Newt the Movie Star - Urban Promise

Tiana and I discovered that Newt looks like the guy from the movie UP! Also, we did a steam bending lesson where we learned about how lignum is the glue that holds wood together. We all learned that it is tannic acid in the wood that makes it smell when we steam it.

-KL

Tapering Oak ribs on the table saw.

In the shop today I learned how to steam bend wooden ribs for the whale boat. With steam and a bit of force you can bend oak. Also I learned how to taper the pieces using the saw in preperation for steaming.

Bending Oak -CHAD

We had a smaller group today due to college visitations this week. We still managed to fulfill our tasks. We learned to bend wood which is simple except when knots break the wood. My gosh I love the smell of steamed wood. It should be put on steak or hamburgers, or if you're adventerous enough, worn as perfume! I like the way it smells in here, cedar, determination, hard work, and steak sauce.

-Adun

Ancient Wisdom

Remember 'Back to the Future' when they set the time on the Dolorian to the future? We're past that date. Still we continue to learn and use techniques, tactics, logic, and knowledge that is ancient as some of the earliest humans. I am thankful that this knowledge lives and that we continue to expand upon it.

Urban Promise Students Helping Bruce Hang a Plank

I am a 'volunteer' a 'helper' but I am learning more or as much as everyone here. For instance, "it's not the mistakes you make, it's the way you back out of them."

Thanks for sharing ancient wisdom.

-Maria Tranbuch

Applying our lesson in spiling. -CHAD

Today, the students from CHAD came in and applied the lesson on spiling that we had gone over last week. We set them up with the tools they needed and with very little assistance they had the fourth plank spiled and ready to be laid out by the end of the session.

Spiling the 3rd Plank

Practicing with the Screw Gun -Urban Promise

Today at the boat shop we screwed nails in a block of wood for practice. Tabitha was afraid to screw so they made her put 400 screws in a piece of wood! Our whale boat is coming along great, and I am super excited to see the finished boat! PS: We also talked about grits.

-Tiana

Building for the Camera -CHAD

A film crew came by today to record our lesson and it will be broadcast sometime next week on PHL 17. We learned how to spile a boat and how the method is similar to finding longitude and latitude. Fitting the boards rely greatly on how fair the lines are. If they're not fair, the boards won't fit and there could be leaking in the boat. -Leona Chelsea Legarte

Hanging the Garboard -CHAD

Today we spread dolfinite on the wood where the first blank meets the keel to help prevent leaking. We also learned about spiling and how to shape an oar from a square block to round. -Steve