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NB Siskin


Steve Goddard

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Hi Steve, I really do like your style of writing and the story of the building of Siskin that will surely be a very beautiful boat.

 

How nice it must be to live in your farmers village with lots of nice helpful people around with the right equipment and/or the force to help you lifting things and finding the right tools.

 

Your time is well spend.

 

Peter.

 

Peter

 

Thanks, it is great to have friends who will help you out, and having friends with big toys is even more helpful :rolleyes: . I'm really pleased with the way Siskin is coming along and it's great to be part of the creation process :lol:. Keep watching this space theres more to come yet

 

Steve

 

Really enjoying these posts and your website - well done - wouldn't fancy doing this in the cold weather though!

 

Stuart

 

You're right about the weather. I dream of summer every day :)

 

Steve

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Another fantastic autumn day. After years and years of sitting in an office its great to be working outside on days like these ( I wonder if Ill still be saying that when its snowing http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/rolleyes.gif ). Simon is working on the top guard and Im going to get the deck lid on. First problem is that I need to get a square peg to fit in a round hole http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif and file the round holes I have drilled square so that the shoulders of the coach bolts we are using to bolt the hinges to the lid and to the brestwood fit and wont turn. What a pain http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.gif its just one of those tedious jobs with no real satisfaction involved but I guess it needs to be done. Pity its not wood I could have just popped it in the morticer and done the job in a min. After that its drilling ½ (round) holes in the deck lid for the bolts. On the last hole the drill bit snatches and quick as you like snaps into three pieces http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/mad.gif . Thats the first drill bit Ive snapped in years http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.gif . Oh well Ive got to go and pick up some more bolts anyway so I can get a replacement bit as well.

 

New drill and shiny bolts later and its time to fit the hinges. The irony of it is that the shoulders on the bolts are longer than the hinges thickness so I have to round off half the length of square shoulders so the bolts will fit in the round holes in the lid. What a palaver http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif . When I was buying the bolts I really wanted 30mm length bolts but they didnt have any but could offer 25mm or 40mm. Playing safe I got 40mm working on the assumption its easier to cut a bit off than weld a bit on. 25mm would have been ideal Ho Hum thats what cutting disks are for. With the hinges finally in place I can give the inside of the lid a couple of coats of primer and we are nearly ready to fit the lid.

 

06102010325-225x300.jpgJust to show what a wonderful day it is heres a picture looking up the arm. Theres probably more working narrowboats on this little stretch of water than anywhere else in the UK. Up towards the top of the arm there is Snipe in the foreground then Star, Barrow, Mancuria and Rufford, behind us are Capricorn, Greenock, Hyades, Lynx and a couple of other boats whos names I cant remember. Now you can understand why this is such a great place to work as you are surrounded by history and people who really do know how boats are meant to be put together properly. Magic

 

After lunch I drill the four holes in the brestwood for the hinges and with me in the inside of the pointy bit and then press-ganging Rob who is passing to hold down the bolts the lid is finally in place. It looks great and Im really chuffed as apart from doing the actual riveting I have made this from scratch. Not bad for an aging chippy http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif 07102010331-225x300.jpg. Just to give you an idea of the attention to detail Simon notices that the lid is not parallel to the foredeck as the hinges hold the fore part of the lid higher than the back so I cut a couple of 30mm lengths of ¼ bar which we weld to the underside of the lid at the back. A quick linish to get the lid sitting exactly square and level and its done. Nobody would have noticed had we not done this but a few minutes work have really made a difference. This is the philosophy I want to follow throughout the building of Siskin http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif Drill and tap a 10mm hole for the eye-bolt (which has been linished smooth of course) and it really is finished.

 

Update on the engine mount. Not good http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.gif there seems to be some slight discoloration of the primer in some of the places we had trouble before and what looks like seepage in some of the little pits in the casting, bugger. Ill let it stand for a few more days. If it doesnt get any worse then Ill top coat it. If it does get worse then I have no idea what to do next.

 

Through all of this Simon has been beavering away on the stbd top guard and come the end of the day its done. A great place to finish the week on Siskin as Simon will be working on Oberon tomorrow.

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Been another couple of those days with Simon beavering away fitting the final guards on the stbd. side and then going over and welding them top and bottom. You look at the boat at the end of the day and you cant see any difference to the start of the day but you know that youve done a lot of work. Oh well http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif 11102010333-300x225.jpg

 

its been a couple of short days for me as Ive been breaking in a new plumber. His English is a bit basic but everything seems to be no problem http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif so well see how we get on. He cant be any worse than the last two. http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif .

 

I havnt got any real big tasks to get into so take the opportunity to catch up on all the housekeeping bits that Ive not done over the last couple of weeks and clear up in the shed, clean the inside of the boat etc, etc. I take the opportunity to tweak one of the hinges on the deck lid which is not quite straight and pop some sealant under the bolts to make them totally watertight. I also go along after Simon and dress up the welds on the guards. this turns out to be an easier job than I thought as the welds are quite soft and Simon has made them so neat that there is very little work to do.12102010334-300x225.jpg At the end of the day we have a full set of guards on the boat and they are mostly completely welded. Another couple of hours should see the job done. Then we need to tackle the washers.

 

Update on the engine bearer. I had a quick look at it when I got home and it is horrible. Ill take it back to the yard tomorrow and have another go http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/mad.gif

 

 

 

Well lets get the bad news out of the way first. I took the engine mount out last night and had a look at it. What a load of crap. I cannot believe that only last week I needle gunned this down to bare metal, heated the living daylights out of it with the gas axe and gave it two coats of Zinc 182 primer and still within four days its as rusty as anything13102010335-300x225.jpg13102010336-300x225.jpg. What on earth is going on http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.gif . Im certain that I dont know and if the truth is known nobody else does either. This is a total mystery and a complete bummer. Well whatever the end solution is the first thing is to get all the paint off again. Good grief this is the THIRD time Ive stripped this bloody thing back to bare metal. First thing this primer sticks like a very sticky thing to a fluffy blanket and no matter how hard I try I cant get it back to clean metal. Off we trot round the yard to see if anyone knows of a nearby shotblaster who could clean it up. Rex tell me that hes getting a shot cabinet in and will see if he can get it delivered tomorrow. If that happens I can get it really clean so step one will be out the way. Looking at the stripped casting there is obvious rust in some of the pit marks so step two will be to get rid of this. Steve comes up with a rust remover Deox C from Bilt Hamber which he has used before with great results and looking at the specs it seems that it could just be the job so Ill order some tonight. When the casting has soaked in this for a bit and is clean Ill figure out how to ensure it is totally dry. Wife not to enamoured with prolonged use of oven to dry bits of engine so will look for alternative. Might try a sealed polybag and silica gel crystals, or back to the gas axe. After this Andy Watson (a reader of the blog) has kindly offered to donate some super dooper zinc primer used on structural steel (thanks Andy). If this lot does not work then Ill fabricate a bearer out of 10mm plate http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.gif .

 

Anyway I did get some other stuff done today as I silver soldered up all the hydraulic pipes for the gearbox oil cooler and all the fuel pipes as Im using the original cone type fittings. Ill post some pictures tomorrow when Ive fitted them. not a bad job at the end but Im a bit rusty not having done this for 30 odd years http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/rolleyes.gif . I found out too late the price that I paid for the flux. Nearly 30 quid http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.gif if anybody wants to buy a small quantity let me know http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif

 

To cap the day my estimate for the time to finish off the guards was well off. Simon has nearly 60ft of weld to do and hes working hard on it all day and gets it done just as the day ends. While hes doing this I dress the guard welds on the port side and linish off the mill scale clean up the sides and put on some two pack. At least at the end of the day we can see some progress.13102010338-300x225.jpg

 

.

Edited by Steve Goddard
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14102010342-300x225.jpgSimon moves on today from doing the guards to, well, doing the guards http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif and starts to fit the long top and bottom guards to the sides. The top one is done in a single 20′ length as it will be seen all the time and needs to be very straight. The bottom one can be made from all the leftover lengths from the bow guards. All I can think about as Simon starts to fit it is it's 20′ long = 40′ of weld to put on and clean off x 4 guards is a staggering 160′. Thats going to take some time http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.gif .

 

As all the welding (well with the exception of the washers) is now done on the fore end I can now linish off all the weld scale on the inside of the fore peak and the sides down to the end of the guards and get a wash of primer on to stop any rust forming. It is just amazing how much dust and crap seems to accumulate in the bottom of the boat and it takes me nearly an hour just to get it clean enough to start painting. Thinning down some primer so that it does not go on to thick (we've got to weld up the gas locker bottom and bulkhead 14102010339-300x225.jpgyet although the intention is that Siskin will be a gas free boat) I make a start under the foredeck. Now the effects of an over generous breakfast bap and the fumes from the paint soon start to have an effect similar to half a dozen pints of Stagger and Croak or some very strange mushrooms http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif . It ends up as 5 mins painting and 5 mins leaning on the gunwale watching the pretty colours (just joking). it's surprising how long it takes to get a wash of paint on and it's gone lunchtime before the job is guards on the outside done but as always it looks so much better for a coat of paint.

