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Rich D

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Everything posted by Rich D

  1. #1 - I have used that exact artificial sinew on at least 3 boats and it worked well and is still holding up. It has been on one of the boats at least 3 years and I have seen no signs of deterioration. #2 - Just order the length you need for your boat. The width is sold as a standard width. #3 - I have used a heavy 11 ounce fabric sold by Jeff and also his economy 6 ounce fabric. The heavy stuff was harder to get tight and did not shrink much with heat. The lighter stuff has to be handled and stitched with more care or the weave can pull apart rather easily. Jeff has a premium 6 ounce that may have different qualities but I have not used it. I have used the economy fabric on 2 kayaks and have been very happy with it. #4 - Don't have an opinion here. I have even used Thompsens Water Seal because it's much cheaper than most of the other products and I had a lot of it around. I use my kayaks a lot and have seen no problems with the frames. #5 - It hasn't seemed to catch on with many others but I use thinned PL Premium Construction Adhesive and am very pleased with the results. Tough, rubbery, smooth...and it greatly lessens the amount of paint needed. #6 The Baltic Birch ply you can get should work good for templates. Also 1/8" tempered would work.
  2. I drill my holes for the carry toggles in the frame prior to skinning. Then I burn holes in the skin with a woodturning tool. If I did not have my holes pre-drilled, I would burn a hole in the skin before drilling into the wood. The burned edges in the cloth will eliminate any chance of separation of the threads.
  3. I use a woodturning tool with a conical, but blunt, tip to burn a hold through the skin. Usually I do this after painting. I make the hold approximately the same size at the screw shank.
  4. I think I would not sand them off - but instead pull them down to be flush with the bow piece. That looks like a pretty small mismatch and I doubt if pulling them into position will effect the shape of the hull much at all once the frame is released from the supports. Another option would be to shim up the bow piece along the top edge to match the gunwales. That way the gunwales could stay in their natural shape.
  5. Nice work. It makes me think about making a canoe for my next build instead of another kayak. Do you know what the finished frame weighs?
  6. Very nice! I have always made plywood coamings but I may have to give the laminated version a try. Looks really good.
  7. I have used screws from underneath and just get as close as I can to the frame members at the front and rear of the cockpit. I've never had a problem with the coaming being loose in any area. I have also inserted threaded inserts into the upper coaming rings during construction and then inserted bolts from below. Neither method is entirely easy to do. Lately I have been using what is sold here as 'connector bolts'. They are easy to install, and while not flush fitting, I like the way they look. http://www.rockler.com/connector-bolts-black-oxide-connector-bolts?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&sid=V9146&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI75q5ndqs1wIVirbACh3a0g5mEAQYBSABEgLbNfD_BwE http://www.rockler.com/cap-nuts-for-connector-bolts?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&sid=V9146&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI75q5ndqs1wIVirbACh3a0g5mEAQYAyABEgKTM_D_BwE
  8. Any paint or other finish already on the polyester may cause problems with adhesion of a repair. Especially epoxy may be a problem. I have used epoxy only, and have used fiberglass cloth/epoxy. This was on new polyester. It works but seemed to be a little brittle. Where you are using it in an area with no flex it may be OK. If you haven't already tried PL Premium construction adhesive it may be worth a try. Seems to stick to most anything and easy to apply.
  9. I use what is sold as 'marine ply' from Menards. Seems a little better quality than the typical stuff they have. But since I always sit on the back deck before sliding into position (long legs) I always double up the deck side of that cross section for extra strength. I also add a couple of short deck stringers reaching from the rear of the cockpit to the next aft cross section. May not be needed but it gives me peace of mind.
  10. I haven't used those brackets but here's how I have done it. It doesn't show very well in the picture but I used a small wood block at the fore and aft of each footrest. The block in the front is positioned against the cross section so that the foot pressure is transferred to the cross section and lashing instead of to the screws holding the block in place. (Don't know why my pictures always show up sideways...)
