To keep the keel plumb, I can only recommend attaching the keel to a board and installing it in the mold. I also installed the transom wood later this time, at the very beginning of La Palme, and it made no difference.
Le Rochefort build log by OlivierF
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- ancre group build le rochefort
Cumulative error - always a concern, especially when first drawing up your plans.......
Thanks. Yes, I have the “dry dock” mold ready with a keel clamp and will also insert some M3 barrel nuts in the keel so I can screw the keel flat to the building board.
I remember having to complete a survey of a multi-hundred acre property where the only existing survey was completed circa 1850. Due to the size of the parcel and the scale of the plat map we determined that the boundary line scaled to about 50 feet in width. Talk about cumulative errors!
Progress is good Oliver. I haven't touched my model in over a year now. The complexity is daunting to say the least. Keep going. There's a point at which we just have to say that's as good as it'll be and move on to the next steps.
Thanks Tony. I liken the build process to the old analogy, “How do you eat an elephant?… One bite at a time.” Well, I’m taking very small bites!
Very good work on the keel assembly - Congrats
Wow Oliver ! I might have missed a few pages till now. You’re starting over ?!!! That takes guts. I’m almost at that point too maybe that’s why I haven’t touched my ship in over a year. I decided to save time (first mistake) in the beginning by deciding on the Hahn method for making the frames. They’re ok but what bothers me is the joints are not in the correct places because each futtock isn’t cut and fit separately with that method and neither are the nails. I know it’s trivial but I know it to be not 100% correct. If I was going to plank the hull it would be ok but bare framed it bothers me. We’ll see, maybe I’ll plank it. My frames are usable no doubt so I’ll check it all again closely and see. I’m hoping to set my bench back up for ship work next week. Seeing you starting again made me really think.
Hi Tony, Yes I started over. If you read through my log you saw I was not happy with the “foundation” of the model. The individual parts seemed OK but once I started assembly it became apparent that things were off. The spacing between the frames range from 2mm to near 4mm. They really need to be a consistent 3mm for the planking (inside) to look right. Also I was not careful enough in faring the frames especially on the inner tapers. Anyway the more I worked on getting things “blumb, level and square” the more I was frustrated. Couple that with what @John Hendrix called the “stone in the shoe” effect I decided to treat the first attempt as practice.
I wish you the best whatever decision you make just don’t give up!
Best of luck. I know it’s a big decision. Looking forward to seeing where I stand with mine before moving foreward.
I have now laid out all the frame pieces and am ready to start cutting them out on the bandsaw. I changed blades from my resaw blade to an 1/8” fine tooth blade and “boom” the blade will not stay on! 
It seems after about 20 years of furniture building the tires finally wore out. Ordered new tires and a new tensioning spring (just to be safe). Now we wait for the Amazon shipment. In the meantime I’ve started cutting the frames out using a fret saw. I have now developed major respect for those of you using hand tools only! My arm’s tired so it time to call it a day…
It seems after about 20 years of furniture building the tires finally wore out. Ordered new tires and a new tensioning spring (just to be safe). Now we wait for the Amazon shipment. In the meantime I’ve started cutting the frames out using a fret saw. I have now developed major respect for those of you using hand tools only! My arm’s tired so it time to call it a day…
Are you running urethane tires by chance? If not, please consider it...they're very durable.I have now laid out all the frame pieces and am ready to start cutting them out on the bandsaw. I changed blades from my resaw blade to an 1/8” fine tooth blade and “boom” the blade will not stay on!
View attachment 448307
Yup, that is what I ordered.
So, if you haven't installed urethane tires before, warm them up in hot water. It'll be an easier installation. I have a Delta bandsaw and have had these type of tires for maybe 15 years now.
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
But the line on paper was just a skinny line so it was close enough in the old days.I remember having to complete a survey of a multi-hundred acre property where the only existing survey was completed circa 1850. Due to the size of the parcel and the scale of the plat map we determined that the boundary line scaled to about 50 feet in width. Talk about cumulative errors!
I use a scroll saw. It’s ok but I think the bandsaw is ideal. Can you resaw on your band saw clean enough that you don’t need to surface plane ?
I do have a scroll saw as well. As you said, “it’s ok”, but I get much cleaner cuts on the bandsaw with better dust collection and (at least for me) quieter.
I use a 3/4” - 3 TPI resaw blade and I get pretty smooth and parallel planks but they still need a smoothing run through the planer. Normally I take the rough lumber and joint one edge and face so I have a good 90° corner to start which seems to work well for me.
Ok thanks. I really don’t want to buy a planer. The Proxxon or Micro Mark table saw is stat I need. I have the smaller Proxxon it’s only good for balsa or very small cross cuts
Before I bought The Proxxon FET saw I compared it with the Micro Mark. And, personally, I think the FET is better. I’m just sad that Jim Byrnes passed away as the Jim Saw was certainly my first choice…
As for planing you really don’t need a big planer for what we do. I could use my spindle sander with the thickness sander I made for it (link below).
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Yes I have the Luthiers friend I use in my drill press. Seems the drum isn’t rotating perfectly straight so I’ve been hand sanding after using. It’s quick enough though. Yes the MM is a Proxxon clone and there’s not a huge difference in price. Yes a 12” planer may do but they can’t really do the small sizes we deal with. The Proxxon planer is big $$$