A big project!

[Mid 2,839]

now would probably be a good time to point out hat the transom is original ...

[Mid 2,839]

^

not hat but THAT 

 

however you knew that already , didn't you

[TheDragon 463]

Massive effort going into making bronze floors.

 

[Antoine31 13]

I now understand why they invented fiberglass.

[Boink 661]

Inspirational Alchemy from what is fast becoming the the Hair Bear Bunch! 

Leo's Barnet is suffering a challenge for "most impressively coiffured coiff" from Pete the Foundryman. As ever the craftsmanship on display is exemplary.

This series alone offsets much of the ills that the internet has created. I guess you have to accept the Grubby, Shonky & Bad against the Excellent, Inspirational & Worthy.

[Liquid 269]

That's an impressive episode!

Weeks just to make the positive mold inserts - or what ever that part is called...

[PaulK 346]

Can you imagine putting a mirror finish on the metal in YOUR bilge? This boat is incredible. 

[longy 460]

This yacht will be structurally MUCH better than original build. Leo is being WAAAY more careful about alignments/joints/materials then the original builders. Wooden boats back then had short lifespans and were built to that expected life.

[Boink 661]

Is this not a reflection (pun not intended) of how expectations have altered to suit their needs? 110 years ago, Tally Ho's creation spanned that era when sailboats were morphing from being utilitarian workhorses to becoming more of a Status symbol - the same way that Bristol Cutters were fast and seaworthy for their age because of their purpose which made them useful for conversion into pure racing yachts as the sport developed. But the technology and trades that created them were still in the mindset of creating a workhorse, and its was being built in a commercial sense by a yard that would have deadlines and profit to maintain.

These criteria are different now for Leo and the aims and expectations of the undertaking are subtly but distinctly different. I applaud both eras for their output. The original for its endeavours without the power tools and technology that we all take for granted today, and Leo's contemporary restoration/rebuild which so poignantly reminds us of the lost art of true craftsmanship that has been eroded by todays voracious mass production and societies increasing throwaway mentality because of misplaced fashion sense and poor longevity or quality of many of todays goods/products. I know I am not alone in my sense of anger & disillusionment that is summed up by the phrase "planned obsolescence".

Leo is the antithesis to that appproach.

[allene222 67]

I don't think we can know what the expectations were of the people who built Tally Ho. I can offer a perspective as a wood boat owner. My boat was built in 1956 so not as old as Tally Ho but more than half its age at 64 years. I have had it for over 30 years. I have had a hell of a time keeping it in sailing condition both in time and money. For example, right now it has a leak when sailing of about 12 ounces a second but almost nothing when in the slip. Covid is keeping me from fixing it but that is another story. But the point I am getting to is that at one point I was fighting a different long ago fixed leak and called the designer to get his advice. I was thinking how proud he would be that one of his designs was being so well maintained. His response was that the boat was built to last 10 years and that I was facing a losing battle and should just fiberglass over the entire hull. The L-36 was a mass produced boat of its era but that meant they built about 7 a year for 10 years. A little math says that it took about 2 months to build one. It would be interesting to know what the expectation was on Tally Ho but what I see now is a reality Youtube show that Leo has figured out how to monetize to the point of making a living and creating the wonderful episodes we are all enjoying. But is he really restoring Tally Ho to her original glory? A builder once told me that I should be happy with the construction as he was building a house, not a piano. Leo is building to tolerances I doubt represent the original construction. But I love the show and am the level of perfection I see. 

[Mid 2,839]

LOOK >>>> Something Shiny

[SloopJohnB 239]

Its more than the golden rivet.

[alphafb552 369]

I think people sometimes underestimate the quality of 'workboat' style construction as done in the past - sure, it probably was not economical to strive for the level of perfection that Leo achieves with great effort, but a boat built by a good yard was strongly built - it needed to be just for economics sake, a (work)boat is always a large investment, so it needs to last a certain time to recoup that initial investment.

I think that perhaps a big change has been that in the past more effort was put (and accepted) in maintaining a boat, ie replacing the occasional plank, rib or beam every few years was considered just routine maintenance.

These days, and then I mean for the last 50-60 years or so, we strive to reduce regular maintenance to an absolute minimum, and often consider boats beyond economical repair when they require structural work.

In some ways, Leo is rebuilding Tally-Ho in the modern idiom - if built to perfection now, she should last many decades with (relatively) basic maintenance before another round of structural repair work should be required. In this way he can ensure the boat's survival for another century or so, without having to rely on the capabilities of her following owners to put in the effort of maintaining her in the traditional way.

