28 Feb 2022
Adrian arrived shortly after I’d opened the shed with home made chocolate cake so after a short time trying to flatten out the top of our layout table, we hopped straight into them.
Getting this board level, straight and screwed into place proved to be challenging. Every time we thought we had it just right the straight edge and the level told us otherwise. Its now got more chocks than a ship in dry dock.
JP had arrived and set about making a racket with the jigsaw, cutting the tabs that held the planks in place and unleashing the six planks per side times three sections of each plank that equals 36 long bits of plywood with funny shapes.
Down the production line Adrian and I planed the tabs off the long bits of plywood and built up a stack ready for scarphing (sticking them together). After the others had gone I meticulously stored the planks under the bench in the order and orientation that they will be glued together. Top one is Plank 1 on the Starboard side. I’m hoping we don’t make any mistakes in the gluing process.
JP finished all the cutting out of skiff number 1, including these fiddly bits in 18mm plywood that glue together to make the boat’s frames that the planks will be fixed to. I did a leisurely clean up and went over to Thorntons on my way home for sandpaper, screws and a dustpan and brush. I was able to thank Murray Thornton personally for the help we received in getting the kits off the Denmark Haulage truck and over to our shed.
We had a couple of notable visitors today. Veronica dropped in with a heavy piece of sheoak that she thought we might find a use for. It could shape up nicely into the breasthooks. The other visitor was our latest addition to the committee, Geoff Bowley, who came to raid Harry’s well stocked wood pile and take a look at what we were up to. He promised to come back for less technically challenging work than planing the tabs off, maybe sanding. Well there will be plenty of opportunity for that down the line!
We’ll be back there at 9am tomorrow and I’m hoping for some more faces to show up. We should be starting to play with the glue after the frames have had their tabs knocked off.
Forward notice that on next Monday we are going to get a visit from John Longley, president of the St Ayles Skiff Community Rowing Association of Australia and general font of all skiff building and rowing knowledge in WA.