 

One of the little jobs I have been promising to do for ages is to just tidy up the welds on the lid up-stand so I can get some primer on it. As the job only takes a couple of minutes I can't understand why I have not done it before. After this I make a start on cleaning up the stbd. guards linishing off the mill scale and tidying up the welds in preparation to getting some two pack on. As Simon is working on the guards he has got the building pushed up to the fore end so it's difficult to get in to paint so I decide to take the accursed engine bearer to the shot blaster man to get step one done. As I pick it up it's amazing how much fluid is weeping out of it. The issue is really going to be how to get it dry http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.gif

 

 

 

It seems strange writing the blog on a Sunday but I've got a few mins before I go and pick up the front engine mount from Mike the blaster. His language when I spoke to him on the phone was a little colourful to say the least http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif It seems he blasted it clean and within 10mins it had gone black, so he did it again, and again, and again before he gave up. Apparently it is still black. I've had another thought, my mate Mick the mad motorbike man (MMMMMM) not to be confused with MMM the engineer has a hot-wash and degrease tank. I'll drop it round to him tomorrow and see if it will fit. That has GOT to get any oil and gunk out of the casting.

 

Anyway today was such a lovely day that I decided to go and furtle around in the garage on the engine. First little job was to fit the oil and fuel pipes I had silver soldered up earlier in the week.

17102010343-300x225.jpg17102010345-225x300.jpgThey fit pretty well and we are now getting a lot closer to the big engine start day http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif . I've drained the oil from the engine sump and from the gearbox, mounted the gearbox oil cooler, got all the pipes on for the secondary cooling from an input to the gearbox 17102010347-225x300.jpgcooler to the engine oil cooler, the the headertank/heat exchanger and finally back out (they just need a couple of brackets now). I've even got enough time to give an oil can a quick spray of Gardner grey so that it matches the engine. Nothing like colour co-ordinated accessories http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif .

 

17102010348-225x300.jpg

Back to the yard tomorrow and try and catch up on the painting I should have finished last week.

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Very nice Steve, cant beat Tent Grey, the copper pipes look better painted (in my opinion) as well

 

Charles

 

 

Charles

 

I think I may well come to agree with you when it comes around to keeping them polished :rolleyes:

 

Steve

 

Steve, I can't remember the history of this, has your mounting bracket been immersed in seawater? That's supposed to be incredibly hard to shift out of the cast metal

 

Richard

 

Richard

 

It is possible that the engine was in a salt water boat. It is certainly set up for salt water cooling with everything on the secondary side being salt resistant. It would make sense as there are a couple of other little spots which are not as bad as the engine mount but still annoying. Next big question is of course how do you solve it?

 

Steve

 

Did you ever get to the bottom of the rusting after priming?

 

I wondered if it was because the primer was porous?

 

 

The primer is certainly porous (most are) but I've been very careful to keep primed stuff really dry prior to top coating. I seem to have sorted it eventually but still no closer to understanding the cause. :wacko:

 

Steve

 

Ive only just seen this, and then spent an hour catching up on it! Definatly tea time now, but what a cracking build project.

 

 

Daniel

 

Daniel

 

Glad you enjoyed it. Lots more to come :rolleyes:

 

Steve

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<snip>

Richard

 

It is possible that the engine was in a salt water boat. It is certainly set up for salt water cooling with everything on the secondary side being salt resistant. It would make sense as there are a couple of other little spots which are not as bad as the engine mount but still annoying. Next big question is of course how do you solve it?

 

Steve

 

<snip>

 

I don't have any experience in this field, although I remember reading about it in some old engine rebuild blogs. It looks like there is some useful stuff in this article:

 

Old Marine Engine website

 

Richard

 

More: It looks like the removal of chlorides from the metal is a tricky process (part 2 of the article)

Edited by RLWP
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For those of you that have followed the blog you will remember the poor sick rabbit and my early attempts to weld. You will also remember the fact that I said that one on my goals was to do some actual welding on Siskin before we finished it well Simon raised the ante today and sets me up to weld the tops of the port guards. Out comes Frankensteins welder (see the post for 27thSeptember) and Simon leaves me to it. First good thing is I do have a set of reading glasses with me so the problem with the varifocals goes away, second thing is that it is a nice easy weld to get to. The one bad thing is that Ive over 40′ of weld to do. Oh well its good practice http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif .

 

Now it turns out I can weld as good as Simon http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif Granted I can only do it over 2″ where he can do it over 20′ and I probably take four times as long but at the end of the day Ive managed to weld both guards on, grind them down and fill in any little blow holes so there are no potential rust traps. I think even Simon was impressed http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif

 

Simon meanwhile has been tacking on the stbd. guards so guess what Ill be doing tomorrow http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif

 

At the end of the day there is just enough time and light to get a coat of two pack on the stbd. bow. Siskin is looking better all the time. Picture tomorrow when there is more light.

 

Well folks as the song goes Life got in the way. Lots of stuff had to be done so Ive not had the chance to get to the boat yard for what seems like ages, plus the fact that Simon had time off for half term as his wife is a teacher means that today is the first day of us both working for over a week.

 

28102010355-225x300.jpgLast week Simon managed to get the rivets on the stbd. side of the stem post and first thing today he started putting them on the port side. I started cleaning off all the mill scale off the new guards and cleaning them where there was some surface rust as I did not get round to painting them last week. Same old issue, each guard is over 20′ long x 4 = 80′ so it takes a bit of time which in some respects is good as Simon finishes the rivets about the same time that I finish the guards so I only need to mix up one batch of two pack. However when its all painted it really looks good.21102010352-300x225.jpg Just need to get all the rest of them on now http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif .

 

Simon cracks on with the floor of the gas locker and I start to weld up some of the bottom braces which are only tacked. Im really pleased, not only am I actually welding something which is structural but (in the main) the welds are really good with the slag just peeling off and the weld underneath a really nice silver colour. A couple are not as neat as I would like but it is definitely getting better.

 

28102010353-225x300.jpgIn the rest of the yard things have been happening. Hasty (a steam powered GJCC tug) has got her boiler and I think for the first time you can really get a feel of how different it is. I cant wait to see the engine when it goes in. However nice it is Im not sure I would like to get up at the crack of dawn to get the fire lit for a days cruising. I think Ill stick with the Gardner http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif .

 

I left the front engine mount raw to see what would happen as I still havent got round to taking it to MMMMMM, at first all looks well and in fact it looks as if the casting has settled down and it just gets a nice rusty patina. Then it goes berserk and looks like it has been in salt water for years. I think the next move is to get it to MMMMMM which I will try and do tomorrow, then get it in the Deox C and then get it as dry as I can before painting. Oh well http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.gif .

 

One thing I mentioned some time ago was that I had managed to get hold of a really nice Caledonia range. I finally got round to taking a picture17102010350-300x225.jpg http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/rolleyes.gif . This is going to look great in the back cabin especially as its a really unusual colour.

 

.

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Late start for me today as I needed to pick up my new welding glasses http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/cool.gif and then drop the front engine mount round to MMMMMM to go through his washer, small problem in that it is just too big. Oh well it was a good thought. Mick did have some suggestions about getting it cleaned at a plating works as they would have a bigger tank. On closer inspection there is a really strange effect. On the faces which have not been in contact with the air when the mount was on the engine i.e. the back faces and under the nuts show no sign of rust yet the rest of it looks as if it has been in a salt spray for ten years. Still no idea what is going on. Deox C is the next step.

 

Simon is still camped out in the bow finishing off the gas locker so I make a start on the stbd. washers01112010358-300x225.jpg. First of all the paint needs to be linished off where the washers will be welded as the MIG welder does not like paint one little bit. Then its line up the washer with the center pop I made some time ago and give it a tiny blip on the MIG to tack the washer in place. When all the washers are in place its easy to eye the lines up and make certain that they all flow nicely. Most do but I have to knock three off and adjust them to make them look right. The reality is that if you look at any old boat the rivets are not perfect but it is important to get things so that they look right.

 

With this all done a quick session with the MIG gets them all welded down. an awful lot easier now I can clearly see what Im doing. There is little or no wind (in fact it is a wonderful day weather wise) and with everything cleaned right off the welds are very clean with none of the porosity that you can get if the Argon shield gets blown away. Next is to linish them down to a nice smooth dome. 01112010359-300x225.jpgThis is not too difficult and it does not take too long (to do a single rivet) but given the number that have to be done its getting quite late in the afternoon before they are all done and of course now we are no longer on summertime its starting to get dark so the last of the painting is done in the dark by braille. This is going to be a pain so Ill sort out some lights tomorrow.

 

All in all a great day. I feel that Ive actually achieved something and have got something to see for the effort (you can see it tomorrow). I reckon theres at least a weeks worth of washering to do to finish off just the parts of the hull we have built to date so the blog might be a little repetitious this week http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif .

 

Simon meanwhile has finished off the floor of the locker and cut a drain hole. There is a lot of measuring to do to get the shape of the bulkhead and Simon decides to do it in three pieces. The first side is cut and fitted then flipped round to check the fit on the other side. The plate is not out by more than 1/8″ anywhere which is is not just amazing but a testament to how symmetrical the shell is. Finally beaten by the light we call it quits for the day and will finish the locker off tomorrow,

 

 

 

Ah I do like the smell of Xylene first thing in the morning http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif . first job this morning is to get a coat of paint on the inside of the gas locker before Simon welds the bulkhead in place. After a solvent enhanced painting experience during which I have managed to get most of the paint on the boat and only a small amount on my hat and glasses I can actually start on the main task of the day which is to finish off the rivets on the stbd. side. A quick trip to Snipe and weve got the details for the butt plates. bulkhead and knees so back to Siskin and get both sides marked up and center popped.

