Acorn to Arabella - Journey of a Wooden Boat - Episode 71: Installing the Bronze Strapping 

Dear structural engineers, life long woodworkers and house builders that are blowing a lid over this, or just scratching their heads: relax. Your friendly Naval Architect with a penchant for traditional boatbuilding is here to sooth your worries. This is best practice. Doesn't matter which authority you care to consult, diagonal hull strapping is recommended for smooth planked wooden hulls like this in some way or another. Lloyd's, DNV GL, Herreshoff, Larry Pardey, Dave Gerr, the list goes on. Legendary yacht builders like Nevins, A&R, and Luerssen have employed it. So did Joshua Humphreys when he drew USS Constitution, and Hercules Linton for Curry Sark. It works. It doesn't poke out of the deck, and it won't rip her sides open when the temperature changes. When William Atkin drew Ingrid sometime in the thirties, the construction method he specified was an old hat. He was a traditionalist, working for a conservative do it yourself crowd. Skeene's Elements of Yacht Design was first published in 1904. It wasn't innovative. He wrote down the state of the art. I'd be surprised if you could find anything on Ingrid's construction plans that Norman Skeene would have objected to. Bronze instead of iron, laminating and scarfing with epoxy or resorcinol, those are improvements on a well established and proven method. Whenever it looks like Alix and Steve are reinventing the wheel, they aren't. They have never done it before, that doesn't mean it has never been done before. Exactly the opposite.

Great to see Arabella with the ribbons removed, gave a really good impression of things to come. I really look forward to Friday's to watch your videos. I'm learning a load of stuff about boats I'll probably never use but you guys are inspirational - thanks.

Every once in awhile, you’ll come across a channel with a build series you wish had already been completed. This’s one of those series, that I’m really looking forward to seeing its completion! I wish you the BOL, and thanks for sharing your journey.

Next episode where it truly starts to become a boat. So excited for you. What a milestone. Must have felt like standing still for the past few weeks.

Whenever I plane down planks I donate the "clean" wood chips to my local rescue shelter which has large animals such as goats on up the horses. Makes for some very nice stall bedding!! I replied to a post on you Facebook channel about the wood having some beautiful figure. Once you are outfitting the interior it would be awesome to see some of that oak incorporated into your design in a clear satin epoxy finish to show off and showcase how beautiful that old growth timer looks. You guys are doing some super work and I love the weekly videos!!

I have been watching since the beginning, I am always amazed how much better you work as a team now, and how your confidence has risen along with the new skills you are using. Awesome.

I like hearing the noise You Guys make. I like the quiet music. Simple nice. Thank You.

You know it's Friday morning when there's a new A to A video.

"This week, we're finally revealing why the hull needs to be so damn strong" "So as you can see we're installing a bronze prow designed for ramming other ships, then we'll be able to board them and take hostages to fund our life of piracy on the high seas"

Wow, I didn't even know this was an actual technique for stiffing wooden boats, But sounds like an absolutely must when you explained it, The learning continues.

Lol, “We can just bung it later”. Absolute t-shirt Gold here folks! I love these videos! Thank you!

loving the new format gentlemen! you will have her in the water in no time.

You guys are a real inspiration, I’m always hanging out for the latest video

"Hopefully this doesn't cause too much of a fire hazard." Brilliant! Shots fired!

I’m planking a 110’ wooden navy ship right now with massive bronze diagonal straps that are also part of an electrical bonding system.

Blue water sailing or ice breaker, looks like she'll be ready for just about anything MN throws at her! PS. Just received my latest shirt pretty cool showing some of the tools used in Arabella's construction.

I am continually overwhelmed by your craftsmanship and quality... Your videos are outstanding, and it is almost inconceivable, all the tiny details that you are working on. I can see why yachts were unattainable for the masses until fiberglass hulls were developed. A million tiny details, a million dollars worth of wood and bronze, a million man hours, and million dollars of skilled labor! You guys are truly building a multi-million dollar boat. I can’t imagine how proud you guys must be of the fruits of you labor! Arabella is progressing at an impressive pace. I am curious... did you ever imagine, when you were felling the trees, that you would be where you are now? What is different about what ypu thought you were getting into then, and where you are now? Did you ever imagine that soooo many people would be following your project? Are you learning these skills as you go, or did you know you had a full skillset when you started? I can’t wait to see this hull floating... and eventually you guys setting sail! I will be watching!

