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Hard Versus Soft Trees
Do trees produce wood of a certain hardness in response to climate signals? The answer is a qualified yes.
Articles
Our sister publication, WoodenBoat magazine, is a treasure trove of nearly a half-century of articles on wooden boat construction, repair, maintenance, ownership, and design. This section includes some of the greatest process articles from the pages of WoodenBoat. New articles are added regularly.
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14
How to Design and Make a Spar Gauge
Here are three variations on making spar gauges. The first two styles are the most common. They are easy to make; nevertheless, accuracy should be a prime concern. The third design is more difficult to construct, but it has significant advantages.
5
Variations on a Seam
hen building a V-bottomed hull, it can be difficult to mate the edges of the two planks that meet at the chine. Aft, where the topsides and bottom meet at...
12
How to Make a Boatbuilding Handsaw
Western saws have the advantage of being easily resharpened. For boatbuilding work, author Harry Bryan prefers ten- to twelve-point saws 20” long, and he has modified and tuned vintage saws—including the one he is using here—to those specifications.
6
Making Bee Rails
Wooden bee rails mounted near the aft ends of booms to organize reefing lines and clew outhauls have a long history in traditional rigging. Before making the rails, experimentation on a calm day can help determine exactly where these fittings should be.
32
Making a Pair of 7′ Oars
To row with a really nice pair of oars in a decent rowboat is good exercise and good therapy. And any modestly skilled woodworker can make their own.
15
Getting a Grip
These handrails are complex, but they are also functional, beautiful, and easy to maintain. They are fastened from below, allowing them to be completely prefinished before installation, and they’ll be easy to remove without having to pop out bungs and ruin brightwork.
7
A Sliding Tool Tray
fter fumbling with tools and wood screws when climbing in and out of a Haven 12½ I was building, I remembered a photograph from around 1938 that appeared in Maynard...
Applying Gold Leaf to Lettering
The art of gilding—applying thin sheets of gold leaf onto a surface—has been in practice since the ancient Egyptians and has been used in everything from book bindings to architectural features.
22
Build the Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff: Part One
In Part 1, Tom Hill breaks down the initial steps of building this Joel White design, from making the strongback to planking the hull and getting it ready for fiberglass.
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Build the Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff: Part Two
Tom Hill gives detailed instructions on how to finish your Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff project, including fiberglassing and fitting out.
15
Building Beach Pea, Part 1
At 13' long, Beach Pea is a bit small as peapods go, but she's big enough to retain the good qualities of the type. She has good stability and will carry a big load and row easily.