I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.

Thanx
Renata

Renata wrote:
I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.


If you can protect it from water damage hickory or ash would be good.

Otherwise, aside from teak and white oak, you might consider black
locust, or osage orange, if you can find it.

--

FF

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 13:44:45 -0400, Renata
wrote:

I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.

Thanx
Renata


Should be laminated for strength. Most are made from Ash or Ash and
Mahongony alternating layers of laminate.

Frank

Well, you left out a lot of details that might make a diff. For
example, what kind of boat? Classic wooden? Racing dinghy? Oldie but
goodie clorox bottle? Not that you will lose sleep over the decision
but form follows function, right? An extension is not a tiller but is
used when holding onto the tiller itself is either awkward of
disadvantageous to performance when racing. If you are making an
extension I suggest you scratch the idea and invest in an after-market
one instead. Among the benefits of these are a wide array of lengths
and materials (carbon-fiber, alloy, fiber-glass) as well as design
(think telescoping). My tiller extension folds back nicely on the
tiller and is held out of the way with a clever grip.

Now if you are not discussing an extension, but an actual tiller, then
my suggestion is that you try to mimic the original design. Most naval
architects take pains to work out even the smallest of details,
including the tiller. As for material, heck you aren't making an
heirloom here. I would not worry too much about laminating something as
it is not going too buy you a whole heck of a lot. A stout piece of
white oak with a good varnish (I like Captain's, YMMV) on it should
serve you well. And when the varnish fails and the oak turns black it
just adds character. Sand off the varnish and redo for the pleasure of
adding more "character" to your tiller. And last but not least.
remember that the tiller must attach to the rudder somehow, and where it
does is your most likely source of failure so pay particular attention
to reinforcing this area. I used 1/4" SS angle iron - it worked great
for 10 years and for all I know may still be working now, 15 years down
the road.

Have fun and good luck ...

Renata wrote:
I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.

Thanx
Renata

Renata wrote:
I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.


Sounds like a sailor.

Just because the wind is free, dosen't mean everything else is to, as
the old saying goesG.

If you are going to laminate it, as someone else suggested, ash and
Hondouras mahogany will make a nice combination.

Not a good place for teak IMHO.

Lew

I use a treated piece of 2/4 ( for 2/6 if you want to shape it).on mine. It
is very cheap and fits into the holder perfectly.
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
nk.net...
Renata wrote:
I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.


Sounds like a sailor.

Just because the wind is free, dosen't mean everything else is to, as the
old saying goesG.

If you are going to laminate it, as someone else suggested, ash and
Hondouras mahogany will make a nice combination.

Not a good place for teak IMHO.

Lew

Tiller. Not extension.
26' Windrose. A speedy, nimble craft (not!).

Thanx for the wealth of info.

I intend to copy the form of the original. It's oak I think (I don't
have it at the moment). White oak is what I was thinking, but wasn't
sure if there was a better choice. And for this boat, my plethora of
other projects, the $ (gratis), etc., I'm gonna stay away from
laminating.

The rest o the story is that the boat had a run in with some rocks
after getting cut off but a tourist boat stopping to take 'pitchers'
(yes, I know,...). Turning to port ran you head on into the wind, and
starboard was the lighthouse - with the notso-nice rocks. The
helmsman did what he could but still "brushed" the rocks. No, I
wasn't sailing it, but I belong to the club which owns it and offer my
services to make the replacement.

BTW, the tiller cracked at approximately at the half way point,
lengthwise. Don't know if it runs the whole length, but from the pic
I saw, it runs for a good bit of it. I'm presuming we'll reuse the
hardware, etc. from the broken tiller (including the extension). ANy
reason not to?

Renata





On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 18:53:26 -0400, DIYGUY
wrote:

Well, you left out a lot of details that might make a diff. For
example, what kind of boat? Classic wooden? Racing dinghy? Oldie but
goodie clorox bottle? Not that you will lose sleep over the decision
but form follows function, right? An extension is not a tiller but is
used when holding onto the tiller itself is either awkward of
disadvantageous to performance when racing. If you are making an
extension I suggest you scratch the idea and invest in an after-market
one instead. Among the benefits of these are a wide array of lengths
and materials (carbon-fiber, alloy, fiber-glass) as well as design
(think telescoping). My tiller extension folds back nicely on the
tiller and is held out of the way with a clever grip.