Been around boats all my life never seen this before. Very interesting.

thanks for this, now building a boat is officially on my bucket list

Not make a fire hazard. I like the way you’re thinking. Arabella looks like she’s already sailing. ❤️

....R...E...S...P....E...C....T....! ! ! Good show guys . Power on !

A benefit of working nights is that I'm always prepared for when the video drops!

This is beautiful. I love the idea of the Bronze straps. However, keep in mind that they form a saddle point. Under stress, one side is going to try to straighten while the other side will try the same. Once side will pull toward the inside of the hull (good) while the smaller keel side is going to try to straighten. That's a lot of stress. The smaller keel side is only there for anchoring the stresses to the keel. So the saddle point is going to have to be reinforced so it will not break and unseat the keel anchoring. At least that's what I see. I've been wrong before. Once I thought I was wrong only to find out I was mistaken .

Listening to you guys discuss the strength elements of your hull always makes me smile. This thing is massive!! You’ll be ready for the NW passage! Keep it up!

I've been watching your build from the beginning abed am very impressed with your craftsmanship and attention to detail. You are producing a work of art.

Outstanding work !

Been building boats for 61 yrs and this boat will end up top heavy.

Always know your working hard when your beard is full of wood chips. Love your "do it right" mentality. Its refreshing to see today. Your dad and grandpa did right by you.

I'm ready for an hour or 1.5 hour video; even if it necessitates skipping a week or two! Can't get enough, and it's over too soon !!

It is impressive guys how you environment aware, authentic and smart. Always wish you safety.

Great work with the boat building and the videography!

Wow that Oak is absolutely beautiful 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

I love the visual of the hull without the ribbons and strapping.

19:35 that is some beautiful wood!! All of your wood is exceptional! Oh and did I mention, I like your wood.

all the planning and visioning is the way to success

A benefit of having insomnia is that I'm always prepared for when the video drops!

Really looking forward to seeing Arabella on the water..Akiva is going to love chilling on the boat on the water

Looking awesome! Can't say I'm a fan of the music on this video though, it's a little ominous in the first part lol

Delighted to see you use a brace and bit to put those screws in. Way superior to other methods! Cheers from NZ.

Helluva' learning curve guys. I enjoy starting my weekend with your MASSIVE EFFORTS. J K in Houston, TX

I like you guys keep teaseimg us on the planking

man, oak is truly beautiful

I'm so glad you guys made the choice to get help with the video editing and production. I feel loke we're seeing much more as well as with the weekly episodes giving you guys more time to explain what you're doing and why. Plus there's more camera time for dog-glamour-shots

Good morning gentleman, may I share a thought with you? The non-ferrous bronze strapping that you are using has been (what is called) "work hardened" through a rolling mill. If you were trying to stabilize a flat surface with this strapping in it's hardened condition, it's spring like tensions would not matter. However there are many compound angles on Arabella, and once you screw down the strapping that spring tension will be transferred to the hull of Arabella in undesirable directions. It may cause separation issues in the caulking between the planks later as it breathes. The remedy is a simple one, Anneal The Bronze. That is achieved by heating it with a gas/oxygen torch, moving it rapidly to evenly distribute the Heat to a medium red in color, and quenching that section with water, this can be done in 3 foot or 4 foot sections, (best done at night so that you can see the red) give it a practice try with a small piece of bronze you will see once the tension is relieved that you can bend and shape the strapping easily. Overheating bronze will also cause problems, so practicing on a few pieces would be advisable. The spring tensions may be negligible, but this detail is what came to my mind as I watched your last segment. P.S. the build looks beautiful gentleman.

Thanks Guys, I love the way you explain whay you are doing. Awesome work keep it up.

It’s amazing what you guys can do you have to have a lot of patience keep up the good work I love watching you guys

Crazy how strong this boat will be!

