The devil is,they say,in the details and so it was with fitting the new hard dodger to this boat.Just fitting it was easy but we needed to make it look like it belongs there,so all the places where the dodger joined the coach roof were given a small epoxy fillet radius,when painted as it is now,it just blends in.
This was always intended to be a boat add on kit,it took a year to develop,one kit has gone to New Zealand already,we can adjust the various sizes to suit your boat,if in Cape Town we can recomend suitable tradesmen who can make and fit for you.
Does anyone want a nice traditional style dinghy that is both light weight,stable and strong? the idea is to produce a kit based on this GRP hull shape,the hull skin will then be double diagonal laminated from 3mm thick Superform bending plywoods and epoxy,we will supply the builders jig to mould over,plus all materials,seats,bulkheads,dagger board casing will all be pre cut.
The boat is 8ft 7 inches long,it will fit on most coach roofs and as you can see hangs of the back of this yacht with ease.It will hold four persons,sail,row and motor with just a 2hp outboard.Fitted with a water tight seat aft and a similar locker forwards,the boat is unsinkable,its made of wood anyway.
The blue float sets can be supplied also,complete with the correct anodised bolt rope track,4mm 316 stainless steel screws,large washers and dome headed nuts.We already offer rowing oars and rowlocks as a kit,the mast and boom plus a North Sail and Ronstan deck package will complete the kit.
Your kit will include a fully detailed builders guide,with a step by step introduction of where to start and what comes next,the plans fee will be part of the kits purchase fee.
Still with its original box,the tool folder looks like new.I like this tool,its easy to set,fits the hand well,its plastic handle brings it into the days when traditional tools were being upgraded and wood as handles were being changed to plastics.
Dated back to the early sixties I would think,this tool is near in as new condition,its a very handy tool when smaller jobs need doing and setting up the shop electric router will take you more time,in todays world,its also a 'green' tool!
I mentioned the importance of the use of the correct type of face mask when using spray paints,this mask by Star was supplied by BASF who also supply our paints to special order,buying a mask from the paint supplier makes sense to me,they know the correct filters to provide.
Warm as it was in Cape Town today (28c),it soon became clear that I would not be turning the Toylander body to do the topsides today,the paint needs a decent spell to dry out,so I applied a third and last coat,it adds more depth and body to the colour.Watch this space to view the finished body the right way up next tuesday,bonnet too!
This is a Faryman marine diesel engine yellow,Caterpiller too maybe? With twin pack DK paints two coats covers just about anything,the top sides can get three coats when I turn it over.
A mail from Johan asks can we supply information to this Sparkmans and Stevens design named a Sheilds One Design.Its dated Feb,21 1963 and was drawn for the US Mrechant Marine Acadamy,New York Maritime College.We can produce a kit to this type of design given a table of offsets and proof the plans have been paid for.
This small Stanley block plane is a gem to use,with its low angle on the blade it gives a very fine cut,note the adjuster on the front,that opens and closes the gap at the blade to adjust for finer shavings.
I have these tools for a purpose,my trade is as a Joiner,working with wood has been my passion many years,goods tools are vital and I will only accept quality when it comes to tools.I like to keep the boxes or cartons too,they are very handy for keeping any small parts in one place,plus protecting the main tool from the elements when not in use.
With etch primer all round we can now do spot filling,re sand and apply more primer,which after sanding can have its top coats applied,colour,what colour? The bonnet still needs work on it,I have trimed the front back leaving around
13mm (1/2") as an overhang,the back rail still needs gluing in place,when thats fitted I can apply 816 thin epoxy all over to harden up the surface of the Superform bending plys.
To ensure a good bond I have sprayed our Toylanders first coats of paints with a special twin pack etch primer,it covers really well and using a low pressure high volume spray gun produces very little overspray or lost product in the air.
Yesterday saw me move to the next stage of our own Toylander build,machine and hand sanding of the thin epoxy coating,that was around a four hour job,one of those power sanders with the pointed nose would speed things up in that process.
My search for information on some of my own saws, has found that I am far from being alone as a small time collector and in my case I do get to use them when making up orders during the normal work days.I note also that the art of quality saw making has far from vanished,in fact there are many world wide still making in good materials and a classic style.I wonder whats hidden in your tool box,any clasics in there?
Continuing with old hand tools and the excellence of their manufacture,Notty has found a small 'Old Ladies' hand saw in his late mothers tool box,its interesting to note it had a composite construction and while brass was not used for the blades back strip,a special none magnetic metal was.
After seeing that fine list of ancient British saws, I couldn't resist going to get the saw and looking to see if there was any lettering on it and there was!
It's a Spear & Jackson Leap-Frog made in Sheffield: Warrented Cast Steel; but there is no date on it.
The blade is 10-inches long by 2-inches wide at the handle end (not counting the back stiffener) and 1.5-inches at the taper end and its quite heavy but less than 2-kg I'm sure. I checked the blade with a magnet and it is steel but the stiffener is non ferrous because it is not magnetic but looks like gunmetal? Amazing what you come across hey?