[bolger] Re: MICRO rudder for a wood butcher

John,
Thanks for the inspiration. I have been wondering how I was going
to approach the rudder bearing "problem". At first glance, it does not
look like a very secure proposition. After thinking about it I have
decided that the white oak bearing is probably the best proposition.
Stainless steel, while being stronger is expensive to weld, and will be
subject to elecrolysis in salt water where this boat will be living.
If it is coated in Epoxy and then sealed with another coat of epoxy in
graphite powder (I happen to have it lying around from a previous life
in racing, its also relatively cheap.) It should have a good life.
Silicon bronze wood screws should last a long time in the gearing.
This is also a pretty simple system to check and replace if need be.

The rudder post itself could be made out of spruce or fir to
maintain the glueing properties, but oak is certainly stronger. I was
thinking I could wrap a fir or spruce post with a double diagonal strip
of carbon fiber set in epoxy for strength and still retain its glueing
properties. After all, Old Ironsides was constructed of doubled 1"
oak planking and it survived cannon balls hitting it. It should be
strong enough for Micro. I was planning on rounding out the stock with
my spar gauge and electric plane. After all, I have already done
close to 50' of lumber already like this, What's another 4''.

David Jost
"Damp, sleet, rotten weather in Boston."



"alex" <alex-@...> wrote:
original article:http://www.egroups.com/group/bolger/?start=3168
> If you have a router you can do the same using a dish-cutting bit
> and a simple router lathe. The "lathe" is an open 3/4" ply
> rectangular box the size of your 4" x 4" stock. The router rides on
> the open top of the lathe. Drill the centers of your 4" x 4" stock
> and insert bolts or glue wooden dowels. If you attach a simple crank
> to one of the bolts or dowels, it would make it easier to rotate
> the stock. I also made a larger baseplate for my router with stoppers
> to avoid cutting the lathe's sides.
>
> alex
>
> "john" <jmcda-@...> wrote:
> original article:http://www.egroups.com/group/bolger/?start=3148
> > Here's a MICRO rudder/post which has served us well since
'91.....been
> > through a waterspout, survived 'mast-in-the-water' wind (yes, MICRO
is
> > self-righting from 90+ degrees!), and kissed more than its share of
> > bottoms.
> >
> > No wood lathe here, so center drilled opposite ends of 4" X 4" white
> > oak post. Made simple jig to hold post horizontal by inserting
cut-off
> > bolt horizontally into each end. Set jig and post against radial
arm
> > saw fence (post at 90 degrees to saw blade). Lower blade and turn
> post,
> > move post sideways and repeat.
> >
> > Be careful and patient and you'll soon have a nice round rudder post
> > that needs only light sanding to be smooth enough to turn nicely in
> > matching over-sized white oak upper and lower bearings. Ultimate
> > diameter up to you, but so far, my 3-inch diameter post has been
> > stronger than I am.
> >
> > John R. McDaniel
> >
>
If you have a router you can do the same using a dish-cutting bit
and a simple router lathe. The "lathe" is an open 3/4" ply
rectangular box the size of your 4" x 4" stock. The router rides on
the open top of the lathe. Drill the centers of your 4" x 4" stock
and insert bolts or glue wooden dowels. If you attach a simple crank
to one of the bolts or dowels, it would make it easier to rotate
the stock. I also made a larger baseplate for my router with stoppers
to avoid cutting the lathe's sides.

