Cheap Tricks Award

If you know a good tip or technique to help get through a construction "stumbling block", please post it here. If you have questions concerning building problems, please post them on the "Builders' Forum".
Post Reply
lydiatt
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 7:59 pm

Cheap Tricks Award

Post by lydiatt »

When I went to a workshop with Ted Moores, he always emphasized doing more with less, without sacrificing quality (jigs, grunge cans from yogurt containers, etc.) I am currently building a couple of Adirondack Guide Boats ( one paid). Before deciding on the AGB my client evaluated lots of designs, including the Firefly, Stoney Lake (where I grew up in summers and was champion of the world!), etc., including the rowing shells of Ben Louden in Kalispell, Montana http://www.aeneasoriginals.com (is there water there?) I remember some rivers in '74)

Bueno, we started an extensive correspondence about adapting the AGB for a sliding centre seat. Ben is a pesron that shares everything and aparrently is a farmer who builds rowing shells and other boats.

He turned me on to using "hoof knives", left and right handed for fairing boats, in particular the interior of the hull.

What can I say? I found them in a milk producer's cooperative in Santiago Chile at 6.95 US per pair and now when I look at the inside hull and think how am I going to get around all these curves where neither a plane nor spokeshave will do the stuff, I give thanks to Ben and his hoof knives.

Ben buys Frost at Frost knives, in bulk, for about $18 / pair. I am buying Supervet Stainless at 6.95 ea. (which are the only ones I can find in Chile.

With these knives you can cut or scrape depending on the angle and get within 1/2" (12.7 mm) of the stems.

For this I nominate Ben Louden for a cheap tricks award for 2005.

lydiatt@canuk.cl
Post Reply