My New Ventures

As this blog was actually set up not just for the boat, (which I fully intend on completing at some point and time) I'm here to tell you all (whom can still be found here) about the newest project I'm up to.

Hard Cider. Yep, that's right I'm making my own Hooch! I'm a huge Beer Nut and have always enjoyed the fruits of my own labor, so what better way than make my own beer right? Well, I will. But, in the mean time with some suggestion from my pal Mike, I've taken a slightly lazier approach. The approach of what I am speaking is of course the aforementioned Hard Cider.

So let's start from the beginning. I was down at my favorite local brewery ITHACA BEER tasting some of their delectable brews and looking at the home brewing equipment for sale and chatting with my pal Mike about home brews and the joy of drinking something you've made, and while this only wet my appetite for brewing I knew that my bank balance wasn't as into the idea as I was. It was at this moment where Mike informed me of his intention to go the "lazy" route, making hard cider. Un-pasteurized cider is full of Wild Yeasts and bacteria that will basically do the whole thing for you, and if you're really feeling energetic, you can add your own yeast, such as a champagne yeast and some extra sugars and really go balls out.

So, after thinking about it a couple days I decided that Hard Cider would be my fall project, so after buying a new 3 Gallon glass carboy, and air-lock, a packet of champagne yeast and some organic raisins (for extra sugars and yeast nutrient) I was in business. We dropped off our carboys at Little Tree Orchards, run by a delightful Jerry Garcia looking guy who informed us that they'd be juicing soon and that we could return in a few days to collect our carboys full of fresh un-touched apple cider.

After I pick up my carboy (tomorrow) I'll start the fermenting process, where the carboy will sit for approx. 1 and 1/2 to 2 full months letting the sediment drop to the bottom and the yeast to do its thing. Then I'll be bottling it into 22oz champagne style bottles where it will continue to age for 3-6 months. I'll be adding pictures and updates as I go, look for the first images early next week, for now, I'll leave you with my label design for Fox Hollow Hard Cider.

Hank Aaron Signature Mitt completed!

I have recently finished my second complete baseball mitt. You've seen the before pictures, the tan lace had begun to dry-rot from the years and I have replaced every bit with new matching red leather lace. I had the lace custom cut by a local tanner and this thing is gonna be a great glove. Here are some new pictures.


As you can probably see, the custom cut leather is a lot "thicker" than the original lace, which made it hard for me to keep flat. But, I'm confident that when I order me new lace for future projects I'll make more progress. This lace is very strong, so the glove needs to be worked in with some hard line drives and throws. It's a sweet glove, and is for sale, as well as my Bobby Bonds signature that I finished a couple weeks back.

Furthermore, if there is anyone out there who's reading that either has a project glove that they have no need for I'm looking for my next project glove (softball or baseball). Or if you have a glove that needs repair, my services are available. I'll post the Bobby Bonds mitt later this week. Although I don't think I have any "before" pictures, but I bought it for .99 so you can imagine it needed a lot of help!

Time For An Update

Well, it's certainly been awhile since I've written anything here so I think it's time that I update you all, if anyone is still checking up on the status of my canoe. I am at the moment at still trying to build up enough money to re-start work on the boat. I'm hoping to pick up some part-time work to help with the costs of the boat and I hope to resume work as soon as Mid-November. I also hope to post some of my other projects/small ventures here soon.

For instance I have begun re-lacing baseball mitts and have recently completed my first glove start to finish and have a 1960's - 70's Hank Aaron model that I'm in the process of fixing as well. I'll post some pictures soon. But for now here are some "Before Pics" of the MacGregor Hank Aaron Model.




Pretty sweet right? I've finished the pocket and the finger lacing and now I'm working on the inside lacing on the heal of the mitt. This is no easy task, so I'm taking my time. Check back on Saturday or Sunday, maybe I'll finish it this weekend. The new lace is custom cut, dark red. It's the tits!

The Need To Produce!

