Building the V-Bottom Skiff - Episode 37: Plugging away

[@laser69beam]

Can’t wait to see her in the water ;) to this day, that time when Lou took the work skiff out, is one of my favourite episodes ;) Godspeed..!

[@MrYoudustintube]

Lou I hope you realize how excellent of a story teller you are. When you described the pop-pop- (miss) -pop of those engines I was transported back in time and could almost smell the ocean from your childhood home. If you ever wrote a book, I would love to share it far and wide.

[@haviland586]

I can't articulate how much I'm enjoying these videos. Thank you, Sir. You've been a blessing to me, and I'm sure many others.

[@justme8340]

I wish I could be as enthusiastic about ANYTHING as Lou is about boat building.

[@larryteague871]

I'm glad to see multiple commercials on your videos.$$$$$ finally!

[@BenButler1]

the tape on the plugs before cutting is gold!!

[@dwaynekoblitz6032]

Let's all donate a year of our lives to Lou. So he can build boats in the fifties. I so wish that I could own a boat that you've built! What an honor that would be!!

[@abettermousetrap]

Most famous and awesome shipwright on the internet. Lou, you are amazing. Thank you for everything you do.

[@kevinleeobermeyer5601]

Gotta admit I choked up a little when he tells the story of being a little boy listening to the Nova Scotian boats and their make-or-break engines …

[@yopage]

A lot I didn't know about making and installing plugs. Thank you!! I love hearing about the 50s, I was born then so my memories begin in the early 60s. No cell phones or computers, a kind of freedom not understood today.

[@PeterWMeek]

That dot is a really great idea. A funny side note on grain-matching: Some lessons learned: 1) Never turn a carpenter loose with an air-powered finish nailer. In the ceiling of our porch (25' by 50', coffered, elaborately molded, vertical-grain fir) we estimated over 10,000 nail holes. 2) Never send a compulsive to fill those holes. Mike spent months, laying on his back up on the scaffolding, using three different colors of putty to match the grain of the fir. Sometimes he would have two or even three colors of putty in a single hole. It sure looked good when he was done, though.

[@loewkr]

"I feel sorry for people who don't have a couple hundred holes to plug. " LOLOLOLOL What a line :) Love watching you work!! Makes my work at the computer go by faster.

[@bocan3189]

Your passion for this craft is so wonderful Sir, you brighten my day with every video.

[@chrismaines1285]

Been war going this skiff from the beginning and can’t wait to see this one complete! Looks Super!

[@Brokenbones2]

I think you were more of a cabinet maker than a boat builder! Amazing skills!

[@uberDoward]

It is just such a pleasure to watch you work, Louis. I wish more people had your ability to tell a story!

[@markdiloreto9042]

you are the Michelangelo of boat builders!!

[@taylormorgan8468]

I’m really really excited to see the construction of the orca begins cannot wait

[@raytheron]

Ah, thanks for yet another excellent video, Lou!

[@jaydubbyuh2292]

GOD bless your heart, brother. I recollect my grandaddy telling me about "make & break" motors in his youth,( 19teens). For his 10th birthday, my great grandad gave him an 18 ft skiff with a 8 hp "Dohman"(?) make&break engine,( no reverse or clutch) two trot lines, and 100 fathom of cotton twine webbing gill net.

[@gems34]

Congrats Lou. Loved watching your build and especially your commentary it adds a magical Bob Ross quality, to the art of boat building :)

[@shoresharp8349]

Orcha is going to be a amazing, the 23ft skiff is the finest wood skiff ive seen.

[@oliverclothesoff5397]

Clipping those plugs off looks like a fun time! I'd love to do that! Find that rhythm and go to town!

[@HCharlesBeil]

Lou, I just discovered your channel. Having been a carpenter for years, you still taught me something new! I think I'm going to enjoy watching all of your episodes. Thank you!

[@kevinsmith3274]

Genius the way you cut plugs. You really know how to save time.

