Pouring a Lead Keel (Pt 2) (Tally Ho / EP118) 

One of the biggest mistakes I've made was only hanging out with guys my own age. Didn't learn jack. So it's nice to see these older craftsman being pulled into work and the younger guys working with them and gaining from their experience. I liked the part when the guy said, "I'm going to be mixing this stuff over here. When this starts going down, don't nobody bother me and break my concentration." Great job on the cross generational teamwork. We need more examples of this.

The massive difference in process between attempt #1 and #2 is staggering. Just shows it pays to get the experts in sometimes!

When you’ve constructed keels for America’s cup racing yachts…. yah you’re the best of the best. And men like this seem to gravitate around this project. Hats off Mr Goolden.

Good luck with your pour, Leo. The scale of what's going on here finally hit me. I've been watching this for years and never really felt it before now. You travel to a whole other country. Start with nothing but some savings and a dream and eventually pull in enough of a following that you've got people volunteering to help you for no pay doing what is essentially a full time job. People are donating professional tools to this job. You had problems getting wood imported and let everybody know and suddenly your problems are solved and you're getting your wood. Now you've got professionals with decades of experience driving in to offer serious expertise and equipment. I know I'm simplifying things. It hasn't been all roses and sunshine, but I think you're really gonna pull it off. It amazes me how every time you run into a problem you just seems to shrug it off and keep moving forward. It's inspiring.

Ever since I watch Leo’s video’s I wake my kids like this; Hello, My name is Bart and I am an IT manager and a dad and I’m on a mission to wake and dress my 7 year old child. Just can’t help myself. Keep on making great video’s, Leo!

Imagine if the lead-pouring disaster had been a success you wouldn’t have this beautiful video

The work involved to accomplish this boat building feat is THROUGH THE ROOF and I wonder how Leo could have accomplished it without this channel and it's supporters.

While I was working during one of the framing parties I had this bizarre nightmare--two years later, Tally Ho is finally launched into the water, and within seconds, all of the wedges and trennels I fastened the frames with begin to float away and within a minute the entire ship is just wood scraps floating by the pier. Never mind the physics of how Tally Ho is actually connected that make that entire idea completely ridiculous and even a bit funny to remember now, but I was reminded of that hearing Rowan a little nervous about welding such a serious structure. Unlike anything else I've done, almost every process and measurement involved in being a shipwright becomes critical to the success of the project. Things kinda get serious, and potential problems are very stressful. If fact, I'd say any one of us on our own were a little out of our depth on such a awesome project, which ultimately leads to the value of such an amazing team and community Leo managed to build. My normal jobs are completely reliant on teamwork, but the level of cooperation and knowledge sharing that Leo and the wooden boat community has achieved so far is incredibly unique and I can only hope I run into that kind of community again.

Is there anything you guys can’t do? 118 episodes later I am still glued to my screen every time a new episode is released. 😎👍

I can't get rid of this smile you gents have put on this man's face. Watching Dough impart his knowledge to a new generation of shipwrights just made me so very happy. It was like watching my late boss who was a master mason mix and smooth out different types of block and concrete creating masterpieces from a just a thought, young shipwrights should take note. Great video Leo, you should be very proud of this crew.

Man, I really hope all this has counted as an official apprenticeship for Rowan! The sheer amount of hours and direct work he's done with the project has got to have given him an astounding education on boatbuilding that other crews/companies would be ecstatic to have.

Without the lead pouring disaster we would never have had this fascinating insight into the present aspect of the build, can't tell you just how much enjoyment we are getting from it.

This has to be the best thing on RU-vid. Total admiration for what is being achieved here especially for the manner in which it is being achieved. A true labour of love.

A small suggestion for jobs like pouring in the sand or similar things (concrete, etc.) Start as far from the mixer as possible. Starting right next to it like you did means the last loads when you are tired are the longest walks. Starting at the far end means hauling the loads gets shorter and easier as you go along. I know when i realized that, it was life changing for big projects.

No feet Pete's talk throughs are brilliant! He is the dude! Makes me chuckle every time. Good on you Pete, huge respect ! Matthew

A much more refined method than just dropping stones in the bottom of a boat. What an engineered marvel this keel will be. Kudos to all involved.

