Bud Warren and Half Models

On Thursday, most students had finished their half models. We finished half models by sanding them with a fine grit sandpaper. Then we beveled cut backboards out of pine and put a linseed oil finish on the models. Those who finished their models started building a jig or a ladder. A jig is a copy of the lofting surface but the jig is elevated so we can build the shallop on it.



On Friday, those who finished their half models completed the jig. We leveled the jig out and secured it to the floor. Other students finished their half models. We broke early today in order to listen to a lecture about the Popham colony by Bud Warren. He gave us detailed information about the history of the area and Ft. Popham.
Matt M.
7/16/2010


The video crew had a busy day on Friday, completing the last details on a video and uploading it to You Tube. This is the first, all student filmed and edited video, of the Shallop project. Great job, Amy. You will see this video on Monday's blog entry. The crew then prepared to video our guest speaker, Bud Warren with three cameras. Cody was in charge of the audio and mid-level distance, Amy videoing close-ups and Brianna was videoing the audience and setting. The batteries in the microphone went dead half way through the lecture but this was just another "lesson learned". On a long video, make sure the batteries are brand new- or fully charged. PI

Half Models and Thanks

Another busy day down at Maine's First Ship's new boat shop. Most half models of the shallop are finished. Students completed their final shaping and sanding. Students used clear pine purchased at Hammond Lumber yesterday evening for the backboards to hold the half models. We all learned from Will how to put a proper bevel, by hand, on our backboards. Once the half models and backboards were finished, they were screwed together and oiled using boiled linseed oil. The oiling process came with a lesson on proper disposal of linseed-soaked rags, which are able to combust when left in a ball.

For the students who finished early, we continued the process of converting BFC Marine's fright shed into a proper boat shop. Aaron made racks to hold chisels, carpenter squares and bevel squares. Nick and Matt filled the new lumber racks and created a rack for our new bar clamps as well as all of our extension cords. Speaking of extension cords, we received a large box of GFI certified extension cords, donated from the nice folks at Bath Iron Works. Signboards are nearly completed and ready for busy Front St. We learned how to properly whip the end of a line to keep it from fraying!

Mrs. Chapin provided the Girl Scout Cookies for our snack and we finished the day with a big shop clean-up and journaling. We had to pack the shop up for rain, as we still lack a roof. However, we have the roof materials (thanks to Howie Kirkpatrick of BFC Marine) and a potential roofer to get that taken care of in short order.

The last two afternoons have been wonderfully productive as well. WE NOW HAVE A TIMBER FOR A KEEL! Thanks to Tom Hoerth, Bath City Arborist, who found a nice piece of white oak behind his mill. We will get it milled into a usable piece in the next week, with any luck. Will and I also picked-up a new (loaned) band saw from Orman Hinds. Now Will can stop complaining about my little band saw. Thank you Tom and Orman!

Tomorrow we will work on the jig and start building the molds on each station. This is all very exciting and I thank all members of the Bath community who have made Maine's First Ship's shallop project a wild success so far!

Respectfully submitted,
Eric Varney
Shallop Project Director

Plane, Shave and Sand

Today we have continued to plane, shave and sand our half models. They are starting to take shape and many people have finished theirs today.

After we complete the construction and sanding, we then use boiled linseed oil to preserve and create a visual attraction to our hard work.

The final step is mounting the half models onto a backboard that we will create tomorrow. The main tools that the group has used are planes, spoke shaves, wood rasps and sandpaper. We are on the right track and hopefully coming closer to starting the shallop that we are anxious to get started by the end of the week.

Maine's First ship Student
Aaron Doughty
7-12-1

PS. We also started interviewing students for the upcoming "How to Build a Half Model" video. Peter will be working this week with Amy and Cody on video projects.- PI

Safety and Half Models

This day began with a talk on the making of half models by shipwright, Will West. The students then cut out shape patterns for their half models.

Around 9:00 Laura Mathison, Director of Environmental, Health and Safety at BIW , explained the proper use of the equipment that BIW donated to the project for the safety of the students building the shallop. We had many visitors today from the press, BIW, Superintendent Shuttleworth from RSU1, a rowing crew that came off the Kennebec to see how the program was progressing, along with many other special guests and board members of the Maine's First Ship.

After the safety talk, the students went back to making their half models of the Shallop. First, they made other copies of the patterns, then traced around the patterns on wood in preparation for cutting the 5 wood pieces of the half model. Some even got started cutting out the slices of the half model. Enjoy a video summary of the day filmed by Cody Seekins, Amy Franklin and Patti Irish