alex

"john" <jmcda-@...> wrote:
original article:http://www.egroups.com/group/bolger/?start=3148
> Here's a MICRO rudder/post which has served us well since '91.....been
> through a waterspout, survived 'mast-in-the-water' wind (yes, MICRO is
> self-righting from 90+ degrees!), and kissed more than its share of
> bottoms.
>
> No wood lathe here, so center drilled opposite ends of 4" X 4" white
> oak post. Made simple jig to hold post horizontal by inserting cut-off
> bolt horizontally into each end. Set jig and post against radial arm
> saw fence (post at 90 degrees to saw blade). Lower blade and turn
post,
> move post sideways and repeat.
>
> Be careful and patient and you'll soon have a nice round rudder post
> that needs only light sanding to be smooth enough to turn nicely in
> matching over-sized white oak upper and lower bearings. Ultimate
> diameter up to you, but so far, my 3-inch diameter post has been
> stronger than I am.
>
> John R. McDaniel
>
John,
Thanks for your description for turning the rudder post; it is helpful. Did you
employ Bolger's wooden jaws for the lower rudder bearing, or use some other
device, and how did that work out, whatever it was? Does anyone else have
any ideas or experience with the original or variations of the Micro's rudder
and bearings? Anything would be helpful. I am particularly concerned with
gluing up an oak rudder post to a pair of plywood blades. Oak is famous for
not taking glue and my experience confirms this. Ash would be strong enough,
but is rather vulnerable to rot. Southern yellow pine is resistant but not as
strong. Alaskan yellow pine might be ideal, but I have no experience with the
stuff and haven't the slightest idea where to find it (yeah, I know, Alaska,
haha). The wooden bearing would not be glued so I'll probably build that out
of oak. Damn, it just occurred to me that I could make everything out of black
walnut, except then I would want to varnish the rudder and put it on a wall  in
my living room instead of the butt end of a boat <g>,
Thank you,
david

John wrote:

Here's a MICRO rudder/post which has served us well since '91.....been
through a waterspout, survived 'mast-in-the-water' wind (yes, MICRO is
self-righting from 90+ degrees!), and kissed more than its share of
bottoms.

No wood lathe here, so center drilled opposite ends of 4" X 4" white
oak post. Made simple jig to hold post horizontal by inserting cut-off
bolt horizontally into each end.  Set jig and post against radial arm
saw fence (post at 90 degrees to saw blade). Lower blade and turn post,
move post sideways and repeat.

Be careful and patient and you'll soon have a nice round rudder post
that needs only light sanding to be smooth enough to turn nicely in
matching over-sized white oak upper and lower bearings.  Ultimate
diameter up to you, but so far, my 3-inch diameter post has been
stronger than I am.

John R. McDaniel

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David,

Yes, I used the basic lower bearing per plans, but made it from 1.5"
white oak of approx. 1.5 inch thickness. I'm not an epoxy expert, but
my white oak post has been epoxied to the marine ply rudder blades for
nigh on 10 year with zero problems.....admittedly, boat is trailered,
but it is stored outdoors in freeze/thaw cycles of central Indiana.
It's also been immersed in salt water for 2-3 months at a stretch.

If interested, I uploaded a photo of our Micro (BANTY) to the vault.

Regards,

John



david <galvin-@...> wrote:
original article:http://www.egroups.com/group/bolger/?start=3161
> John,
> Thanks for your description for turning the rudder post; it is
helpful. Did
> you
> employ Bolger's wooden jaws for the lower rudder bearing, or use some
other
> device, and how did that work out, whatever it was? Does anyone else
have
> any ideas or experience with the original or variations of the Micro's
> rudder
> and bearings? Anything would be helpful. I am particularly concerned
with
> gluing up an oak rudder post to a pair of plywood blades. Oak is
famous for
> not taking glue and my experience confirms this. Ash would be strong
enough,
>
> but is rather vulnerable to rot. Southern yellow pine is resistant
but not
> as
> strong. Alaskan yellow pine might be ideal, but I have no experience
with
> the
> stuff and haven't the slightest idea where to find it (yeah, I know,
Alaska,
>
> haha). The wooden bearing would not be glued so I'll probably build
that out
>
> of oak. Damn, it just occurred to me that I could make everything out
of
> black
> walnut, except then I would want to varnish the rudder and put it on
a wall
> in
> my living room instead of the butt end of a boat <g>,
> Thank you,
> david
>
> John wrote:
>
> > Here's a MICRO rudder/post which has served us well since
'91.....been
> > through a waterspout, survived 'mast-in-the-water' wind (yes, MICRO
is
> > self-righting from 90+ degrees!), and kissed more than its share of
> > bottoms.
> >
> > No wood lathe here, so center drilled opposite ends of 4" X 4" white
> > oak post. Made simple jig to hold post horizontal by inserting
cut-off
> > bolt horizontally into each end. Set jig and post against radial
arm
> > saw fence (post at 90 degrees to saw blade). Lower blade and turn
post,
> > move post sideways and repeat.
> >
> > Be careful and patient and you'll soon have a nice round rudder post
> > that needs only light sanding to be smooth enough to turn nicely in
> > matching over-sized white oak upper and lower bearings. Ultimate
> > diameter up to you, but so far, my 3-inch diameter post has been
> > stronger than I am.
> >
> > John R. McDaniel
> >
Oak is a good bearing material. Lignum vita(sp) is
the best. They still use LV bearings in a lot of trubines
in hydro power plants. They will out last anything
else in a water cooled bearing.
 
