The Bear Mountain Boat Shop

I'm inclined to think that the warmed unthickened epoxy will soak into the wood in the crack, rather than fill the crack. The result will be that after the fiberglass is laid up, you will still have a crack.

Ribs...shoot, wasn't thinking about those. Ya, I can see why they would be a drag to sand.

I know the desire to get out of extra sanding, but I've found that for the varnishing, it really pays off. I wet sand with 240 grit between each coat. It makes for a really smooth finish. Also, when I'm applying the varnish, I find it easier to see any spots that I miss if it's been sanded first. We...

Hi Terry, I oiled my mahogany gunnels, and love them (I oiled all my trim, and really like the look). I used Amazon's 55 teak oil, which has a bit of varnish in it. It is super easy to apply, and if the gunnels take a whack, a light sanding and more oil makes them like new again. One tip: I scuppere...

I'd echo all the other guys plus http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductImages/PC_Graphics/PHOTOS/BDK/POWER_TOOLS/TOOLS/LARGE/4/WM425%25_5.jpg and this http://66.77.255.87/Images/DREMELTOOLS/395_D/WEB_LG/395_hires_lg.jpg with this http://66.77.255.87/Images/DREMELACCESS/670-01_D/WEB_LG/670-01_lg.jpg (...

I use syringes and needles to inject epoxy into pockets formed by air bubbles etc often (after the epoxy/cloth has been applied). I usually run into two difficulties. First, I have a hard time finding needles that are big enough, as most drug stores only carry the smaller insulin needles (I suspect ...

Just to follow up, I figured out an easy solution. I used a cut-off wheel on my Dremel tool to cut a slot in the head of the carriage bolt. Then I could use a slot head screw driver to hold the bolt while I loosened the nut and then while I put on a new one on. I was able to do this in about ten min...

Sluggo, I'm interested to hear about your tests with the Thayercraft fiberglass. I'd be particularly interested in how the lighter cloth translates to overall weight savings on the hull. Not only is the cloth itself lighter, but it seems to me that it would hold less epoxy as well and be lighter for...

Thanks again all. I just gave the situation a more thorough examination, and discovered that the nut must have striped the bolt when I put it on (or else it seized somehow), because I can't even get it off, and the end of the bolt is flush with the nut. Thus, I can't grab the end of the bolt with pl...

Thanks for the tips guys Looks like I'm probably going to go with the epoxy in the hole technique to secure the square just below the head of the carriage bolt. One question about this. My gunwales have been well oiled. Will the epoxy be able to adhere to the wood, or will the oil interfere prevent ...

I feel a bit silly about asking this, but I ran into a bit of a problem. When I try to tighten the nut on the brass carriage bolt that my seat hangs from, the darned bolt turns. Any tips on how to make sure it doesn't turn while I try to tighten the nut? The head is countersunk a smidge in the mahog...

Hi Sluggo, I wouldn't worry about it on the outside, as long as you can live with it. But just make sure that the curve between the strips is very smooth on the inside of the hull, or else, when you epoxy, the cloth will want to 'bridge' the gap between the two strips instead of laying flat against ...

Painter's Pyramid update: Lee Valley shipped them very quickly (they arrived in about three days). They did leave small dimples in the soft white cedar. I suppose if I'd made more of an effort to support the paddle in the thin strips of mahogany hardwood they would not have left dimples in the wood....

Thanks Glen, Funny thing is I've actually just been considering that approach. Then I stumbled upon these painter pyramids at LeeValley and was wondering if they'd work. They wouldn't dig into the wood (I have some VERY soft white cedar in my paddle) like nails or screws, but on the other hand, beca...

Has anyone developed any clever tricks for varnishing an entire paddle at once? I'm hesitant to use Canoecraft's idea of screwing an eye hook in the end and hanging it. But without doing this, I'm not sure how to suspend the paddle so that the whole thing can be coated with varnish at once. The best...