Now if you are not discussing an extension, but an actual tiller, then
my suggestion is that you try to mimic the original design. Most naval
architects take pains to work out even the smallest of details,
including the tiller. As for material, heck you aren't making an
heirloom here. I would not worry too much about laminating something as
it is not going too buy you a whole heck of a lot. A stout piece of
white oak with a good varnish (I like Captain's, YMMV) on it should
serve you well. And when the varnish fails and the oak turns black it
just adds character. Sand off the varnish and redo for the pleasure of
adding more "character" to your tiller. And last but not least.
remember that the tiller must attach to the rudder somehow, and where it
does is your most likely source of failure so pay particular attention
to reinforcing this area. I used 1/4" SS angle iron - it worked great
for 10 years and for all I know may still be working now, 15 years down
the road.

Have fun and good luck ...

Renata wrote:
I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.

Thanx
Renata

To continue on Lew's suggestion . . .

Laminating up your own tiller isn't hard . . . just time consuming to do it
RIGHT.

I was planning on doing one for a 15ft 'micro-cruiser' {the 'original'
looked like it was simply a painted piece of cut down '2x4'}. I had recently
gotten several current 'Marine Supply' catalogs and browsing through them
noted that SEVERAL had beautifully, professionally laminated, tillers for
$50 or less. . . . In various curves & styles, as well.

My suggestion is to look at the Hendersen Marine, Jamestown Distributors,
and Annapolis Performance Sailing web-sites before building your own.
{ALTHOUGH . . the trouble to build a jig is worth while if you are going to
make MULTIPLE tillers}

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
nk.net...
Renata wrote:
I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.


Sounds like a sailor.

Just because the wind is free, dosen't mean everything else is to, as
the old saying goesG.

If you are going to laminate it, as someone else suggested, ash and
Hondouras mahogany will make a nice combination.

Not a good place for teak IMHO.

Lew

PHILISTINE !!!!

"W. Wells" wrote in message
. ..
I use a treated piece of 2/4 ( for 2/6 if you want to shape it).on mine.
It
is very cheap and fits into the holder perfectly.

Tue, Jul 11, 2006, 11:13am (EDT+4) (W.*Wells) doth
burbleth:
I use a treated piece of 2/4 ( for 2/6 if you want to shape it).on mine.
It is very cheap and fits into the holder perfectly.

It would make make me extremely uneasy to knowingly use a piece of
treated wood in such a manner. Not because of woory it would break, but
because of the potential health hazard from constant skin contact with
treated wood.

You want cheap, use pallet wood.



JOAT
Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

Sorry to hear about the mishap - I have had similar experiences myself ...
I would reuse the original hardware - as long as it is not suspect in
anyway. Heck, you might even be able to salvage the tiller depending on
how bad it is cracked. Ordinary carpenters glue might work for you.
You could always put some SS screws in it if you feel the glue would be
insufficient. And the suggestion that you buy an OTC replacement may be
heresy, but the price of your time and materials will probably greatly
exceed the cost of a fairly good tiller. If this is a labor of love
then that's another story.

Renata wrote:
Tiller. Not extension.
26' Windrose. A speedy, nimble craft (not!).

Thanx for the wealth of info.

I intend to copy the form of the original. It's oak I think (I don't
have it at the moment). White oak is what I was thinking, but wasn't
sure if there was a better choice. And for this boat, my plethora of
other projects, the $ (gratis), etc., I'm gonna stay away from
laminating.

The rest o the story is that the boat had a run in with some rocks
after getting cut off but a tourist boat stopping to take 'pitchers'
(yes, I know,...). Turning to port ran you head on into the wind, and
starboard was the lighthouse - with the notso-nice rocks. The
helmsman did what he could but still "brushed" the rocks. No, I
wasn't sailing it, but I belong to the club which owns it and offer my
services to make the replacement.