Hello all, yesterday was a great day. My brother Tristan got his first wooden boat on the trailer and out of the shop. See: http://longpointskiff.blogspot.com for the construction of his Tom Hill designed Long Point Skiff.

On my side of the things, I'm sad. The fact that as usual I got myself so stoaked for building my first wooden boat, all be it a little smaller than Tristan's first venture. I'm pretty bummed out at the lack of forward momentum. I'm very hopeful that this winter will prove much more productive. Anyway, check out Tristan's progress at his blog.

Thanks All

Payson's Pirogue

Checking out some photos on www.woodenboat.com I found another picture of Payson's Pirogue, it's the same boat that my brother took a picture of but at a different angle, so it gives you a different feel for the boat. This version of the Pirogue doesn't have any outer gunwales, I'm not sure whether of not they're supposed to be there or not, I think I'll put some on, it looks better.


As anyone who has followed probably knows, I had been fairly set on naming my 6-hour canoe, The Whimbrel. I thought it sounded elegant, but the more I say it and hear it, it seems old-fashioned and well kind stuffy. At the same time I have no real connection to the name and since this project, when I finally get around to it! is such a personal project, I think it would be better to name it for something that reflects myself. Therefore, I am officially scrapping the name. At this time I don't know what the name will be, but I'm sure it will come to me down the line during the building process.

Sorry for the confusion, but as many of you know I can be quite indecisive... And besides, I'm the only one with a vote!

A Quick Rendering

Here's a little look at what I'd like the final look of UNTITLED to look like, it's a little rough and there are a few small pieces missing such as the interior gunwales which I couldn't really draw in without the plans handy, and as I drew this on my lunch break, I didn't have the book.

I put short "AirBoxes" probably to be filled up with styrofoam of something buoyant(spell?). A deep red or maybe a seafoam green like my favorite boat from the Skaneateles Boat Show (see older poasts), most likely a little richer than this looks with a cream(ish) interior and natural Gunwales/accents. The side view isn't really true to what it would look like from the side but it gives you enough of an idea I guess. Anyway, the fact that I can't do any work right now is causing a bit of cabin fever and anxiousness. Therefore I did all I can; A little drawing.

Dilemas & Revalations

So, as you may remember from the post below, my boat project has halted due to lack of expendable funds. Now that I have way way too much time on my hands I found myself thinking and reading about other small crafts that would fit my needs the way the 6-hour canoe would.

In my reading of "Instant Boatbuilding" by Dynamite Payson (which is a collection of the late Phil Bolger's plywood boat designs) lies Payson's Pirogue, a stitch and glue 13' open kayak. After reading about the boat, and it's instructions about three times, I picked up my 6-Hour Canoe book and started making a list of pros and cons for each craft. Given my size and my intentions for the craft I'd made a desicion that Payson's Pirogue is a better fit for my needs and ambitions. The constructions is relativly simple (as is the 6-Hour Canoe) with a few more challenging aspects to its construction, including a full sheathing of fiberglass on the outside of the hull, and the stitch & glue process as well as far less detailed instructions leaving more for me to suss out on my own.

The two black and white pictures are from the "Instant Boatbuilding" Book of the Pirogue and the fiberglass step. The color picture is of a finished Pirgoue at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, CT courtesy of my brother Tristan. I have no idea who the fat guy in the background is....although he doesn't seem to pleased with Tris.

Anyway, enough about that grumpy bastard. The Pirogue project is penciled in to start this winter, it should be a good project to fill the dreary winter months for a Spring time launch. I will continue to write (poorly) about the Pirogue process and plans. All in all maybe having no money is a blessing in the end...

p.s.
In addition to this small craft being better suited and all that jazz I wrote above there is another reason for wanting to build this model rather than my previous plan. Phil Bolger took his own life recently due his slip into dementia and his desire to end his life before having it be ruined, and as I searched for people like me who have the drive to build a small craft, and more specifically the passion to build Payson's Pirogue I was stunned to find nothing. I could find no pictures or accounts of someone building the boat. So, I will thoroughly document and share the process of building Payson's Pirogue: A Phil Bolger Design.