 

Its all a bit deja vu after this with setting the washers with tacks, making certain they are in the right place and then welding them in place. During this last stage the tool gremlins start to strike. The MIG wire feed starts to play up. The wire starts to weld itself to the nozzle which prevents the wire from feeding properly. I strip the nozzle down and clean it which alleviates the problem for a little time but it slowly gets worse. Now the sensible thing to do would have been to fit a new nozzle which is even simpler than cleaning it but Oh No not me I struggle on getting frustrated in the process.

 

Next was to linish the washers down and this is where the trouble really began. My 5″ grinder has been playing up a bit recently refusing to start. I thought it was the brushes and had cleaned them up which had solved the problem but it started again today. So clean the brushes again and it works, then it doesnt then it does huuummmm. Strip the plug and check that all is OK there, it is. So strip down the handle and check the cable entry. 02112010362-300x225.jpgThis looks a bit suspect and it looks as if one of the wire may be broken. I cut the wire back and reassemble everything and it works Alleluia. Then it doesnt bugger.. One last try and everything is still the same and as time is passing I give up on it and borrow one of Simons so I can get the job finished before it gets dark. However when they are all finished and after a coat of paint the stbd. bow is complete and it really does look great.

 

Simon in the meantime has made a start on the tug deck and has got the back cross member in place but he is having as frustrating day just like me. He isnt struggling with recalcitrant tools but with a constant stream of interruptions of one sort or another. Just as he gets going somebody comes along to chat or ask a question. Still by the end of the day weve got the rivets on, the bulkhead tacked in place and a start on the tug deck so we are making some progress.

 

 

 

 

 

I like the range, it looks great. Any luck with the rusty thing?

 

Tim

 

Don't want to spoil the surprise http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/tongue.gif . You'll have to keep reading the blog to find out http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif

 

Steve

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Well today looks like being exactly the same as yesterday with all the port side rivets to sort out. There are the forward bulkhead rivets, the knee rivets, the deck iron rivets and one set of butt plate rivets all in all a total of 70+ rivets to sort out. I reckon it takes me about 5 mins per rivet to tack it on, check its right, weld it up, linish it down and paint it so its pretty much a full days work and thats if I dont mess any of them up icon_smile.gif .

 

03112010364-300x225.jpgMy start is delayed a bit as Simon has taken residence up in the gas locker. He must like it in there as he is spending a lot of time inside :laugh: The reason Im delayed is that the first time I wallop the center punch to mark out the rivet positions Simon shoots out of the lid as the effect inside the locker is like being in a bell with somebody ringing it. In deference to Simons hearing (and sanity) I wait until he has finished the seam welds before I get on.

 

For those of you who may be interested (or even if you are not) here is a picutre of some rivets in different stages of completion.03112010365-300x225.jpg Can you tell which is which :smile:

 

I plod on with the rivets coming to hate with a passion the ones on the butt plate as they are so close to the guards that it is really difficult to get the grinder in ( I now have a nice new Bosch grinder just dont tell the wife). But in a strange way the repetition is quite nice and I am getting better at the whole process so its OK.

 

Mark (who also works at the yard) recently bought Carnaby at the BW auction and has brought it to the yard to get it in the dry dock to have a quick look under the waterline. Carnaby draws a lot of water for a small boat so its a bit of a struggle to get her into the dock. In the process Mark slips and falls into the cut. Suggestions that he does it again so I can get a picture are not well received. I like Carnaby, although she needs some real TLC she is an honest working boat with character. I know Mark likes her as well.

 

04112010366-300x225.jpgWhile Im riveted (excuse the pun) to my task Simon has made a start on the Tug deck cants, cutting out the drains and fitting the cant sides. With the back in place you get a good idea of the eventual size the deck will be.

 

 

 

Today is Sunday but this post starts on Thursday. Its an age thing :blush:

The day starts with the obligatory solvent abuse as I get another coat of red oxide on the underneath of the gas locker as Simon is going to be working on the tug deck and that will only make it more difficult to get in to paint.04112010367-300x225.jpg

 

Simon makes a start on the tug deck getting the plate out and marking it up ready to cut . A quick flash with the plasma and the plate is ready. Simon marks up the position of the grooves which will simulate the planks and cuts shallow grooves with the 9″ angle grinder and a thin cutting disk which is really quite tricky to do without mucking it up. Simon then cuts three lengths of T section which will be the beams and gets them curved up on the fly press so that they match the curve of the deck beam. Its then a reasonably simple job to weld one end to the plates, cramp the plate and beam together at the other end and weld them u. Hey presto one upside04112010369-300x225.jpg down tug deck ready to be fitted.

 

While Simon has been working away on the tug deck Ive made a start marking out the positions of the rivets along the side of Siskin. The deck angle rivets are quite simple as they are a set distance apart and it really doesnt matter how long the boat is. The knees are a bit more difficult. A quick visit to Snipe gives the distance between the knees as 3 foot (ish) as it depends which pair of knees you measure between. For ease I decide on 3 foot centers with the first knee set back 3 foot from the front bulkhead. In theory I should be able to set the knees at 3 foot and the last one should be 3 foot from the front engine room bulkhead. Yeah right. Surprise surprise however. The last knee is just ½ out which is easy to deal with :laugh: great stuff. I mark out the second side and am a bit disappointed because the last knee is 1½ out so Ive lost an inch somewhere. A quick check shows that there may be some cumulative error over the 30 odd feet but I cant find it. Simon and I spend a half an hour trying to find the elusive inch and finally track it down to three separate issues. 1: I do have some cumulative errors in my measurements probably in the region of 3/8 inch. 2: There is then another 3/8 inch difference in the length of the sides. This is not a problem as it will get sorted out when we fit the counter, trouble is we used the end of the sheets as on reference point which explains it. 3: The last ¼ inch is a difference in the measurement from the deck beam to the first butt joint. Having sorted that out (not that you would ever see the difference anyway as you cant see both sides of the boat at the same time but we do want it right) I mark up the knees. The butt plates are on 12 foot centers and they dont work quite as well so we decide to make the last plate smaller as this will look better. With all of this sorted out I can finish marking out and center pop the positions.

 

At the end of the day Simon has a nice tug deck sorted and in position on the boat. I have a handful of lines and a few center punch marks. Oh well

 

Sunday Time to try and sort out the engine mount.07112010371-300x225.jpg You can see from the picture just how much it has corroded in three weeks since it was shotblasted. Un bloody believable

 

Well Ive been trying to find a suitable tray to soak it in with no success so Ive decided to make one. its actually nice to be in the shop and working with timber, even if it is some secondhand ply from an old packing case and some ¾ x 1¼ from Homebase which is without a doubt the crappiest wood I have ever had but it was all I could get on a Sunday.

 

07112010373-300x225.jpgI knock up a quick box and line it with some heavy gauge polythene. Super A quick check that the engine mount fits. it does. A quick fill with some water to see how much Deox C I need to mix up and disaster it leaks. There must be some pin holes in the plastic but you cant see where. Rather than faff around I move on to Plan B. I have some rigid plastic sheet which I cut up and line the box with. 07112010375-300x225.jpgA generous dollop of silicon round the joints (quantity not visual quality of joint is the aim here) and hopefully Ive got a sealed box. Well have to wait until the silicon cures before we can try it. Hopefully tomorrow well get the mount into soak.

 

 

 

Very short day today spent all morning waiting for a guy to come and look at the boiler at home, he came, he fiddled, he went and by the way he failed to fix the problem as well. By the time I got to the yard it was past lunch oh well..

 

Simon had been beavering away all morning and had got the tug deck in place and tacked up. 09112010377-225x300.jpgWhile Simon was working away welding the seams up I finish off marking out the deck beam rivets on the port side. There seem to be hundreds of them. Its going to be a long job sorting them out that is for certain.

 

A quick coat of primer on the tug deck where it has been linished off and Ive just about done as much as I can at the yard as the light has gone and its blowing a gale so I head off home to sort out the engine mount.

 

As I need to keep the mount inside in the warm I really do need to make certain that there are no leaks or Chris is really not going to be happy. One of my heavy duty polybags off the dust extractor is sacrificed to put a full polybag around the outside so if the inside lining I have made leaks slightly (which I hope it wont) then is should not end up all over the floor.

 

With the Deox mixed up and poured over the mount I hope that the last chapter in this saga has started and it will soon be over.09112010379-300x225.jpg The good news is that the box does not seem to leak. Hooray http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif . There is no bad news at this moment in time so lets keep our fingers crossed. An hour after putting the mount in the solution there are signs that it is working with bubbles coming up and a distinct lightening of some of the rust.

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Hi Steve. Seeing that you are using Deox C on your casting, did you have a look at the links I posted. Deox C is for the removal of oxides, where the article suggests that the problem with seawater soaked castings is chlorides. There is a different process for shifting these.

 

Richard

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Blimey what a cold day it was today. Five layers on and still it felt cold. Heaven help us when winter comes http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif .

