Laminating a Tiller

[Guest]

Totally agree .....

The satisfaction in holding that tiller that you made is worth it.

If ever near my boat and I'm on there ... come and have a look - think you'll be pleasantly surprised ...

OK - first attempts and all that ... but at the cost - you can afford to make two - cosmetic daily job and the lesser emergency job ...

 

[ashanta]

I laminated my own a few years ago. I used a flat board and nailed the shape of the lines I wished the tiller laminates to follow. I only did one strip at a time. When in place and bent to the correct shape, I poured boiling water over the strip and left it to dry out in place on the board. When I had done sufficient number of strips in both mahogany and ash, I clamped them together in the sequence (light and dark)
I then re jigged the board to allow the combined wood strps to fit and when in place at the shape I wanted , Some effort required and the tiller was secure I poured boiling water over ot again quite a number of times and finally let it dry out fully.
Once dry the strips were separated and epoxy glued and clamped together. make sure you use plenty of clamps along the length of the tiller (I get my epoxy resin and hardner from a local business that makes products from GRP (non marine))
I then had the making of the tiller. I had to shape up the tiller for the rudder head fitting and I planed the tiller and shaped it so that it was nice to hold in hand. I varnished it a number of coats but I also deceided to epoxy the tiller and it still looks great. I also enjoyed the job too.

Regards.

Peter.

 

[l'escargot]

You can get a Westerly one (unfinished) for £95 here. Might be similar to what you want if you wanted to buy one.

 

[CliveG]

I have found out which Mags the articles were in.

PBO Laminate your own tiller by Derek Hart
Sep 1994 p111

PBO Laminated tiller by Lin and Larry Pardey
May 1997 p63

I don't have these in my collection.
Has any one got a copy of one of these that I could have a look at?