These old men each with a lifetime of experience, are trusting you with their hard-earned knowledge and passing to you the baton. It's firstly a testimony to how much much you've earned this respect, but it's also from then on, a formidable responsibility. What you're doing here, documenting all of this, is critical for the preservation of this craft, and the benefit of generations to come.

At first, I thought it would involve a lot of hand labor, and arduous repetitive tasks, to restore Tally Ho. But having now watched, starting with #3, 116 episodes as they came out, I can safely say that I was so wrong. It takes an unimaginable amount of mind-numbing repetitive hand labor, all of which needs to be done mindfully. Every fricking part -- the keel, the frames, the deck beams, the planking, the transom, the bulkheads -- consists of multiple wooden parts, all hand shaped, hand fitted, and hand assembled. No rote work allowed. They have to be aware of every single thing they do.

30:40 This is the most excited I've ever been to watch paint dry

I love how one man's dream has turned into a small community of workers and supporters.

It's unfair to compare this to the first attempt. That was an acknowledged gamble that might have worked, saving a lot of money and time, and also preserving a large chunk of the boat's original keel. It didn't work. We know. But it was worth a try. This attempt is ENTIRELY different. People criticising (or even 'mocking'?) the first effort would do well to remember that this isn't some bored RU-vid millionaire playboy's vanity project; money is extremely tight and Leo is under tremendous pressure - something that's not highlighted in his regular videos. Excellent work, guys! 🙂

Such an interesting process, this keel making. It's amazing how the most ordinary and invisible parts of life are actually quite complex and a great deal of thought and effort must be made to make them so reliable that they become invisible.

This is the third time I've watched Pouring a Lead Keel (Pt 2). Now I fully understand the process. Truly facinating! Very educational. Your channel and The Art of Boat Building are two of the best channels of thieir kind on RU-vid because you guys (and girls) are actually building something, something beautiful, something of significance, not gluing some large plastic tinkertoy pieces together and calling it a boat. I'm amazed at the skll level of the people you've managed to gather around you. There's a certain romantic, almost poetic beauty about all of it. Restoring the past. How perfect. How correct. Now that's an endeavor for you! Keep it up. Keep doing it.

I like how Leo is very hands on and does a huge amount of the work. He could just tell people what to do and film and edit, but he even does the tasks that look boring or menial. I guess that's to be expected from the guy who was working on this project basically alone for the first while.

i have been waiting for this for YEARS> i got into this channel because of acorn to Arabella when they did their lead keel. by far.. so satisfying.

There was a noticable seriousness to the entire crew for this episode. So far so good fellas!

It's incredible to see how far Leo has come from those first videos of him working alone to build a shelter and start dismantling his boat. The amount of people who have come together now to help revive Tally Ho is incredible, and the teamwork it takes to do something like that casting sand pour is just beautiful to see. They should all be so proud of themselves and what they are learning and accomplishing together. It's such an amazing community that they've created. I love watching this channel for the craftsmanship, the humor, and the community. It's so inspiring.

I actually helped Doug build a keel or 2. I used to work for "Wyliecat Sailboats" with Dave Whale and Tom Wylie in Watsonville CA. First boatbuilding job I had and loved it. We used to break the sand out of the mold and then reuse it and I was always the guy with the jackhammer breaking up the sand. Oh and grinding fairing compound off old keels to reuse the lead. I believe that company was called Even Keel. Good ol'days.

Most of us here have seen other keel pours on YT yet this is like attending the boat building school in Port Townsend. It's a wonderful blessing to have such a skilled, master craftsman leading the job for "How to pour a keel", a man who could obviously write the definitive book on the subject. I can't wait for the next class with Doug and the pour!

What a Huge difference it makes to have the Knowledge and Wisdom that comes from 30 years of experience and inspiration. Great Job Sir!!!

This really was one of the most satisfying episodes of the whole build. Hats off deeply to the Master Keel Builder! What a craftsman. Just befitting the Tally Ho team!

