JEM

This thread might be better placed somewhere else. Go ahead and move it if needed. Epoxy is made of 2 parts: Resin and Hardener. Most epoxies call for a 2:1, 3:1, or 5:1 ratio of Resin and Hardener. One way to measure the appropriate amount to use metering dispensing pumps that are offered by many suppliers. Another method is using a graduated measuring cup. These pumps typically are very reliable but they do break down after a while and let air into the pump. This causes the pump to "burb" and give an inaccurate amount of Resin or Hardener. So if you don't have reliable metering pumps or just want to use a more visual method, here's an easy way that doesn't require using pumps (or purchasing graduated measuring cups). Helping in the demonstration is our 8-year old assitant who happens to be the "E" in JEM (JEM Watercraft). Please note: This method shows how to mix a small amount of epoxy with a 2:1 Resin-to-Hardener ratio. This can be adjusted for more epoxy or different ratios. You'll need some clear plastic cups and a permanent marker. Place one cup inside another. Decide how much total epoxy you want to mix at one time. In this example, we selected about 1/2 of the plastic cup. With the marker, draw a line on the outer cup. Label it "H" for Hardener. For a 2:1 ratio, you have 3 total parts: 1 part Hardener and 2 parts Resin. So we marked our line about 1/3 up toward half the cup. If your epoxy is 3:1, then you'll have 4 total parts. Mark about 1/4 the way up. In this next part, we use water. Much cheaper and easier to clean up if you make a mistake. With an empty cup still inside the marked cup, fill to the marked line. Remove the inner cup and set aside. Measure 2 more parts so you have a total of 3 equal parts. Place a cup back inside the marked cup, and pour the 3 equal parts into the cup. Mark another line on the cup and label it "R" for Resin. So when your ready to mix, first fill the inner cup with Hardener up to line H, then fill with Resin to line R. Remove the inner cup and mix. Save the marked cup for the next batch. Easy!

Greetings builders. We're pleased to announce our latest set of canoe plans: The Muskoka. http://www.jemwatercraft.com/proddetail.php?prod=Muskoka

I'm a little late coming into the game. Which design is this? Looks VERY interesting. Love to read these project threads. I can smell that Okoume from here.

Greetings Builders, We're pleased to announce our latest set of plans, the P-Row. http://www.jemwatercraft.com/proddetail.php?prod=p-Row

http://www.plyboats.com/

No not yet. A lot of descriptions but no pictures.

It's still been in the 80 here in NC until last week! Now the high is around 70. Great building weather.

Anyone have a picture or link to a home-made pvc pipe tiller extension?

I posted it up here: http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1401#1401 I hope things work out.

30'! :shock: Dat's a bigun!

Looking for a reasonably priced sail maker for a canoe sail. This will be a custom sew job. Thoughts?

Yea I know, dime a dozen. But I plan on coming out with a few different versions. Wanted some more stuff for first-time builders. http://www.jemwatercraft.com/proddetail.php?prod=Smpl

Couple of tips: -Do not let epoxy cure in direct sunlight. That will cause bubbling. -West system recommends you coat when the temperture is decreasing. That minimizes outgassing. -When I coat, I stay with the boat, or I come back and check after, 20 minuntes or so. I pop the bubbles with the tip of a chip brush.

I'm working on a paddle version for stitch and glue assembly. Ordered a plastic hull from Yoav and want to get to know the hull well and how it paddles in various conditions before working on a wooden version. I'll probably do an open canoe version and a little longer. Got some other project to button up before going full speed ahead on the W design.

I'll try and take a stab at helping. First, what plans are you building? That sometimes helps give some tips. You mentioned "cheap resin" so I'm guessing it's polyester. I have not worked extensively with that but here's some input with using epoxy (I'm guessing some of the info translates to poly). I get most of my air bubble problems when I work in the sun. The direct exposure causes the resin to react at an excellerated, inconsistent rate. Because of that, I do everything indoors or in the shade. I also go back after about 10-15 minutes of cure and pop bubbles formed in the resin as you mentioned. Now I'm guessing your issue is with air getting under the cloth. Sun can also cuase that, dirt or grease on the wood surface could cause that, and sometimes the fiberglass just does not want to behave. I sometimes have to poke or mash some areas with the tip of the brush I use to apply the resin. I also use a foam roller and do the same thing: just press a little harder to drive the air out. They also make grooved plastic and aluminum rollers to help burp the air and force the cloth down into the resin. Best thing to do is be vigilant and try to work out those pockets before it cures.

