It's A Process

Everything is a learning process.

I am convinced no one can accomplish anything without someone (or multiple people) contributing to the process.

The prospect of building a tapered birds mouth mast had me stymied. Not the birds mouth process, but cutting the taper into the staves. I understood the taper is cut opposite the v-notch, but I did not understand how to make that cut.

So I asked on the John Welsford Small Craft Design FaceBook page. I received many suggestions and learned about some techniques I had never heard about before. Every response gave me something to think about. The best part of the responses? Ideas. Ideas gave me inspiration to figure out what would work with my tools and skill set.

The technique I used involved an electric planer and a No. 5-1/2 Stanley plane. Using a stop block on the 'spar bench' and a convoluted sequence (one stave, then three, two and finally the last two), I cut the tapers without bloodshed or having to mill more staves.

Next, I'll set up the portable table saw to cut the V-notches. It'll probably take me longer to get the saw set up accurately than to actually cut the notches.

Everything is a learning process. I appreciate the contributions others have made to help me learn what I need in order to accomplish what I want to do.