[Boink 661]

What I also meant to express in #609 was that the construction back in the day was not only fit for purpose (undoubtably strong and overengineered) but suitable for the context of its use - by that I mean that navigation and forecasting were nothing even remotely close to what we are used to today. All of these made the maritime environment much more perilous - so scantlings were deemed to survive the worst storm condition that might be considered, and they certainly built them sturdy enough, but they were not so much built by being refined and detailed, because of the very real chance that the craft may not survive for very long at all. Fit for purpose, absolutely. Polished floors, WTF???

Certainly life expectancy of both boat and crew would not have been expressed in centuries. But now that these perils can be managed more readily by the technology and skills that have developed, why wouldn't Leo want to have build tolerances that enable such life expectancies to be sought? The fact that he is funding all this through the You Tube world also means that his attention to detail gets scrutinised, and when he perisently and consistently pumps out such fine quality of work, he builds not just Tally Ho, but increased value to the whole proposition, be that himself personally, the fine people that assist and most of all, Tally Ho. It's a virtuous circle for the project, and one that we are lucky to have. 

[t.rex 81]

 

EPISODE 76. In this episode I focus on the final install of the transom, using a couple of old tricks to ensure that it stays watertight. The planks get bolted to the sternpost and eventually fully plugged and varnished. Pat keeps busy at the Port Townsend Foundry, casting more Floors in Bronze. Clark fits the Floors into the boat - grinding, sanding and polishing them to ridiculous perfection! Meanwhile, Pete works hard on fairing the Rabbet and beginning to fair the outside of the frames, while Pancho keeps an eye on him and busts out some funky moves for the camera!

 

[Rasputin22 2,567]

On 6/28/2020 at 10:42 PM, allene222 said:

I don't think we can know what the expectations were of the people who built Tally Ho. I can offer a perspective as a wood boat owner. My boat was built in 1956 so not as old as Tally Ho but more than half its age at 64 years. I have had it for over 30 years. I have had a hell of a time keeping it in sailing condition both in time and money. For example, right now it has a leak when sailing of about 12 ounces a second but almost nothing when in the slip. Covid is keeping me from fixing it but that is another story. But the point I am getting to is that at one point I was fighting a different long ago fixed leak and called the designer to get his advice. I was thinking how proud he would be that one of his designs was being so well maintained. His response was that the boat was built to last 10 years and that I was facing a losing battle and should just fiberglass over the entire hull. The L-36 was a mass produced boat of its era but that meant they built about 7 a year for 10 years. A little math says that it took about 2 months to build one. It would be interesting to know what the expectation was on Tally Ho but what I see now is a reality Youtube show that Leo has figured out how to monetize to the point of making a living and creating the wonderful episodes we are all enjoying. But is he really restoring Tally Ho to her original glory? A builder once told me that I should be happy with the construction as he was building a house, not a piano. Leo is building to tolerances I doubt represent the original construction. But I love the show and am the level of perfection I see. 

I worked as a cabinetmaker and interior joiner on boats and yachts on and off all through my life. I shared a small but well equipped woodshop with a guy who was really a mastercraftsman but was strangely quiet about his previous life before coming to the islands. He and I were both sailors as was the architect who we rented the shop from. My quiet friend had a very nicely finished 14' wooden skiff that he had built and raced in most traditional boat regattas in our area. He was always wooed by the larger boats as racing crew and I gradually got to know him better. Still he always held his cards close to his chest but I finally heard stories about when he worked for a renowned piano company. That helped explained a lot of his woodworking skills and the high standards of finish on any of his projects. I prided myself on my own efforts but sometimes took my perfection to extremes. It is sometimes hard to find just the right balance between 'git er done' efficiency and over the top obsessive/compulsive excess. 

    I had a 'helper' that I sort of got stuck with who was an old friend of the architect landlord and the residential cabinets were slated for one of the architects frequent high end Island vacation homes. My helper was a sort of California 'tree hugger' type who was even quieter than the piano builder but we all got along pretty well. I did have a issue with my helper losing sight of the end goal when I would give him work assignments. I would spray lacquer a set of cabinet doors and have him give them a light sanding to take out the orange peel before getting successive build coats. I had set up a couple of sawhorses and a sheet of plywood out underneath a nice shadetree with a beautiful view out over the South Side beaches and ocean. I had also run a long extension cord for an orbital sander to make quick work of his task. That was mostly to keep the sanding dust out of the shop where I was spraying the cabinet casework. 

