posted 11-25-2006 06:57 PM               

(I have revised the sentence in Step 47, line 11, to read, “… and I find it best if they are laid out to pass through one transom plank and to go partway into the two adjacent planks, except for the topmost and bottommost planks; …” This revision seems to me to reflect the layout shown in Step 48 and clarifies the operation for my feeble brain. The wording in the book on first reading seemed to say that the drift rod “… [would] pass through two transom planks [completely] and go partway…” which is certainly not the case as I interpret Steps 48 – 50.)

Years ago I had acquired a Stanley doweling jig, essentially identical to the one shown in Step 49, except that mine is much older and made of cast iron. The newer ones are made of an aluminum casting alloy. The axis of the ¼” guide in my unit was askew and would not serve well for long bore drilling. I replaced it with a short piece of ¼” ID stainless steel tubing.

Before resorting to the SS tubing I thought I might be able to buy another jig with a proper ¼” guide. I stopped at one of the Lowe’s stores in Spokane, WA, on a recent medical trip there and asked Young Toolman to point me to the doweling jigs. “What’s that?” I repeated my request. He called for Old Toolman. He didn’t know either. I must be dated.

The drilling went well using an 18” long ¼” brad point drill bit that I obtained from W.L. Fuller and a Makita hand drill. I made certain that I had enough depth in the holes to accommodate the 9” lengths of silicon bronze rod. With the rods in place I mixed up a batch of resorcinol glue and began assembling the first two planks. I had clamps at hand, especially pipe clamps which I found essential for setting the final three planks.

When the task was complete I set the assembly in three pipe clamps and noted that the pressure from the clamps caused the assembly to bow slightly. This I was not prepared for but I should have been since Step 51 clearly shows the assembly clamped to 2x4s. I quickly remedied the situation before the resorcinol could set up further.