Tips on Custom Built Boats

Almost all boats are constructed on a production basis, as this is the most efficient means of production. There's only one set of molds and many boats being built from the mold, reducing the cost of tooling per boat. Normally, there are a limited number of options to make assembly line production more efficient in terms of cost.

Leaving the ranks of production boats, there are several types of custom construction. There are many boats built with a limited budget, which is normally by amateurs. If you don't want to build the boat yourself, the next level available is what sailors call 'semi custom" boats.

These semi customs are normally built by small or mid sized shops out of one set of molds so the hull and decks could end up being identical. The builders will however, allow the owner to pick out the interior and other options.

The true custom built boat, or one of a kind boat, is specifically designed and built from scratch for a single customer with an unlimited budget. A true custom boat is a one on one project, and can get very expensive before you know it.

Before you decide to go out and buy a custom boat, you should give the used market another look. Those who have built custom or even semi custom boats in the past do put them on the market for sale at some point or another.

This is a much less expensive way to go, simply because you won't be paying a professional to design the boat from scratch. You can find used boats that offer one of kind features and options, all you have to do is look around.

However, if you would like to build your own custom boat, it's not as hard as you might think. Once again, it's all in the plans you use. The site below is an excellent place to start. You can watch a step by step video of just how easy it is to build a boat:

Should You Join a Wood Working Guild?

Wood Working Guilds

A wood working guild is a club or an organization of craftsmen in the wood working industry. Wood working guilds are groups who have high wood working skills. If you want information about the wood working guilds in your city you can always take the help of internet.

There are web sites that will give up to date information of the guilds and their members. The main purpose for wood working guilds is to share tools and expertise and to work together for betterment of the wood working industry.

Here are some well known wood working guilds: Cabinetmakers Association: Cabinet shop owners formed this association. The main goal was to discuss the problems faced by cabinet shop owners. They also got a chance to interact with managers and owners of small cabinet shops.

Central Florida Woodworkers Guild: This association cultivates appreciation and awareness of wood working crafts. It promotes and encourages high standards of design and workmanship of wood working crafts. You can take the help of their wood workers for counseling.

Colorado Woodworkers Guild: This association is a group of professional and amateur wood workers who imparted their knowledge for the welfare of the society. Their goal is also to promote and encourage excellence in woodworking.

Columbus Woodworkers Guild: Each month this association conducts a general meeting. The association ensures that the meeting is informative, enjoyable and educational for all members.

Conejo Valley Woodworkers" Association: This association is in Ventura County in California. Their main goal is to teach, promote and share their wood working experience with others.

Fine Woodworkers of Austin: This non profit club is located in texas area that provides information and education to those who are interested in learning fine wood working skills.

Greenville Wood workers Guild: This association strives hard to elevate the public's knowledge in the art of woodworking. Through collective effort it generates various Charitable causes.

Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers: This is a non profitable group of serious amateur workers that education, communication and fellowship. This association makes exquisite wood carvings and elegant furniture

Guild of Oregon Woodworkers: This association gives knowledge about their wood working skills through lectures, demonstrations and seminars.

Lake Charles Woodworkers Club: The main purpose behind starting this organization was to give information about the safety measures while handling wood working tools. Their members include professionals and amateurs from all fields of wood working industry.

Minnesota Wood workers Guild: This association which is group of amateur and skilled woodworkers has 3 main goals: to educate general public about wood working, to make new friends and spread the importance of wood working advocate and the last is to promote high standards in woodworking.

Northwest Indiana Woodworkers Association: The main goal is to improve their woodworking skills and share innovative ideas.

Scroll saw Association of the world: This internationally acclaimed non profit organization is dedicated to the development of scrollsawing. Their purpose is give information about scrollsawing skills. The organization strives hard to provide useful knowledge in woodworking.

If you have any query regarding woodworking products then you can always take the help of these wood working guilds.

Must-Have Equipment Used In Wood Working

If you want to make any furniture in your house or you want to start your own wood products factory then wood working equipment is a must. Wood working equipment is used to mould a piece of wood into the desired shape. Some of the common wood working equipment include biscuit joiner, chainsaw, drill, nail gun and wood router. They are used to join 2 pieces of wood. Some of the hand held power tools are as follows:

Wood working machine: This machine is mainly used to process wood. These machines are extensively used in woodworking and are powered with the help of electric motors.

I do all of my woodworking projects with a Carvewright. I can't live without it.




Biscuit joiner: A biscuit joiner also referred as plate joiner is commonly used for joining 2 pieces of wood. It has a 100mm diameter circular saw blade that is used for cutting a semi-circular shaped hole in wood composite panels.




Chainsaw: This wood working tool is a portable, motorized, mechanical saw. It is very useful in logging activities that include felling, bucking and limbing. Felling of trees becomes a easier job using this chainsaw. It is commonly used in removing branches and foliage that are causing obstruction. Chainsaws are often used to harvest firewood and to fell snags. So if you want to cut wood for building structures then you should use chainsaws.




Drill: If you want to make holes in wooden pieces then you can take the help of a driller. Drillers are frequently used in metal working, wood working and construction sites. Types of drill include cordless drills, and rotary hammer drills.