     Wearing a spray hood and respirator mask I would find that when stopping for a break between spray sessions,  I would take off all the headgear and not hear any power tool sanding coming from my worker bee. He was the type of guy who would let a task or job expand to fill the time available and was content to stare out over the waters and sand by hand, stopping frequently to caress the satin finish. I swear he would spend more time stroking a panel with just his fingertips that he did actually sanding with a quarter folded sheet of 220 grit sandpaper!  I had already gone out and told him to use the dual action orbital sander and get on with the show as there were still a couple more fill coats to go. His reply was that he didn't like the noise of the little DA sander and he could much better 'feel' the highs and lows in the first coat of sanding sealer. I sort of chewed his butt out when he started some nonsense about the  'French Rub' method of getting a fine finish and he got surprisingly offended by my rude opinion of his lollygagging and he started packing up his daybag to leave.  The pianowright had heard the 'French Rub' bit and came to the fellows rescue by telling us all about the fine points of how he was once the piano finisher at Steinway and how many coats it took to get those famous deep black piano finishes. 

    I was about to give him a piece of my mind about 'French Rub' and he gave me a sly little wink as if to say, 'let me go on'. I awaited what would be next but after finishing his treatise about piano finishing he then wondered aloud at the ages old shop chastisement 'Get a move on there, it's not like we are building a Steinway!'  He said that saying got a good laugh or a groan when it was used at Steinway and Sons.

 

Tim Chupp refinishing a Steinway Grand

HAND-RUBBED FINISH

The hand-rubbed technique of piano refinishing requires the refinisher to start with a clear, gloss lacquer. Each coat of lacquer is allowed to cure and it is then sanded smooth before the next coat is applied. This process is repeated until the desired thickness is reached. The finish is then hand-polished and rubbed out to the desired sheen. The result is a completely smooth and clear finish that has no particles suspended in it to reduce the clarity.

The hand-rubbed style of finish is the technique that the Steinway & Sons factory uses and is time-tested. However, it requires much more labor and good technique due to the additional steps required. The hand rubbed finish method allows for much more control over the final look and the ability to conduct repairs in the future. This is the process we have chosen to utilize here at Chupp’s Piano Service

[Bluto 91]

 Leo's back.

 

[Breamerly 74]

On 6/29/2020 at 5:37 AM, alphafb552 said:

I think people sometimes underestimate the quality of 'workboat' style construction as done in the past - sure, it probably was not economical to strive for the level of perfection that Leo achieves with great effort, but a boat built by a good yard was strongly built - it needed to be just for economics sake, a (work)boat is always a large investment, so it needs to last a certain time to recoup that initial investment.

I think that perhaps a big change has been that in the past more effort was put (and accepted) in maintaining a boat, ie replacing the occasional plank, rib or beam every few years was considered just routine maintenance.

These days, and then I mean for the last 50-60 years or so, we strive to reduce regular maintenance to an absolute minimum, and often consider boats beyond economical repair when they require structural work.

In some ways, Leo is rebuilding Tally-Ho in the modern idiom - if built to perfection now, she should last many decades with (relatively) basic maintenance before another round of structural repair work should be required. In this way he can ensure the boat's survival for another century or so, without having to rely on the capabilities of her following owners to put in the effort of maintaining her in the traditional way.

A fantastic summary

[t.rex 81]

 

 

EPISODE 78. In this episode we calculate the locations and sizes of all the hull planks, based on the complex shape of the hull. I’ve never done this before, so we get some help from the Lead Shipwright on the Western Flyer Project (Shipwrights Co-Op, PT). I’m also very excited to welcome two new members to the team - Rosie, who is going to be in an apprentice-style role, and Charlie, who is going to be helping out with video production! We also continue working on the floors, fairing the frames, and making long battens for the lining-out. Meanwhile Backtrack finds a new favourite napping spot and Pancho steps up her dancing game.

[allene222 67]

 Best line in this video: "There are no 32's in boat building".  I will just leave it there. 

[Antoine31 13]

Yes, that was beautiful.

[toad 610]

On 6/18/2020 at 8:15 PM, Mid said:

now would probably be a good time to point out hat the transom is original ...

My grandfathers axe is also original, the only routine maintenance over the years is 4 handles and 2 heads

[IStream 2,235]

16 minutes ago, allene222 said:

 Best line in this video: "There are no 32's in boat building".  I will just leave it there. 

That was the moment in his apprenticeship when Leo got The Wisdom.

[alphafb552 369]

1 hour ago, allene222 said:

 Best line in this video: "There are no 32's in boat building".  I will just leave it there. 

Especially with his expression of some disappointment!

(at 23:03 in the video)

[socalrider 400]

Fantastic episode. Fascinating stuff. 

