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Build this boat-shaped bar
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Be the Captain Morgan of your domain with this clever boat-shaped bar
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By Rick Campbell, photos by Roger Yip, illustration by Len Churchill
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You can dock your rowboat bar at the cottage or on the back deck-wherever you go after a long day at sea
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I have a long list of projects to tackle before I hang up my tool belt for good. And near the top of this list is a boat. Although this rowboat-shaped bar will never leave the shore, its construction is similar to building the real thing in many ways.
You need thin wood for many parts of this project, both to keep weight down and to allow the wood to bend. That's why I chose a marine favourite to build the bar: cedar.
A Strong Back
Begin by making a rectangular blank for the back panel of the bar, which consists of 13 narrow slats brought together with splines. Cut the slats to size, then use the tablesaw to rip a 1/4"-deep x 1/8"-wide slot along the adjoining edges to receive the splines. You'll find tips for creating spline joints on next page.
Normally, I use bar clamps to secure large panels such as these; but in this case, the force is likely to cause the thin panel to buckle. You could prevent this by clamping cauls on the top and bottom, but there's an easier way. Simply stretch celluloid packing tape across the face of the panel at regular intervals. Just be sure to tape both sides or the assembly will cup in the centre. After the glue sets, remove the tape and sand both sides of the panel smooth.
Next, lay out the curved sides and the locations of the horizontal bulkheads. Start by scribing a line down the centre of the panel, running in the same direction as the slats, then measure out from this centre line to mark the point at which the bottom corner of each bulkhead meets the curved sides. All the measurements you need are shown on the plans (see following pages).
Drive a 1 1/2" spiral finishing nail at the end of each bulkhead location, leaving the head protruding from the top surface of the panel. You'll also need to drive a nail in the bottom corners and where the sides meet at the bow. Next, cut a long strip of wood from thin material and bend it around the outside of the nails to form a gentle curve on one side of the boat. Scribe a pencil line along the inside edge of this strip. It's good to have a couple of helpers to complete this procedure, but you can handle the job yourself by securing the wood strip to the nails with spring clamps. Repeat the entire process to prepare a mirror image of the curved profile on the opposing side. Before removing the nails, use a straightedge and a pencil to mark the bottom edges of the bulkheads. When this is done, pull all the nails and, following the pencil lines at the sides with a jigsaw, cut the back panel to shape.
Building The Bulkheads
Unless you have some wide stock on hand, you need to edge-glue boards to create five wide panels for the bulkheads. As part of completing my glue-ups, I installed a few #20 biscuits to help with alignment. Note that the measurements given in the materials list for these parts includes a waste allowance for trimming panels to length. This is important because the ends need to be cut at an angle to match the curved shape of the back panel on your particular project. To determine where to cut, simply mark the ends while holding the bulkheads on edge. The reference lines you made earlier tell you exactly where to position the bulkhead when you do this operation. Take the bulkhead panels over to the tablesaw and adjust the blade to the angle of the reference lines. Make a test cut about 1/8" on the waste side of the mark to verify the blade is positioned correctly. If the cut is parallel to the line, you know you have it right.
When you're satisfied, make your cut right to the line. The angles will be different for each panel, so mark and trim each end individually.
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