Tapering a boat pole.

[Southern Star]

I've bought an ash pole to replace the one on the boat when I bought it, which has seen better days. I need to taper one end to a point to fit the boat hook on. I suppose I could try whittling it down with a knife, but wonder if there's a better and more accurate way to do it?

[George94]

You need a spokeshave. Not expensive on Ebay.

 

Or a wide chisel.

 

Or a belt sander.

 

Or a plane.

 

Or a rasp plane.

[bizzard]

Or an angle grinder with a stone or cutting disc on it. FAST.

[David Mack]

Or a very long wood turning lathe.

[BEngo]

Best weapon for this is a drawknife.

 

EG http://www.axminster.co.uk/flexcut-125mm-drawknife-with-sheath?gclid=CI7PgrPxhMQCFSbJtAodwDkAzw

 

 

N

[Rich]

I've bought an ash pole to replace the one on the boat when I bought it, which has seen better days. I need to taper one end to a point to fit the boat hook on. I suppose I could try whittling it down with a knife, but wonder if there's a better and more accurate way to do it?

However you produce the taper there is a tip I was given by an ex-working boatman and that is to heat the boat hook up in the fire until it is red hot and then put it onto the pole and after it has burned away the excess wood and fits snugly you plunge the pole and the hook into water. This will give you a perfect fit and char the end of the pole and thus considerably extending its life as the burned wood resists rot far more than unburnt. I have seen his advice written in connection with garden fence posts.

 

Another tip I was given by the same ex-working boatman was never refer to them as working boatmen,ex or otherwise, they were boatmen, unlike most of us who are just playing around in boats.

[Delta9]

However you produce the taper there is a tip I was given by an ex-working boatman and that is to heat the boat hook up in the fire until it is red hot and then put it onto the pole and after it has burned away the excess wood and fits snugly you plunge the pole and the hook into water. This will give you a perfect fit and char the end of the pole and thus considerably extending its life as the burned wood resists rot far more than unburnt. I have seen his advice written in connection with garden fence posts.

 

 

Similar to how they put the metal rim on wooden cart wheels.

[Murflynn]

I would use an electric plane, and cut flats on 4, then 8 sides in a taper to get the required diameter along the length.

Then finish up with a power belt sander.

[mark99]

I tapered 4 ends recently and used a rasp.

[bizzard]

A Surform would also do it quickly.

[wandering snail]

My trad woodworking OH suggests a stail engine. Apparently it's a wooden adjustable rounding tool that can produce a long tapered end. But he'd also go with the 'burning' route.

 

ps He's just admitted to using a spokeshave on ours.

Edited February 28, 2015 by wandering snail

[DHutch]

All of the above, except maybe the fire option if your hook is galv and you want to keep it that way.

 

In which case, you can still use it cold to leave witness marks on the high spots.

 

 

Daniel

[David Schweizer]

My trad woodworking OH suggests a stail engine. Apparently it's a wooden adjustable rounding tool that can produce a long tapered end. But he'd also go with the 'burning' route.

 

ps He's just admitted to using a spokeshave on ours.

 

Absolutely correct, used for centuries to taper the rungs on ladders. Two types below.

 

 

Edited February 28, 2015 by David Schweizer

[steven wilkinson]

buy a new one!

[Southern Star]

Thanks for the advice so far, my OH says she knows a furniture maker who might be able to do it for a couple of bob, he's going to pop round tomorrow to have a look. I'm sure he would do a better job than I could.

 

Here's the pole (apologies for the cat litter tray!) and the hook.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know what the history of the hook is, it looks far older than the boat, and it has 78/0 hand-scratched into the surface? I'm not even sure if was originally designed as boat equipment, or was designed for some other use and has been recycled by a previous owner.

[mark99]

Yeah but....u can buy a rasp easily and cheaply. Some of the other things you need to wait a couple of centuries until you find one to buy.

[bizzard]

If he tries burning it it could well end up living up to its name, Ash.

[Neil Smith]

Looks like brass to me so don't try and heat to red hot as it will melt first.

 

Neil.

[mickp]

Pencil sharpener.sorry wrong glasses may be small

[dor]

Looks like the sort of hook used for opening and closing high windows. The catch on the windows would have loop on catch.

[David Schweizer]

Thanks for the advice so far, my OH says she knows a furniture maker who might be able to do it for a couple of bob, he's going to pop round tomorrow to have a look. I'm sure he would do a better job than I could.

 

Here's the pole (apologies for the cat litter tray!) and the hook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know what the history of the hook is, it looks far older than the boat, and it has 78/0 hand-scratched into the surface? I'm not even sure if was originally designed as boat equipment, or was designed for some other use and has been recycled by a previous owner.

 

That head is identical to one i gave away several years ago, although it was attached to a short pole at the time. I had aquired it some years earlier, but never found it of much use except as a depth guage. I never knew who aquired it from me as it was laid against the hedge near my mooring along with some other surplus stuff, with a notice inviting other boaters to help themselves.

Edited March 1, 2015 by David Schweizer

[bizzard]

 

That head is identical to one i gave away several years ago, although it was attached to a short pole at the time. I had aquired it some years earlier, but never found it of much use except as a depth guage. I never knew who aquired it from me as it was laid against the hedge near my mooring along with some other surplus stuff, with a notice inviting other boaters to help themselves.

It also looks like the fitting fitted to the poles that were used for opening and closing those high up windows in old fashioned school which had a ring pull attached.. Or a shop keepers blind pole.

Edited March 1, 2015 by bizzard

[Southern Star]

It also looks like the fitting fitted to the poles that were used for opening and closing those high up windows in old fashioned school which had a ring pull attached..

That's what I thought it might be, except that I seem to recall that the ones from my youth had one arm pointing downwards and the other one pointing upwards.

[George94]

Heat it up, and then bend one of the two prongs until it sticks out straight ahead. Then it will be a boat hook and not a window puller.

[Tam & Di]

I can see why David threw his away. Boat poles are mostly used to pull things towards you or push things away. You'd be able to use that for the first purpose, but I can't see it being a lot of use for the second without one of the prongs being bent to point straight ahead as George94 suggests as it would likely simply slip. Whether it would actually bend is another matter though.