New gates at Sizergh Castle

The direct labour team here at Thwaite Yard were recently asked to construct replacement gates for Sizergh Castle, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sizergh-castle.  These were to be made from oak and were to replace gates installed approximately 40 years ago.  What made this project more interesting was that Debbie Williams, assistant producer National Treasures, of RDF Television West, wanted to film the making and hanging of the gates for a television programme.  This programme, to be shown later in the year, is following the "back room" men and women of the National Trust.

 Bill looks on while Russ prepares the second gate for hanging.

Russ in front of the almost finished gates.

BAE apprentice, Denver, was given the honour of fitting the "king plank" - the final piece in the jigsaw.

The joints between the decking is "caulked" with cotton twine which is hammered tightly into place using a specialist "caulking iron".

The caulking process is completed by filling the joints with a waterproof sealant which is sanded down when fully cured.  One of the biggest problems Bill and Russ encountered was the low temperatures experiences during the refit.  The adhesive and the sealant needed temperatures of 5 degrees and rising over a sustained period.  Due to the fact they can only carry out major repairs when Gondola is out of the water for the winter it makes the work more challenging.

The planks are drilled then bolted onto the steelwork and the holes plugged.  The Iroko plugs are planed flat prior to sanding.



 











Gondola refit continued

Winter seems a long time ago now, especially since we seem to have actually had some summer but Bill and Russ worked throughout the winter months to complete the refit on SY Gondola.  Below are some photographs with captions explaining the work they carried out.



This is the start of replacing the deck. Having previously machined the Iroko timber into decking planks Bill and Russ start to lay out and fit the cover boards to create the frame of the new aft deck. The staggered effect seen on the outside of the cover boards is known as "juggling".

Once the cover boards are in place, the decking planks are then fitted.

It's a busy work area as not only are Bill and Russ laying the new deck, but the Gondola crew were preparing the engine and boiler space for installation of a new prop shaft and bearings assisted by two of BAE's engineering apprentices.