BTW, the tiller cracked at approximately at the half way point,
lengthwise. Don't know if it runs the whole length, but from the pic
I saw, it runs for a good bit of it. I'm presuming we'll reuse the
hardware, etc. from the broken tiller (including the extension). ANy
reason not to?

Renata





On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 18:53:26 -0400, DIYGUY
wrote:


Well, you left out a lot of details that might make a diff. For
example, what kind of boat? Classic wooden? Racing dinghy? Oldie but
goodie clorox bottle? Not that you will lose sleep over the decision
but form follows function, right? An extension is not a tiller but is
used when holding onto the tiller itself is either awkward of
disadvantageous to performance when racing. If you are making an
extension I suggest you scratch the idea and invest in an after-market
one instead. Among the benefits of these are a wide array of lengths
and materials (carbon-fiber, alloy, fiber-glass) as well as design
(think telescoping). My tiller extension folds back nicely on the
tiller and is held out of the way with a clever grip.

Now if you are not discussing an extension, but an actual tiller, then
my suggestion is that you try to mimic the original design. Most naval
architects take pains to work out even the smallest of details,
including the tiller. As for material, heck you aren't making an
heirloom here. I would not worry too much about laminating something as
it is not going too buy you a whole heck of a lot. A stout piece of
white oak with a good varnish (I like Captain's, YMMV) on it should
serve you well. And when the varnish fails and the oak turns black it
just adds character. Sand off the varnish and redo for the pleasure of
adding more "character" to your tiller. And last but not least.
remember that the tiller must attach to the rudder somehow, and where it
does is your most likely source of failure so pay particular attention
to reinforcing this area. I used 1/4" SS angle iron - it worked great
for 10 years and for all I know may still be working now, 15 years down
the road.

Have fun and good luck ...

Renata wrote:

I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.

Thanx
Renata

Renata wrote in
:

White oak is what I was thinking, but wasn't
sure if there was a better choice.

Oak can be difficult to glue, using epoxy (which is what you'd
want to use for anything marine, of course). So if you need to
assemble anything to it (cheeks or whatever), you'll probably
find mahogany to be easier to deal with.

OTOH, if it's just a case of pulling out a spokeshave and
shaping a single piece of wood, I don't see why oak would
not be a suitable choice.

John

Sounds like someone with a camprehension problem.
In what way does "cost effective" mean free? There are many airlines that
think the Boeing 747 is cost effective. Do you think they get them for free?

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
nk.net...
Renata wrote:
I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.


Sounds like a sailor.

Just because the wind is free, dosen't mean everything else is to, as
the old saying goesG.

CW wrote:
Sounds like someone with a camprehension problem.

Obviously not a rag bagger.

Lew

What kind of boat is it? I've got a tiller (with cover) sitting in my
shed for a Catalina27. I used it one season and then Isabella sank it. I
guess Davy Jones wasn't happy about me changing the name.

Email me if your interested. It would be a whole lot cheaper than
building/buying a new one.

Mark


DIYGUY wrote:
Sorry to hear about the mishap - I have had similar experiences myself ...
I would reuse the original hardware - as long as it is not suspect in
anyway. Heck, you might even be able to salvage the tiller depending on
how bad it is cracked. Ordinary carpenters glue might work for you.
You could always put some SS screws in it if you feel the glue would be
insufficient. And the suggestion that you buy an OTC replacement may be
heresy, but the price of your time and materials will probably greatly
exceed the cost of a fairly good tiller. If this is a labor of love
then that's another story.

Renata wrote:
Tiller. Not extension.
26' Windrose. A speedy, nimble craft (not!).

Thanx for the wealth of info.

I intend to copy the form of the original. It's oak I think (I don't
have it at the moment). White oak is what I was thinking, but wasn't
sure if there was a better choice. And for this boat, my plethora of
other projects, the $ (gratis), etc., I'm gonna stay away from
laminating.

