Recent content by Steve Sanford

Good morning, Richard~ Wonderful - congratulations! Question: Can your dagger (scimitar?) board be set at any depth? If so, what holds it up or down. Simple friction in the lot? Leather? Spring brass? Also - good decision to wait for calmer weather for the sea trials. All the best, SJS

Good morning, Jode~ Great addition to any fleet! I love the detail on the stool rack sides. Always a plus when a bit of artistry can be combined with the practical - draining the stern deck, in this instance. Also, am I seeing tongue-and-groove on the deck planks? I will be re-decking my...

Rick~ I have saved your photo of those fine turnbuttons - in a new folder in my Boats/Gear section. When (if) I make it to Tuckerton next weekend, I will be sure to take a photo of the nice bronze ones Dave Clark uses in his gunning boats. And, I will on the lookout for other such solutions...

Good morning, Dave~ Glad you solved the mystery! Of course, Aldo Leopold - in Sand County Almanac - anticipated such events: “To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.” It also reminds me of a friend's sailing tactics - of dubious ethics - when racing...

Good morning, Tony~ Great tale - well-told - albeit of a less-than-ideal experience for you and the kids. I imagine many of us have encountered similar happenings over the years. Mild weather and the ever-increasing "innocence" of society about hunting certainly has made such encounters more...

Good morning, SJ~ Truly wonderful work - congratulations once again! Here is one more idea for you. In my Dad's Great South Bay Scooter - built by Benjamin Hallock, probably in the 1920s - the backrest doubles as a rowing bench. The bench gets you up about 5 inches off the floorboards AND -...

RM and Tom~ My apparent opposite response was based on the order of the coatings. As I read it, the sequence would be: stain - spar varnish - epoxy. I was going to hold forth on using the epoxy under the varnish - as is done on many boats and other out-in-the-weather objects. So: stain -...

YES! No need or benefit to top coating with epoxy. Save that for your boats and decoys. The spar varnish will provide ample protection in any covered setting. Unlike epoxy, varnishes are like paint in that they allow water vapor to escape. And, they are formulated to be easily maintained...

Anthony~ I have kept beeswax in my shop for a long time - for a variety of lubrication purposes - including many in the NDR category... Most recently, my neighbor made (forged) us a pair of extra-long towel bars. He suggested beeswax as a finish. I left the bars - and the beeswax - in the...

SJ~ Whilst you were answering, I was searching through my photos on "floorboards" and "turnbuttons". One thing I have done with springy floorboards is to hold them down amidships with turnbuttons. I typically use Locust - but I have also seen some very nice ones cast from bronze. (Brass...