8 replies to this topic

[Carl Andersen]

Hi I am new here
I have intended to build the skin kayak "SHAD" this summer. I like the Greenland styling. But where can I buy Ballistic Nylon in Europe? I live in Denmark.

Carl Andersen

[Kudzu]

Maybe we have a member that can answer that because I have no idea. Just make sure what you find is uncoated, you don't want any coating on it and most nylon is coated.

I can ship it to you but it costs about $45 US dollars to ship a package to Europe. Just sent some polyester to Finland.

[Carl Andersen]

I can ship it to you but it costs about $45 US dollars to ship a package to Europe. Just sent some polyester to Finland.

Thanks Jeff

It probably becomes the easyest to do it that way, and maybe also the most secondaryable to do in that way, that is only 19 foot Nylon I look forward to building "SHAD". And sorry if my English isn't correct.

[Kudzu]

If you had not said you were in Denmark I would have never guessed by your English! Probably better than most of ours. :-)

International shipping prices are so high, if you do order I would suggest ordering everything you want at once. It will be cheaper than coming back and making a second order.

[Carl Andersen]

International shipping prices are so high, if you do order I would suggest ordering everything you want at once. It will be cheaper than coming back and making a second order.

Thanks Jeff
Can you tell me how long does the skin last before it's to be reskinned on the kayak 7 oz ? 12 oz?

[Kudzu]

Depends on how you use it and take care of it. If you never used the boat and kept it out of the sun I doubt you would ever have to replace it. Of course we build these to paddle them. Assuming you store it out of the sun when your not using it, abrasion is typically the main thing that damages a skin.

I don't 'baby' my boats, but I don't abuse them either. I skin most in the 8 oz polyester. I paddle on a large lake and river system. I don't worry about hitting a stick of rock when paddling. That doesn't hurt anything. It is rubbing the same spot over and over that will damage it. For example I don't beach the bow of the boat unless it has a rub strip. Constantly beaching would eventually damage it.

I have a Curlew that I skinned in 12 oz nylon that I have run over tree limbs, stumps rocks, paddled and pushed through mud and dirt, drug it across the ground.... It is about 3 years old now and it doesn't show any wear at all. It's a little stained and discolored but the skin is in excellent condition.

So far I have only had to reskin one because of a damaged skin and that one I just abused. We ran it through very rocky flowing water and I rubbed a lot of tiny holes in the skin along the frame where it kept rubbing in the same spots. I am not sure what was in the water but there it was very sharp and abrasive. It even left some serious marks in the plastic boat that was with me. I ruined that one and it was 7 oz nylon.

Bottom line is, if you don't abuse it, it should last many, many years. If you are going to be rubbing the boat against something in the same spot add a rub strip. If you going to be using it it rough conditions where it will see a lot of abuse use the 12 oz nylon. It is a very touch fabric!! I use 8 oz polyester unless I need something really tough then I use the 12 nylon.

The 7 oz nylon seems really light but it is good fabric. What I didn't like about it was you needed to sew it on wet and pull it really tight or it would wrinkle up every time it got wet. The 12 oz quits wrinkling after a few months. Polyester never wrinkles because of being wet. It will loosen up a little in the heat but it always looks the same.

Hope that helps.

[bil]

How would spandex work for the skin?

[Kudzu]

Not very well I would imagine.

[hokeyhydro]

How would spandex work for the skin?

Spandex has a strong inclination to induce "wedgies"