A bit of wood for a new windshield

[Ned L]

[FONT=&quot]I am making a new windshield for the rebuild of one of my boats and thought there might be some interest in seeing something that doesn't use polyester, epoxy, glass, etc.

Start with a little stick of mahogany (2" thick x 24" wide x 9 feet long)[/FONT]

Do some re-sawing on the band saw to end up with a piece 1" thick and a piece 3/4" thick (finished) x 8" wide.
Toss it though the planer.

Do some layout work to duplicate the originals

After some table saw work take them to the basement (warmer this time of year).

Here are the blanked out pieces, and getting ready to weigh out some resorcinol glue.

One frame ready to glue up

And some glue.

I much prefer working with wood over fiberglass. .....

I'll put up some more pix as more get glued up.

 

[Scott Danforth]

looking good.

 

[jbcurt00]

Nice chunk of mahogany

Great work on the rails and stiles

 

[Woodonglass]

I am Sooooo envious Ned!!!! Very Nice Work!!!!:nod::eagerness::thumb::first:

 

[gm280]

Ned, while I also like to work with most any type wood (furniture builder as one hobby), I almost cried when I seen you cut up a nice wide and long piece of mahogany wood for rails and stiles to build a window frame. I can see that wide plank used for a very nice table top or something down that line. But I also admit your mortise and tenon joints look very nice. Mahogany really takes on a great finish. :thumb:

 

[Ned L]

Thanks! This is the kind of working on boats that I enjoy.
GM280,... I gave that hard thought before taking out the saw. After cutting into it I decided I made the right decision as there are a number of very fine checks extending more than 2 feet from the ends.
And that's ok, I have another plank that is even bigger.
These were 'left overs' from when Metalmast Marine (a good quality sailboat builder in Putnam CT) closed their doors about 30 Years ago.
Oh,... And I picked the two of them up a couple of months ago for about $3.50 a lb/ft! ....so any other mahogany would be quite a bit more money. They will be bright on one side, and they were meant for a boat anyway.

 

[kcassells]

Ned,
Do you have any sketches for the anticipated final look? Just wondering. I've been looking for a replacement windshield for years for my boat with no real luck. Wood seems to be my alternative and probable solution. Keep up the pics...thanks!

 

[Ned L]

Ned,
Do you have any sketches for the anticipated final look? Just wondering. I've been looking for a replacement windshield for years for my boat with no real luck. Wood seems to be my alternative and probable solution. Keep up the pics...thanks!

I don't have any drawings or sketches as I am duplicating the original (which after 59 years and basically abandon for the past 15 years was in very sad shape). I would be glad to take off some dimensions for you, however I doubt they would be very helpful to you as this windshield is pretty big. It is three sections, a total of 32" high by almost 8ft wide, and the center section opens. The bottom is faired in a continuous curve to match the crown of the trunk cabin top.

Here is the port side section just about ready for gluing.

Here is pretty much what is left of the original.

 

[Woodonglass]

What Brand of Resorcinol Glue do you use?

 

[Ned L]

WOG .. There aren't many companies that still make and sell resorcinol. I think I have been using Aerodux glue but would need to check tonight to be sure. I really only use resorcinol, epoxy (not much) and a little Weldwood plastic resin glue in my 'working on boats' now.
What scares most people away from resorcinol is the need for 'perfect' fitting joints (.003" glue line max) and warmer than 70? to cure. It is THE most waterproof adhesive there is (and I believe also the only one adhesive FAA approved for wooden airframes).

 

[kcassells]

Thanks Ned,
For your reply. My ws is/was a 4 pc. cuddy type. Boat came with no ws. So always looking for how I will need to approach this sooner or later.
These are the dimensions;
View attachment 20-20 Design - boat windshield.pdf

I'm not asking for you to design it but more so interested in how you assemble/design, techniques, applications etc. yours.

 

[Woodonglass]

Yeah, I have some Spectrum Aerodux glue as well. Really good Stuff especially for tight tolerances on Morise and Tenon joinery. Heat gun and Heat lamps work well.

 

[Ned L]

Thanks Ned,
For your reply. My ws is/was a 4 pc. cuddy type. Boat came with no ws. So always looking for how I will need to approach this sooner or later.
These are the dimensions;


I'm not asking for you to design it but more so interested in how you assemble/design, techniques, applications etc. yours.

I'd be glad to explain how this one was put together and anything else I can to give you ideas.

 

[kcassells]

Thanks Ned, Keep on posting!

 

[Ned L]

A dado blade on the table saw is the quickest way to cut the tenons (actually I didn't bother changing over to a dado blade for any of these tenons). I did set up a dado blade to cut the beginning of the 3/8" mortises in the stiles. That gives a nice 'beginning' indicator of where to drill with the forsner bit for the main part of the mortise. That also takes care of most of the 1/4" deep part for the shallow areas of the tenon at the beginning and end of the rails. Just need to clean up the radiused area at the end with a chisel.

 

[Woodonglass]

Do you ever use a router?

 

[Ned L]

Hmmm,.... Good question WOG. .. I have a number of routers, but really only seem to use them for profile shapes, moldings & trims, and ship laps on edges of things that can't be done on a table saw (not straight, or something already installed or too big to get to a table saw).
I would think this may be quicker than a router, really only three set-ups for all these joints. Table saw depth for the tenons, table saw depth w/dado blade and fence setting for the beginnings of the mortises.
I'm pretty good with modern power tools, but I also have a good collection of antique hand tools that I get a lot of use of (planes, chisels, draw knives, spoke shaves, slicks, adzes, etc). In one of the pics above you can see one of my band saws, ... 26", & 110 yrs old. Can't beat nice old tools!

 

[Woodonglass]

Yup, I LOVE old tools too, but... a self centering mortise plate for the router is real simple to construct and then easy to use. I use it a lot I made two pieces 1 1/2" oak Planed Flat to place on either side of the material to widen the surface to keep the router base from tilting and then it's easy to plunge and plough out the mortise. I have 5 routers so they're loaded with various bits at all times ready to pick up and go at a moments notice. Garage Sales makes owning a lot of router fairly inexpensive. Some of my routers cost me $1.00 each. They are NOT the best but work just fine and when they DON't easy to throw away since they only cost a dollar!!!

 

[Ned L]

Ahhh, ....I remember seeing that years ago, totally forgot about it though. Yep, dirt simple and cheap to make. I may actually have to build one,... then maybe I'd remember to use it the next time I have mortises to do. Thanks!

 

[Woodonglass]

I also own a dedicted Mortiser. But..it only works on rails that are 3 1/2" tall or less. On the big stuff I still have to use the plate or another jig I built. It's a bit more detailed but it works really good. I've attached the plans for it if you care to take the time to build one. Once you get the router mounted I made an index on the bottom of the plate to indicate the most common distances from center, i.e 1/8", 1/4", 3/8". 1/2" etc. Made a mark on each side of the hole so I could set the first rail and tighten it down. I then insert the bit and check for accuracy and make any necessary tweaks and then slide the second rail in and snug it down. I keep the rails waxed up really well with Johnsons Paste wax and this jig get's a lot of use too. It stays permantely mounted to a 30 year old Craftsman router with a 1/4" straight bit in it and a 1/4" rail setting. Since most of my work is with 3/4" material it's ready to go.

plunge-router-mortising-jig.pdf