Center for Woodenboats casting class

In contrast to the modern day materials including carbon fiber and delrin and the magical bonding elixirs like two-part epoxy, it's nice to get our hands the ancient arts and methods including wood nails, frame lashing and perhaps the most awesome, bronze casting.  

A small crowd gathers on a winter's day around the glow of the furnace

On several occasions James McMullen has set up to cast special nameplates for the boats we have built, custom hardware, oar locks, pintles, etc.  The Marine Skills Center has been hosted for one such demonstration, and James has most recently rounded up many of his Sail and Oar posse for casting sessions with particular attention given to those who need pieces that are hard to find in the retail setting, such as gudgeons for a double-ender.

On the weekend of March 22 and 23, James will be teaching a casting class at The Center For Woodenboat-Cama Beach.  This class is sold out, refer to the link provided below for information on future classes.

James McMullen Bronze Casting at Cama Beach

Your basic small foundry furnace set-up

Wooden "flasks", ready for pouring.  

A pattern for a sounding lead, being made up into a flask.

For more pictures, videos and lively commentary!

skimming off the dross. . .

The graphite crucible in the center glowing with molten bronze

That crucible is actually dark gray-black at room temperature.
Not currently at room temperature.

Breaking the part loose from the sand.

The metal is still so hot that the sand bursts into flames again when exposed to fresh oxygen

The used flasks--the charred parts are where the molten metal contacted the sand.

Windsong's New Rudder and Tiller

On a drizzly day in November 2012, Windsong was hauled out for a few phases of work which would result in a mid to late summer 2013 re-launch.  The spars were removed and lain aside for inspection and eventual touch-up varnishing in the warmer months. 

Andy had ideas for a new rudder design which would perform better and the haul-out provide an opportunity to inspect a few other things he was concerned about below the waterline.  He was looking for more responsive steering, more predictability backing (if possible), better flow around the propellor aperture and way to remove the rudder with out having to lift the boat. As the boat is over 50 years old, it became apparent that building a new rudder was the best way forward.

Naturally, as things progressed, it became evident that with a new rudder, also should come new gudgeons, pintles and tiller. So it goes.

Bending the bronze rudder post

Preparing to cast the bearings for gudgeon and pintles.

The old rudder head 

Rudder head salvaged from Lyle Hess's Boat

Freshly polished 

Old and new parts and pieces.

Plane and chisel make one side of the notch that fits in the groove fitting rudder together

Bronze rods tie the oak pieces together

rudder post and strapping

New Gudgeon

Bedding compound where the bronze rudder post straps set

Hung and balanced

Andy clamps the glued tiller to the mold

James carves the scroll on the tiller head

Fresh paint and ready for launch

The beautiful mahogany tiller makes the picture is complete.

So while the summer of 2013 was full of spectacular warm weather and windy evenings, boating thrills were delayed.  But with paintwork all ship-shape, new rudder, steering system and tiller in working order, Windsong provided her crew with some late summer, fall, and winter outings.

Big Sky Film Festival features Shaped on All Six Sides

Congratulations to Kat Gardiner for further recognition of her creativity and vision with the mini-documentary featuring Andy Stewart and Emerald Marine Carpentry.  The Big Sky Film Festival is in Missoula,  Montana and takes place February 15-23, 2014.

The documentary was featured in September at the 2013 Seattle Film Festival under the Design category.  Andy and wife Kristin meet Kat and Nathan in the city for the screening.  Kat and Andy answered some audience questions following the viewing.  Unfortunately, Andy and Kristin won't be able to make the trip to Montana for this exciting event.

Big Sky Film Festival features Shaped on all Six Sides

The film if you haven't seen it yet!

Working Under the Midnight Sun

Emerald Marine's Traveling Contingent 

Alaska, June 2009

Dan Strickland's 1968 built Alaska Troller, Bella Flora was in need of some serious work.  Andy calls long time friends and associates Scotty Kimmit and Meghan King to meet in Homer for a marathon session  replacing frames, re-planking, and patching bulwarks as necessary.  This being an Alaska boat, the waterline is sheathed in hardwood for ice protection.  Much of the rot damage was occurring beneath this sheath.  Months of planning and preparation included a written estimate including labor and materials without having seen the boat in person, as it were, relying on emails, pictures, and other accounts of the boat's condition.  Arrangements, including the  purchase of all the lumber and  supplies such as  fasteners, caulking, red lead and seam compound were made up in antcipation of the job going as planned.  By mid June the tickets were purchased and tools that were boxed up to arrive in a timely fashion on a shipping barge. The crew was met by Dan at the Anchorage airport, they rented a truck, and met up with the barge.

Larch for planking and oak frames, precut

The main issues for Bella Flora was a confluence of improperly installed and ill fastened ice sheeting  non-compatible metals resulting in moisture damage and galvanic corrosion.

After spending the previous evening and setting up, the deconstruction began using chainsaw, chisels and prying tools.  The majority of the work was beneath the waterline in the bow so planks were removed and the extent of the damage was revealed.  A full decision on whether or not work would continue was dependent on the results of this view.  The hope being that the damage wasn't so extensive that  the repair would take too long or be too expensive.  The decision was made and the job was given the go ahead.

Setting up the steam box

Marking the planking for removal

Hot frame going in!

Sister frames were bent in as needed, shoring up the breaks. The original frames were made useful by plugging the  nail holes with wooden nails, stuck in with epoxy.   

New planks, note the shoring at the stem to hold in the plank ends

Job Mascot is seen here and above.  Buzzy Bee participated in most aspects of the work.

Between the original planking Bella Flora looked a bit like a chicken with pin feathers sticking out.  After the wood nails were cut off,  patterning for planking began, the first planks were cut and shaped, fit, fastened and bunged. Plank stock was 1 1/4 thick.

Fairing to port, caulking to starboard

Dan's boys Obie and Duney help out on the project, fastening purple heart ice sheathing.
A great crew!

By June 26, 10 days after commencing, the crew was caulking and the next day, Dan and his boys were helping fill the seams with underwater compound.  In fact Dan and the Strickland boys were handily involved in a lot of the work.  Other work:  Oakum was caulked into a few stern seams, the purple heart sheathing was fit along the waterline and the bow sheeting ( the iron bark was saved and reused) was fastened up as well.

To apply workboat ice-sheathing, a healthy bedding of tar is applied over red lead, then Irish felt is sealed in behind the iron bark planks. Irish felt is a linen product often pre-impregnated with tar.

Averaging 13 hour days for twelve days, they were ready for some refreshment

Looking new!

Working boat Bella Flora loaded with beach debris in Hallo Bay, on the Katmai Coast as part of Alaska's costal clean up effort