We've been busy in the shop fabricating the framework for the ship for Hazelnut Inn. We'e built many tall ships in the past but this one is significantly different. This one has to be watertight and finished on the interior as people will be staying in the room. This means that how things fit together is critical. Tolerances are tight. The challenge is to tightly adhere to the engineer's specifications while still staying true to the artistic design. A ship is different than most structures as there are very few straight or level lines and yet it must be totally symmetrical, which is the real challenge. Each piece of steel is unique and needs to be carefully fit with complex angles on both ends. One by one the pieces are measured, cut and fit and then fully welded into place. As a full assembly it is much too large to go out of our shop doors in one piece and so it is built in sections which will unbolt and then easily bolt together once more when it is reassembled on site. This also means we have to build flashings into the frame sections to ensure it is all watertight when we are done. There is a lot of consultation between Peter and I as we go forward and we are both enjoying the experience!