[Mizzmo 46]

Really cool to see, I really like how the project is gaining steam

[TheDragon 463]

~4000 copper rivets to manufacture. And a cameo by Alix.

[silversurfer 2]

A pity that some error has been made. 

 

Video Unavailable

This video is not available in your country

 

 

 

My country is Denmark.....

 

Anybody else experiencing the same ?

[alphafb552 369]

20 minutes ago, silversurfer said:

A pity that some error has been made. 

 

Video Unavailable

This video is not available in your country

 

 

 

My country is Denmark.....

 

Anybody else experiencing the same ?

Works perfectly from the Netherlands...

[guysmiley 9]

I've been binging this series to catch up for the last few weeks... I think Episode 73 "Finishing the Deck Structure" has got to be the most satisfying to date. 

It's a volunteer going nuts on the floors... I think you can see Leo's annoyance in his expression a couple times.

[Just A Skosh 72]

5 hours ago, silversurfer said:

A pity that some error has been made. 

 

Video Unavailable

This video is not available in your country

 

 

 

My country is Denmark.....

 

Anybody else experiencing the same ?

Leo posted on Facebook that the video's been taken down in certain countries due to bogus copyright claims. This has happened before and he's working through the process to get resolution, but it takes a couple of days.

[bacq2bacq 243]

Totally boring! (not)

 

 

[IStream 2,235]

That last shot through the bore at the perfectly centered bow was a well-deserved flex.

I cringe every time he takes a chainsaw to any part of the boat. 

[PL3 5]

How did the original builders do all this without a Hole Hawg and all the other first class power tools that Leo has at his disposal???

[IStream 2,235]

Slowly, with muscle. Then faster, with belt-driven machines.

[socalrider 400]

1 hour ago, IStream said:

Slowly, with muscle. Then faster, with belt-driven machines.

And lots more folks

[Mid 2,839]

24 minutes ago, socalrider said:

And lots more folks

with a lot less precision

 

and correct usage of a sharpie

[bacq2bacq 243]

Correct use of sharpies:

[IStream 2,235]

15 hours ago, Mid said:

with a lot less precision

 

and correct usage of a sharpie

You mean like this?

[Mid 2,839]

nah , like this

10 minutes ago, bacq2bacq said:

Correct use of sharpies:

[IStream 2,235]

Point given.

[eric1207 157]

Here's an 88 year old store that has many of those tools used to drill holes back in the day.  Its like a museum and cathedral to me.  All around the ceiling, rafters and walls are antique tools, (including large and small boring brace & bits) that they've taken in on trade.  Its original name was Hardwick & Sons Swap Shop after all.  I've know Dean the owner and principal interviewee and have been shopping there for 50 years.  This short video actually made me well up a bit.  It brings a tear to my eye to see it close.  Its 7 minutes well spent, take a look.  Last day of business is Sept 19 but much of the items have already been removed.

 

[IStream 2,235]

Hardwick's is irreplaceable.

[Laurent 1,574]

18 hours ago, IStream said:

That last shot through the bore at the perfectly centered bow was a well-deserved flex.

I know nothing about this type of work, but the fact that he can bore the hole PERFECTLY centered as shown by the last shot, with bulky clunky tools, is borderline black magic to me...

[eric1207 157]

Yep.  He is reopening in Post Falls Idaho though.  And you can order the cool stuff online.  New building however, so it won't have the same feel, like when they closed the old (almost original) REI on Seattle's Capitol Hill.

[IStream 2,235]

To me, the beauty of Hardwick's was that they had *every* tool, no matter how obscure. I don't care about the building. It was a labyrinth and remarkable that it could hold everything but if you wanted anything that wasn't in plain view, you had to ask for help. For me, that was about 99% of the time. I was always impressed that the people who worked there knew the place like the back of their hand but I'd frankly prefer a more sensible layout. Glad to hear they're not going out of business entirely.

[t.rex 81]

EPISODE 81. Having poured all the smaller bronze Floors, we have to build a bigger flask in order to cast the largest ones. Packing these big moulds isn’t without it’s setbacks, and we experience the frustration of having the sand collapse onto the ground after a whole day of shovelling and ramming. Eventually we make a successful pour, and after this piece is ground and finished it is bolted into the boat alongside its siblings. Meanwhile, the last of the patterns are made - including all the Lodging Knees and Breast Hooks. The crew become obsessed with a small wooden puzzle that arrived mysteriously in the mail - all apart from Pancho, who is beyond the limitations of puny human diversion.

[Laurent 1,574]

 

More floor griding fitting and polishing.

More hanging knees casting and griding, fitting, polishing.

Oh yes, and rivet making.

