Richard Peter

I'll be interested to hear about the performance of that skin. Did it come in many colours?

Can you use spar varnish over tongue oil? If so, are there any thing you have to do to prepare the surface? I have a whole gallon of spar varnish and was planning on using it on my boats.

I'm impressed with the build so far and want to know more about your skin. I've never seen anyone skin a boat with this type of fabric before. What properties does it have? How does it stretch? With the poly coating is it waterproof? Will you have to coat it with something? If coated, with what and will it adhere to the fabric (I'm thinking that the coating may not be able to flow around the fibres)? I'm open to the idea of coloured fabric as an option. Richard

It was me! I did! Honest! You beat me to it! lol

Thanks, I agree. Jeff's videos are a big reason I started down this path. His explanations are very simple to understand and it made me think that even I could do it! it's also a big reason I buy from his shop. He seams very passionate and sincere about what he does.

It was me! I did! Honest!

LOL! When I started out the translucent finish fascinated me. I still like it but I am drawn more to colors now. I have a seriously cool idea for my next one. But not sure if I have the patients to do it. But I am not giving away my idea just yet either. :-) A person could get very creative with their paint job. Your idea of a camouflaged paint jobs sounds great. I really like the look of the contrasting top and bottom colours and, like on your boat, the contrasting coaming and deck cords.

I had always though my boat would have one of those clear coat finishes but seeing your boat in these colours makes me undecided now. Thanks a whole lot... lol

I tried my first test bends today and all went well. I'm not affraid of bending the stringers anymore. I'll just be sure that the bends I'm putting into the wood are smooth natural curve so I don't end up getting hogged. Thanks all!

I used to go to the track with my brother to watch him race. Boy does that bring back some memories! You're right, you are from the 60s!

Good to know, My original worry was that I would break the stringers when bending them into position. I thought that by giving them some shape beforehand it might make it easier to install.

I've always thought the idea of a SOF trailer would be cool. I have sketches of a few in my office. Jeff is right though. Being so light would make it more like a sail than a trailer. Special care would have to be taken to keep it from flipping over in a strong crosswind. The teardrops are quite small so maybe the effects of the wind wouldn't be too bad?

Your lucky rabbit's foot is paying dividends! That sure was a close one.

That's good to know. I'm leaning towards TB3 because there are many positive comments on this forum. That's not to knock epoxy but the quality of the product and the ease of use makes it ideal for my needs.

When bending the stringers into place I was wondering if they need to have the tension on them for this method of construction or can a person pre-bend the stringers (and gunwales and keelson too for that matter) so they are the correct shape before attaching them to the frame. They could be bent by soaking them in water for a while and then clamped into the correct shape to dry so that they will have a smaller force trying to straighten them out when you assemble your boat. Is it an unnecessary extra step, or one that would have a negative impact the the build? I've never seen anyone do it so I don't know if the force trying to straighten the wood is actualy a part of the boat's overall strength? Your thoughts?

Was that done with 1 order of Corey's Goop or did you have to order more than 1? My first boat will not be as long as the Curlew and I was curious about the coverage.

That looks fantastic! Congratulations on finishing it. What is the finish you used? Is that the 2 part PU on polyester?

The boat looks great, can't wait to see it skinned. I was in the lumber yard today and found a piece of 1x6 clear spruce. I had to do a double take because there were no knots in it. It's nice to make a find like that... And build a boat out of it!

Great feedback! Thank you all for sharing your wisdom with a complete SOF Newbie!

My experience with epoxy has only been with the 5 minute variety and I think it would be too weak so I'm guessing you are refering to a different kind. What are you using for your boats? Anyone else using an epoxy? I can see the mixing to be a bit of an added process but if it is truely water proof and limits the creep it could be worth exploring. Then again if you look at how long some of Jeff's boats have held up without epoxy (long live Long Shot!) is it realy necessary. Is it a good-better-best situation with Jeff having good and Hirilonde having best?

I'll give that a try. I think this might require a steady hand, a scroll saw, and a good sound lashing! (And maybe a little Titebond III for security)

Could you lash a scarf joint? I would think you would have to drill a hole into the stringer or maybe cut a notch for the sinew to bite into. Any advice on how to do that? I'm guessing there would be a need for many wraps around the scarf. Although I trust the opinions of this esteemed panel I like experimenting with new (or in this case old) techniques. I really wanted to be able to boil my boat but don't want to use Resorcinol. (lol)

Does anyone think pinning a scarf joint is required? If you put a small dowel in perpendicular to the stringer it might give it some more stability? I've seen a few videos that pin and/or glue their stringers to the ribs too. It seems like overkill but is there a disadvantage to doing that?

"Both the epoxy and Titebond 3 held great, so Titebond it shall be!" I was curious about the type of wood you used for your tests. I was planning on using Western Red Cedar for one of my boats and heard from several sources that the oils in the wood make it tricky to glue up. Anyone have thoughts on that? I know that Jeff has glued up WRC before. What do you use? Thanks, Richard