Beautiful work...

Wow. Your editing and camera work, during the routing, is Excellent. Excellent Work, Both of You.

Hot toast, a cup of tea and another episode of your progress... great Saturday morning

I liked the bell music. The strapping is something I never knew about. Looks great!

Love it, we found lead in our timber, cool, we can use it in the boat. Waste not want not, top stuff guys!

Really enjoying the added detail we're getting leading up to smashing through the planking. Your plan for how to time the content is working.

A big “Congratulations” on getting to this point!

Most enjoyable watching you build your boat. Jack/Missouri

Received by Arabella t-shirt today, and it looks amazing!

Another great video guys! I love seeing Akiva prowling the shop for critters. I look forward the seeing the sea trials.

i love this build, i re-watched the keel pour, between you guys and and channels like tally-ho and SV seeker im for sure going to be building my own sailboat.

Nice Leatherman Crunch digging that buckshot out!

This one of the few channels on youtube where a soundtrack is used to add to the viewing experience. and i love it.

Nice work by the mill at short notice...

Another great video!

I believe your boat will be very sea worthy !

My new shirt is awesome. Also great job on the boat.

hi was wondering why you did not think weld one and half lengths together not as a butt weld but a long diagonal weld as about 10'' this would lead to longer more stable weld Arabella is comming along great

I have said this a thousand times already.........You guys are AMAZING !!!! Keep up the great work.

Belt and suspenders, good thinking! I’m actually starting to figure out what you’re going to do next sometimes , i.e. (“You’re going to have to rout out those frames to make the bronze fair-up for planking”). Makes me feel like an interacting cyber apprentice . What a great show this is! Thanks again and again and again.

Fantastic watching the detailed work being put into this work of art. Now get to planking....I’m dying 😩 lol...

This will be a beautiful ship. It may take a while, but the fabrication process and techniques are fascinating.

Great soundtrack Ben. The boat is beginning to materialize! For me as an armchair wannabe, it's really coming together. For you guys living the dream, I'm sure that it's been quite tangible for months. Either way she is a beauty. Congratulations on a righteous keel and frame. Excited for the planking.

This is so exciting for me! I can only imagine your excitement!

The term 'belt and braces' comes to mind. Nice work as always my dudes!

Super cool. Love these videos.

Cool music this episode. Near the beginning, I had to check to see if I was trippin' when the Tibetan Bells were playing.

Very well done again! Best regards luck and health to all involved (including Akiva of course).

Resorcinol is a fantastic adhesive, I believe it was originally developed to build the World Way 2 British Mosquito fighter. Once set it is inert and resistant to almost anything but you need to be aware that the tannic acid in oak can mess up the chemistry given that the hardener, urea formaldehyde is a strong alkali. The implication is that it will slow down the reaction but as you're leaving the boards in cramp for 24 hours I doubt it will be a problem. The outer edges of the joint should cure very well but the inner faces will cure at a much slower rate given the presence of higher concentrations of acid. I would try to place the scarf joints away from places where they would be under maximum tension. I spent years bonding all sorts of stuff together with resorcinol and the only time I had problems was with boards that were alkaline as a result of being impregnated with alkaline fire resistant salts.

It's great watching your progress. Terrific work. Congratulations on a great job. Keep the videos coming. Very enjoyable.

Liked the chimes for effect ... Try bouy bells, think they'd be nice, Great vid as always. can't wait for that next t-shirt. Thanks Guys.

Brilliant work guys. rely well done.

Diagonal braces that have a curve in them are not diagonal braces, twisting motion of the boat is what will move the frames out of square, the diagonal bracing would be better placed if it where in the upper deck, this will stop the boat twisting. A simple example; If a shoe box has no lid it will twist, put the lid on now it won't twist.

Wind chimes a nice touch.

I saw you show up on Bob's channel for a talk down at Mystic......Congratulations on your "stardom!"

Even more time consuming details. Love the videos.

Looking Good!