Jigsaw: It is a working tool that is extremely useful to cut arbitrary curves that include stenciled designs into a small piece of wood. Tool kit of most carpenters contains a jigsaw. If you require fine cutting then you must use a jigsaw.




Nail gun: If you want to insert nails into wood then the best way to do it is by using a nail gun. The nails are driven by electromagnetism, highly flammable gases that include propane or butane, and by compressed air. Previously hammers were used to insert nails into wood. By using hammers you may injure your fingers. That is why instead of hammers many carpenters are using nail guns. It has become a popular tool amongst carpenters and builders

Wood Router: It is used to hollow out (route out) an area from a large piece of wood. This working tool is now replaced by modern spindle tool. This is an electric hand router that performs the same job and is commonly used for moulding of timber. It is also used to cut grooves, for edge moulding and to cut some joints.

Sander: It is a powerful working tool that is used to give a smooth finish to the wood. These sanders are often powered by electric motors.

Rotary tool: This tool is extremely useful as it is a multipurpose power tool. It has many rotating accessory bits that can be effectively used to cut, carve, polish etc. Rotary tool has low torque; hence it is safe for freehand use.

All these wood working equipment will help in giving an attractive look to your furniture.

How to Plan and Build the Perfect Greenhouse

Tips On Planning And Building Your Home Greenhouse

Building a greenhouse is like building a house. You should have a well-designed plan and several things need to be taken into consideration. There are different types of home greenhouses but your choice should depend on the growing area, architecture, location and costs. Most importantly, the greenhouse that you will be building should, of course, serve its purpose of maintaining a proper environment for plants to grow.

As mentioned, there are several things that need to be considered when putting up a greenhouse. To give you some tips, here are the things to be included in the planning stage:

- Location. First thing to note in building a greenhouse is its location. The best location for a greenhouse is a place where it will get maximum sunlight. Morning sunlight is best for plants because it makes them start processing early which will result to maximized growth.

Thus, the best location is on the east side where it gets maximum morning sunlight especially from November to February. North of buildings or any major structure is the last location to be considered as it only provides little light. Also, it is best to make sure that the trees nearby the chosen location will still allow enough sunlight to reach the greenhouse.

Other things to be considered when choosing location are good drainage, location of sources of water, electricity and heat. The location should also be convenient for the owner or the caretaker as well as to the utilities.

- Greenhouse type. In general, a home greenhouse can be any of these two types – a free-standing structure or one that is attached to your house or garage. Attached greenhouses also have different kinds. One example of an attached greenhouse is the lean-to. This is a half greenhouse attached directly to one side of a house or building with doorway, if possible. This type is close to sources of heat, water and electricity and is the least expensive. However, this kind of structure also has some limitations on space, ventilation, and sunlight.

Another attached greenhouse variation is the even-span. This kind of structure has one gable end connected to a building. It provides more usable space and allows for better air flow to maintain temperature. It is also the most costly, though, among the attached ones.

The third type of an attached greenhouse is the window-mounted. This type can be attached on the east or south side of the house or building. This is a glass enclosure that extends a foot or so, which gives enough space for growing a few plants at low cost.

Freestanding greenhouses are separate structures that are not limited to a small space. Since it is set apart from an existing structure or building, it should have its own water and electricity sources as well as heating system.

When choosing the preferred structure, make sure that enough space for benches, storage, as well as future expansion is considered. The University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service suggests a minimum area of 6 feet by 12 feet for a free-standing or even-span greenhouse.

- Structural Materials. Your greenhouse should also have a good structural foundation to withstand extreme weather conditions. There are several options for a frame and framing materials to choose from. Do-it-yourself greenhouse plans commonly use wood or metal pipes as their structural material. There are different kinds of frames available which range from simple to complex designs. Some examples of frames are Quonset, gothic, rigid-frame, post and rafter, and A-frame.

Another material to be considered is the covering for your greenhouse. Your choice of frame and covering should correctly match. Some factors to be considered to choose a good covering is its ability to trap the most amount of heat inside, as well as its life span. The different choices for greenhouse covering include regular glass, fiberglass, double-wall plastic, and film plastic.

- Foundations and flooring. Glass frames and the double-wall plastic need a permanent foundation and the plan should be provided by the manufacturers of the frame. It is also recommended for the greenhouse to be elevated a little to have enough space for water to flow. Thus, permanent flooring is not advisable as the soil may stay wet and make the floor slippery. A walkway made of gravel, concrete or stone is advised for easy access to the all the plants.

- Environmental systems. Once you now have a good plan for the structure of your home greenhouse, the next thing to consider is its proper maintenance. Aside from sunlight and heat, different elements are important to maintain the ideal growing condition for plants. These environmental systems that should be included in greenhouse planning are heating, air circulation, ventilation, cooling, controllers and automation, water and lighting systems.

Building a greenhouse can prove to be demanding and challenging. Complete knowledge about greenhouse is needed for you to be able to build a productive structure. A considerable amount of time is needed to make a good plan which should cover all aspects. It pays to learn and scout for different options before making your final decision.