Pipe Rudder Part II

[Bob Smalser]

Cutting Rudder Blade to Shape

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/6035832/81276726.jpg

Refining Stop Points in Brass Housing After Planing to Thickness

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/6035832/81276748.jpg

Lead Weight Layout – Stars Cut on Both Sides With Through Hole

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/6035832/81276763.jpg

Undercut Mortising

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/6035832/81276782.jpg

Setting Dams and Gaskets for Through Pour

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/6035832/81276798.jpg

Checking the Underside After the Pour

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/6035832/81276937.jpg

Lead Weight After Cleanup

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/6035832/81276961.jpg

To be continued….

[Pete Lamberty]

Thanks for posting your work Bob. It is very interesting to me to see woodworking for reasons other than furniture. Of course I don't know anything about boat building, but why do you need a lead weight in the rudder? My guess would be so that it doesn't try to float but what do I know. :)

[Bob Smalser]

That's exactly right....and as the blade is hinged on a pin in the housing, the weight makes it drop reliably and stay down.

[Andy Pedler]

Bob, that's very cool. Not only does the lead weight apparently help the rudder sink, it looks amazing too. It'll give the fish a reason to check out your boat. :)

- Andy

[Bob Smalser]

When the rudder is pulled up for rowing or when on the trailer, the star will be quite visible and match the bronze "boat jewelry" applied to the tiller yoke just for pretty.

[John Bush]

Hi Bob,
Amazing stuff, as usual, Does the rudder design include rounding the leading edge and fairing the trailing egde? Is there a formula or the eye of experience to determine the shape? Are you building a new boat or is this a replacement rudder? I really enjoy your threads and am inspired by your artistry. Thanks, John.

[John Bush]

Duhhh, I get it-- This is for a Star class racing sloop??????

[Dan Mages]

Very nice work!! However, are you worried that the lead may contaminate the water?

Dan

[Bob Smalser]

It's a design by John Gardner done in the 1960's when preserving the lines of a William Chamberlain dory from the late 1800's. I'm just fancying it up a bit....stars are traditional designs used to ornament old boats. This star will be vertical when the rudder is raised.

Now that the lead is poured, the next step is to shape the blade into something akin to an airplane wing to minimize drag.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15910

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/6035832/81088792.jpg

Two of these will decorate the top of the bright-finished mahogany tiller yoke:

http://www.porttownsendfoundry.com/id52.htm

http://www.porttownsendfoundry.com/185faf40.jpg

[Kent Parker]

Nice clean work Bob.

Its nice to see another wood boater on this site. I noticed your signature by L. Francis....I just sold a Herreshoff Nereia ketch this Saturday after owning her for 18 years. Kind of a shock to the system. Haven't been without a sailboat for 30 years!.

Regards

KP