Wow - never expected this! Yes, diagonals are stability-magic in a rectilinear structure, the distribution of forces goes over all the interstices evenly and allows the entire structure to withstand the summed forces over the whole structure - which makes it super-rigid - except where there are specific anchor-points which receive the cumulative stress. But these are not diagonals. When you cast a triangle over a curve, is stops being a diagonal. It brings-in another dimension that needs to have its stresses braced. If you do not account for the introduced torsion, you will create a "bowing" dynamic which will try to rip the boards apart as the stresses are translated to lateral tortion. So, for instance, if you have gaps between the terminal points of the cross-braces, you will direct forces into the gap which will receive the summed forces on tht whole structure. So the gaps will get all the force - and had better be stout enough for it. However, if you do lateral braces between the interstices of the cross-members - you will eliminate half the torsion load over the curve. And if you then go on to cross-brace the braces longitudinally, you will halve it all again. However, total structural integrity only happens when you make triangular braces between the braces on the cross-braces. Doing that kind of thing is only practical to make the resulting interlace occur below the useful space. Blank X's make no sense - it will result in the destruction of the planks and continual re-caulking. To do this right, you have to move the "X" intersections lower so they intersect the floor. This will make the braces many more, and much thinner - and produce a denser transection as the straps climb up the curvature of the hull. Then to properly stabilize the resultant matrix, you have to cross-connect the resulting interstices at every point of opportunity. You know? Gusseting between the existing frames and boards - and every built part of the thing, would be as good - or better - than straps. If you do these straps - please understand the tortional results? It might be true the keel and scupper materials are strong enough to withstand the entire force delivered them by these straps. But no. You are going to have to gusset these straps to prevent damage to the hull-boards via lateral torsion. They will have to be, at the least, cross-braced side-to-side from the X-intersections.. or the braces will rip the thing apart. And really . no no no. Metal has a different thermal expansion to wood. Metal always rips wood apart from this kid of thing .. Wood responds to moisture, metal does not. Don't use bronze for this. Use wood? Just gussets ??!! But make them 3-dimensional gussets? The bronze looks great, but it is no friend of wood unless you totally know how to harmonize it. Better you 3-d print the damn thing from one material? So you are sailing into some place that is dry and hot? The wood shrinks, the bronze expands and the boat sinks. I imagine the ocean bottom is littered with this mistake ..

Brillant to see your progress as usual, but also, a big shout out to Ben Fundis' music, wich is both very pleasing but also fitting to the video

Great work guys

Once again, pretty amazing stuff...

American Samoa is watching, guys. Looking forward to seeing you sail here one day.

She's a come on boys looking good with the bronze strapping.

Geodetic framing. Just like Barnes Wallis's design for the Wellington Bomber. Blyme! You may have added a few grand to Leo's budget with this! Seriously, though, is this in the plans? Or is it just someone's idea that you have read about?

Damn that 27 minutes went quick! Recon you just need to set up a live web cam so we can watch you constantly. Thanks guys great work, can’t wait to see you on the water.

There is definitely a bird nesting in that beard🧔

Lovin my a 2a T shirt. Awesome quality

Beautiful oak board

Really enjoying binge watching this channel … I’ve binge watched Leo up to date and need to fill in the time between his 2 weekly shows … but what will I do when I catch up with you guys. Lol… will need to find another boat building channel to add to my list. I wonder if you have heard of a channel called ShipHappens ? They are restoring an old WW2 harbour defence boat which was converted to a yacht innthe 70s … quite interesting as they are restoring it on the marshland where it’s been sitting for the last 30 years. The hull onnthe outside is in pretty good shape but has suffered with fresh water ingress on the inside. It’s nice as it’slocated from near from where I lived when I was a kid.

pretty awesome guys,she will be amazing

Why not glue the scarfs on the boat? Making one board that long is going to be really heavy. Plus, any minor adjustments could be made to seperate boards much easier than that full boat length plank. I'm sure you have your reasons, I am just wondering what they might be. Thanks for any answer you may provide.

Many ships and large boats were built with out the bronze straps or other diagonal bracing. You are building a very stout boat that shpould live far longer than you. Thanks

Great progress guys! Not sure that I am on board with the strapping - but I'm an outsider peeking in. I'm sure that you did your homework.