Yacht masts

[Guest]

I'm currently building a 1:35 scale model of the J Class Yacht 'Endeavour' and I need to taper a wooden dowel to form the mast. The mast is 1450mm long and tapers from its base where the diameter is 14mm, to the top where it is 4mm.

Anyone ever done this? Any tips or techniques would be gratefully recieved, as I don't relish the idea of hand sanding it from beginning to end.

[Guest]

Hi Graham,

Initially I would have suggested an old snooker cue but that is going to be way too thick for your requirements. The only other alternative I can think of is fishing rod - They do sell blank sections in the shops (ie with no eyeholes or tips fitted) These would probably come in more the sizes you are looking for, will be lightweight & should not be too expensive.

Hope this helps

Regards.......Mark

[Guest]

Thanks, I had a similar thought, but ideally I wanted to do it in timber, as I wanted to stain it. Maybe I'll go and see whats available in my local shop in the way of fishing rod blanks. I doubt they still do split cane - very 1950's.

[Guest]

I'm currently building a 1:35 scale model of the J Class Yacht 'Endeavour' and I need to taper a wooden dowel to form the mast. The mast is 1450mm long and tapers from its base where the diameter is 14mm, to the top where it is 4mm.Anyone ever done this? Any tips or techniques would be gratefully recieved, as I don't relish the idea of hand sanding it from beginning to end.

Hi I used a slow turning three speed electric drill with a half inch chuck, locking the side handel in the vice and place a steady at the other end of the bench. Firstly I whittled with a pocket knife one end of the square section of hardwood to a 1/2 dia to fit in the chuck measured the length I wanted and moved the steady ( piece of wood with hole through) just beyond the the total height wanted. I used 40grit sand paper to rough it down to size wrapped over a 6" long block which has a vee cut into it, as the paper folds over the vee, the vee allows the paper to follow the groove when pressed onto the wood section and while the drill is turning on slow speed it was rather shakey to start with but once the corners were sanded of the job was quite easy, moving the block up and down the mast section more to one end than the other will result in a taper. DO NOT SPIN IT FAST, and support the other side of the wood with your hand while pressing the block on the other side. If anything catches let it go and step back step and blame me. Chris

[Guest]

Howdy Gram,

I believe you could do like sos said and use a drill as a make shift "lathe". (it sounded like something I might come up with in your position

have a good day,

greg aka geedubbya (gw)

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[Guest]

Hi Graham and a warm welcome to the forum.

You really only have two options for your masts, either using a lathe, purpose built or makeshift or doing it by hand. If you can use a lathe that is the easier way of doing it or, as has been mentioned, you can put together a makeshift device with a pistol drill, possibly even battery powered. I would then make some gauge rings which are of the correct internal diameter for various identified points along the taper to ensure that you have exactly the right taper. If you don't get that right the mast fittings will not locate at the correct heights.

If you are doing it by hand you could either make up the mast from square dowel, changing the diameter as you go down and building it up in thicker sections or start with a parallel blank. If you make a laminated mast it will actually be stronger and you will have less material to remove but you need to ensure that you have the steps in the cross sectional area at the right points. Sanding will be easier and the steps should have been designed such that when you sand the steps away you should be just about at the right taper.

If you have to make from solid then I would use a plane first to roughly remove the excess wood before getting the sanding block out. This is only like sharpening a pencil and if done carefully should leave you with little sanding to do.

A couple of things worth remembering though, I would make something to ocate the mast in while you work on it rather than have it rolling around on the work bench, half a section of plastic pi[pe works well here, and I would make yourself some curved sanding blocks by glueing sand paper to the inside surface of sections of plastic pipe. This will greatly reduce the flats on the surface as you sand.