[Public-List] Touch Wood update

[Gordon Laco]

Yes - absolutely.


On 24-Jan-10, at 8:28 PM, Mike Lehman wrote:

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> That is very cool - don't you love it when something that you are so  
> worried about turns out to be so easy?
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> Mike Lehman
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>> <((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>
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>> 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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