J.E.D.

Let me preface this by saying that I have not yet built a fuselage style kayak. I do have lots of woodworking experience though. Drilling a hole and putting a screw in the already very thin framing members, will weeken them significantly. Lashing does not affect the integrity of the wood. Lashing also allows a permanent flexability that won't deteroirate the wood too much over time (screw holes get looser and looser with flexing) Because the skin of the kayak tends to hold the frame together, you probably wouldn't have any problems for a while. But, lashing will tend to keep the frames from cracking and make your kayak last much longer. Glue of any kind will eventually crack because of the flexibility of the overall design. So, there's not much point in using epoxy. This is just my opinion of course. Hopefully, experienced buildiers will chime in and add to this or correct me...

I'm glad to see that Jeff has developed a line of float bags for his designs. I imagine that it would take some special equipment to make them and probably not worth the money for just making one or two sets. The learning curve required to work with sealing the plastic might not be worth it either. Way to go Jeff I'm curious to know what people's experience is with Kudzu Float Bags. How durable are they? How long do they last?

Hello SOF 'ers It's been awhile since I've logged on. I though I'd come see what's new in Kudzu-land. Regarding removing the frame brace, I was wondering the same thing. Perhaps the two frames behind the seat could be built with 3/4" ply and slightly wider webbing? Or, maybe two 1/2" plywood frames laminated together? Of course this would add a few more ounces to the boat. What do you think Jeff? Would that be over-kill?

Hi Jeff. It's a nice looking boat. I'm curious about the name you have chosen for it. (???)

I saw this old thread and I thought I'd do an update on my little plug for Makita drills. It's going on three years now and my Lithion 18v Makita batteries are starting to get weak. The drill itself is still in perfect working condition. In the cold weather the batteries die very quickly and charge slowly. It's almost time for a new one. (it's not worth buying new batteries) Still, this is the best drill I've ever owned. After two-three years of industrial use, it's a great product.

Thank-you labrat and Jeff for your knowledgable comments. From reading previous postings from Jeff and others, I was aware of the safety reasons for displacing as much space as possible with floatation inside the kayak. However, both of you here, have convinced me that a proper float bag is worth buying. Also, I figure that by time I have made something comparable, I have spent more time and money than necessary. I am still confused however, as to just how large of a float-bag is practical. Here's what I mean: -Skinboats.org sells Greenland Float Bags that are 23" wide x 57" long. One of these bags in each end of the kayak would certainly fill most of the hull except for the cockpit. If you want stowage, they have a combination float-bag which has a compartment for your gear. I imagine though, that building a hatch in your kayak would be pointless because access to your gear could only be from the front of the bag, through the cockpit. (This sounds inconveinient to me) -MEC.com sell float bags that are about 30" long. These would tuck up nicely in the bow and stern and leave room for your gear. But, they would not displace much water in the event of a capsize. (This sounds like a possible comprimise) I'm brand new at this of course, so I have no idea what kayakers prefer. Please chime in everyone...

After reading Garrett6575's topic about pool noodles, I was temped to put my two cents in regarding another idea for floatation. I started a new topic though because this really has nothing to do with the noodle-securing question... sqare_nails and I were brainstorming an alternative to a float bag. Mainly to reduce the over-all cost of the kayak and retain a float-bag's efficiency. Pool noodles are a very practical idea; very cheap and replaceable. I find that pool-noodle-foam does not have as much buoyancy as other foams. You might need a lot of them inorder to get the water displacement and floatation considered desirable. This, of course, uses up stowage space. Personally, I would want more efficient floatation inorder to free-up space for camping gear. We figured that a home-sewn mesh bag, made into the shape of a cone, could be filled with ultra-light plastic balls. It would conform to the kayak's shape when winched up to the stems. It would be removable just like a float bag and you wouldn't have any worries of it developing a leak over time. After all, with 100 to 1000 balls per bag, you have what I think they call... redundancy? I'm guessing a ball-bag would be lighter and more buoyant than noodles. The only problem is, buying ping-pong balls in bulk has proven to be more expensive than we thought. Small water bottles might be a more economical option. A cooky idea? Maybe.

Haha! I'm too young to catch the "Huggy Bear" reference Yeah, it does look kinda wierd. I have to say, after many hours of use, my drill is pretty much just grey all over now. Covered in a lot of drywall dust and dirt. It's kind-of like that floral love-seat that your wife made you buy... You're not crazy about the colors but you figure "it will get browner as it gets older" (Red Green)

Very well said, PAR. You know your business better than I.

Yes the new batteries seem to be lighter. It's probably a combination of being more compact and being smaller. Most Lithium batteries are lower amp hours than older Nicads. Thus, they are much smaller. They charge faster though, so you tend to switch and charge batteries more often. Once you need a new one the other is long since charged. Sometimes I wish I had bigger batteries (which you can special order) but the reduced weight of the small ones makes for a good comprimize.

The add says that the face plys of the plywood are Fir and North and the core plys are American softwood. Fir has pretty good rot resistance but it is a VERY course and loose grain wood. Not to mention it is very soft. The rot/water resistance makes it good for exterior apllications such as building construction. The "marine" grading like PAR outlined before just means that the faces are free from knots or fillier patches. In my oponion, this material has enough water resistance to be used for boats, but it is far too soft. The grain can be literally pulled apart with you finger nail. It's practically impossible to sand it smooth enough so as to not "catch" and tear out the grain. For "stich and glue" construction. It might be okay.