The rest o the story is that the boat had a run in with some rocks
after getting cut off but a tourist boat stopping to take 'pitchers'
(yes, I know,...). Turning to port ran you head on into the wind, and
starboard was the lighthouse - with the notso-nice rocks. The
helmsman did what he could but still "brushed" the rocks. No, I
wasn't sailing it, but I belong to the club which owns it and offer my
services to make the replacement.

BTW, the tiller cracked at approximately at the half way point,
lengthwise. Don't know if it runs the whole length, but from the pic
I saw, it runs for a good bit of it. I'm presuming we'll reuse the
hardware, etc. from the broken tiller (including the extension). ANy
reason not to?

Renata





On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 18:53:26 -0400, DIYGUY
wrote:


Well, you left out a lot of details that might make a diff. For
example, what kind of boat? Classic wooden? Racing dinghy? Oldie but
goodie clorox bottle? Not that you will lose sleep over the decision
but form follows function, right? An extension is not a tiller but is
used when holding onto the tiller itself is either awkward of
disadvantageous to performance when racing. If you are making an
extension I suggest you scratch the idea and invest in an after-market
one instead. Among the benefits of these are a wide array of lengths
and materials (carbon-fiber, alloy, fiber-glass) as well as design
(think telescoping). My tiller extension folds back nicely on the
tiller and is held out of the way with a clever grip.

Now if you are not discussing an extension, but an actual tiller, then
my suggestion is that you try to mimic the original design. Most naval
architects take pains to work out even the smallest of details,
including the tiller. As for material, heck you aren't making an
heirloom here. I would not worry too much about laminating something as
it is not going too buy you a whole heck of a lot. A stout piece of
white oak with a good varnish (I like Captain's, YMMV) on it should
serve you well. And when the varnish fails and the oak turns black it
just adds character. Sand off the varnish and redo for the pleasure of
adding more "character" to your tiller. And last but not least.
remember that the tiller must attach to the rudder somehow, and where it
does is your most likely source of failure so pay particular attention
to reinforcing this area. I used 1/4" SS angle iron - it worked great
for 10 years and for all I know may still be working now, 15 years down
the road.

Have fun and good luck ...

Renata wrote:

I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.

Thanx
Renata

Thanx for the offer.

It's a 27' (I think) Windrose. Looks like the tiller's just a tapered
hunk of wood (I haven't been out yet this year, so I'm going by the
partial picture provided).

Where are you and how much (if it would work)?

Thanx
Renata

On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 10:03:45 -0400, Mark Witczak
wrote:

What kind of boat is it? I've got a tiller (with cover) sitting in my
shed for a Catalina27. I used it one season and then Isabella sank it. I
guess Davy Jones wasn't happy about me changing the name.

Email me if your interested. It would be a whole lot cheaper than
building/buying a new one.

Mark


DIYGUY wrote:
Sorry to hear about the mishap - I have had similar experiences myself ...
I would reuse the original hardware - as long as it is not suspect in
anyway. Heck, you might even be able to salvage the tiller depending on
how bad it is cracked. Ordinary carpenters glue might work for you.
You could always put some SS screws in it if you feel the glue would be
insufficient. And the suggestion that you buy an OTC replacement may be
heresy, but the price of your time and materials will probably greatly
exceed the cost of a fairly good tiller. If this is a labor of love
then that's another story.

Renata wrote:
Tiller. Not extension.
26' Windrose. A speedy, nimble craft (not!).

Thanx for the wealth of info.

I intend to copy the form of the original. It's oak I think (I don't
have it at the moment). White oak is what I was thinking, but wasn't
sure if there was a better choice. And for this boat, my plethora of
other projects, the $ (gratis), etc., I'm gonna stay away from
laminating.

The rest o the story is that the boat had a run in with some rocks
after getting cut off but a tourist boat stopping to take 'pitchers'
(yes, I know,...). Turning to port ran you head on into the wind, and
starboard was the lighthouse - with the notso-nice rocks. The
helmsman did what he could but still "brushed" the rocks. No, I
wasn't sailing it, but I belong to the club which owns it and offer my
services to make the replacement.

