Over the Gate

green man · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:11 pm Post subject:

I hope you two know each other

If not I am sure it wont be long.
_________________
What you give in wishes you receive 7 fold .
What is in your heart will grow there.

Gareth · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:49 pm Post subject:

TopCat is a foum friend of mine from the cycle chat forum http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/index.php and the bike forums http://www.bikeforums.net/index.php

The coracle build is temporarily on hold until the middle of next week; too much split plywood in the basket weave dictates starting that section of the build all over again, a lack of funds, a full social calender, and a "Landlord's" flat inspection also prevents me from beginning again until Wednesday at the earliest.

_________________
In Lust, In Like, In Love.

Gareth

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

Gareth · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:21 pm Post subject:

Righty Oh!

Landlord's inspection over and finished with now, another 10 litres of Ginger beer set off and now brewing (ready for the Sq fest

), fishing tackle and bait sorted for this evenings dead baiting foray on the river Wensum, it's now time to nip over to the local timber merchants for a sheet of plywood, and to start replacing the damaged timbers on the coracle.

_________________
In Lust, In Like, In Love.

Gareth

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

Gareth · Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:57 am Post subject:

Righty O,

My holiday is over. Lois and I had a fantastic time at the Square Festival, and staying with; Danns, Bodger & Kaz, Welsh Lamb, and Bulcross, etc.

The camping equipment has now been cleaned and packed away ready for another foray and adventure, the last of our dirty clothes are currently in the washing machine, and my close friend is being discharged from hospital a little later. I now have no excuse not to get on and finish the MK2 coracle, so on Tuesdy it will be a trip over to the timber merchants to purchase another sheet of plywood, cut it into strips, make up a new weave, cover the framework with an old sheet, and waterproof the whole thing, before heading out on to the water.

As mentioned earlier, I had suffer a catosrophic failure of the weaved plywood strips due to me trying to bend them in blazing hot sunshine, and then accidently letting the still damp plywood framework get soaked during a massive thunderstorm. During our holiday away in Wales and at the Square Festival, I had used this damaged framework as fuel for my Kelly Kettle. One of the main reasons for this failure and split timber was this;

[img]

[/img]

The plywood laminations had been made up with sections of a double sided tape, rather than an even layer of adhesive.

Now I know, and in the future I will buy good quality plywood from a proper timber merchants, rather than B&Q or Homebase.

_________________
In Lust, In Like, In Love.

Gareth

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

rustyme · Joined: 01 Aug 2009 Posts: 17 Location: Wales

Hello Gareth ,
Russ here . I am new to the site and read your coracle story with interest . I live not far from Llechryd near Cardigan Where the old chap who makes and uses coracles lives, think he may have stopped now , he must be in his 80's now!!. Quite close to Cenarth too , the Coracle centre !! . I made a coracle years ago , no idea what happened to it now , think maybe it just got left as an ornament in the end. But I made mine out of Hazel and willow , much easier to work with than ply , and if you can find a spot where it is growing FREE . You could make the whole frame from willow if you wanted and if you planted some cuttings this year , 2 years later you have free coracle making stock forever. The first year you grow the cutting you will get about 3 or so rods per cutting , chop them down at the end of the year ,and use them as loads more cuttings . Just pop them in the ground and nearly all will grow!! The second year of growing the cuttings you will get 2,3,or 4 rods per last years rod. So if you had 3 rods per cutting the first year the second you will get 9 or maybe even more , the third year 30 or so maybe , it all depends on the type and site etc . A one year rod can be anything upto abou 9 feet or more tall and upto about 1/2" diam at base. Leave them to grow another year and they get much larger. If you live somewhere where you can't grow anything like that , maybe a friend has a bit of garden to spare , or you could get an allotment ? Whatever if you grow them you have free wood !!!! you can make baskets , thousands of types to choose from , chairs , garden arches , charcoal,for art or for fuel . Not read all of this site so maybe you have already done this ? sorry if you have , just that I thought it may be of interest ...well done on the coracle anyway ...it looks good . I made a canadian style canoe out of ply , also a sea kayak and a skulling boat , also made a 12' boat from 3/8" board from the builders yard.....I must start making them again ...coracle first I think ? Well done again ...nice to know I am not the only nut that does this sort of thing !!! lol

cheers

Russ

Gareth · Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:49 am Post subject:

Hello Russ,

Welcome to Over The Gate, and thank you for the comments

.... all will be taken on board (pun intended

). This is the second (third if you count last year's failed effort) boat that I have built for OTG.

I sort of have a little personal ambition to build a different boat each year and photo blog the process here on OTG. I was boat builder for a time, working in one of the major Boatyards in the Norfolk Broads, but that was all 25 ft and longer GRP hulled cruisers. This is the 4th coracle that I have built; 2 from woven hazel in the early 1970's with my father, and these 2 plywood lath ones in the last 12 months or so. For next year I already have a hankering to build a 16 ft long plywood Canadian canoe, and I hope to have the hull formers readily available for loan to other OTGer's if they would like to build their own plywood canoe.
_________________
In Lust, In Like, In Love.

Gareth

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?