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Nice score today! And about 30+ sailboats cut for kids mini regatta!

2K views 28 replies 23 participants last post by  oldnovice 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
So… After being sick most of last week and all four kids being on fall break this week… I haven't had much time to get on LJ's. And when I got up this morning I didn't even know what I had planned for today either. But it was decided for me pretty quickly. There was a knock at the door literally within five minutes of me getting up. It was a friend from church. The leader if my sons AWANA class. He had a box of boards. About 30-35 1×3s cut into 7" lengths. They are planning on having a sailboat regatta for AWANA and he wanted to know if I had the tools to help him finish the sailboats. The kits were like $9 a piece. We figured we could do it ALOT cheaper.

Wish I would have got more pics of all of them when they were done. But we were too busy talking while we worked.

Here's one from the leftover that I just made. Maybe once he gets the next phase done I can get a pic of it finished.

Hand Wood Hardwood Wood stain Tree


So… We started by tracing the sample he had on the blocks. Then we cut it out on the band saw and sanded it on my bench top sander to final shape. We still weren't close to the shape of the sample. Tilted the table on my bandsaw to try and get the edge we wanted… That would have been easier but it just didn't work.

Then we also needed a small groove cut in bottom for the weight and the rudder. The Kerf on my blade was kinda too thick

The angle of the bottom of the boat still needed to be handled as well. So… Off to Lowes he went. When he came back I had some new toys.

A new 180tooth blade for my table saw.
Automotive tire Wood Grey Rim Font


A new 45 degree chamfer bit
Liquid Drinkware Tin Tin can Fluid


And a new handy little work light.
Wood Bicycle tire Gas Electrical wiring Hardwood


We took turns on the bandsaw and the sander. But he wasn't really very interested in messing with the router. He said he's a car guy. Not a wood guy. LOL

Here is a pic on the back. We actually ended up liking the chamfer on the bottom better than we liked the sample. Turned out not bad.
Wood Creative arts Triangle Hardwood Art


So… All I did was get to do something I love, helped a friend and got some new "stuff" too. Not a bad day. And both my younger boys will be participating in the regatta. James already got a sample boat and was testing to see if it would float. LOL.

I don't know. You do the math… 1 saw blade - $13, 1 light (couple of buck), 1 chamfer bit - $30 and three boards $10. He spent maybe another $10 on some template material for the mast & rudder and some dowels for the mast. So we did it for under $75. OR….. we could have bought 35 kits for $315 plus tax….
Do you think it was worth it? LOL
 

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#4 ·
A Good day in the shop indeed! And doing good deeds while you're at it. This is what "Paying It Forward" is all about.

Suggestion, put one of those "pig tail" lightbulbs in that clamp-on light and you wont feel the heat on your hands when doing close work.
 
#6 ·
Being positive for doing such a great deed to help others is a special feeling that's hard to describe. Looks like things turned out just fine with all parties. Your a good deed doer.
 
#14 ·
Great project, Angie. You'll feel so good seeing all these boats sail on Sunday!!
It is great that they have you to do that for them!!....................Cheers, Jim
 
#17 ·
Took me back a 20 years to the Boy Scouts rain gutter regatta. For those that do not have shops the kit
for a BSA Trimaran is $4.99 and I think they still sell to anyone. Your solution was a lot more enjoyable, and
now all you have to do is stock up on some small cans of bright colored spray enamel, your children should
help you in this selection and you should be ready to finish the boats. You may want to have some boats
available to your children who will not be participating to keep peace in the family, do not ask how I know
this.
 
#19 ·
Even if you give them away it is worth it. I do the same thing for the kids at our church. The girls usually buy crafts but the boys get home made crafts. We do a rain gutter regatta but usually we do it in the spring so we can go outside and not worry about spilling water. I don't get fancy. We let the boys drill the holes with my battery powered drill. We make a mast out of a bamboo skewer. They are quick and easy. Cheap too. We do invite the girls to participate in the rain gutter event and this year they are invited to make a pinewood derby car. I usually saw about 98% of those. Great times and the kids will never forget them.
 
#21 ·
I did the "pinewood derby" with the boys for years. That activity ceased to have any connection to the kids making their cars years ago (no way any young kid builds any of the cars that get entered). So after the first year of letting them build that ugly "no chance of winning" car according to the instructions I bought one kit and then used it as a template for "experiments" on scrap wood I had laying around. I did the woodworking like every other father. I still made them paint and decal it and tune it though.

My only question is $30 for the chamfer bit. Years ago I bought a 24 piece set of 1/2" shank carbide bits for $100 at the HD. The chamfer bit has yet to be used but with time most of the rest of them have been used at one time or another. Many will never get used but you get my point.
 
#22 ·
Angie nice job, I am sure the kids will enjoy sanding and decorating them. Teejk I use the pinewood derby concept with my engineering design class. I have them design the car and use the 3D printer to print them. You would be amazed at some of the designs that they come up with.
 
#23 ·
We do a pinewood derby too. The kids love it. This is our first year for the rain gutter regatta. Should be fun. I can't wait.

We will give out the boats tomorrow. Then they will take them home to decorate and finish assembly. We will probably do the same as with the pinewood derby and have a day where we set up tools and paint and things for them to use and there are usually a couple of guys and gals there to help kids that don't have someone to help
 
#24 ·
Pinewood derby seems to be more of letting the fathers return to their youth! The boys tend to lose interest after a few hours while the fathers are glued to the track…a bragging right thing I guess. Fortunately I never saw a fist fight break out but I'm sure it's happened.
 
#25 ·
The get together to help make and finish the cars sounds great, when my boys were active in it, I always
bought an extra car and made it for me. The boys each made their own except for melting the lead to
weight the car. One year the oldest boy won first place in a two county meet, after the last race one of
the judges picked up his car to examine it and a wheel & axle that my son had glued on fell off. He kept
that car and trophy for quite a few years.
 
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