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I always prefer old tools, but, you have to choose carefully and expect to sharpen.

Marcos was one of my favourite manufacturers, Frank Costin is probably my favourite engineer, perhaps even more than Colin Chapman. I even owned a late incarnation Mini Marcos for a year or three. 1275 powered it was both fast and quirky - I loved it.

Going down a rabbit hole, Nieuport-Astra were using multi-layered laminations set at 90 degrees to build record breaking racers. The curves on that fuselage are amazing,

So I spent some time searching on line, some arguments over whether all those rivets are copper or aluminium, the gorgeous wheel covers are a much later addition (mahogany riveted to aluminium base apparently); the coppering of the underside is later too. The “skin” is mahogany over “something...

More a question about the bodywork really

It’s Friday evening and getting late, idle thoughts time. I thought I’d read up a bit on the “tulipwood” Hispano-Suiza and was surprised to find it was 1/8” mahogany strips riveted to stringers (https://silodrome.com/hispano-suiza-h6c-tulipwood-torpedo/ ) I wondered, if one were to build a...

There is an adjoining room

Was more thinking of noise insulation rather than thermal

Ok, so, studding. I have put up a few (literally, I have built four over the past 2 decades) . The framing out and door lining I understand but I normally don’t bother plastering over the plasterboards, just using lining paper as a quick fix. My better half has been known to change her mind...

What if I strip off the bark and sapwood ?

There is a standing dead cherry tree near me, one large bough has been felled, showing some nice spalting. With potential for introducing mould, fungi and insects, I don’t really want to put this in my timber store to season, do I? Any advice on what to do? This includes don’t touch it with a...

Trunnels were still in use in the early18th century. Cheap, effective and don’t rust, also they don’t react with tannic acid so good for fastening oak planks. Easily replaced in service. Lots to like for a shipwright

That picture of the Mary Rose shows very closely spaced ribs in exactly the same way as the photos. I still think the section is very flat for a hull section but am very happy to be wrong. Had thought carvel planking was too modern but just found out about the Gribschunden. If at all...

I don’t think it’s a hull section, could be a deck though

Fascinating, thanks for posting

Is oak a good choice of timber for bowls? I have a number of oak logs I got for carving owls and things. How suitable is it, is it food safe? I think I remember somewhere that the tanic acid is not good for storing perishables in? I mean, is there a market for bowls you shouldn't put fruit in?

That pre-soak for seasoned timber is really important - the water in the wood transports the heat through the timber very effectively but you do want the wood to be wet right to the centre of the lath - thinner the lath, the less time it needs to soak. I actually prefer to "boil" pieces -...

Green wood will still have a relatively high moisture content after steaming and will need seasoning where dried timber will only be wet and need drying, a much shorter time period

I may have been a bit florid, but, the time needed in the steamer rises steadily with increasing thickness, below 10mm things happen relatively quickly and with very simple equipment, even a kettle spout or foil lid over a saucepan with the lath laying across the pan will work, thicker than that...