I only discovered this very recently and I am loving the entire project. But this one has been the best so far. The wonderful mixture between young people wanting to learn, and older crafts people passing on their knowledge, is just brilliant. A wonderful cast of characters casting a keel. Perfect.

I really enjoyed the final minutes with the buring mold and beautiful music. I'm continually impressed, not only by your woodworking and management skills, but also the editing and music selection of these amazing videos. Thank you Leo!

Felt like clapping when the final sand pour completed. Well done gentlemen and quite the endeavor. Thanks abound for the master keel builder.

This is some really hardcore engineering. Considering what we've seen with the previous experiments, fully worthy of all this work. Tons of angry, flowing lead can do massive destruction. Now all the fury is channeled into ... so looking forward to the pour.

In my humble opinion there is no where in the world that the original builders of this now magnificent ship would have so painstakingly precise.

Rowan is my hero. I am like him. I once worked at a General Motors factory, six-nights-a-week, for 78 weeks, pressing metal into 3,600 parts every night, one every 12 seconds, making 241,000 identical parts. I could NOT zone-out, or I would lose fingers. Neither can Rowan, or any of the crew. Watching Rowan make 3600 copper rivets was so familiar.

Wow so many steps to making the plug. All hands on deck, everyone had their job mixing, pouring & tamping. What a frigging project! You have a great crew Leo. Can't wait to see the pour.

Amazing. This channel has tapped into the deep knowledge from many people. A hard working ethic is evident with you and your team Leo and I love how Sampson Boat Co is not just about a boat, but also about all of the hardworking and experienced people behind it.

This little mini series is so great. I love the guitar works while Leo’s creating the plug templates

Leo, don't ever let it be said that you have ever done shoddy work. Everything you do is precise and very professional. You rock!

Just incredible, brings back a lot boatyard memories being a retired yacht carpenter.

111 years? Whow it becomes younger and younger through your fantastic work. Props from a german boatbuilder

Leo has schooled me in how to build a wooden boat the same way he has been schooled in building a lead keel. All the steps of experience are so important. I’ll bet Leo budgets more for this step in the next build now that the skill, process and materials are now known. All good learnings!

Superb !. Rowan seems a lot more serious, He was always great, hope no cause for sadness behind anything. This whole crew seems rock solid heroes.

Rowan has certainly come a long way from when he joined you way back when he was very much a rabbit in the headlights.

Recalling the first disasterous attempt in Episode 101, from start to finish this was edge of the seat viewing with fingers crossed for the hoped for outcome. What suspense! And then, SUCCESS!! No better example of thoughtful planning and flawless execution in the making of the plug. Cheers and applause for the entire team for the all the very hard work that went into making this the huge team win that it is. The pour should be simplicity itself in comparision to the effort that went into making the keel mold. Fantastic video, thank you. Cheers, Dave E

That has to be one of the beefiest, most sturdy molds ever made in the history of the world.

Just signed up to your Patreon. Sorry for taking so long to finally support this project. 🥰

It's so nice watching a team of people working very well together and following the instructions of the craftsman to the letter. The result is beautiful!

I commented on the last videao about working in my Grandfather's Cash's foundary in Porstsmouth UK in the late 60's. I remember them moulding and casting a keel in the pit in the entranceway, the customer had a keel he had made using concrete with as much steel burried in it as he could. He wanted it made in lead to increase his balast weight and it was moulded using standard casting sand, rammed into place around it. My memory (and this could be wrong) is that the keel had a bulge in it low down at one end, making it necessary to have some form of split mold. Leo avoided this problem by having a tapered keel shape. I don't remember precisely how the overcame this problem, but the floor casting method was used for all keels so presumably patterns were made for them all. I do remember drilling and tapping a cast iron keel and seeing flying 15 keels around that the other foundary "Sperrings" cast. I was offered the foundaries when I was 21 and in hindsight I was correct to not accept this. Foundaries then were difficult to sustain with most diversifying in some way.

Holy crap....the anxiety I felt when you were flipping the mold! Can't imagine what it must have been like for you and your crew. Great work! Excited to see the pour

Loved the mould rotation method. Genius.

I love the way the team can turn their hands to anything - woodwork, metalwork, welding, casting bronze, casting lead - this project is a joy to watch.