Almost there on the casting, grinding, fitting and polishing. Planking to start soon. Yoohoo!

I am just flabergasted by the level of finish... but one has to wonder, how much of that nice shiny finish on the floors will be left after 2 years at sea?

[allene222 67]

2 minutes ago, Laurent said:

 

More floor griding fitting and polishing.

More hanging knees casting and griding, fitting, polishing.

Oh yes, and rivet making.

Almost there on the casting, grinding, fitting and polishing. Planking to start soon. Yoohoo!

I am just flabergasted by the level of finish... but one has to wonder, how much of that nice shiny finish on the floors will be left after 2 years at sea?

2 years? Can't possibly last that long unless they varnish it. But it is a good idea to polish it as it takes out the nicks and improves the strength. It will have a nice green patina on it likely before the boat sails.

[Cristoforo 345]

43 minutes ago, allene222 said:

2 years? Can't possibly last that long unless they varnish it. But it is a good idea to polish it as it takes out the nicks and improves the strength. It will have a nice green patina on it likely before the boat sails.

He said he was sanding  the knees down to 1000 grit and then polishing!   How does taking out material improve strength?     

[longy 460]

The surfaces are rough, porous and un-fair from sand casting. removing high areas & smoothing out the surface might actually increase strength by making it harder for corrosion to work down into the metal. And it looks sooo much better, even with a patina

[Cristoforo 345]

7 minutes ago, longy said:

The surfaces are rough, porous and un-fair from sand casting. removing high areas & smoothing out the surface might actually increase strength by making it harder for corrosion to work down into the metal. And it looks sooo much better, even with a patina

No question it looks better.  Ok I see how it will maintain strength in the future retarding corrosion. Or slow down loss of strength. But not ‘increasing’ 

just curious  

 

[allene222 67]

1 hour ago, Cristoforo said:

He said he was sanding  the knees down to 1000 grit and then polishing!   How does taking out material improve strength?     

Nicks and imperfections can be stress concentrators. A small crack can spread and become a big crack. Sometimes a piece of metal will have a crack and you can improve the strength by drilling a hole at the end of the crack which will keep it from spreading.

Like there is this old story about propellers on aircraft that were breaking apart in air. The engineers could not figure it out so they followed the manufacturing process and everything looked perfect. They went to the inspector and asked if he saw any issues with the parts. He said that he did not, that he inspected every one, and they took out his mark and hammered his initial into the propeller so you could tell it was inspected. Of course, it was the mark that was causing the failure.

Bronze is expensive and he is a bit crazy to use it for this job. But overall he is building the boat to last 100 years and bronze will last that long.

[Antoine31 13]

I think I remember that some wooden boats were built with galvanized iron floors that lasted  for many decades.

[allene222 67]

4 minutes ago, Antoine31 said:

I think I remember that some wooden boats were built with galvanized iron floors that lasted  for many decades.

Leo is replacing iron floors on the 110 year old yacht so I would say that is correct. 

[IStream 2,235]

Unfortunately, the iron floors took the adjacent wood with them. The bronze floors, knees, and fasteners will not.

[alphafb552 369]

18 hours ago, Laurent said:

 

... but one has to wonder, how much of that nice shiny finish on the floors will be left after 2 years at sea?

I seem to recall he mentioned a few episodes ago that he was planning to send the crew into the bilges on a regular basis to maintain the polish!

Beware volunteers... 

[IStream 2,235]

16 minutes ago, alphafb552 said:

I seem to recall he mentioned a few episodes ago that he was planning to send the crew into the bilges on a regular basis to maintain the polish!

Beware volunteers... 

I'd have spent a few pennies on a some rattle cans of clear lacquer before installation, but that's just me.

[Foiling Optimist 231]

Leo was pretty clear that iron overall caused huge problems throughout the boat, perhaps caused by fresh water ingress but nevertheless it was a cause of a lot of the remaining wood not being salvageable. It's certainly true that bronze is way more expensive than iron but I wonder how much, if any, you make back up because it's easier to cast. Bronze melts around 950C vs Iron at around 1530C so materials and processes might be a bit different.  Regarding the polishing, they are already doing a lot of grinding to get the pieces to fit exactly, so it's not a huge deal to go through a few more sanding grades and polish them, given they have a great crew and the right equipment. I'm sure the main metal removal and fitting takes the bulk of the time, and that would also be harder to do with iron. It's true that smoothing things out can minimize stress risers but it really makes it harder for corrosion to get started so they should both last forever and look amazing.     

