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Question for anyone who has built a hollow mast. How did you taper the staves, or did you build it with straight staves and taper it afterwards? Other than popping cahlk lines and hand ripping the staves, the only other idea i could come up with is making 2 jigs from straight 1x4x12s, one for the first angle off the square side, then one for the second side, (the angle being compounded by the first. And I was thinking of using a 22 1/2 degree lock mitre bit with a router after ripping them to size to get an octagonal mast.

Dave I made Saralee's mast octagonal and tried paint then varnish as a finish. I am considering rounding it off as the jaws always ruin what ever finish is under them on the points. Hopefully a round stick wouldn't do this. Possibly someone with a round mast could comment... 8) I tapered the new sprit slightly and took the taper off the flat sides with a plane. The thickness of the stave is a issue done this way id the taper is short.

David, take a look though previous threads, with the key word "birdsmouth". There have been several discussions with a link typically to Frank's MessingAbout article on the process.

Birdsmouth is a method of hollow spar construction that has been around for some time. I've built about a dozen masts this way and it's very sound, producing a light, strong stick.

The main boom is better if left a solid spar, as the weight is helpful when the sheets are eased (no vang), The gaff is so small that making it hollow wouldn't save enough weight, to make the effort worth while (though there are other light weight options). The sprit should be solid if you don't plan on a bob stay and can be hollow if you elect to rig a bob. The jib boom can be hollow, though again the spar is low enough and small enough to not warrant the effort.

Weight savings, particularly aloft can make big dividends when in heavy winds. Another advantage of a hollow mast is you can install things inside it, like wiring chases and more importantly halyards and lifts. I have a few hollow masts that are less then 3" in diameter that house 4 lines. Removing the exposure of these 4 lines in the rig, can ease the tangle of lines that seem to breed around gaffer masts. The biggest benefit is the reduced windage while sailing and the tangle free rig that is resting on a crotch when it's lowered.

well paul hock: i have always used a cruch myself...... more comfortable for me and crew :wink:

I read this forum and Messing About religiously. And a recent post by Charlie Jones may have answered the question I never asked properly,,,that is "Don't you have to taper both sides of the stave equally before cutting your joinery (i.e. birdsmouth) to prevent a twist in the mast from top to bottom? (in CS20 #102 thread)
And my question deals primarily with the Weekenders mast, which calls for a taper starting 3' from the bottom of the 15' 1" mast, rather than a mast calling for the taper only near the top. Your thoughts??? And experiences?
I brought up the Lock Miter bit because it is a bit I have used in making frames for corner cabinets, and it makes a strong glue joint, and just wanted feedback as to it's possible use in a mast, compared to the birdsmouth.
Y'all are Great!!!

I built a tapered mast for my Weekender. I follwed instructions on Frank's site.

The PROCEDURE I used was to cut the staves to width first, then cut the "mouths" on a tablesaw. I then made a "sled" of sorts, that held the stave with what would be the narrow end first. The Stave is braced at the proper angle on the sled, so that as it passed by the blade, the bottom end ended up wider than the top. I don't recall the dimensions, but I did get them off Frank's page.

I always wish I would have taken pictures of the "sled" jig whenever I read a post like this. I will see if I can make a drawing at least tomorrow.

Yep, Brit's got it, a sliding taper jig is the ticket, if using a table saw. I'm now using a router to do the deed, which leaves a cleaner cut, less chatter and safer feed. You only need to taper one side of each stave.

I would think a notched or locking miter could work, but fitting the final stave may prove problematic. I build the masts in two halves, which permits me to install things in the "shells" before I "close" 'er up. The birdsmouth method is self aligning, so you don't really need a better joint.

Consider the Asymmetric stave layout, rather then the more typical symmetric arrangement. It makes rounding the mast easier and the grain looks better.

Below on the left is a symmetric, the right asymmetric. Note my glue line, dividing the two halves.

Now can someone resize the image to fit right . . .

Quote:Dave I made Saralee's mast octagonal and tried paint then varnish as a finish. I am considering rounding it off as the jaws always ruin what ever finish is under them on the points. Hopefully a round stick wouldn't do this. Possibly someone with a round mast could comment... 8)

I have a round mast, and the gaff jaws eat the paint off it where it rides during sailing, after a year it's not to the wood, just bits of white primer showing through. I stapled leather on my gaff jaws and it's still wearing the paint but not so much as before and it makes a friendly creaking sound with the leather up there.

I guess it is the nature of the beast then Dave. Thanks

I'm not sure if this is what you want Paul. I can enlarge the photo if you want. but here ya go...

let me try it a bit bigger. this is about as large as I can get it without it totally fuzzing out...


Brian.