Shaping the mast on my Eastport Pram and wondering how round it should be. I rounded off the corners with a 1/4 inch roundover bit, but now it's kind of still a square with slightly rounded corners. Should I be going for a perfect cylinder? Does it matter that much? Should I use a larger bit?
It matter in terms of looks and keeping the weight down where it matters - up in the air.
The documentation for the NE Dory says "1/2-inch round-over bit".
What are the chances you'll be in a one-design race against other dory builders? If chances are low, do as you like. The boat will sail well even with a square (tapered) mast!
I'm not at the mast yet on my Eastport build, but I'm planning on using a 1/2" round-over bit on the router for it. I'll do a bit more hand work after but that's about it for me.
Frank
I used a 1/2 inch round over bit on my NE Dory mast.