Love when the wedges hit the Mould. What a moment!

This is exactly how Gucci makes keels in Italy when they make the worlds finest bespoke sailing ships, s’truth. They don’t spare a cent, even the keel is perfection 👏

The help of that expert is incredible. Knowing all the secrets he has is invaluable. That is going to be one nice keel!

Wow, making a keel mould is a lot more work than I anticipated. It's looking great. I'm looking forward to the actual pouring!🤞

Fascinating process. I never would have imagined the lengths that had to be gone to to get the mold done.

"we could roller skate on that!" has me dying. please never let patrick leave

This project has come so far I feel like I can build my own boat now.

For a bunch of guys who've "never done this before," it sure looks like pro-quality.

It's amazing how a hand full of people working together can accomplish anything. I've always taken on my boat building projects and rehab projects by myself.. Watching your small group of people work together gives me pause, and makes me think there's another way. You have accrued a amazing team.

Respect to Doug. That's a man that knows his craft.

Love watching this channel. having lived on a boat and working on boats for a long time I love the way this project is handled really professional. Most other boat builders on RU-vid kind of do let me down in the end but this has nothing but pure joy so far. Keep up the good work!

the flipping of the mold was the coolest thing ever.nice job guys

I came back for the comments but ended up watching the video.. yet again! FANTASTIC workmanship.

Even the keel on this boat is a work of art. Beautiful work ppl.

I've watched ever episode of this vessels rebirth so far, some more than once. I am continually impressed by the high degree of craftsmanship exhibited by Leo and the people he is surrounded by. In my humble opinion, Tally Ho shall be one of the finest examples of ship building in history. Keep up the great work guys.

Tally Ho build videos generally have a calm vibe but this one stressed me out so bad. The whole time I was edge that the mold was going to fail haha great work

That's an amazing amount of materials and hard work for a one-off final product. Thank goodness for the help of an experienced keel builder! Hopefully you can sell or repurpose the mold. Great job as always.

this old aerospace worker has soo much respect for the craftsmanship and teamwork evidenced on this fine site.

God, it just tickles me to no end, that Leo is getting the best of the best. Love this shit!!!!!!!

Molten metal and open flame, just feet away from two very wooden boats. Scary! Super cool to see this progress! Two more years right?!

That was monumental! I know nothing of these things so I was spellbound the whole time. The mold roll was very clever and well done! But of course, we are really only ⅓ of the way through this keel process! "We" still have to cast & mount.

After listening to Leo explain the whole keel template, and the steel framing... I was trying to figure out how they were going to be able to flip it... all 7,000lbs... without damaging it. Then as I watched them, I realized how they intended to do it... and that was ingenious! What a difference between the first attempt to make the keel and this one. I'm not there (I wish I could be) or really a part of the 'team'... I'm just a fan, and a minor donor... but I have a real sense of pride watching this group of craftsmen, young and old, coming together to create (or recreate) this beautiful sailing yacht. I'm ready for the pour guys!

Magnificent! I'm a sculptor and have made a few molds but it always has a different twist to each one and I am awe-struck, this was an experience worth every bit of my and your attention, Leo and his crew can now be considered shipwrights of the first order. Of course, there is more to learn in life, but their minds have been structured to take on any task that comes their way at the Sampson Boat Company. Excellent job there Leo, I hope we can come to see even more interesting vessels created by the infamous, notorious and allegorical Leo Sampson Goolden !!!

You definitely will have a wonderful boat when you are finished and you research all the things before you just jump in over your head.i want to congratulate you on a great job and it is a pleasure to watch your videos.

Such a stupid simple yet ingenious system of using those wedges to make sure the frame was lifted at a uniform pace all around and wouldn't get warped.

Over 400 comments so far. Everybody loves your work. Well done Leo and Doug and your great crew. 45 years ago I helped my dad pour the keel in the back yard for the family yacht that he built. This is a step up from that and a pleasure to watch. I have boxed and poured thousands of cubic meters of concrete during my career and would love to have been part of this project. Bring on the lead.

