I’ve had several things going on since my last post. The first job was to rectify my cock up with the anchor chain which needed an extra four links adding in the correct position.
Next put a length of 1/2” wooden dowel in the lathe and turned down to 6mm then put a taper on with a file until it looked right. Turned a bit of scrap brass into a halyard sheave for the ensign staff truck. Turned a truck, added a slot for the sheave and held in position with a 1mm pin. Soldered up a socket for the staff to sit in and glued it to the sternpost.
Gave Float a Boat a call and ordered a BECC Australian Marine Red Ensign. They’re a lovely quality piece of kit but by the time they’ve been shipped from UK and posted recorded delivery from Melbourne to Canberra become eye wateringly expensive. Wear had one so Canberra’s got to have one too.
Spot the grain of rice for the halyard toggle.
Next a small mast to put the steaming light on and possibly a house flag or boat club flag.
Mary found me a clapped out port barrel with a leak on marketplace for $40. Always wanted one but they cost too much for me so snapped this on up. Filled it with water and kept a dribble going in and left it for three days to swell up and she’s tight. Sympathetically cleaned up the hoops, bleached out most of the black staining common to oak. Rubbed down and oiled with Danish Oil and it’s better than new.
In between things drying or being delivered to stop me twiddling my thumbs I’ve made some mods to the lathe, adding carriage and cross-slide locks, chip shield made from 0.5 mm Lexan sheet, a screen on the back of the apron also made from Lexan to keep chips out of the travel gears and finally a chip shield attached to the apron made from 30mm angle aluminium to shield the feed screw from chips.
Jerry.