http://eweandme.com/boatblog From Psychologist to Boat Builder Tue, 13 May 2008 11:48:23 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en So after the deck has been faired and primed, it's canvassing time.  But it takes time to get all that going, so while folks were prepping the deck, a few of us got one of the coaming pieces steamed up and bent onto the mold.  This was a real team ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/05/11/canvassed-getting-closer/ The punch list for the six meter is as long as my arm.  But if I think about it, I'll get all despondent and dreary.  No fun there.  Much more fun to think about ticking things off the list, and that's what I did today.  First off the list, the ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/05/07/a-smattering-of-projects/ Once the deck was on, it was time to fair.  Planing, longboarding, finding the low spots... slow, hard work.  Next we filled all the screw holes and low spots with epoxy and fairing compound (we're using West Systems 110 for this).  Normally when you fill screw holes, you get your ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/05/07/more-deck-work/ This past week has been devoted to getting the deck on the six meter.  Day in, day out, precision drilling and fitting parts.  More on that in a bit, though, because I want to finish up showing off the metal work I'd started on last week.  Before making the swallowtails, ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/05/01/devoted-to-decking/ This past week I got to play with metal.  Wow, this is cool stuff when it doesn't burn/cut/poke/shoot sparks at you.  More on that in a bit.  Just when you get your head ready to do something, it's helpful to stop said head and scratch it.  Is there anything that Must Happen ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/04/24/pedal-to-the-metal-and-ready-for-decking/ Here in Newport it's sunny, warm, ever so slightly breezy.  It's the kind of weather that's been bringing people out all week to scrape and repaint their porches.  People are clambering all over their boats, touching up the varnish, putting on new bottom paint, getting to all those projects they ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/04/19/spring-has-sprung/ I mentioned the jumpers and half beams before. Well, this is what I was talking about. You're looking at the starboard side of the boat here. The quarter knees are in the foreground, and the mast partner is that big hunk of oak at the top of ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/04/14/all-over-the-boat/ Turns out that the little tiny gaps in our covering board joints won't be filled with varnish so that they disappear. They won't ever be filled with anything ever again in fact, because we coated every joint with 5200. It makes sense really, and I'm guilty of hubris ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/04/05/goo-yes-gap-no/ Back in 2006 I started this whole process with the eventual goal of working as a shipwright, and along the way I've actually gotten paid to do boat carpenter work. All of these experiences have been incredibly valuable, and the money has helped to make this whole venture possible. ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/04/02/payoff/ One of the luxuries of being a student is that you have the time to get things right to the degree that you want, at least within reason.  There are legendary stories at school about the $8,000 tiller for instance.  Some time ago, a student took about 3 weeks to ... http://eweandme.com/boatblog/index.php/2008/04/02/hundredths-of-an-inch-in-wood-and-metal/