Upstate Texas is ready for the pour!!!! Been a fan from episode one. As a land lubber on the plains of Texas, this is a new world for me. Kudos for Leo and Leo's passion ... and the dedicated help he has had all along this journey.

Wow! I've watched every episode from the beginning of the project, and I think that this must be the most exciting episode so far! The teamwork was amazing to watch - not that you have not worked as a team before, but this time it was against the clock to get that sand and resin poured in one go. And flaring off the alchohol was spectacular! This was a huge amount of work, and perhaps that explains why you took your time to make the decision about whether to remake the keel or simply to patch it. I'm so glad you made the decision you did. My guess is that the next episode will be even more exciting!

I didn't realise I could hold my breath for 33 minutes!! Well done everyone, outstanding job.

Man, that's a lot of work for just the mold, especially since you won't likely be using this mold again (assuming the first pour goes well!). It reminds me of the aerospace industry. A lot of research being done on making molds for composite layups. Large scale 3D printing can help a lot, but it still involves some craftsmanship. 21st century not so different from old-fashioned boat building!

I've been wondering for months how you would make this mold. The process was ten times more involved and interesting than anything I imagined. One of your best videos ever and I can hardly wait to see the next episode!

It is so satisfying watching these week after week! The consistent excellence in this build inspires me. And the failure of the first attempt only highlights the quality of the second. Also, thank you Leo for your in depth explanations. It separates this series from the realm of mindless entertainment, raising it to the realm of education excellence.

Seeing the amount of work involved to pour a new keel really makes one understand why they tried the first approach of adding on to the original. I’m thankful to get to see this process in such detail, and I’m sure the team learned loads, so imo they’ve made lemonade out of lemons yet again.

Pure knowledge, craftsmanship, technical abilities. Respect sent. 👍👏

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. The keel is going to be a work of art, just like the rest of Tally Ho.

What a relief, I can't remember the last time that I held my breath for so long. Having seen foundry sandcasting as a kid I have been wondering how this was going to be done for ages. Brilliant teamwork and hats off to you all.

Flashing off the mould wash was very impressive!

When they were lifting the box with jacks, I was actually holding my breath.

This is the same process we us to make airplanes when I start back in 1980's. Well, it has been used for a lot longer. In fact, aerospace learned to do it this way from the ship building industry. We used Aluminum sheets for our template. We either scribed the lines on the Al or photo transferred the lines onto the Al sheet to within +/- .005". Then template makers cut and filed the templates, splitting our lines. The templates were full scale and set up in station just as you did this. We filled in between the template with plaster and called them plaster masters. I learned on the DC-10. You bring back lots of memories.

There are so many things that have impressed me about this project, and I'm sure that there will plenty more in the future... But the single thing that always brings a lump to my throat is the incredible team that has grown up around TallyHo. The members come and go, some return, some stay, the people who has stepped up at particular times to help transport timber, provide specialist services and advice, it just blows me away. Add to that, the community of viewers, patreons, Facebook group members, and all the rest that have come together to support Leo, TallyHo, and the team is simply awesome.

I knew iron sharpens iron but today I learned that Stihl cuts lead.

Leo is getting twice as many views as the Jay Leno's garage episode posted about the same time. The popularity of this channel is amazing!

Just the most exciting, brilliantly crafted and explanatory series of fascinating episodes. Thank you Leo.

I just continue to be amazed, and thankful, that skilled craftsmen and women, lend their expertise to this wonderful project that many of us across the world (Australia in my case) can enjoy and "participate" in. Leo, you have a very bright future ahead of you.🇦🇺

Mould looks a lot more substantial for pouring the lead this time Leo. The more I watch of your videos the more connected I see building and boat building processes. Its very interesting to see this as the two are very separate but incredibly similar. Cant wait to see lead being poured. Well done.

very apt timing, i have just been sawmilling 30 cubic metres plus of oak and sweet chestnut with 2 young enthusiastic assistants teaching them how to move things gently and precisely. Time is short we need to pass on info too the future and reward youths enthusiasm, i gave them both cheeseboards , i had made to say thank you, after a 5 days dedicated work. This reinforces too me that we need to get rid of ageism and relish the dance of co ordinated work . well done Doug Leo et al !