Blog — March 12-18, 2018

March 12-18,2018

Nico drills for the naval brass drift that will be used at the base of each futtock as Richard guides the drill angle. Enough frame pairs are ready and faired to begin fastening them permanently into their sockets. The frames are bedded in red lead and linseed oil.

It was decided from the beginning to paint the interior of the hull. To help slow the drying and reduce shrinkage, a coat of good quality primer was applied. The primer is porous—so while not preventing timber from drying, it will show it down. As a bonus, the first coat of primer was in place before completion of the hull (below).

A rivet is fitted through a stout piece of steel (above) prior to creating a burr with a ballpein hammer. A production line has been started to complete the approximately 1500 rivets as well as the many drifts required to fasted the frame ends in their sockets. Each naval brass rivet and drift is handmade, and fitted with a very thick washer called a clench ring. Clenching is the process of turning a burr on the end of a rod with the clench ring, creating a head (below). Rivets hold the planking to the frames, while drifts are used to hold the frame ends to the keel timber.

Here are two drifts in place. The heads end up below the surface so they don’t interfere with the garboard plank when it is fitted over it.

The shank of an original drift that broke at a spot just below the head while it was being removed. This will be pulled out with a slide hammer and some colorful language.

Kawashima has finished the repair on one of the planks, and is finishing it flush with the plank surface.

This Japanese plane (above) has been carefully laid on its side to protect its razor-sharp edge, while a western plane sits next to it, blade down. Shipwrights’ tools, especially in the early stages of restoration are prone to striking hidden nails, iron, and screws and a good edge is often quickly lost. This one has clearly lost its edge, and the owner is not concerned about leaving it blade down, a minor sin with a sharp plane.