 

Simon was finishing off the welding on the tug deck and I started sorting out the remaining rivets on the port side. 28′ of deck angle, 2 x butt plates and about eight knees all in all over 160 rivets. Despite the fact that it was a bit windy at times I managed to get all the washers on with only one with a welding issue. Even better still they all passed the Simon test for alignment and not a single one had to be repositioned woo hoo http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif

 

The amount of time taken however to get this lot linished up is quite long and as soon as Simon has finished the tug deck he starts on the other end of the rivets but by the time we have finished its late and I end up putting the paint on in the dark so its no pictures again today :mad:http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/mad.gif . However the rivets really have transformed the side of Siskin and rather than a rather bland flat side it now really does look the biz. Will get pictures in the daylight.

 

Quick update on the engine mount. It has been bubbling away in the Deox C now for 24 hours. It is now looking a nice consistent dark grey but it is still bubbling so Ill leave it till tomorrow.

 

 

 

OK its Sunday and actually quite a lot has happened since the last post. I couldnt get to the yard on Thursday so Simon tackled linishing off the tug deck seams and getting a coat of paint on. 12112010384-300x225.jpgWhen he had finished the end result was marvellous and I think we can actually say that the front of the boat is now finished. I still stand back from time to time and look at the lines of the bow and think just how subtle and right they are http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif . I love it.

 

On Friday morning I looked at the engine mount. there was still some bubbling but the Deox C had gone quite black so I thought that it was worth getting it out and seeing if we had fixed the problem. I hauled the mount out of the solution, washed it down well with water and scrubbed it with a stiff brush. It actually looked quite decent and a nice even dark grey colour. 12112010380-300x225.jpg I took it into the workshop, put the heater on full blast to get the place warm and then tackled the mount with a hot air gun. Its quite amazing how much heat you can get out of one of those, enough to make the casting steam for certain. Lots of heat later and I am certain that the casting is as dry as I am ever likely to get it. More than can be said for me as by now the workshop is like an oven and Im sweating like a pig. A final brush over with a wire brush to really get it clean and then its time for paint. Ive decide to do a belt and braces approach first of all to put a wash of two pack epoxy to try and seal the casting and then to put a coat of the Zinc rich primer that Andy gave us. With the 2 pack on Ill leave it till Sunday so it has really cured.

 

Saturday sees me at the yard trying to catch up a bit. Its really a nice day, a bit cold but sunny and providing you are in the sun and out of the wind it is really pleasant. Im back on rivet patrol starting to put the deck angle rivets on the stbd. side. Theres 60 + down to the second butt plate so thats enough for one day as the grandkids are visiting today to see the boat for the first time and I need so time to show them round not just Siskin but some of the other boats in the yard and up the arm. 12112010383-300x225.jpgAt the end of the day the rivets are finished and primed. Its really difficult taking pictures of the rivets as they dont stand out that well howver heres the best try, and before anyone points it out yes this is the port side. They show up better.

 

Sunday and out to the workshop first thing to put the heating on so that I can get a little bit if heat into the shop and the mount. After a couple of hours things have warmed up nicely and its time to get some zinc primer on. Blimey what is this stuff? it must be 90% zinc as it weighs a ton and is rather like spreading golden syrup rather than painting. It also offers an enhanced solvent experience in the confined, warm shop environment. Im still trying to figure out how to comply with the warnings on the tin about not inhaling the fumes. Should I hold my breath for as long as it takes to paint the mount, should I rush outside every time I need to breath or what? 14112010386-300x225.jpgHowever the end result is worth it. It really does look as if (fingers crossed) this will have sorted the problem. The zinc primer dries to a really even texture and looks the business. I think putting the wash on first was the right thing to do as I think it has improved the coverage of the zinc by sealing some of the surface imperfections. We will just have to wait for a few days now to see if it really has worked.

 

With the pessimistic hat on, if its rusted by Wednesday Ill take it to the yard as the shot blast man is in to do a boat, get it blasted clean again and then down to the platers. I will beat this thing http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Short day today as Simon had some stuff to do in the morning and I needed to catch up so in consequence we did not get going until after lunch. The weather however was really nice. Despite the temperature being around 5°c it actually felt quite warm. In fact I even peeled one layer off as it was so hot.

 

I started marking out the final lot of rivets on the stbd. side (the knees). Is there no end to these infernal things? Yes at least for the moment. At least today with the building rolled back you can see the results of the efforts a bit better.15112010387-300x225.jpg

 

Simon started clearing the back end of the base plate so we can layout the stern of Siskin. All of the steel was stacked up on the plate and needed to be shifted. Pity the forklift is not working http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif so Simon popped up the yard and borrowed somebody elses. Its nice to have friends http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif .

 

15112010389-300x225.jpg

 

With the backend cleared you get a much better idea of how long Siskin will be ( I know shes 57′ but you know what I mean). We need to level off the shell again as we put a bit of a fall on it before to help drain the water out. A bottle jack under the stem post, a long level and some packing soon has everything spot on, level stem to stern, port to stbd., and no wind in the shell. Pity by this time that the light has gone and its too dark to set up the stern so we pack up and tidy up. While we are standing discussing tomorrows plan Simon sees an amazing meteorite coming down. It is definitely the brightest I have ever seen. Tomorrow will see us setting out the counter and just for a change I may sort out a few rivets.

 

Engine mount update. Looking good, fingers crossed

 

16112010392-300x225.jpgBy heck as like, it were bloody cold this morning. Siskin was covered in a layer of frost. It looked really pretty. Temptation to lick it and spend the rest of the day with the tongue stuck to the shell was avoided http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif .

 

First job was to clear and clean the base plate at the stern so that the shape of the sides could be marked out. This involved me shovelling up bucket loads of leaves and Simon washing down the base plate to get it clean. I definitely had the better job as Simons hands must have been freezing by the end of the exercise. I gave Simon a hand to get a couple of lengths of guard welded to the side of the base plate. This gives the side somewhere to sit before the bottom is bent in to match the chine on the straight bits of the side but as there is not a lot I can do after that I decide to do a new and exciting task and weld on some rivets (I think it is getting to me now wibble wibble). I thought I had done most of the ones on the stbd. side until I count up the remainder and find there is still 86 to go icon_sad.gif Oh well its worth it.

 

Simon (with a bit of help from me occasionally) gets the hull side shape laid out on the base plate and by lunch we have a shape that we are both happy with. After the bow of Siskin the curves look very broad (reminds me of the Queen song Fat Bottomed Girls) but a quick check on Oberon shows they are actually finer than Simons boat http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif . 16112010394-300x225.jpg

 

Simon pops the counter round on the base plate and tack welds it in place after he has adjusted it to the correct shape which is quite a long process to ensure that both sides are the same (all will become clear soon as to why the counter round is welded to the base plate). After this Simon braces the round with struts inside so that it cant move.

 

I in the meantime am still working on the rivets. Its clear that Im not going to get them all done today so I work down to the knee past the first butt plate. As it is getting late I decide not to paint the rivets as the paint on some of the ones I did on the port side got affected by the freezing temperatures overnight so I will wait until there is a dry spell during the day to finish them off. 16112010395-300x225.jpgTo prevent them from rusting I pop some duck tape over them for a very interesting effect. Maybe I should leave it like that :rolleyes:

Big day tomorrow, with any luck we will get the final bits of the sides lifted into place :rolleyes:

 

First part of the day is spent dodging the rain clouds trying to lift the two 5m length side plates up. We move the building backwards and forwards each time it looks as if it is going to rain. The really annoying thing is that it never really pours down. Its just enough to make you THINK that it is going to. Any way by lunch time they are both in their rough positions17112010396-300x225.jpg with the front ends sandwitched in-between two tags on the hull sides and the rear ends clamped to the braced up counter round. There is then a lot of tweaking the sides and the base-plate to get every thing square and level. Its really quite satisfying to be able to tweak a large plate of steel and move it a fraction of an inch until it is perfect.

 

With Simon on the outside of the hull and me on the inside we set the plates to the lines we have marked on the base-plate. I weld on tags and put a chisel in-between the plate and the tag to move it out to the line and Simon tacks it in place. Really its no different to how we started the bow but it still amazes me how accurate this can be. Now I know that this whole process so far seems upside down but all will become clear. I have the advantage at this moment in time that I have seen this whole thing done and know how the story ends http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/laugh.gif 17112010416-300x225.jpg

 

With both side plates up we start to mark out the lift on the stern with vertical lines at 1′ intervals marked off the base-plate. Out comes the magic book of dimensions from Simons locker and by the end of the day we have the vertical dimensions on ready to strike the line first thing tomorrow.

 

A really good day today, despite the weather we got everything (and more) done than we had plannedand the back of Siskin is rapidly taking shape.

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Today is Sunday and yet again we're actually writing the blog for Thursday. Excuse this time is going to the pub, Christmas shopping and going to the pub. :) Ah well.

 

Thursday saw marking out the stern sides profiles. This involved consulting the book of words, setting out verticals at 1′ intervals and measuring up from the base plate with appropriate 18112010417-300x225.jpgheights, adjusting for the slightly higher sides on Siksin. Then it's lots and lots of clamps so that we can get a 10mm strip on the side and smooth out the curve. At the height we have 14 clamps on the strip to make certain the curve is perfect. A quick splash of paint and a scored line and we have the first top profile sorted. Tack weld the strip into place and it's all ready to cut. After that it gets a bit technical as we work out the profile of the swim.18112010418-300x225.jpg The side of the boat soon resembles a mad professors blackboard but finally we have the curve sorted and a stick in place to allow the cut to be made. Out with the plasma and the first side is chopped. This really starts to look like a stern now.