[@paulbrown2971]

You are such a great teacher as well as being a craftsman. Great videos!

[@TotalBoat]

Excellent work, Lou! We can't wait for launch day!

[@bruce2sail]

Louis, I always learn something from you that makes so much sense. I’d like to come to your workshop and see how you create your magic. Let me know if you’re planning an open house around the time of the Newport Show in September.

[@giovannibazzini1403]

Very excited to see the orca getting built

[@pinotmore8858]

I'm not really a carpenter, I was walking down the Street one day when I was 7 years old and found a hammer.. Ever since then I've been pounding nails and driv and screws. I find your videos so entertaining And informative. I have to say that between your videos and watching Alex Jones squirm it's a toss up what brings me more enjoyment. Please vote for any democrats and make all of are lives more enjoyable

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

I love the idea of the dot on the wood to tell you the direction of the grain. The long nose pliers are also a great idea so as not to get fingers involved. Great stuff.

[@ronwatson4902]

I can't say enough good things about this build or the builder Thanks Lou!

[@seattleboatguy]

I liked your idea to put a grain mark on the top of the plug. I have goofed-up the grain direction sooo many times. The skiff is looking really good.

[@dwel2928]

Yeah, me too. I'm going to do that from now on. Actually, couldn't you just take a rule and draw a line down the whole row at once?

[@Daniel_cheems]

Intoxicating enthusiasm mixed with a lifetime of experience. Beautiful to see!

[@Lanxe]

Very enjoyable Lou - the skiff is looking excellent. I'm also very eager to see the next project lined up. Your talk of engines really reminded me of vintage canal boat engines. Such an amazing sound.

[@paulwharton1850]

I think you're amazing - A true artist.

[@jackw9034]

Always a pleasure to glean a little tidbit of knowledge from you. Taping the bungs, and marking the grain is quite a gem. Just like you said, the band saw leaves a mark that is easily mistaken for the run of the grain. Thanks Lou!

[@waynedoeblin6801]

Doing plugs is very therapeutic,lots of fun.I learned a different name for your “make or break” engines”Hit and miss”is what I know them as,I still have a couple of them🙂

[@markpalmer5311]

So much to learn, thanks Lou! Orca will be legendary!

[@lunkydog]

Always heard them called hit and miss engines. At least the agricultural ones.

[@sailor-rick]

You are a great storyteller. If you ever write a book... make it an audio book and narrate it yourself. You have the perfect voice for sea stories, or most any storytelling. I'm a small-time backyard boat builder in Florida, I only wish I had your skill and talent... and wisdom.. I love your videos.

[@dmolldude]

The story of make or break engines in boats reminds me of the Tidely-Idley and Burt Dow, my favorite book my Dad used to read to me😁

[@218philip]

I’ve grown up referring to them as “hit and miss” engines.

[@osu3221]

I'm very excited about orcha, I am definitely going to travel from my home here on the 3rd coast to see it. I know you put in alot of work on these boats and I love watching them come together!!!! Whenever I see a new episode pop up I save it for a Saturday or Sunday morning and watch withe my coffee and breakfast!

[@internalcombustion641]

Looking forward to the Orca build.

[@flightplan1000]

Funny you should talk about those make or break engines today. It brought me back to my days on the farm in Wisconsin back in the late forties, early fifties. Some of the old timers used to use those engines doing work around the local farms. Thanks for the memory.

[@TheShorebird]

This skiff is a beauty! Can't wait to see you build a big boat like Orca, I hope we get some in-depth vids on it. When you built the work skiff it seemed like there were more videos and they were a lot longer. Your videos are the best on KZbin. No one goes into detail about his work any more so than you do.

[@SaintCoemgen]

I also scrape a lot. Much, much better than sanding in many applications.

[@darrylmcleman6456]

The Oak with Mahogany plugs can look good (contrast) but if some of them fall a little out of line you sure notice it! GOOD STUFF as usual!! CHEERS FROM HERE!