BTW, the tiller cracked at approximately at the half way point,
lengthwise. Don't know if it runs the whole length, but from the pic
I saw, it runs for a good bit of it. I'm presuming we'll reuse the
hardware, etc. from the broken tiller (including the extension). ANy
reason not to?

Renata





On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 18:53:26 -0400, DIYGUY
wrote:


Well, you left out a lot of details that might make a diff. For
example, what kind of boat? Classic wooden? Racing dinghy? Oldie but
goodie clorox bottle? Not that you will lose sleep over the decision
but form follows function, right? An extension is not a tiller but is
used when holding onto the tiller itself is either awkward of
disadvantageous to performance when racing. If you are making an
extension I suggest you scratch the idea and invest in an after-market
one instead. Among the benefits of these are a wide array of lengths
and materials (carbon-fiber, alloy, fiber-glass) as well as design
(think telescoping). My tiller extension folds back nicely on the
tiller and is held out of the way with a clever grip.

Now if you are not discussing an extension, but an actual tiller, then
my suggestion is that you try to mimic the original design. Most naval
architects take pains to work out even the smallest of details,
including the tiller. As for material, heck you aren't making an
heirloom here. I would not worry too much about laminating something as
it is not going too buy you a whole heck of a lot. A stout piece of
white oak with a good varnish (I like Captain's, YMMV) on it should
serve you well. And when the varnish fails and the oak turns black it
just adds character. Sand off the varnish and redo for the pleasure of
adding more "character" to your tiller. And last but not least.
remember that the tiller must attach to the rudder somehow, and where it
does is your most likely source of failure so pay particular attention
to reinforcing this area. I used 1/4" SS angle iron - it worked great
for 10 years and for all I know may still be working now, 15 years down
the road.

Have fun and good luck ...

Renata wrote:

I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.

Thanx
Renata

Cost effective example.

Ebony $65/bd ft. Nice and hard, but not sure how it holds up to salt
spray.

Rosewood $15/bd ft. Beutiful and elegant but not sure how
structurally appropriate it would be.

White oak $5/bd ft. Durable, appropriate, cheap (relatively).

Not sure where you got "free".

Renata

On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 01:55:22 GMT, "CW" wrote:

Sounds like someone with a camprehension problem.
In what way does "cost effective" mean free? There are many airlines that
think the Boeing 747 is cost effective. Do you think they get them for free?

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
ink.net...
Renata wrote:
I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.


Sounds like a sailor.

Just because the wind is free, dosen't mean everything else is to, as
the old saying goesG.

On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 14:09:52 GMT, "Ron Magen"
wrote:

To continue on Lew's suggestion . . .

Laminating up your own tiller isn't hard . . . just time consuming to do it
RIGHT.

Time consuming is what I can't afford at the moment. I'm willing to
do this for 'em/us but have only so much time. Plus, the boat's not
such an elegant creature as to warrant a hand crafted work of art, so
to speak.


I was planning on doing one for a 15ft 'micro-cruiser' {the 'original'
looked like it was simply a painted piece of cut down '2x4'}. I had recently
gotten several current 'Marine Supply' catalogs and browsing through them
noted that SEVERAL had beautifully, professionally laminated, tillers for
$50 or less. . . . In various curves & styles, as well.

My suggestion is to look at the Hendersen Marine, Jamestown Distributors,
and Annapolis Performance Sailing web-sites before building your own.
{ALTHOUGH . . the trouble to build a jig is worth while if you are going to
make MULTIPLE tillers}

Ah, thanx, will look into these sources. A quick internet perusal
yielded prices starting at $125, ranging to $230 plus.

$50 would be worth buying since the wood and varnish will run close to
that $.

THanx
Renata


Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
ink.net...
Renata wrote:
I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.


Sounds like a sailor.

Just because the wind is free, dosen't mean everything else is to, as
the old saying goesG.

If you are going to laminate it, as someone else suggested, ash and
Hondouras mahogany will make a nice combination.

Not a good place for teak IMHO.

Lew

THanx again.

I don't think the tiller's salvageable as the crack runs it's length
and I wouldn't trust a salvage job in that state. Easy enouhg to
replace. I think they're gonna glue it as a temporary measure til the
new one's done.