 

The second side is a lot easier as now we have all the actual dimensions and it is simply a case of transferring them to the other side and repeating the exercise. By the end of the day we have both sides cut and the start of the internal bracing in place. Luuverly jubbly.

 

Saturday. The engine mount looks good, There is no sign of any rust showing through so I get a top coat of paint on as I want to get the mount back on the engine. Who knows what it was that cured it. It may have been the Deox C (thanks Steve), or the thinned 2 pack (thanks Simon) or the super dooper zinc (thanks Andy) but hopefully I will never have to paint the bloody thing again.

 

Sunday. Big day plan is to try and fire the engine up (hence the need to get the mount finished). That goes on first with no problems. Next little job is to mount the gearbox oil pressure gauge and fit the oil pipe I silver soldered up on Thursday with the nice shiny fitting made by MMM. Again no problems :rolleyes:. This is looking good. Seal the advance/retard lever mount is the next job. A bit fiddly but soon done :) almost ready to go.

 

Well pride cometh before a fall. After finishing the advance/retard I go to move the engine stop lever and the -ing thing is rock solid. It wasn't like that before :mad: The worst thing is that is jammed in the off position so I will never be able to start the engine :(. The next couple of hours is spent gingerly trying to free it off and I eventually manage at least to get it into the run position. As far as I can see it's that the steel has just bound to the ally mountings. Loads of WD40 and just leave it to see if that will free it off.

 

My mate Graham (MMG) has come along to help with the starting and wanders round the engine spannering all the nuts to make certain they are tight. A nearly full tin 25l of Morris oil later and we are nearly ready to go. First thing is to spin the engine over with no fuel and no compression to check we have oil pressure. yes we do in the gearbox but the engine has zero, nada, bugger all. Words of annoyance. A couple more tries just to see if we can kick start it but to no avail. Whip the top of the oil filter off and its as dry as a bone, no oil at all so we decide to "prime the pump" by filling the filter up. Another spin on the starter and the oil pressure climbs to 40 psi. That is either very impressive or the gauge I have just spent a fortune on to have reconditioned is faulty. Still we feel confident enough to move to the next step which is to get some fuel into the beast. The system bleeds out really quickly. It's nice having individual pumps so you can bleed both the high pressure and low pressure sides. Finally top up the primary cooling with water, which promptly pours out all over the ground as the drain tap is open. There are a couple of small water leaks which further tightening of jubilee clips sorts with the exception of a weep from the front plate of the water pump. It didn't look to good when I put it together. If needs be it's simple enough to sort.

 

We decide to give it a quick turn over before we start to roll the camera to record the event for posterity and bugger me it starts :) and quickly settles down into a nice even tick over. This is incredible. We decide to do a retake with the camera running (if it was good enough at Iwa Jima then it's OK in Husbands Bosworth). It starts on the button with 40+ psi oil pressure at tickover and 330psi (yes 330) in the gearbox stunning.

 

Now at this point there should be a nice little video clip here. I have every type of firewire and USB cables except the one I need to connect the video camera I have borrowed so it will have to wait till I can get hold of one.

 

 

Another major step forward :cool:

 

 

Monday at the yard was spent on all those things which take time but show no real progress at the end of the day. I got some more rivets on (total to date 560+ and counting). Simon spent the day bracing and squaring up the sides and counter. All very necessary to make lifting the counter easy. Still the day was nice :)

23112010422-300x225.jpgTuesday Every thing happened in a rush today. first thing was to get the gantry over Siskins stern. It's not quite Harland and Wolfe but it is a really useful bit of kit. With the tacks that held the counter round to the base-plate broken it was an easy job to simply lift the counter up to the final position and as everything had been set up off the counter then it simply slipped into place. Magic :)

23112010423-300x225.jpg It's soon sitting in place and a few bits of strategic box section over the joints and it's fixed. Simples.

 

Next it's back to the book of words for the correct measurements for the top and bottom cuts. Clamps, strip, hammer, tack weld, plasma cutter and the job is done. Well it sounds easy but there is a lot of adjustments to get the lines absolutely right and the day is fast running out but we are treated to an absolutely magnificent sunset. You can't really see it with a picture off a phone but I think you get the idea.23112010424-300x225.jpg All in all weather wise it has been a perfect day. With the lights out we can make the final cuts on the counter round and for the first time you can start to see the whole of Siskins lines and they are very nice indeed. 23112010425-300x225.jpg

 

A quick run of the tape over Siskins length and it is really gratifying to find that the overall length is 57′ 2″ which is only ½" over the design length.

 

As promised here is the engine start video, it takes a couple of mins to get to the good bit but I like it :)

 

http://nbsiskin.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/engine-start-final-v2.wmv

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Wednesday saw me cutting the 150 x 10mm gunwale material and a few more knees for the engine hole. Must be getting better as Simon was pleased with the end result :rolleyes:. Simon continued on setting up to get the gunwales on, bending the sides in and getting the tags in place. I decided to do a bit of house cleaning and get all the grunge and crap out of the bottom of Siskin.25112010428-300x225.jpg What a job. The amount of grinding dust you get is just incredible and of course when it get wet it goes rusty :@. Fortunatley it does not mess up the paint as it is on top but it does take a long time to sort out.

 

The weather is great when the sun is shining and it really doesn't feel that cold but when it isn't boy do you feel it. The worst thing I think is the permanently drippy nose. You feel just like an eight year old again :)

With the straight bits of the gunwales on the back of the boat is definitely a bit bulgy. You know the feeling when you try on those trousers that you haven't worn for a couple of years and you find that while they were in the wardrobe they have obviously shrunk because you never had those squidgy bits around the waist before. Well the back of the boat is just like that and bulges out alarmingly. Simon assure me its normal and will pop in when we put the curved bits of the gunwale in place but it looks an awful lot of metal to shift to me.

 

Thursday sees work starting on the back bits of the gunwales. Simon plasma cuts out the scuppers and then with a lump of plate clamped on top of the side sheets and Simon and I start playing around with the stick (a nice new one thanks to the chippies) laying out lines looking for the prefect curve. 25112010430-300x225.jpgWhen we have decided which of the several alternatives it is Simon cuts out a set of bookmarked curved gunwales while I shovel so more crap out of the bilges. However when I have finished Siskin looks as nice on the inside as the outside.

 

Time passes quickly when you are freezing to death and its soon gone cold and dark (did I mention it was coooold) as we fit the first gunwale in place. Much to my amazement it fits and there is not a mass of metal bulging out all over the place. Now you can really see the final shape of the stern and very nice it is to.

 

I know that I keep banging on about how well Siskin looks (well you would expect that I suppose) but there have been a few folk pop into the yard over the last few days who a: know their boats and b: are not normally shy in expressing and opinion good or bad. Without exception they have been impressed with Siskin's lines so I think we have got it right.

 

One last little thing Phil Speight was in the yard on Thursday and Friday signwriting Greenock. I still get a hell of a buzz watching him work, it is just amazing how easy he makes it all look. I had asked him some time ago if he would signwrite Siskin and he said he's looking forward to it so all I have to do now is get the steelwork finished, the BMC done, the outside painted and it's ready for him Should be done by Christmas then :)

29112010431-300x225.jpgAfter the cold weekend it really got hot today. I reckon it may even got as high as 0ºc :). I think we were all a bit like a really cold engine, difficult to start and ragged running.

 

Another one of those days with lots of effort and little to show at the end of it. First thing we did was to get the second curved gunwale on. Interestingly when we offered it up it was a poor fit despite it being a mirror image of the first one. We set up a stick and redid the curve and chopped about ½" off one end of the curve to get it to fit properly but when we checked it against the first one it was practically identical. We had no idea what was going on, brain freeze I reckon. Still after this little bit of adjustment it fell into place a lot easier than the first one.

 

29112010434-300x225.jpg

 

We then spent some time making certain that all the gunwales were straight. With adding all the new stuff (side plates, gunwales struts etc.) the sides were a bit wavy but a variety of tricks and tweaks got them back into line. The last thing was to trim the curved gunwales to width which brought us to the end of the day. When you put it down like this it seems as if we spent all day doing nothing but I can assure you we spent all day freezing :):

Tomorrow may be even colder brrrrrrrrrr..

 

 

 

The brass monkeys have all sensibly packed up and buggered off somewhere warm before testicular catastrophe occurs. It's even colder today if that's possible.30112010437-300x225.jpg The curved gunwales are finished so we have deck up to the back cabin beam :). I've spent so long looking at the 150mm wide gunwales on the straight part of the hull the 4″ curved gunwales look really narrow but they are fine.

 

We really need to do something today which is not to taxing on the brain as the cold really does slow down the old (and I use that word advisedly :) brain box so we decide to tackle the swim. First job is to cut the sides back to the start of the top swim and then grind a line part through the sides to help with the transition. The same needs to be done at the level of the chine at the front of the sheet. All that remains to be done then is to remove the tacks holding the sides to the base plate and the swim starts to take shape.30112010438-300x225.jpg

 

I tidy up a bit of 60 x 15mm strip left over from the stem post which will form the stern post and give it a lick of primer to stop it from rusting till it is finished welded. Simon welds a couple of eyes onto the swim plates and we simply haul them up using the gantry. It never ceases to amaze me how smoothly the curves form when you get it all right. 30112010441-300x225.jpgThen it's back to tags, chisels, acrd's and other assorted paraphernalia to get the port side swim sorted out into a nice shaped curve. By the time we are getting to the end of this it is dark again and has got so cold that if you step on a piece of steel on the ground your boots freeze to it :( so discretion is the better part of valour and we pack in for the night.