[@mattevans-koch9353]

Great work sir. Thank you for the tip on plugging the countersinks on the screws and the fastest way to trim them.

[@darrenleask6042]

Thankyou so much Lou for sharing your stuff with us.

[@osu3221]

You are a GEM!!!

[@brianmacintire3064]

I really, really, really want to see you put this in the water!!

[@thomasarussellsr]

Plugging right along! Still not sure if the phrase is due to shipwrights and installing plugs or shearing them off, but I am quite confident it is one or the other. So many common sayings come from old trades like shipwrights and timber-framers, etc..

[@alberteinstein9045]

Great plug tip Look forward to seeing the building of Orca Thanks Louis

[@willierants5880]

This V-Bottom is gorgeous. I can't wait to see it in the water with you bobbing in the surf. Also I'm comping at the chum for Orca, I can't yet realize just how epic this one will be.

[@kittonsmitton]

Great tips and what a great story Lou, thanks for the youtube channel I learn so much.

[@SMKreitzer1968]

Amazing work Lou!

[@ColinRGrube]

Your wrap up reminds me of Stan Rogers "Make and Break Harbour"

[@createlovehappy]

I love how you always include so many micro techniques gleaned from many thousands of reps doing a task. Nothing can beat experience. Are your plugs straight from top to bottom or tapered? My plug cutters make a slight taper.

[@mikegreene1167]

I heard about them and heard them running, at old tractor shows here in the south ( at the Denton North Carolina specifically ) SouthEast Old Threshers Reunion. But we called them Hit and Miss motors.

[@mattmuch1]

"I feel sorry for someone that doesn't have a couple hundred holes to fill." I hear ya there brother.

[@harveymcfuddlestein5575]

If you have a source for that fluted plug cutter that puts that nice rounded bevel at the end of the plug, I would order today in case any potential sponsors are watching. Lou, this channel inspires me to stay busy in my workshop and to be a better craftsman. Thank you.

[@UlrichVIII]

the Orca is comming booooois!! great work as usual!

[@vieuxacadian9455]

The make or brake engines . You mentioned their sound which is similar to Old Louisiana " Putt Putt " motors . The maritime museum in Maddisonville , Louisiana may have some info for anyone interested .

[@johngoodell2775]

great plug cutting tips!

[@BrettCraft]

You are a wonderful resource. I'll have to seriously consider being a partner!

[@osu3221]

Now let's get this v bottom skiff in the water before the snow machine begins!

[@kathmandu1575]

Excellent video - thanks!

[@CrimeVid]

I like marking the grain direction, I never had the wits to do that ! What do you feel about tapered plugs Louis ? Also, in my opinion the aft end of those cover boards needs addressing, rounding over ? something anyway.

[@paulbriggs3072]

Many plug cutters produce slightly tapered plugs.

[@CrimeVid]

@@paulbriggs3072 I do know that ! I was asking Louis.

[@adventuresinmusic2487]

Masterful !

[@ReiMonCoH]

Ready to see Orca begin 👍🏻

[@mcjok88]

Looking good!

[@budgenatorP]

We called those engines "Hit or Miss".

[@PaulDeCamp]

My favorite channel because I always learn something new. You are a master class teacher. Are you planning to put a small pilot shed on her, or does the poor skipper have to stand out in the weather?

[@binnsbrian]

Enjoyed this video

[@baldeagle7604]

There used to be a pizza maker in Jamestown. I wonder if he is still there. We used to order a pizza a day in advance from him. I think it was just he and his wife and they operated out of their home with a real big pizza oven on their property.

[@larry78cj7]

Great tips!

[@JohnSmith-oy3ys]

In the south we call them hit and miss motors... people used them for everything.. mills, water wells, and boats lol..

[@garibaldi929]

Question, have you ever used cut glass to scrape with ?

[@johnsexton765]

Lou, just wondering if the V-Bottom Skiff that you are working on has been sold?