  11. My impressions were different. I used the PL Adhesive on the economy fabric and, so far, have been quite impressed. I used the PL on both deck and hull. I thinned it with Mineral Spirits and squeegeed it on, then brushed it smooth (2 coats). Got a smooth finish and it only took 1 quart of Rustoleum to do both hull and deck. Seems very durable but needs more use to be sure.
  12. Sounds like Pex tubing used for plumbing. Yep, I just looked, that's what it is.
  13. Before skinning, I drill holes in the gunwale stringers near each end that extend from one side of the frame and out the other side. It's not necessary but lately I have been gluing in a piece of tubing through the holes and sanding the ends flush with the frame. I found some kind of tubing at Menards. Don't remember what it is called but it is about 1/2" OD and 1/4" ID, kind of red in color, and similar to PVC in hardness and flexibility. 10' lengths so I have enough for the next 50 boats. Only cost about $4. After skinning I punch through the skin with a hot tip from a woodburing set and run my toggle ropes through.
  14. I have used construction adhesive. I would have to look for sure but I think it was PL 300. I found it much easier to use than Lexel. It cures hard but flexible (if that makes sense). Cures quickly and is paintable.
  15. I have accumulated a good variety of splash decks and spray skirts. What I need most is a cockpit cover that is suitable (secure) for cartopping in the rain. When I contacted Seals they did not respond when I gave them the dimensions of my cockpit.
  16. Agreed - good lumber for a Greenland paddle (or any project) is hard to find. I have been buying 2 x 2 cedar at Home Depot for my paddles lately. They usually have clear, straight grained pieces with some good color variations. Of course some laminating will be necessary...
  17. Nice recovery from what might have been a 'do over'. I once saw a picture of a boat that had been skinned with several different random pieces on the deck. The idea was to look like it had been pieced from seal skins. Looked pretty cool. Here's my stitching issue. I follow the deck ridge OK but each stitch pulls a 'zigzag' into the corded seam.
  18. Very nice stitching. For some reason I get a wavy line of stitching all the way down the boat. Happens with both the 11 oz and the 6 oz.
  19. I think you'll be fine. I've done it much the same many times. If you had not used glue then I would say that you would be better off lashing right on and thru the stem pieces. I don't care to use glue on these boats in places I can avoid it so I drill and peg the stringers to the stems as well as lashing. The main thing is to get a good attachment to the stems to keep things from shifting.
  20. I hope you know that I was trying to be clever - fell a little short probably.
  21. Well, when someone uses the term winding bevel to describe a rolling bevel it causes me to roll by eyes. But as my gaze rolls down the length of your paddle I see what a beautiful paddle you will have I am willing to roll over and submit to your terminology. It will be a very interesting paddle. The last one I made had that knot right where the loom meets the blade. I epoxied the knot in place and epoxied a fiberglass 'bandaid' around the paddle at that point. So far it is holding.
  22. That skin is looking good. Is the pic before or after ironing? I ask because I am a little apprehensive about how tight to try to get the skin and how much it will shrink. With the 11 ounce cloth I just cranked it tight with the stitches and didn't need much shrinkage to finish it up.
  23. Anxious to hear how the sewing goes. I have some of the same cloth but it will be a couple of weeks before I can get it sewn on. I have only used the 11 ounce fabric before but i think Jeff recommends using the double corded stitch on the 6 ounce also.
  24. I realize now that mine is on a multi-chine design where the vertical support is screwed to the inside of the gunwale, some side support is provided by the first stringer below the gunwale, and the block rests on the second stringer below. With a single chine design some sort of support would have to be fashioned to secure the bottom of the block from being forced out against the skin. I think screwing into the stringer would work OK especially if the forward block was large enough to be contact the cross section ahead of it for additional support.
  25. The above footrest brackets work with the Atwood design but not with the Sea-Lect. The brackets would interfere with the pivoting adjustment rod on the Sea-Lect.
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