Any place you low RPM, high shock loads, dirt
and water wood bearing are not a bad choice.
If you are in a very dirty envionment do not grease
them or they will cut a steel shaft in two.
 
Gordon    W5RED
 
G. C. Cougergcouger@...  Stillwater, OK
www.couger.com/gcouger
"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take."   - Wayne Gretzky
 

 
----- Original Message -----
From:david
Sent:Saturday, February 26, 2000 12:56 AM
Subject:[bolger] Re: MICRO rudder for a wood butcher

John,
Thanks for your description for turning the rudder post; it is helpful. Did you
employ Bolger's wooden jaws for the lower rudder bearing, or use some other
device, and how did that work out, whatever it was? Does anyone else have
any ideas or experience with the original or variations of the Micro's rudder
and bearings? Anything would be helpful. I am particularly concerned with
gluing up an oak rudder post to a pair of plywood blades. Oak is famous for
not taking glue and my experience confirms this. Ash would be strong enough,
but is rather vulnerable to rot. Southern yellow pine is resistant but not as
strong. Alaskan yellow pine might be ideal, but I have no experience with the
stuff and haven't the slightest idea where to find it (yeah, I know, Alaska,
haha). The wooden bearing would not be glued so I'll probably build that out
of oak. Damn, it just occurred to me that I could make everything out of black
walnut, except then I would want to varnish the rudder and put it on a wall  in
my living room instead of the butt end of a boat <g>,
Thank you,
david

John wrote:

Here's a MICRO rudder/post which has served us well since '91.....been
through a waterspout, survived 'mast-in-the-water' wind (yes, MICRO is
self-righting from 90+ degrees!), and kissed more than its share of
bottoms.

No wood lathe here, so center drilled opposite ends of 4" X 4" white
oak post. Made simple jig to hold post horizontal by inserting cut-off
bolt horizontally into each end.  Set jig and post against radial arm
saw fence (post at 90 degrees to saw blade). Lower blade and turn post,
move post sideways and repeat.

Be careful and patient and you'll soon have a nice round rudder post
that needs only light sanding to be smooth enough to turn nicely in
matching over-sized white oak upper and lower bearings.  Ultimate
diameter up to you, but so far, my 3-inch diameter post has been
stronger than I am.

John R. McDaniel

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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as low as 0.0% Intro APR and no hidden fees.
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Here's a MICRO rudder/post which has served us well since '91.....been
through a waterspout, survived 'mast-in-the-water' wind (yes, MICRO is
self-righting from 90+ degrees!), and kissed more than its share of
bottoms.

No wood lathe here, so center drilled opposite ends of 4" X 4" white
oak post. Made simple jig to hold post horizontal by inserting cut-off
bolt horizontally into each end. Set jig and post against radial arm
saw fence (post at 90 degrees to saw blade). Lower blade and turn post,
move post sideways and repeat.

Be careful and patient and you'll soon have a nice round rudder post
that needs only light sanding to be smooth enough to turn nicely in
matching over-sized white oak upper and lower bearings. Ultimate
diameter up to you, but so far, my 3-inch diameter post has been
stronger than I am.

John R. McDaniel