92 CLASSIC BOAT OCTOBER 2016
Boatbuilder’s Notes
CRAFTSMANSHIP
The screw and scrap
wood beading tool
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPH RYAN KEARLEY
Here’s another illustration of the thrifty resourcefulness of
the humble boatbuilder, and although cruder than expensive
shop-built alternatives, it has proved itself to be more versatile.
Fine wooden boats are full of delicate little mouldings,
from ogees to the humble bead. They can be seen in fine
Thames craft and work boats alike. Their origins can be
traced back through the mists of time in Norse tradition,
and are evident on Viking finds such as the Gokstad faering.
It is not always certain whether they are simply decorative.
On Shetland craft and historic Viking craft, beads scratched
onto the inside top edge of each plank may have provided
a reference for positioning nails through the lands. Whether
this detailing serves a purpose or not, it has been said that
it’s impossible to put too much quality into a pleasure craft,
or indeed into any craft that floats. I would go along with
that, but it needn’t break the bank.
A slotted screw wound into the side of a piece of scrap
wood that fits neatly in the hand serves as a great tool for
scratching a bead along stringers, thwart edges, gunwales
or anything that takes your fancy. The screw can be wound
in or out to alter the size of the bead, and the corner of the
slot can be positioned to aid the cutting of the bead.
From personal experience I have found the screw
fastened into the rounded end of a length of ¾ by ¾in
section wood, used with care, can be immensely versatile.
It is invaluable for putting a bead on the top edge of
breasthooks and knees, because the edges are not always
angled at 90^0 and are made up of sinuous curves. In fact, I
find that my little scratch stock is the only tool that will
reach the parts that other very expensive shop built tools
just cannot reach.
Sharp measure
The known widths of chisel edges can be used to measure and mark
out timber. For example, a common four-piece chisel set includes
6mm, 12mm, 18mm and 25mm wide blades which used singly or in
combination provide numerous possibilities for accurate linear
measurement, writes Robin Gates.
Stepping out the length of a plank inch-by-inch by chisel could
prove tedious, but for small joinery or where working space is tight
the deft prod of a chisel provides a more accurate line than that
pencilled with the aid of an unwieldy folding rule.
Here, for example, with three jabs of two chisels the measuring
and marking were done in one before chopping out a socket which
is 18mm (¾in) long and 12mm (½in) wide – taking perhaps two
minutes from start to finish. It’s a technique that could get you out
of a hole, or indeed make one to required dimensions.
A socket 18mm (¾in)
long and 12mm (½in)
wide measured,
marked and cut using
chisels alone
It is invaluable for
putting a bead on
the top edge of
breasthooks
and knees
Scratching a bead
along stringers
BOATBUILDER’S SECRET