There is a certain satisfaction in seeing a growing pile of finished parts in the corner of the shop. In the Idle Hands workshop there are basically three piles. The first is for raw wood; it might be planed and ripped to size but it is still just wood. The second is parts in work, right now that consists of the frames of the boat, the centerboard lumber and the stem. The last pile is the best though, its the done pile or as I heard a relative call it once the D-U-N done pile!
Like I have talked about before the plans for the pathfinder have the builder make a “kit” which consists of the frames 1-6a, the stem, the transom, floor, and centerboard/center case. The last few months I have been building the frames for Idle Hands and using them to learn on. The frames started as plywood, were cut and planed to shape, and then the stiffeners stringers and doublers were added. After that the whole thing was sanded and coated with epoxy for waterproofing. So far I haven’t had to scrap any of the parts even though there are way more mistakes than I would like.
As the parts migrate from one pile to the next they energize me and keep me working. As the parts pile up I can see the shape of Idle Hands forming. More parts pile up and the overall shape drowns out the little mistakes I have made learning about boat building. Some of the parts in the D-U-N pile are forcing me to plan what I am going to do months maybe even years from now as I draw to the end of the build. As for the transom, I am trying to decide if I am going to paint it or varnish it. Paint seems easier but boy does the wood look good with a fresh coat of epoxy. Even with the un-sanded drips and runs of the epoxy it still looks rich and deep. Many pieces of the Raw Wood pile have me excited too. A good friend of mine works in high end cabinetry and has given me several off cuts of premium wood that I am dying to turn into something useful. The large pieces of Jitoba and Mahogany challenge me to live up to his gift. The in work pile is still the one that takes the most attention. I never would have thought that one piece of plywood with five for six sticks glued to it could take so long. From the first frame to the last I hope this project continues to hold my interest like it has. There is nothing worse than idle hands and an idle mind for a working man.
Looking down the road I have put in for a week of vacation next month which I am going to use to work on the boat. It is time for my lovely wife and I to escape the reality of work and have one week to ourselves. My plan is to erect the building jig, lay the keel, and erect the frames, center case, and stem. If I have time I might run some stringers but I doubt I will get that far. The frames still have a lot of fitting to do before I can glue them down and who knows how much head scratching and beer drinking there will be. Somewhere in there I am going to set up the GoPro on time lapse and post the link here. Cheryl’s plans involve a lot of yoga, meditation and good food. Wish us both luck!
idle hands workshop 