The longboat model having just been completed needs a stand. The model came with a base and the instructions recommended two wooden dowels for supporting the boat. A simple base will be used, but brass posts will be used to support the long boat.
A piece of basswood was included in the plans about 3/8" X 3" X 6". A similar nicely figured oak scrap, 3/8", was selected in place of the basswood. Significant energy was spent trying to use a cutter head on the table saw that can mimic an ogee router bit. A decent jig allowed cutting of the short sides, but there was no possibility of supporting the short scraps to cut the long sides. The oak had the corners rounded with a radius plane and was sanded to 220 grit. The oak was then coated with four coats of shellac, an hour of drying and sanding between each coat.
Two columnar supports were made from brass. Two approximately 2" lengths of 1/4" brass were cut from stock with a hacksaw. Both ends were faced and one was shortened to the length of the other. One end of each was center drilled for holding in a tailstock center. A taper was desired for most of the length of the column, so the headstock on the Sherline lathe was set to about 4°. In order to use a tailstock center the tailstock center offset was utilized. This setup is shown in the photo below.
The taper was cut starting about 1/4" from the end, with the cut progressively moving away from the tailstock as it got deeper. The taper was cut in passes of 0.010" until about 1/4" of uncut material was left at the chuck, this end to be eventually glued into the stand. This produced essentially a long skinny goblet.
The column was sanded with 120, 220, and 400 grit sandpaper on the lathe. The process was then repeated on the second length of brass. The two columns after sanding are shown below.
The slots, which will hold the keel, should have been cut first as the tapered columns are now a challenge to hold. I decided to attempt deforming something around the tapers in the milling vise. Two scraps of soft wood were cut and the tapers squeezed between the strips of wood. The slot was cut with a 1/8" end mill in 0.010" passes. All went well producing a 1/8" deep and wide slot. This was then repeated with the second column. The slots were cleaned up with a needle files and fit nicely over the longboat's keel.
Two 1/4" holes were drilled in the base 3" apart centered and 1" from the back. The columns were hammered into the holes using a scrap of wood for protection. The slots were aligned as needed using a screwdriver. The longboat set in the slots indicated a slight problem as seen in the first photo below. The slots are wider than the keel, necessitating some filler. The felt I have on hand was too thick, but after stretching it was perfect. The second photo shows the felt glued (cyanoacrylate) into the slots.
With the felt the longboat sat straight. The two photos below show the long boat sitting proudly on the stand.
A plaque, identifying the longboat, was engraved using a rectangle of 1/16" brass. The rectangle was cut from stock 1" X 3.5" with a hacksaw. The ends were filed square and then sanded up to 220 grit. China white was applied and lines were drawn to define the upper and lower limits for the letters. The letters were drawn onto the China white with a pencil. The brass was carpet taped to a wooden block.
The brass for cutting was held to the table saw, specifically to the rack for the fence, with two clamps. Nearing the end of the cut, something fell to the floor. Picking this object up after completing the cut showed it to be the end of the rack!!
The block with attached brass was held in the engraver's vise and the letters engraved using a hammer and graver. The first photo shows the engraving near complete. The next two photos show the engraved brass after sanding with 1000 grit sandpaper. (Photographing shiny brass is challenging, thus the two photos.) The brass was cleaned with acetone and painted with Protecta-Clear™ varnish.
Four holes were drilled for #2 brass wood screws with the mill. Each hole was 3/16" in from the sides at the corners. A center drill started the hole, the hole was opened with a #55 drill and countersunk. The holes were transfered to the base, punched and drilled. The screws were installed. (Don't like the flat head screws and will seek some round head screws to replace them.) The photos below show the completed longboat base.
