I thought this last section would be plain sailing - rectangular area, and 8' long so most of the planks wouldn't even need cutting to length - but I should know better than to be too cocky. This last bit of decking put up a fight and took me all afternoon.
It started off hopefully enough. Once I'd cut the middle planks around the masts and nailed them in place, I measured the remaining gap across the width. It looked like I'd struck lucky and ended up with an exact multiple of plank widths. Once I started laying them out, though, I realised I had to chisel out notches along the sides to allow the side planks to snug into the ribs, and then I still had to plane 1/8" off two planks (one each side) to squeeze them in.
Planing a strip off an 8' plank isn't difficult, but it is time consuming. Anyway, I finished with a tight fit, which is good because I know from experience that they are likely to shrink a bit over time.
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9 comments:
My goodness, that is one fine looking ship. I almost have to wonder if it's sea worthy! Great job, Ian. Hope the kids enjoy it.
David, you are not the first to suggest that we might actually put to sea in it. Ali says we are all set for the next flood :-)
Lots of cosmetic touches still to do, but Megan already said that once that decking was done she didn't really care if I didn't do any more work on it. All the same, I want to finish it off nicely for my own satisfaction.
Wow, I mean, wow! I want one! Me! Me! Me! Aww, this sucks ... I wish someone I knew was making a pirate ship.
Very nice! Makes me almost wish I was a kid again... but then I'd have to find my way to your place and play quietly so I didn't get found out... and its hard to be a quiet authentic pirate without being a dead one. ;)
Hi Shannon, thanks for dropping by. I'm Ian. pleased to meet you. There...now you can say that someone you know is making a pirate ship ;-)
Jean, you are welcome to visit any time you are up in the north-west corner of the continent. I have to warn you that Megan has claimed the role of Elizabeth Swann. That leaves Angelica...or how do you think you'd suit Tia Dalma?
Wow! This is looking amazing!!
Thanks, Stella. Yes, it's shaping up nicely isn't it?
It's definatly ship-shape. Lol. I know, I know. it's a bad pun.
LOL Stella, I guess I asked for that ;-)
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