The Bear Mountain Boat Shop

I really like using 2-part polyurethane fiinishes. It's main advantage over varnish is that is doesn't show scratches as easily. It also goes on thicker than varnish, so it hides minor sanding scratches.

Thinning it a little makes it easier to apply. Just keep the wet edge like varnish.

John

Just a reminder about the bash later this month. Hope to see many forum participants there, along with your boats! We are sure to have some interesting boats on display.

Cheers,
John

This year's Texas Kayak Builders Bash will be held on the Gulf of Mexico coast at San Luis Pass County Park on Saturday, April 28, 2007. Join us for a day of display, conversation and fun centered around home-built kayaks, canoes and other small boats. Bring and display your home-built boats, or sim...

My Prospector canoe finally made it into the water! A few photos are posted on my website:

http://www.outdoorplace.org/paddling/Pr ... ector3.htm



John

I use drywall screws to attach forms on an external strongback. Clamps temporarily hold the form in exact position, then the scew holes are pre-drilled. Two or three screws are driven into the bottom of each form. Very solid. I can't think of any significant disadvantage to this method. John http://...

My Prospector 16 construction is nearing completion. I invite everyone to view some recent photos of the project:

http://www.outdoorplace.org/paddling/Pr ... ector2.htm

Sincerely,
John

When is the best time to varnish the inside of a canoe? I've recently fiberglassed the inside of my Prospector, and am thinking forward on the order of events. My thinking is to mask off the top inch and varnish the interior <u>before</u> attaching scuppered inner gunwales, to minimize runs. Alterna...

Actually, these are better links
http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/
http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/d ... mbnal.html

(Click image for a better view)


John

I'm flattered that you'd consider building something similar to the accent stripe on my Prospector. You might do even better by checking out some of the nice designs from these old canoe catalogs: http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/index.html John http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/des...

The dark wood on the feature stripe in my Prospector is western red cedar. The light color is basswood.

John

Thanks for the kind words.

The features stripe was layed up in halves before putting it on the forms. It was made a s single board that was then sliced into 1/4" thick strips. See my Prospector web page (link above).

John

I am building a 16 foot Prospector canoe. Please allow me to share a few photos of the construction process on my web page:

http://www.outdoorplace.org/paddling/Pr ... ector1.htm

John

I'm a big fan of using plastic painter's tarps over the varnishing area, as the earlier replies suggested. On my first boats, I built complete plastic 'tents' inside my garage, but found that a 10' x 20' overhead tarp was sufficient to eliminate most dust specks. Ditto on mopping the floor the day b...

When a hull is off the forms, I use spreader sticks to maintain the correct beam until both sides of a hull are fiberglassed. The sticks remain inside the hull until both sides are fiberglassed. Ditto on the earlier reply that indicated that pulling the stems inward may have the undesired consequenc...

Weyerhowser probably has good dealers near you. You might check them out at www.cedarone.com:

http://cedarone.findlocation.com/

John C