 

Just to show how cold it is earlier in the day Capricorn needed to be boated up the arm, turned and brought back down. The ice on the cut is now well over one inch thick and it took well over an hour to move a couple of hundred yards.30112010440-300x225.jpg I really wonder how cold it would be if we didn't suffer from global warming :)

Edited by Steve Goddard
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We're fast catching up with the posts now. These are from December :blush:

 

Wednesday. If at all possible its colder than yesterday01122010443-300x225.jpg and to add insult to injury it snows all bloody day long. It is absolutely brutal as the wind just blows the snow onto you wherever you are. We soldier on as best we can but we both find it hard work. We cant even sweep the snow off the boat easily as 01122010442-225x300.jpgthe broom has frozen solid to the base plate :)

 

We continue bringing the swim plates in, lining the bottoms up with the swim shape which was marked on the base plate when we laid it. Its me on the inside of the boat, Simon on the outside each of us welding tags on and using wedges and chisels to nudge it into position. As always Im amazed

 

a: at how easy it is if you do it this way and

 

b: what wonderful shapes plate steel will take with very little effort.

 

At the end of the day we have:

 

2 frozen boat builders :(

 

1 frozen broom (still)

 

1 frozen boat complete with snow and two swim plates in position

 

01122010444-300x225.jpg

 

 

 

Its a bit better today. Not a great deal but a little bit. Both Simon and I are not top of the world, I guess yesterday was worse that we thought. Still just need to get on with it. First job is measuring out and marking up the gussets to fill the gap between the swim plates and base plate. Its pretty simple, mark out 8″ intervals along the bottom of the swim plate, measure down to the base plate, transfer the measurements to a piece of steel plate, mark it up, plasma cut it and fit it. No problem. :rolleyes:

 

02122010446-300x225.jpgActually despite the cold every bit fits well first time. There were a couple of cases however where the dimension we read was not the dimension we called out which lead to much amusement on our part. Such is the effect of cold I guess. Again it works quite well as I can be on the inside of the boat while Simon is on the outside (or vice versa) which saves an awful lot of climbing over the gunwales as there is no other way into the boat now. 02122010447-300x225.jpg

 

A quick repeat on the other side and we now have the final swim shape (will still need triming at the top and seam welding). With a bottom swim length of 146″ and a top swim length of 9′ the swim is really fine. I think Siskin will be a well behaved boat.

 

 

 

Its Sunday so this is Wednesdays post :).

 

Didnt get to the yard on Tuesday but Simon beavered on and when I arrived Wednesday morning the back deck had been trimmed back to the cants and the cant up-stands had been fitted. The remaining deck plate had been lined for the planks, the stern post cut to length and the sole plate had cut out. Wonderful. :)

 

08122010457-300x225.jpgThe first issue is that the plate that the sole plate was cut out from was absolutely dead flat. Just when you want a bit of bend on a plate to help you get it in place it isnt there. Ho hum. We get the plate on the (now repaired) forklift and position it under the fly press. Simon gives it some welly but it really makes little impression so we both get onto the press and manage to get a bit of a curve in the plate. Bit of grunting and groaning, judicious use of the gantry and a toe jack not to mention a couple of sledgehammers (one large and one small) and the sole plate slips into place.08122010459-300x225.jpg

 

A quick touch with the plasma torch and the plate settles into a really nice dish. Getting the plate tacked to the counter round is really a one man job so while Simon gets on with that I make a start on the weed-hatch. Some 6mm plate and the plasma and we soon have the sides. These are tacked up with the MIG and used to mark out the top flange which I cut out of some more 6mm plate. Still not trusting my welding on bits of the boat which are necessary to keep it afloat Dave seam welds the hatch up (both sides of the plate of course).

 

08122010461-225x300.jpg The end result of a couple of hours work is quite pleasing. Its square and the right size so all I have to do is linish it up, fit the top and make the clamp and its ready to go.

 

I pop back and help Simon who has moved on from the sole plate and is starting on the port Uxter plate. These are a lot easier to fit as they are small and straight so by the end of the days weve got the first one in :) brilliant.

 

Thursday and Im Moby Dick so spend the day feeling sorry for myself rather than at the yard, bummer it was a warm day as well :)

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Well I must be ill more often. Simon has finished off all the Uxter plates, trimmed the sole plate and generally removed all the bracing from the back of the boat. A couple of quick beads of silicon on the seams and Siskin would float :)

 

13122010462-300x225.jpgSimon starts off marking up the position for the rudder tube. Same old process, white spray paint and a scored line gets a permanent crisp line to work to. A nifty trick here is because the rudder tube is on an angle the shape is actually an ellipse. Offset the center of the circle by 1/8″ and draw another circle and for all intents and purposes you have an ellipse. Neat huh. I make a start on grinding back the sole plate to be flush with the counter round. It's not a nice job, there is a lot of metal to grind off and for me it's just at the wrong height making it uncomfortable. After a little while Simon has cut the holes in the deck and sole plate for the rudder tube, cut the tube to length and made sure it fits the holes. 13122010464-225x300.jpgHe then takes pity on me (or so I think) and offers to finish off the grinding and let me clean up and paint the rudder tube. The outside is no problem but getting the inside clean is not easy. I can now confirm you can get your arm stuck in a 4″ tube if you try :rolleyes:. Still after a bit I've got the outside linished clean of mill scale and the inside wire brushed and hand sanded down. A quick coat of 2 pack on the outside (leaving the ends clean for welding) and a couple of coats on the inside (courtesy of a long handled radiator brush I just happened to have in my tool bag ) and it's ready to go in.

 

Simon in the meantime has finished the grinding, vee'd the weld line and started the seam weld between the counter round and the sole plate. not a lot I can do to help him there so I start to make 3 sets of knees that go above the swim. These are all slightly different so it's a case on making each one to fit. Cutting the blanks from 50 x 6 mm strip is no problem and I am definitely getting a lot more accurate with the plasma. it's then a case of bending each one to fit snugly to the hull side. No problem except to bend them I need the fly press which of course is outside the boat, so each time it's climb out of the boat, bend the knee, climb into the boat, check the knee, climb out of the boat adjust the knee, climb into the boat, check the knee, repeat until knee fits. I don't know about the knee fitting but I should be fit by the end of this build for certain :rolleyes:

 

While I'm finishing off the knees Simon finishes off the deck plate. He's already ground in the lines which represent the planks but he just needs to put in the nail heads. I suggested countersunk, slot headed brass screws braised in which was not greeted with the enthusiasm I expected so nails it is. Of course by now it's dark so I can't get decent pictures on my phone so I will have to wait till tomorrow.

 

It's a bit late to fit the deck so we quickly mark up and plasma out the weed hatch hole in the sole plate. Again pictures tomorrow.

 

You will note not a word about the weather today. By recent standards it was positively tropical, we had standing water rather than standing ice in the bottom of Siskin all day. Hope it stays like this but I doubt it.

 

 

 

Slow start today. Simon had to go and organise all the hardware for the stern of Siskin and Oberon. Rudder shafts, bearings, rams heads etc. I had to fit new brake shoes on the back of my daughters car as the friction material parted company with the shoes over the weekend. Not bad considering that it's am 02 car and still on the original shoes. Problem is I have to do it outside as some ejit has left a bloody great Gardner engine in the garage (ah that would be me). It's cold and it's wet and I'm not a happy bunny. The shoes have a total of 6 springs on them and as always they are the very devil to get on (grumble, mumble, wee swearie, groan, big swearie). End result is it mid day before I get to the yard.

 

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Simon in the meantime, unencumbered by frictional duties has popped the rear deck in place. You can now walk around the whole of Siskin (if your balance is really really good).

 

Simon carries on in the back of the boat, working on the stbd. gunwale which is just proving to be an absolute right royal pain in the bum. It simply does not want to sit right. I in the meantime start work on the clamps for the weedhatch.

 

These are made out of 100 x 10mm plate with a complicated little cutout for the locking beam. I'm not really looking forward to doing this as my skills with the plasma on thick stuff are not particularly good and I can foresee a lot of hand filing to get the things looking decent.14122010471-225x300.jpg However I surprise myself :). The clamp on the left has had a few mins work with a file to square off the corners and the one on the right is straight off the plasma, blimey.

 

The clamps are then cut and bent to fit round the weedhatch, When I ask Simon to weld them on he says "well you can weld can't you?". Strange windy noises issue from my nether regions. I can just see the headlines "Weld failure on narrowboat weed hatch causes boat to sink :blush:" Oh well just better make certain the insurance is up to date :rolleyes:

A little while later the clamps are on, the welds have been welded, dressed, re-welded where I'm not happy, dressed etc until I'm as certain as I can be they are OK14122010474-300x225.jpg. Providing my welds hold these will never break thats for certain. I'll finish it off tomorrow with the hatch and the locking beam.

