Mo mast...

I finished rounding the mast on Sunday. Thought I'd post a few pictures. The mast currently weighs just under 11 pounds.

It's hard to see the taper in the photo above. 

The pencil line is at 14'. A step will be created here for the shrouds. The mast is 1 1/2" in diameter at the step.

These close ups show the lovely consistency of the fir when quartered. The fir sands easily, but not too easily like red cedar or pine.

I still need to fabricate a bolster for the upper block on the throat halyard.

Also, a tenon must be added at the step as an alignment key. The mast diameter is 2 1/2" at the step.

Can't wait to break out the varnish, but first I need to shape the boom and gaff...

Snow day...

The town where I live averages only 14 inches of precipitation per year and we rely on the mountain snow pack for the lion's share of water we use. Last year the snow pack was below average and this year was looking to be the same. Thankfully, we have finally received a gift from mother nature and it has been snowing off and on for three days. We've seen over 16 inches at our house and reports from the mountains have been in feet. As I write this it is coming down again. The view from my shop this AM.

I continue work on the mast, using the smooth plane. I spent some time getting the plane set up just right. It often takes a bit of fussing, but when the blade is sharp, the sole perfectly flat, and the throat properly adjusted, one can get a very clean cut, even against the grain. I've had this plane for 25 years and it's my favorite.

The first task after glue up is to remove extra material, first creating an octagon, then a hexagon. I use an adjustable bevel to maintain the correct angles. This one came from my grandfather.

My approach is incremental as the hexagonal mast emerges. I check the dimensions regularly with calipers and my eye. The eye does not lie, most of the time. 

I hope to avoid using a sanding belt. The belt leaves cross grain scratches, a real pain to remove. I think most of the work can be done with the plane and a scraper. 

The mast keeps getting lighter, a good thing. I was concerned it might be difficult to manage when stepping, not so at all. Current weight is 11.5 pounds.

A birdsmouth mast...

Springtime in the Rockies can be quite fickle and this year is no exception. Sunshine and 70 degrees one day, snow and single digit temperatures the next. The old saying is; "if you don't like the weather wait 15 minutes". I took advantage of the good weather last week to prepare the mast for assembly. I'm using 8/4 fine grain quarter sawn Douglas Fir, acquired locally. The wood was a find at $7.23 per board foot in 18' lengths. I used a 16% wall thickness as the material is close grained and quite stiff with up to 30 rings per inch. The mast is 14' - 6" overall, 2 1/2" at the step, tapering to 3" at the boom, and tapering to 1 1/2" at the top. I made some fixtures to aid in assembly and keep the mast straight while the epoxy cures.

I'm following Ross Lillistone's advice on blocking, using a solid piece between the step and the partner. This piece is tapered to reduce stress where the block ends. The small block is for the top of the mast.

 I used a roller and sponge brush to apply the epoxy, making sure the inside surfaces are well covered. The assembly fixtures made it easy to align the parts while clamping. I used hose clamps and cable ties to hold everything together.

If the staves are properly machined assembly is very easy as the pieces are self aligning.

The finished product looks pretty straight and weighs about 15 pounds. Time to sharpen the jack plane and get to work...