2 quarts plus cross-linker unopened. Received from System Three in Feb 2005. $70 OBO and that includes shipping to anywhere U.S.. I'm building a boat for a client and he changed his mind about the color. Shoot me an e-mail if you want them!

Congrats! these guys will deliver free to a commercial location in NC and some surrunding areas: www.harborsales.net I plan on trying them out. I keep eye-balling that CS17. If I find a trailer cheap enough, I just may go for that one!

Links to the Potter 15? You got me curious! I like the 15' length because it'll fit in my work room and it should come in under 200 pounds. I can still then use my flat bed utility trailer to haul it around. The hull has a flat bottom so getting it on and off my trailer should be no problem. I may add some removeable bunks to the trailer or look around for a used boat trailer. I posted in another forum and made contact with a local yatch club member who has a Atkins Simple Simon. http://www.boat-links.com/Atkinco/Sail/SimpleSimon.html That's actually close to what I want as far as the part of the hull that's in the water. I'm going to meet up with him and try it out. I figure that will give me a good idea how Morten's will handle (Morten's should be more stable though).

A good friend and partner of sorts is Morten Oleson of www.boatplans.dk shares my tech support forum and we help each other with design ideas. He's developing a weekend camper/sailor that I think will be just the ticket. Here's one preview picture: I'll go with this one but with a more open cockpit. I'll omit the cabin extend the bench seats into the area where the cabin will be. I'll still have the front deck for dry storage. It'll be perfect for the waters I wish to sail.

Well it looks great! Maybe you all can give me some input: I'm a canoe and kayak guy mostly. But on a camping field trip with my son's school at Camp Don Lee on the NC coast, my son and I got to go sailing. He's hooked! I don't plan on any ocean crossings. In fact, I'll probably only sail on the local lakes/resevoirs. I'd like the boat to double as a recreational power boat (just with a 5 hp or so. No need to get on plane. Displacement is just fine). It'll double as a simple fishing platform and my kids prefer stability over performance. I've never sailed besides playing around with down-wind umbrellas in kayaks. So something forgiving to a newbee sailor. I plan on taking a couple lessons at the local marina. From that program, it looks like http://www.boatplans-online.com/proddetail.php?prod=CV16 is the boat for me. Cheap to build, simple, and effective. But since I don't know much about sail boats, I don't have a way to compare. The Caravelle is said to max-out the use of the 9 sheets of plywood it requires. The designer is a little evasive about the best capacity it'll sail at. Most of the time, it'll be 2 adults and 2 young kids. I wouldn't mind just a little more capacity without it being a slug. 4 adults and 2 kids maximum. Maybe the extra capacity would be a bad idea if I'm a beginner sailor. I just don't know. I do know I'll be a wus and have a trolling motor and battery on board (lashed securly in a dry storage compartment) so if I get where I can't get it home, I'll drop the sails and go under power. So any thoughts on other designs to consider would be appreciated. Doubt I'll ever get into designing sail boats. Just not my thing. But I do want to build one!

Looking good so far. Which design is that?

Thanks for the welcome. Wasn't sure how much I could toot my own horn. Want to remain respectful of other forums. I do have a tech support forum but many thanks for the offer. Any questions will be answered here of course. I try to stay "connected" and give helpful advice regarding questions of my designs or techniques in general. You learn a lot just talking about stuff. I'm far from the end-all expert but have learned from a generous portion of mistakes. I think they call that "experience". :roll: I submitted my link. Thanks again!

Greetings All, My first post here. I'm one of those crazy fools who aspires to design and sell plans for a boat like this. Hopefully the dream will get rolling soon enough.