

I'm speechless:confused:

**Wild Dingo** · 20th October 2006, 01:03 AM

Originally Posted by Daddles

I'm speechless:confused:

YOU??????? :eek:

Yeah right!!

**Daddles** · 20th October 2006, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

YOU??????? :eek:

Yeah right!!

Only three words and five smilies. A NEW RECORD! Well done son. Keep it up and one day, someone will accuse you of being concise (can't this time because you overdid the punctuation

)

Richard

**Wild Dingo** · 20th October 2006, 02:14 PM

Aint gonna happen... day it does the post will read

"dads gone"

thats it just that someone will post that and theres the end of it... wont be me though!

I will go out in a blaze of words unknown unheard of before in the annuls of forum wordsleuthin my friend burn all brigdes take no prisoners and to hell with the moderators!!

**Daddles** · 20th October 2006, 02:28 PM

I've got bad new for you mate. Not only does man the entrance to Hell when not at the lathe (well where do you think they get the wood chips to keep the fires burning?), he selects all the moderators from there :eek:

Richard

see, all this chatter and I haven't had to say nice things about your beautiful workmanship

**Wild Dingo** · 20th October 2006, 03:22 PM

yeah mate I noticed that

but hey you just made amends

of course much could be said about the two Tuart bitts... you know like "why bother makin them when you dont even know which boat your gonna build" or "why so big if your just makin a wee boat?" you know that sorta thing... but see Ive covered both bases by makin the smaller ones AND the big ones! clever eh?

gotta think ahead you know

**Auld Bassoon** · 20th October 2006, 05:20 PM

Now look here WD Old Bean! I mean to say, I love boats (especially ones with sticks and sails, and stuff), but that , err, "object" in pic ! is, not to put too fine a point on it, a Maritime Dunny :eek: Jeepers, if a tinny goes past, it's wake will make the dunny fall over

Your work on the nav. mast and the Bitts is very good, but why waste it on "that"

**onthebeachalone** · 20th October 2006, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by Auld Bassoon

why waste it on "that"

It's all relative really. We each have to find out own way.
My missus likes caravans and was rather taken with this pic I found on another forum.

**Auld Bassoon** · 20th October 2006, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by onthebeachalone

It's all relative really. We each have to find out own way.
My missus likes caravans and was rather taken with this pic I found on another forum.

Next year's entry in the Cape to Rio perhaps?

**Daddles** · 20th October 2006, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by onthebeachalone

It's all relative really. We each have to find out own way.
My missus likes caravans and was rather taken with this pic I found on another forum.

So your response was to make a two piece rowboat. Mate, you have to do something about the communication in your marriage

Richard

**Wild Dingo** · 20th October 2006, 09:54 PM

now see thats innovation! mmm I gots 2 of them thar caraban thins sittin in the backyard mmmm wonda why I didnt thunk of thet?

could hab us a conboy!

On tuther and... as she said when I poopood the idea "HEY BUSTER! Get this!! Its made of wood!! it would make ME HAPPY and you keep sayin thats all that matters... RIGHT???" :eek:

"right dear yes dear 3 bloody bags full dear no worries dear"

sigh... as long as shes happy I dont get greif... so I reckon since its kinda openended as to how long it takes I can make that thing for her an the hoons while at the same time makin the one I want for me... secretly

**bitofascallywag** · 30th March 2007, 10:21 PM

so how does it all work in strength and stuff you rabid milked tooth dingo

we get durian here and it was used for dead eyes and stuff....as we mainly got.....he proudly says....anti worm,rot pines

so in the scheme of things....jarrah...durion....manuka perhaps....but that mallee hurts if hit with it as well........please give us your opinions on timbers toughness....the toughest thing i met whilst over that way was a bloke named the leveller....he wrote a book and all....strong handshake

he seemed almost as hard as our horizontal scrub....

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