 

Simon has finally beaten the gunwale into submission, has fitted all the knees over the swim that I had made and welded round one of the Uxter plates. Shows how slow I am when I'm working in steel. Still I reckon I could cut a dovetail quicker than he could :rolleyes:

 

Simon is moving onto the engine room bulkheads today, so that's the type of task where I'm better off elsewhere. While Simon is working on that I cut out the top plate of the weed-hatch, cut a length of 50 x 25 mm channel for the clamp beam, drill a hole in the middle, weld a 20mm nut underneath, cut a length of 20mm stud and weld a T handle on. Voila the top of the hatch is finished, just the bottom plate and spacer to sort out. It does not sound to much when you write it down like this but it's actually enough to keep me furtling around till lunch time. I can't do the bottom plate yet as that needs to be dished to match the sole plate and access to the back of the boat is a bit restricted as Dave is working on Siskin today (Hasty has reached a point where some design decisions need to be made before more work can carry on).

 

After lunch I have to put my thinking cap on. Simon and I had discussed the positioning of tanks. Originally we were going to go for two welded in fuels tanks either side of the engine. I then started getting worried about where the black water tank could go and we changed that to two shortened drop in tanks with the black water tank across the engine hole at the front of the engine which is a lot better for trim purposes. How ever when I looked at it the available space did not look to good and a back of a fag packet calculation (well mobile phone really ) it showed that the size of the black water tank would not be sufficient to cope with the aftermath of a good curry night so a plan B was needed. I shot home and measured up the engine bearers to make certain we had all the correct sizes and with this in place an executive decision was made to place the black water tank under the back cabin floor. This will make maintaining the trim a little more difficult but at least it should give us the opportunity to go a reasonable amount of time between pump outs.

 

Dave had been welding like crazy and by the end of the afternoon had the bulk of the seam welding done on the swim, counter, uxter plates and sole plate. It makes a real difference when you have two people working on the boat who know what they are doing. rather than one and a half when Simon and I are on it (Simon is the one by the way :rolleyes:). You actually get twice as much done and psychologically the boat seems to move forward that much quicker.

 

Simon has got both bulkhead bottoms in place for the engine room. It's amazing how putting them there suddenly deliniates the parts of the boat as the size of the back cabin, the engine hole and the fore cabin all become clear I wonder if I should stretch the boat by 5 feet :blush: (only joking Simon :) )

 

As the back deck is now finished it will soon be time for the dollies. If you remember we had all sorts of cracking problems when we initially welded them up. I'm please to say that that has now gone but I still needed to dress up the welds and fit the coach bolts in the corner of the plates. By the end of the day the dollies are finished the bulkheads are in and primed and the back end of Siskin is looking great. Wonderful. Will try to remember to get some pictures while the light is good tomorrow.

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Simon is moving onto the engine room bulkheads today, so that's the type of task where I'm better off elsewhere :rolleyes: . While Simon is working on that I cut out the top plate of the weed-hatch, cut a length of 50 x 25 mm channel for the clamp beam, drill a hole in the middle, weld a 20mm nut underneath, cut a length of 20mm stud and weld a T handle on. Voila the top of the hatch is finished, just the bottom plate and spacer to sort out. It does not sound to much when you write it down like this but it's actually enough to keep me furtling around till lunch time. I can't do the bottom plate yet as that needs to be dished to match the sole plate and access to the back of the boat is a bit restricted as Dave is working on Siskin today (Hasty has reached a point where some design decisions need to be made before more work can carry on).

 

After lunch I have to put my thinking cap on. Simon and I had discussed the positioning of tanks. Originally we were going to go for two welded in fuels tanks either side of the engine. I then started getting worried about where the black water tank could go and we changed that to two shortened drop in tanks with the black water tank across the engine hole at the front of the engine which is a lot better for trim purposes. How ever when I looked at it the available space did not look to good and a back of a fag packet calculation (well mobile phone really :rolleyes: ) it showed that the size of the black water tank would not be sufficient to cope with the aftermath of a good curry night so a plan B was needed. I shot home and measured up the engine bearers to make certain we had all the correct sizes and with this in place an executive decision was made to place the black water tank under the back cabin floor. This will make maintaining the trim a little more difficult but at least it should give us the opportunity to go a reasonable amount of time between pump outs. :rolleyes:

 

Dave had been welding like crazy and by the end of the afternoon had the bulk of the seam welding done on the swim, counter, uxter plates and sole plate. It makes a real difference when you have two people working on the boat who know what they are doing. rather than one and a half when Simon and I are on it (Simon is the one by the way ). You actually get twice as much done and psychologically the boat seems to move forward that much quicker.

 

Simon has got both bulkhead bottoms in place for the engine room. It's amazing how putting them there suddenly deliniates the parts of the boat as the size of the back cabin, the engine hole and the fore cabin all become clear I wonder if I should stretch the boat by 5 feet :) (only joking Simon :) )

 

As the back deck is now finished it will soon be time for the dollies. If you remember we had all sorts of cracking problems when we initially welded them up. I'm please to say that that has now gone but I still needed to dress up the welds and fit the coach bolts in the corner of the plates. By the end of the day the dollies are finished the bulkheads are in and primed and the back end of Siskin is looking great. Wonderful . Will try to remember to get some pictures while the light is good tomorrow.

 

 

 

Simon and I start off the day looking at what cabin steel we need. This is not quite as simple as it sounds as it's important to get the joins in the right place in relation to hatches, portholes, bulkheads etc so that you don't get ripples in the side. Of course this means marking out along the whole length of Siskin and its raining :( . Oh well. Lots of sorting out later and we have a list of material we need. The next issue is that all of the plate we have used on the hull of Siskin has been shot-blasted and two pack primed and it has stood up to the elements magnificently. I really want to go down this route for the cabin as well as it certainly provides a wonderful base key to the metal. The only problem is you can't shot-blast thin plate as it distorts it. Normally Simon gets the plate pickled and oiled but as the weather is so bad we try to see if we can get the plate pickled and primed. Simon tries every steel supplier but to no avail so we have to look for a plan B. One of the suppliers says that they can clean and etch prime the plate which will leave the mill scale on. This looks like the best we can do at the moment.

 

Another challenge is the recessed panels. Originally the C & C boats had wooden cabins and the recessed panels were beaded with a lamb tongue moulding ( a bit like an ogee). Obviously we can't do that in steel but I really want to try and do something closer to the original than a simple bevel. :rolleyes: We look at all the alternatives including putting a wooden moulding into the panel. Rex has done this before and the end result is not totally satisfactory as steel and wood have very different expansion rates etc. In the end we decide that if we can get some 30mm convex section we can make a decent job of it. Much phoning around reveals that there is no such thing as 30 mm Convex section bugger :(

 

Over lunch we all start looking at alternatives. In the end I reckon that the only way is to cut some 40mm or 51mm Convex down to 30mm wide. Sounds simple till you realise that in total we need 80 foot of the stuff which clearly rules out doing it by hand. I give my mate Jim who runs a machine shop a ring to see if he can help. He can't but he suggests a firm that could possibly waterjet it. I give them a ring and yep they can handle stuff up to 5 m long and they could strip it down. Still waiting on a cost yet but if it's not to expensive then we're in :16122010476-300x225.jpg)

 

Dave in the meantime has steadily been welding all of the seams around the stern including the base plate, the weed hatch, the stern post etc. etc.. Now Dave is no slouch when it comes to welding but it really gives you an idea how much welding there is to do when just the back 8 foot of the hull takes two full days to weld.

 

Simon is still working in the engine hole, he's got the bulkheads in and the knees cut and the first pair in by the end of the day.16122010477-300x225.jpg

 

I in the meantime am cutting angle and plate for Dave and going around after him cleaning the welds and getting some two pack on. All of this is done with the snow pelting down and blowing through the building. Winter is back:(

 

What a wonderful start to the day. The sun was low in the sky and there was no cloud so all of the trees and frosty countryside was bathed in a golden light.

 

So much for the poetic bit now for the reality it's -10°c which is the coldest yet. Simon is not around today so Dave and I are soldiering on. First thing is to thaw out the plasma cutter as the air side has frozen then I can start to cut out the tops for the knees in the engine hole. Dave starts to measure up for the rear bulkhead sides up to the gunwales. With all this lot sorted Dave is welding them in and I make a start on the latest purchase from eBay which I picked up at the weekend. 20122010486-300x225.jpg

 

It's Siskins propeller. A quick rub over with a rotary wire brush shows that it is really good nick. Mark the guy I got it off said that it had been on his narrowboat but he changed the engine from a JP3 to a JP2 so this was surplus to requirements. He had said that it had only really ever been used on the river so there are none of the normal shopping trolley dings etc. It's a 25″ x 24″ which I reckon is about right if my gearbox is 1.98 to 1. If my gearbox is a 1.4 to 1 then Siskin is going to fly :rolleyes: . I'll have to try and determine the gearbox ratio properly over the Christmas holiday. Gives me an excuse to fire up the engine again . Simon decides to make our day by ringing Dave and telling him that he's sitting in front of the fire in his slippers with a coffee laced with a tot. You can really go off some people you know :)

After lunch Dave still has more welding to do to get the back end finished. 20122010487-e1292878263560-300x225.jpgEvery time I think it's done Dave points out another seam which needs welding. However I really think it is done now. I get on with cleaning up the tacks and crap from the inside of Siskin and decide that although it is cold it is also very dry so I'll try and get a quick lick of single pack primer on the welds and linished areas to keep them rust free. Blimey it's not so much painting as wallpapering as the paint is so cold and thick. It brings a whole new meaning to the description "high build primer". Still by the end of the day the welding is done, most of the painting is finished so all in all a good day given the conditions. The temperature has managed to get to -4°c by the time we finish for the day.