It's sorta a labor of love, but when one poster mentioned $50 for a
replacement, well, the love sorta diminished... ;-)

Thanx
Renata


On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:02:49 -0400, DIYGUY
wrote:

Sorry to hear about the mishap - I have had similar experiences myself ...
I would reuse the original hardware - as long as it is not suspect in
anyway. Heck, you might even be able to salvage the tiller depending on
how bad it is cracked. Ordinary carpenters glue might work for you.
You could always put some SS screws in it if you feel the glue would be
insufficient. And the suggestion that you buy an OTC replacement may be
heresy, but the price of your time and materials will probably greatly
exceed the cost of a fairly good tiller. If this is a labor of love
then that's another story.

-snip-
Renata wrote:

I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.

Thanx
Renata

Wed, Jul 12, 2006, 11:21am (Renata)
Cost effective example. snip
Not sure where you got "free".

Cost effectives:

Rough trim plywood, laminate, final shape. Titebond II should work
fine as it won't be immersed in water. If it's "scrap" plywood, cost is
nil. Even if you buy some it won't cost much. I frequently laminate
plywood for different projects - jigs, etc. Sometime you can even get
free "scraps".

Pallet wood. I mentioned this before. Usually no telling what
type of wood, but you can get it free. If yer worried about it not
lasting, rough out a couple more. Personally, I think it'll probably
last as long as anything else. I used some for my banjo neck, only
problem is it's so hard a rasp will hardly touch it, so it's taking a
LOT of work to final shape. But now I've got a hand power planer.
Hehehe

There's more examples, but I'd have to think, and I don't feel like
thinking.

There is no such thing as "scrap" plywood, just smaller and smaller
pieces. If you can't figure out any other use for it you can always use
it for a backer piece in drilling holes.



JOAT
Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

I paid $130 for it and $25 for the cover. It also has a stainless
Universal Joint (360 degree spinning eye bolt) for a Spinlock tiller
extension. (I think that's around here somewhere too. I'll have to take
a look.) The cover has some wear on it, but the handle is pristine. I
can let you have it all for $100. If you email me, I'll send you
pictures of it and dimensions.

Oh, I'm in Northern Virgina.

Mark


Renata wrote:
Thanx for the offer.

It's a 27' (I think) Windrose. Looks like the tiller's just a tapered
hunk of wood (I haven't been out yet this year, so I'm going by the
partial picture provided).

Where are you and how much (if it would work)?

Thanx
Renata

On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 10:03:45 -0400, Mark Witczak
wrote:

What kind of boat is it? I've got a tiller (with cover) sitting in my
shed for a Catalina27. I used it one season and then Isabella sank it. I
guess Davy Jones wasn't happy about me changing the name.

Email me if your interested. It would be a whole lot cheaper than
building/buying a new one.

Mark


DIYGUY wrote:
Sorry to hear about the mishap - I have had similar experiences myself ...
I would reuse the original hardware - as long as it is not suspect in
anyway. Heck, you might even be able to salvage the tiller depending on
how bad it is cracked. Ordinary carpenters glue might work for you.
You could always put some SS screws in it if you feel the glue would be
insufficient. And the suggestion that you buy an OTC replacement may be
heresy, but the price of your time and materials will probably greatly
exceed the cost of a fairly good tiller. If this is a labor of love
then that's another story.

Renata wrote:
Tiller. Not extension.
26' Windrose. A speedy, nimble craft (not!).

Thanx for the wealth of info.

I intend to copy the form of the original. It's oak I think (I don't
have it at the moment). White oak is what I was thinking, but wasn't
sure if there was a better choice. And for this boat, my plethora of
other projects, the $ (gratis), etc., I'm gonna stay away from
laminating.

The rest o the story is that the boat had a run in with some rocks
after getting cut off but a tourist boat stopping to take 'pitchers'
(yes, I know,...). Turning to port ran you head on into the wind, and
starboard was the lighthouse - with the notso-nice rocks. The
helmsman did what he could but still "brushed" the rocks. No, I
wasn't sailing it, but I belong to the club which owns it and offer my
services to make the replacement.