[Cristoforo 345]

4 hours ago, Foiling Optimist said:

Leo was pretty clear that iron overall caused huge problems throughout the boat, perhaps caused by fresh water ingress but nevertheless it was a cause of a lot of the remaining wood not being salvageable. It's certainly true that bronze is way more expensive than iron but I wonder how much, if any, you make back up because it's easier to cast. Bronze melts around 950C vs Iron at around 1530C so materials and processes might be a bit different.  Regarding the polishing, they are already doing a lot of grinding to get the pieces to fit exactly, so it's not a huge deal to go through a few more sanding grades and polish them, given they have a great crew and the right equipment. I'm sure the main metal removal and fitting takes the bulk of the time, and that would also be harder to do with iron. It's true that smoothing things out can minimize stress risers but it really makes it harder for corrosion to get started so they should both last forever and look amazing.     

He said they are averaging casting 2 knees /day and there are what, about 60 of them? Plus all of the template making and dry fitting. Same with the floors. wow.  

[casc27 113]

First, I have and continue to really enjoy this project. And I am glad to see that Leo has obviously managed to collect the $$ needed to continue at a very high level. (The meager contribution I was able to make would not buy a single one of those bronze bits.)

Second, best looking bilge jewelry I have ever seen. We will definitely need pictures after she has been at sea for a couple of years! 

[climenuts 124]

I was really impressed by this episode. Very excited to see the planking start. I would assume the cost of getting such a great polish on these floors and knees is a calculated one at this point. At first he seemed a bit annoyed about the polishing but I assume he's getting references to the shiny bits with the donations and they're going to keep up the bling factor as a result.

I've never donated to any youtuber but I'm thinking I might drop a couple bucks a month to see this project through. Would love to sail my boat down there and have a look at this thing when it's finished.

[IStream 2,235]

As has been mentioned, once you've gotten the part ground to fit and then sanded to get the sharp edges and corners off, it's not much more work to get it to shiny and it helps keep corrosion at bay. However, having gone to the trouble I'm surprised he's not lacquering them before installation to keep them that way. It's cheap and easy to do, holds up well, and can be re-done when needed without much effort. 

[MauiPunter 669]

1 hour ago, IStream said:

As has been mentioned, once you've gotten the part ground to fit and then sanded to get the sharp edges and corners off, it's not much more work to get it to shiny and it helps keep corrosion at bay. However, having gone to the trouble I'm surprised he's not lacquering them before installation to keep them that way. It's cheap and easy to do, holds up well, and can be re-done when needed without much effort. 

Maybe comment on his video.  He does read them.  It's a good idea.

 

[IStream 2,235]

Yeah, I don't do that because YouTube doesn't allow anonymous comments. Also, with all the floors installed, it's probably too late anyway. 

[OPAL 186]

Final lodging knee cast, not with a bit of fire & chaos. Money in the bank!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iJE0CP1uUI

[t.rex 81]

EPISODE 83. We have finished casting! In this episode, the final lodging knee is cast by Daniel - his first time pouring the molten bronze, and not without a little bit of fire & chaos! After a celebration, we work on installing the last of the bronze floors, planing the planking stock, and riveting the first lodging knee into the deck frame of the boat. Backtrack, like the rest of us, is unimpressed with yet more grinding.

[Mid 2,839]

13 hours ago, t.rex said:

EPISODE 83

Future Owners ..... 

[alphafb552 369]

13 minutes ago, Mid said:

Future Owners ..... 

I think Leo is just being realistic in his prospects of keeping ownership of Tally Ho long term. Once the build is done, the youtube/patreon income will inevitably start declining - since I don't think either he or his girlfriend are the types to start emulating La Vagabonde...

So I think he'll spend a some time sailing her back to the UK, then set up his own yard somewhere and put Tally Ho on the market. She should help him to raise a nice starting capital.

On the other hand, I may be wrong and he is thinking about the future owners, oh, maybe 60 years from now! 

[IStream 2,235]

He's clearly taking the long view. Tally Ho is 110 years old and the work he's doing could easily buy her another 110. Unless he's a lot younger than he looks and unless medical science takes some pretty big leaps in the next few decades, there will be a future owner whether or not he ever sells her.

[t.rex 81]

 

EPISODE 84. At long last all the bronze hanging knees, lodging knees, breasthooks and floors are fastened into the boat! In this video we show the final parts of the process, including some welding of the most unusually shaped knees. We also do some more preparation for planking - planing more of the huge boards and finishing the line-out. In other news, Backtrack gets some slick threads, and Pancho shows a hint of halloween evil…

[t.rex 81]

 

 

EPISODE 85. After a much-needed week off, we head back into the yard and begin the next stage of the rebuild - making and fitting planks! The last stages of the lining-out are completed first, and then templates are made and transferred to the wide boards of Wana that make up our planking stock. After the planks are cut they get various bevels before being hung and fastened to the boat! Meanwhile all the planking marks are transferred to the other side of the boat, the knees get one last polish, and we mill up some Purpleheart to be used for Butt Blocks.

