Tapered mast section.

[Russ Hauser]

This is a Neander question, even though it has to do with constructing a mast for a boat. The bottom section is aluminum. I need to construct the top section on the mast of wood. It will be mahogany and of Bird's Mouth staved construction, 6 feet long, and tapered from roughly 2 inch diameter to 1 1/2 diameter for a distance of 5 feet. I do not own a lathe that can turn something this long. I was going to make a "Hollow" to plane the taper but don't think it would work out very well since the diameter will always be changing. How would you clean up the taper?

Russ

[Scott Velie]

cutting the staves is the trick. They need to be tapered end to end as well as the correct angle. I would make a jig to cut the staves. Either 6 or 8 sided then glue up and hand plane. ( by eye to a fair line) then sand with an inside out sanding belt rig.

[Jim Koepke]

If my memory is working, what you want is called a lathe box.

It is not a lathe, but a box to hold work so lathe type work can be done. For your purpose, the work would be held at an angle to allow you to run a plane horizontally along the piece while it is held at an angle.

One end would have a wider trough than the other. A way to lift the ends of the piece slightly as it loses a little surface may be needed. Then depending on the plane being used, a carriage may be needed to hold the plane at the height of the sides. If a plane with guides like a 45 or 55 was being used, it may be a little easier to set up.

jim

[Jim Creech]

As mentioned, I also taper the staves. After the glue dries I knock off the corners with a jack plane, do my rounding off with a radiused spokeshave then final sand with sandpaper wraped around a sponge, sanding lengthwise. I have tried the inside out sanding belt trick but I must not have been holding my mouth right. I'll spare you the details and me the embarassment. This Lathe Box sounds interesting though. I'll have to give it a go!

[Dave Anderson NH]

When my friend Jesper made a sailing dinghy a few years ago as a tender for his 34 foot sloop the mast was wooden. He used the traditional method of a hollow glueup as the starting point. The shaping was square, then octogon, then 16 sided, and finally roounding off the arrises with a spokeshave.

[Russ Hauser]

When my friend Jesper made a sailing dinghy a few years ago as a tender for his 34 foot sloop the mast was wooden. He used the traditional method of a hollow glueup as the starting point. The shaping was square, then octogon, then 16 sided, and finally roounding off the arrises with a spokeshave.

Thanks to all who helped me make up my mind. I discovered The Pseudo Lathe and will try that route.

http://bluemax44.home.pipeline.com/page7.html

Russ

[David DeCristoforo]

"...I discovered The Pseudo Lathe..."

That's kinda what Jim was talking about. You can make a similar setup for a hand plane instead of a router if you want to stay "pure"....