 

Engine mount update. Looked at it at the weekend and it still looks good. Finger crossed

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Well Simon is back and the 21122010488-300x225.jpgweather is still coooold Simon makes a start on trimming the baseplate and I get on with.wait for it. cleaning up all the welds and tacks. I'll spare you the suspense, I'm on it all day long and I've not finished at the end of the day :(. It really is one of those boring, tedious and basically unrewarding jobs. There are the top fold seams, the bottom fold seams, the plate joints, the uxter plates to sides, the counter round to sides and a myriad of tack welds and so on.

 

Simon trims of the base plate with the gas axe as it's easier to do than with the plasma. When he's finished Siskin has a stern, a real stern :cool: 21122010489-300x225.jpg after that Simon rips off all the strongbacks, tags and miscellaneous bits and bobs that we have welded on the sides of Siskin to keep her straight while we've fabricated the stern. At last the outside starts to look like a real boat. Simon carries on finishing off the seams where Dave couldn't weld because strongbacks were in the way and filling any small imperfections that my grinding and linishing has turned up.

 

We take a small break to look at the position of the butt straps on the side. A quick look at the original plans show one falling underneath the engine hole door post and another one 7′ 5″ back just on the start of the swim. The final one is on the counter round. We measure back 12′ from the last one on Siskins side and it falls right in the proper place just by the engine hole door post 7′ 5″ back and we're bang on the swim :). It really should come as no surprise as the difference between Siskins back end and an original C&C boat is only 1″ (Siskins back cabin is 3″ shorter but her engine hole is 2″ longer).

 

As the light fails I get a quick splash of two pack on all the raw steel so we'll be ready to rock and roll tomorrow and start on the guards

 

 

 

New stuff happening today. Simon is going to fit the bottom guard. First though he measures up the position of the butt plates and grinds the joint line in. We got caught before and had to struggle to get the line in after we had put the guards on. 22122010493-300x225.jpg It's still cold as can be seen by Dave's happy visage :).

 

While Simon is beavering away on that I make a start trying to mock up the beading around the recessed panels. you remember that the original intention was to strip down some 51mm convex section to 30 mm and use that. I drew it out full size on the CAD yesterday evening and it did not look too good. The curve on the outside of the section is quite shallow and there is very little difference between the curved section and straight strip. It hardly seems worth while trying to do it :(. Simon has some 75mm section which has been formed on the pressbrake so i cut a piece in half and tidy it up, but again it's no use as the end of the section is nearly flat. This looks as if it is going nowhere fast :(. Out of desperation I fiddle around with a bit of 40mm convex section and first impressions are that this has some potential. I quickly knock up a mock up of a corner joint (not to interested in quality just need to see if it will work) and it looks OK.22122010491-300x225.jpg A short discussion with Simon and we decide to go for it. Will I live to regret this? I hope not.

 

22122010492-300x225.jpgWe hold it up to the gunwale to see what it might look like and I think it will look pretty good when it is done properly. One thing for certain the cabin sides won't be lacking in strength given the size of the section .

 

Simon continues to work on the bottom guard and I decide to do wait for it a bit more grinding and cleaning up. There really is no end to this and as quick as I clean stuff up Simon has put more on however I think I'm catching him up.

 

At the end of the day we have the bottom guard in place, most of the welds cleaned up and the back deck cleaned and painted. Not a bad day at all.

 

 

 

At last I've finally got this blog upto date and posts are now in real time.

 

Well it's the first day of the new year. The year that will see Siskin on the cut. I'm just not telling you when :rolleyes:. One thing for certain the weather is a damn sight warmer than it was last year. Just my luck to be working outside on the boat in the coldest December for over 100 years :(.

 

Simon's working half a day on Siskin and the other half on Oberon so I grab him for the morning. We start off by striking the line for the cant angle rivets as this follows the upsweep of the cants at the stern. After this is done I can make a start on marking out and Simon finishes off the bottom guard welding and dressing the welds especially around the counter round where it will be paint rather than blacking so it needs to be really tidy.

 

I mark out the top rivet line, the butt plates, the bulkhead angles, the cabin beam supports not to mention the knees. (I said not to mention the knees Min for all the Goon show fans out there). This involves a couple of trips to check out pitches etc on Capricorn and Sculptor but it's really not that useful as not only are they different from boat to boat but there even different from side to side. At the end of the day I settle for an average of everything I've measured . By the time I've marked this lot out on the portside and cleaned up all the tack welds etc. it's time for lunch. Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself :)

 

After lunch I get some two pack and cover all the bare steel. Siskin is starting to look quite patchwork now, when all the rivets are on I think I'll have to get the first coat of blacking on to tidy things up a bit.

 

Next little job for me to do is the skeg. 030120114951-300x225.jpgIt's basically a bit of 50 x 30mm square bar but it needs some shape put into it as per the original ones. A bit of work on the fly press and the shape is starting to appear and my layers are peeling off. It's definitely a good way of getting warm and by the time I've finished I've worked up quite a sweat for the first time in weeks :rolleyes: Some reverse bends at either end and a bit of cutting and grinding and we've got a pretty nice looking skeg finished quite quickly. However it really doesn't matter how quick I can work it's still dark by the time I've finished. I pop it into place and hold it there with a bottle jack just to make certain that the shape is OK and am really pleased with it. It does look great

 

04012011502-300x225.jpg. We call it a day as the light has really faded and it is a bank holiday after all. Lots and lots to do tomorrow, in fact I'm spoilt for choice. We'll just have to see what takes my fancy.

Edited by Steve Goddard
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Great start to the day its above 0°c (Just). We cant see the eclipse of the sun :)because of the cloud but it must be happening as it seems really dark ;) . I start off marking out the rivets for the stbd. side. Just as many as yesterday. I thought that it would be easier as Id worked out all the wrinkles yesterday but perhaps the old brain wasnt quite in gear as the first set of cant angle washers seemed to take ages to sort out. Simon in the meantime had attacked the stern deck and ground and finished all the welds. Its amazing just how 04012011505-300x225.jpgmuch better that makes it seem. After that he digs out the dollies from under the stern deck and sets them out on the brestwood. They are actually handed so that when they are mounted they are vertical and not at an angle so its really important that they go on the right way. Note the temp rudder bearing. Its a pipe flange and a piece of galvanised pipe so that Simon can line up the skeg before he welds it in place simple but very effective.

 

Just to show that the weather cant be trusted it starts to snow. :(

 

I finally get all the stbd. side marked out and there is just enough time before lunch to start and weld some washers on the portside which is out of Simons way. I tack on another 50 or so which is about three feet of cant angle, a front engine room bulkhead angle and another butt plate. There still seems an awfully long way to go and this side is a lot further forward than the stbd. side :( . After lunch I weld the washers in place and start the long grind to finish them off. It takes all afternoon and I know Im a hell of a lot quicker (and better) now than when I started. Its dark by the time Ive done so I decide to pack up but before I do I do a rivet count update and the total now is 666. Is Siskin trying to tell me 04012011503-300x225.jpg

 

Simon in the meantime has been setting the skeg into position with the tube and then welds it into place. Its then a trip to the plasma and a piece of 12mm plate to cut a gusset to strengthen the skeg. When Simon has got this in place you can really see that the skeg will take a cilling without bending :rolleyes:04012011509-300x225.jpg (dark picture again because of the light will sort a better one tomorrow). The outset of this however is that the nominal draft of Siskin has now increased to a tad over 2′ 10″ but the reality of the situation is that the skeg will not cause an issue.

 

Just for a change I might put some washers on tomorrow :)

Edited by Steve Goddard
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The day started really nicely. Warm at 5°c and quite bright. Just the sort of day to get lots of things done. Simon starts straight away on the main guard around the counter round after we have dragged out all the remaining convex section and found to our relief that we have just enough to go round Phew!!!!;)

 

I get the wire brush in the grinder and clean up all the welds around the skeg and gusset, the baseplate to side weld on the stbd. side and then get the linishing disk out to finish off all the rough bits so I can get some paint on. I get the two pack sorted and start painting just as it starts to bloody rain :angry: Simon needs the building over the counter round and I’m working halfway up the boat so I get a couple of little bits of ply to keep the rain off the new paint. 05012011510-300x225.jpgIt seems to work :rolleyes: . Fortunately the majority of the paint on the baseplate weld is either sheltered by the swim or underneath the building so it looks as if it will be OK. I give Simon a hand with the guard until lunch time but then decide that I really am not adding a lot of value so decide to abandon ship and head home to catch up with some stuff there leaving poor old Simon to soldier on in the rain :rolleyes: .

 

Hopefully the weather will be a lot better tomorrow as I really do need to get on as I’m falling behind :(

 

If anybody out there is interested Simon has a build slot free the middle of the year. Either contact him direct at the yard or leave a comment on the blog and I’ll pass it on. I can definitely say if you have a boat built by Simon it will be a beauty.

 

 

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