Direct inquiries or comments to me by email or phone (503 559 0204 10-5 (PT).
Snail mail works too:
Roger Fletcher
2353 E Ellendale
Dallas, OR 97338
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Drift Boats as Fine Furniture and Decorative Pieces |
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I have long been interested in crafting drift boats as fine pieces of furniture. My first projects have been completed -- coffee and display tables. The boats are quarter size to scale and are crafted to the lines of the original McKenzie double-ender with a transom. The OAL is 40 inches and 18-inces wide amidships. To the extent possible they are built using the same material as went into the original boat. Fasteners, however, are contemporary: stainless steel, silcone bronze and brass. I plan to craft each of the 13 original boats for posterity, and to craft pieces for interested buyers. Oh. And they float. Imagine that! Any person who is interested in a piece should contact me directly for details. |
Direct inquiries or comments to me by email or phone (503 559 0204 10-5 (PT). Snail mail works too: |
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Completed - July 2011 |
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Next up - The Rapid Robert
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McKenzie double-ender with transom at quarter scale. |
Inlay glass can serve as an end or coffee table |
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Developing the idea |
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| I built a jig quarter scale in order to retrieve the side panel dimensions. Here, I'm comparing frames placements. | Chine log, bottom panel and chine caps installed, and now setting the rails. Used 3/32nd-inch Miranti for this boat. Am using SS fasteners. | As with the full size boat, the devil is in the details -- even more so at this scale. I am striving for both quality and replication. Except for the Miranti and table top glass, the wood used is the same as went into the originals | My original intent was to create a scaled mold form for the oarlocks and make them out of brass or bronze. But wood is good and I chose to go with a hand carved set. | The glass is bronze and nicely accents the interior details. On this particular stand, the boat stands 16-inches at the sheer amidships. OAL is 40" and width is 18" amidships. Interior is oiled. Exterior paint was my wife, Sue's choice. | ||||
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The First Off
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| For this first-off I chose 1/8th-inch Okoume for the panels. I had to beef up the frames just a dight. I would love to find some 3/32-inch Doug fir. | As many of you have discovered, rub rails are a pain in the tail to install correctly unless applied before the bottom panel is laid out. The aesthetics are pleasant, but their function is limited. | As with the prototype, I hand carved the oarlocks, epoxied them and used some special metallic gold paint to replicate the real thing. Oars are also hand crafted and wrapped. The attention to detail is very time-consuming. She's a beauty. | My good friend, Dynamite Payson, exclaimed one time that I didn't have both oars in the water when considering this project. He's a practical, down-to-earth guy. Me? I'm a bit of a romantic. Can't help myself. | This craft was sold before I started the project. Dr. Bill Girsch, who has tracked my research and work from the beginning, commissioned the piece. The boat carries a satin finish inside and out. | |||||
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Also, see Limited Edition Models here Use back button or return to River's Touch home |
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