 

[SeattleB 29]

He did mention on one of the videos several months ago that he wont have a tracker on the boat.  I bet good money he will disappear with it for a few years, only an occasional spotting.

[IStream 2,235]

We'll see about that. He's built up quick a revenue stream and it'll be difficult to give that up. I wouldn't be at all surprised if The Sampson Boat Company channel morphs into Adventures with Tally Ho.

[Mark Set 200]

I imagine he will sail it for a year or two to some events and shows, then sell it to start a new project. The boat will be worth at least a million bucks, cash in his pocket.

[Antoine31 13]

$1 million would be a great bargain.  More like $4 million.  Those shiny knees got to be worth $1 million alone. 

[IStream 2,235]

Since when is the price of a boat related to the cost of the hardware put into her?

[Mid 2,839]

Perfectionist . 

In the good way

[sledracr 555]

Random Q:

At some point, Leo posted a hi-res photo of the boat when all the frames were done.... and I can't remember if it was here, or on the blog, or on his FB page, or... somewhere else.

Anyone remember seeing it and have a pointer?

[Antoine31 13]

6 hours ago, IStream said:

Since when is the price of a boat related to the cost of the hardware put into her?

"massive Effort" costs money. 

[casc27 113]

I have no idea what Leo &co. will get up to when the build is done but I do know I'll miss the videos and following the project.

[sledracr 555]

On 4/19/2020 at 4:24 PM, SloopJohnB said:

Leo is buggered as he couldn't go back at night and redo the joint.

I'm just catching up.  I wonder if that beam "just happened" to be one of the beams replaced in episode 72 .... I bet it was 

No way he could have missed that gap when he edited the video, and I bet it would have bugged him forever.

[sledracr 555]

Two random observations, after a lazy day catching up on the Tally Ho progress

• While it's amazing to think of the costs going into the project ($11k just for the raw material that went into floors and knees, etc)... It's kinda mind-numbing to think of all the costs that don't actually go into the boat.  Like all that dimensional lumber used for bracing, stairs, work-surfaces, etc).  It occurred to me today that just the collection of clamps he has available probably represents more $$$ than what I paid for my boat.  <O_O>
   
• And... jeez, Leo is not just an artist and craftsman, he's really a perfectionist in all the other aspects of the things he does.  I mean, even in the middle of a work-day with volunteers the work area is neat and clean.  You never see piles of sawdust and shavings, it's all... tidy.  Crap, within 10 minutes in my workshop I'm ankle deep in scraps and off-cuts, with tools laying every which way on the bench.  I don't know where he finds the time to not only do the work, but keep up the work area the way he does.  That's really impressive.... it's a lot of discipline, and I wish I had it.

[t.rex 81]

 

 

 

EPISODE 86.

In this episode, we start to get the “hang” of the planking! The first quick job is to put the Stopwaters into the centreline seams - softwood dowels which will swell up and prevent water ingress. Then the first Angelique Garboard is hung, and is quickly followed by more Topside Planks and Broads. I do some ghetto-engineering to modify a rolling-bevel circular saw, which helps speed up cutting the planks out. The other guys get into the swing of riveting, with the help of a homemade “Dolly” (otherwise known as a “Bucking Iron”). We are still speeding up, but by the end of the first 2 weeks of planking we have 12 planks on the boat, which I’m pretty happy with!

[MauiPunter 669]

I love how he customizes his tools.  Very smart.  

[Amati 1,359]

On 9/6/2020 at 9:21 AM, IStream said:

To me, the beauty of Hardwick's was that they had *every* tool, no matter how obscure. I don't care about the building. It was a labyrinth and remarkable that it could hold everything but if you wanted anything that wasn't in plain view, you had to ask for help. For me, that was about 99% of the time. I was always impressed that the people who worked there knew the place like the back of their hand but I'd frankly prefer a more sensible layout. Glad to hear they're not going out of business entirely.

But Post Falls?

[IStream 2,235]

If it's good enough for Buck Knives, it's good enough for Hardwick's, I guess.

[blunderfull 443]

SV Seeker launch in August 2021 - per Doug.

Recent video details all that’s unfinished (lots) and how he’s getting down the Mississippi w/o masts hitting power lines (dodgy).   
 

House for sale.   Neighbors acclimated to large scale noisy projects.   