[@Antipodean33]

Louie I want to ask you if you are leaving the end cut on the covering boards straight up and down, or are you going to angle it? Or is there more timber to be placed there up at the bow, some type of piece that will go from one side to the other to finish off the bow area for a Sampson post or just your some other anchoring system?

[@williamconway1287]

Hello , when you plug the holes for the screw heads do you prepare the hole with a little epoxy so the wood doesn’t absorb epoxy on the plug ?

[@williamconway1287]

Sorry I hadn’t watched enough of the video when you answered my question !

[@COPPER71]

Hey Lou were the engineers like a hit-miss engine with a counter weight?

[@mudweimer768]

Is make or break the same as what we call hit and miss engines?

[@todddunn945]

Nice method Lou. The only thing I don't like about your method is that you are filling the slot of the screw with epoxy. When I set plugs I don't put epoxy in the hole, just on the plug and I wipe the bottom of the plug to minimize the amount of epoxy that gets into the screw slot. The next guy to work on the cap rail will appreciate that.

[@PaulDeCamp]

Epoxy doesn't stick well to nonporous surfaces. Usually it just pops out of screw heads with one whack, especially slotted screws. If they were any other type of screw then the epoxy would have to be dug out, and I would agree with you.

[@trinity2too57]

@@PaulDeCamp Robertson. :) And gluing a wooden bung into a wooden board means two porous surfaces.

[@todddunn945]

@@PaulDeCamp I have chipped epoxy out of thousands of screw slots. I would rather not do it when it is easy to avoid.

[@johnfritz7497]

Did they also call those make and break engines hit and miss engines?

[@osu3221]

Do you have a model for the orcha?

[@python71483]

hey lou is this the last episode of this skiff?

[@JenkinsBoatWorks]

wonderful Lou! Loved your story at the end. I'm a midwest boy but last summer after going to the boat show in Mystic, I had the opportunity to meet up with a fellow boat builder. He had build a Haven 12 1/2 right along with me, time wise. We had bounced ideas off of each other mostly through email although we never had met as he was in Rhode Island. So anyway, we made our arrangements and met in Mystic. We got on fabulously and so he invited us to go sailing with him in his Haven that was moored in Dutch Harbor, so I have to think that with our drive through Jamestown and sailing around Dutch Island, we were maybe close to where you used to live. Maybe this little video will look familiar and bring back memories: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpOXc6J9fqqprtk

[@Buckswoodshop]

👍👍

[@ImTheDudeMan471]

Wode Eyewand?

[@jasondohrman7098]

Nice

[@steveskouson9620]

Those engines are also called hit and miss engines. steve

[@MrDarchangelomni]

I see that you prefer slotted screws which is a boatbuilder tradition, a woodworking/cabinetry tradition in general... I think however that your premise of "you can apply more torque" to the screw is provably incorrect. I am pretty sure the biggest reason woodworkers prefer slotted screws is that they are the easiest to clean paint and finish products out of, making it easy to remove them for repairs. I would propose that just in my experience these heads will give you the ability to apply far more torque (breaker bar levels) than slotted heads: BRISTOL, SIX LOBE SLOT, ECX, CLUTCH, 4/6 FLUTED. I have literally used some of these type lags putting down mahogany deck boards into mahogany framing without a pre-drill using a 1/2 drive impact and bit adapter. A situation I am quite sure would cam out and or snap off a slot head.

[@barneygoogle4003]

No nifty fold down seats???

[@apostoloskokalis3431]

Mr Lou I wonder where are u from? USA..? U were born there?

[@J.A.Smith2397]

Gday Lou

[@walkertongdee]

called hit and miss engines to us...

[@rvaguitars]

I feel sorry for people who don’t have a couple hundred holes to plug…..heck yea

[@paulschena8493]

Can you build me a 28ft weekender. 10 ft Beam. Single 350HP Outboard. ?

[@TipsfromaShipwrightvideos]

After ORCA :)