[Public-List] Touch Wood update

[Mike Lehman]

That is very cool - don't you love it when something that you are so worried about turns out to be so easy? 

 
Mike Lehman 

 
><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>
 
 






 
> From: mainstay at csolve.net
> To: public-list at lists.alberg30.org
> Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:28:54 -0500
> Subject: [Public-List] Touch Wood update
> 
> Good day friends,
> 
> Saturday I helped a friend who is restoring a 5.5 Meter Class yacht 
> steam in four ribs; the project was of particular interest to me since 
> her ribs have the same dimensions as TW's. The steam bending of the 
> 22 ribs TW needs has been the one thing I have never done before and 
> doing it looked like a job I just couldn't get my arms around. I had 
> been seriously considering laminating new ribs in place in order not 
> to have to bend traditionaly.
> 
> Doing four ribs took 15 minutes.
> 
> I am not kidding. White oak becomes incredibly pliable after about 40 
> minutes of steaming and we had about 30 seconds with each before they 
> cooled and began getting stiff. I was totally amazed. I was also 
> amazed at the lack of mystique in the steaming process. I have books 
> and magazine articles here that run thousands of words on the 'proper' 
> way to make a steam box... the importance of insulating it, additives 
> to the water in the boiler, etc etc.
> 
> We took a 3" dia piece of plastic plumbing and glued a cap on one end; 
> we drove a nail into it then ripped it out to make a small hole. We 
> took the cap for the other end and glued a 1/2" hose barb onto it. We 
> ran the 1/2 vinyl hose into a second hand electric kettle and stuffed 
> a rag around the spout.
> 
> We milled appropriate lengths of white oak rib stock and put them into 
> the tube, numbering them with pencil so we could tell which was which 
> (they were destined for differing parts of the boat) Then we sat in 
> the boat telling sailing stories for a while, occasionally adding 
> water to the kettle.
> 
> After almost an hour, we pulled the first one out and with gloves on 
> carried it into the boat. The guy inside pushed each rib butt against 
> the keel then pushed the rib against the hull; imagine the wine-glass 
> shape of the hull as it turns down into bilge... With one foot holding 
> the rib against the planking and a hand holding the upper part against 
> the hull, the other guy drills pilot holes through the existing holes 
> in the planks and into the rib. This is followed by bronze screws. 
> Presto - new rib in about as much time it took to write this. I had 
> my camera in my pocket to take pictures of the process but it was over 
> so quickly I missed it. (well not really missed it - I was doing it 
> but you know what I mean)
> 
> We broke two while bending them... I had heard of this but was amazed 
> that the breaks are not the dangerous oak snaps that I expected. It 
> happens when the rib is pushed over into the curve and a line of grain 
> just lets go and gently and smoothly separates from the rest. We 
> quickly discarded the 'broken' one and whipped in a new one each time.
> 
> The bending only takes a few pounds of force - crazy. Once they are 
> cooled, the ribs are rock solid like they were grown that way. (not 
> really quite as strong as grown frames, but nearly)
> 
> I am so relieved. That was in my mind the toughest part of TW's 
> return to health. Here's hoping the other challenges fall the same way!
> 
> Gord
> #426 Surprise F 16 Touch Wood
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