[Amati 1,359]

On 7/11/2020 at 11:00 AM, Rasputin22 said:

I worked as a cabinetmaker and interior joiner on boats and yachts on and off all through my life. I shared a small but well equipped woodshop with a guy who was really a mastercraftsman but was strangely quiet about his previous life before coming to the islands. He and I were both sailors as was the architect who we rented the shop from. My quiet friend had a very nicely finished 14' wooden skiff that he had built and raced in most traditional boat regattas in our area. He was always wooed by the larger boats as racing crew and I gradually got to know him better. Still he always held his cards close to his chest but I finally heard stories about when he worked for a renowned piano company. That helped explained a lot of his woodworking skills and the high standards of finish on any of his projects. I prided myself on my own efforts but sometimes took my perfection to extremes. It is sometimes hard to find just the right balance between 'git er done' efficiency and over the top obsessive/compulsive excess. 

    I had a 'helper' that I sort of got stuck with who was an old friend of the architect landlord and the residential cabinets were slated for one of the architects frequent high end Island vacation homes. My helper was a sort of California 'tree hugger' type who was even quieter than the piano builder but we all got along pretty well. I did have a issue with my helper losing sight of the end goal when I would give him work assignments. I would spray lacquer a set of cabinet doors and have him give them a light sanding to take out the orange peel before getting successive build coats. I had set up a couple of sawhorses and a sheet of plywood out underneath a nice shadetree with a beautiful view out over the South Side beaches and ocean. I had also run a long extension cord for an orbital sander to make quick work of his task. That was mostly to keep the sanding dust out of the shop where I was spraying the cabinet casework. 

     Wearing a spray hood and respirator mask I would find that when stopping for a break between spray sessions,  I would take off all the headgear and not hear any power tool sanding coming from my worker bee. He was the type of guy who would let a task or job expand to fill the time available and was content to stare out over the waters and sand by hand, stopping frequently to caress the satin finish. I swear he would spend more time stroking a panel with just his fingertips that he did actually sanding with a quarter folded sheet of 220 grit sandpaper!  I had already gone out and told him to use the dual action orbital sander and get on with the show as there were still a couple more fill coats to go. His reply was that he didn't like the noise of the little DA sander and he could much better 'feel' the highs and lows in the first coat of sanding sealer. I sort of chewed his butt out when he started some nonsense about the  'French Rub' method of getting a fine finish and he got surprisingly offended by my rude opinion of his lollygagging and he started packing up his daybag to leave.  The pianowright had heard the 'French Rub' bit and came to the fellows rescue by telling us all about the fine points of how he was once the piano finisher at Steinway and how many coats it took to get those famous deep black piano finishes. 

    I was about to give him a piece of my mind about 'French Rub' and he gave me a sly little wink as if to say, 'let me go on'. I awaited what would be next but after finishing his treatise about piano finishing he then wondered aloud at the ages old shop chastisement 'Get a move on there, it's not like we are building a Steinway!'  He said that saying got a good laugh or a groan when it was used at Steinway and Sons.

 

Tim Chupp refinishing a Steinway Grand

HAND-RUBBED FINISH

The hand-rubbed technique of piano refinishing requires the refinisher to start with a clear, gloss lacquer. Each coat of lacquer is allowed to cure and it is then sanded smooth before the next coat is applied. This process is repeated until the desired thickness is reached. The finish is then hand-polished and rubbed out to the desired sheen. The result is a completely smooth and clear finish that has no particles suspended in it to reduce the clarity.

The hand-rubbed style of finish is the technique that the Steinway & Sons factory uses and is time-tested. However, it requires much more labor and good technique due to the additional steps required. The hand rubbed finish method allows for much more control over the final look and the ability to conduct repairs in the future. This is the process we have chosen to utilize here at Chupp’s Piano Service

Are we talking hand rubbed finished (sometimes called a French finish, depends on the piano factory), meaning

-a hand holding 2000 grit (or something) sandpaper to achieve the finish, or

-Using the flesh and oils of the palm to achieve the finish?

the difference is spectacular, especially in the impression of 3D depth.

 

 

[Amati 1,359]

On 9/6/2020 at 7:02 AM, Mid said:

nah , like this

  I think the helm in 135 is trying to see the jib telltales? 

[Rasputin22 2,567]

27 minutes ago, Amati said:

Are we talking hand rubbed finished (sometimes called a French finish, depends on the piano factory), meaning

-a hand holding 2000 grit (or something) sandpaper to achieve the finish, or

-Using the flesh and oils of the palm to achieve the finish?

the difference is spectacular, especially in the impression of 3D depth.