Rainy Day and Building Anyway

DougCasting, Keels, Steel Boat

Started off nice but then the rain moved in.  Our plans for rain paid off.  While Paul was here, he and I build a rain cover for the temporary burnout kiln and its doing it’s job now.  Hopefully we will get a break in the rain tomorrow afternoon and pour our second bronze anchor winch capstan.  Tom and Coen have done an awesome job pouring lead this week and tomorrow we will complete the last 10 tons of lead ballast being added to the keels.   Coen and I welded and ground on the first capstan and it is definitely a usable piece.  And Tom made parts for mounting the wheel.  Far away in Virginia, David Collins put the final touches on a 1/4 scale model of a dragon that will be part of ornamentation of the boat’s wheel. If you have not suggested a quote to be engraved in the wheel please do so here:  Ship’s Wheel.  So screw the rain.  We had an awesome day!

David's dragon for the wheel with the final touches.

David’s dragon for the wheel with the final touches.

Filling the voids in the first capstan with silicon bronze MIG wire.

Filling the voids in the first capstan with silicon bronze MIG wire.

Burning out the next capstan mold.

Burning out the next capstan mold.

Wheel Gear Box Parts

Wheel Gear Box Parts

Tom making a mount for the wheel's gear box.

Tom making a mount for the wheel’s gear box.

Tom and Coen working on the first capstan.

Tom and Coen working on the first capstan.

Molten Lead Mirror

Molten Lead Mirror