3 replies to this topic

[woodman]

I plan on covering the Pirogue with nylon.

Jeff in you're vid. you say the skin is not you're heaviest you carry so I assume you are demonstrating how tough the 7 oz is?

Ok then do they have the same amount of flex ,does one relax more when wet?
I get the part of how to sew both ends and pulling it to slip over the bow or stern. But how to pull it from the sides without creating holes when stitching.

Is the 7oz. easier to to work with by getting it pulled tight?

This is the reason for the nylon Ozark streams....

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[Kudzu]

The videos are two different boats and both just happened to be 7 oz nylon. Both need to be reskinned so it wasn't a planned thing. I just took advantage of the chance to beat the crap out of a boat.

When I cover my boats my choice is this. Normal use out on the lake, occasionally bumping into something I use the polyester because it accepts any finish and heat shrinks. I think it is easier to work with and more forgiving of mistakes. Plenty tough for normal paddling.

Polyester will not stretch far before it breaks while nylon stretches 300% I think it is before breaking. So nylon is it the go to fabric for for a boat that will be banged around.

The difference in the 7 oz. and 12 oz. is dramatic so If the boat it is going to any regular bottom scrapping you want the 12 oz. It adds a little weight but it so much tougher. Nylon is not as abrasion resistant as polyester and that is another reason I go with the 12 oz. I have rubbed holes in a 7 oz skin on waters similar to what you show. (rub strips are a great idea BTW)

12 oz. It is going to relax BIG TIME the first few uses. For some reason it get less as it gets older. At least that has been my experience, why I have no idea. But it will always 'go slack' but it isn't noticeable unless you thump on the skin. It doesn't sound like a drum head anymore.

As for sewing it, I suggest you find the Skin Boat School videos and watch them. They do a good job of explaining the process. I don't think it really that much harder, just different techniques.

As for finish, I would recommend Dura-Tuff. It's a nasty smelling polyurethane but it is indeed very tough! Water clear, never tried to tint it. I have intended to try it as a top coat over paint on polyester but never have gotten around to testing it on some scraps.

Of course ZAR has held up very well too. I still have my first boat I designed and built, 12 oz with ZAR and I have beat that boat up and the finish still looks good on it.

[woodman]

Jeff aren't they the ones that steam the nylon with an iron to try and shrink it? I have read so much about it on different sites doing it wet doing it dry this and that...gets confusing....
With a wide open cockpit to bad it can't be grommeted and lased up sort of....

[Kudzu]

I don't remember if they have a finishing video or not? I have only done a few nylon boats before I tied polyester. I have dyed a couple and 'shrank' them but I couldn't tell that is shrank any honestly.

I have never done it but if I do another nylon boat and don't for get I will sew it on sopping wet. It is in it's relaxed state when wet, I don't see how it would hurt anything unless it really shrank a lot when it dried. I guess it could warp the stringers. Maybe sew it tight but not as tight as you could?

I did spray the last nylon boat down as I sewed on it but I think I should let it have stayed wet for an hour or more before I starteed because it didn't any good.