Ok………… heres the lowdown;
I listened intently to all the comments on “boat wood1”. I made a move towards western red cedar but………wow..the price. So I looked at mahogany I found that luan would do just fine and it fit my price point. Understand, these boats are bathtub boats not global circumnavigators. The problem that then confronted me was this notion that the customer had of a fabric sail. You cant get anyone to do anything for less then $100 and I am not a seamstress… I am….. ok with wood ( and I dont want to hear any guffaws on that point……….no……..its not a chippendale table but…. ). So why not make the sails from wood? I did …….1/16″ cherry for the prototype. The other request was “a place so that kids could put things in it”. Why not supply the things and a place for them that was easy to do? Keep in mind I am hoping to come in at less than $8 per unit including labor. Here is the prototype…only difference as to what was given to the customer is the whole hull is of luan ( this one has some Honduran as part of the deck) and the fact that I added a front stay of cotten string to make it look nore like a sail boat Price including labor $7………… The customer loved it and ordered 10 to start off in 2 stores here in NH and Maine. Next I showed here a simple car ………….I can turn these out at the rate of 6 /hr…she bought these too. Good day today, fellow sawdust makers.
just call me Gepetto…………….
Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
” If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy……..yessa!”
Replies
Just so you're aware: Lauan (various species of Shorea from tropical Asia) is not mahogany, although it has been sold in the past as "Philippine mahogany." The lighter-colored varieties, in particular, do not have the dimensional stability or decay resistance that true mahogany (Swietenia from the New World tropics) has. The darker-colored varieties, usually sold as "meranti," are better, but still not as good as mahogany. It probably doesn't matter too much in a toy boat, but the wood won't last if left in the water for a long time.
-Steve
Understand, these boats are bathtub boats not global circumnavigators.
NOT SO FOR THE CHILD THAT USES THEM!
yes, the tub can be The Gulf of Serendipity to a young child I suppose.Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
I suppose NOT to a child! It is REAL
I was in Rochester New York a few times!
Rochester NH is nicer...quaint...........Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
Cherryjohn,
Cute design on the boat. I'd be a little concerned about how well the sail will hold up though. Kids are notoriously rough with their toys, and a fragile, 1/16 inch "sail" of wood seems like a prime candidate for breakage - especially so near the bottom where it is tied off.
It would be a shame to go to all this work and have the boats breaking apart after only a few uses.
No suggestions as to what to use as an alternative though. Some sort of brightly-colored flexible plastic would be a good idea; a cotton fabric sail might mildew before it dried out...
Zolton
If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
That point didnt escape me. I had a piece of cherry, 1/16 in thick hanging around the shop and its what made the light come on about using a wooden sail. Using plastic is just too..........plastic for me. Ill make the sail a bit thicker on the production units and see what happens. Also I might move that back stay hole in a bit to give the sail a bit more meat around that point. If it doesnt work.....well back to the drawing board.Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
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