BTW, the tiller cracked at approximately at the half way point,
lengthwise. Don't know if it runs the whole length, but from the pic
I saw, it runs for a good bit of it. I'm presuming we'll reuse the
hardware, etc. from the broken tiller (including the extension). ANy
reason not to?

Renata





On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 18:53:26 -0400, DIYGUY
wrote:


Well, you left out a lot of details that might make a diff. For
example, what kind of boat? Classic wooden? Racing dinghy? Oldie but
goodie clorox bottle? Not that you will lose sleep over the decision
but form follows function, right? An extension is not a tiller but is
used when holding onto the tiller itself is either awkward of
disadvantageous to performance when racing. If you are making an
extension I suggest you scratch the idea and invest in an after-market
one instead. Among the benefits of these are a wide array of lengths
and materials (carbon-fiber, alloy, fiber-glass) as well as design
(think telescoping). My tiller extension folds back nicely on the
tiller and is held out of the way with a clever grip.

Now if you are not discussing an extension, but an actual tiller, then
my suggestion is that you try to mimic the original design. Most naval
architects take pains to work out even the smallest of details,
including the tiller. As for material, heck you aren't making an
heirloom here. I would not worry too much about laminating something as
it is not going too buy you a whole heck of a lot. A stout piece of
white oak with a good varnish (I like Captain's, YMMV) on it should
serve you well. And when the varnish fails and the oak turns black it
just adds character. Sand off the varnish and redo for the pleasure of
adding more "character" to your tiller. And last but not least.
remember that the tiller must attach to the rudder somehow, and where it
does is your most likely source of failure so pay particular attention
to reinforcing this area. I used 1/4" SS angle iron - it worked great
for 10 years and for all I know may still be working now, 15 years down
the road.

Have fun and good luck ...

Renata wrote:

I'm gonna make a new tiller extension handle for a club's sailboat.
What's the best (and cost effective) wood to use? White oak? I'm
thinking teak might be too $$.

Thanx
Renata

Agree with the previous posts re. laminated white ash for a sailboat
tiller;
An inexpensive source of the wood is in a solid ash hockey stick, if
you
can find one or more of them.

Just cut off the blade, then rip the stick into
thin strips on your table saw, and lay up a laminated tiller with
waterproof
glue, either in a simple straight length, or in a curved jig according
to the
plans you have on hand.

The manufacturing process has apparently changed over the years, and
many
of the sticks are now made with a combination of lesser hardwoods, with
only
the blade composed of white ash. You'll have to have a good eye for
finding the
Real McCoy in newly-produced versions, or look for some vintage hockey
sticks
at a yard sale, secondhand thrift store, etc.
Best regards,
Sandpebble
.................................................. .................................................. ..................

How to buy a field hockey stick
From www.ehow.com
1.Remember that there are no hockey sticks for left-handed folks. All
sticks have a toe with a rounded edge that faces the right and a flat,
hitting surface that faces the left. To be able to hit the other
direction with the flat face you have to turn the stick 180 degrees.

2.Look into sticks made from different materials. The best are made
from ash or mulberry wood.

.................................................. .................................................. .....................

White Ash,
from Woodzone.com
Botanical Name:
Fraxinus, americana
Other Names:
American White Ash, Canadian White Ash
Natural Characteristics:Strong and very
shock-resistant
Color:
Light brown heartwood with white sapwoood
Uses:
Baseball bats, pool cues, canoe paddles, tool
handles,
veneer, boat building.
Comments:
White ash has been called the all-American
leisure wood
because of the large number of uses it has in
sports and
recreation equipment.

wrote:

Agree with the previous posts re. laminated white ash for a sailboat
tiller;
An inexpensive source of the wood is in a solid ash hockey stick, if
you
can find one or more of them.


Less 60 miles from here is a company building hockey stocks from carbon
fiber and epoxy.

Last I heard has at least an 18 month backlog.

Ain't modern science wonderful.

Lew