Has anyone started building?
I had the plans out Saturday, and worked on transferring them to posterboard.
Now to decide the length.
I can squeeze 15ft 8 or 9in. out of 16ft lumber.
Do I splice or not? That's the big Q now!
Jim
Freedom 15.3 to 16.2
Freedom 15.3 to 16.2
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!
Right behind ya...
Hey Jim,
I'm going to try and start on my F-Solo again having just settled back in after a week of evacuation due to a wildfire. Certainly an eye opener watching a 12K+ acre raging fire come within a hundred yards of your property!
I'm going with the 15'3" version and will be working with 8-10' boards so butt joints are the order of the day. I just lay 'em at the stations.
I've also decided to use brass nails this time instead of staples. Using 18g 1" brads from Jamestown Dist. I think keeping the nails in nice rows will have a neat aesthetic appeal.
Are you tracing your plans on poster board and then using those to lay out the designs on the mold material?
Good building to ya.
Holmes
I'm going to try and start on my F-Solo again having just settled back in after a week of evacuation due to a wildfire. Certainly an eye opener watching a 12K+ acre raging fire come within a hundred yards of your property!
I'm going with the 15'3" version and will be working with 8-10' boards so butt joints are the order of the day. I just lay 'em at the stations.
I've also decided to use brass nails this time instead of staples. Using 18g 1" brads from Jamestown Dist. I think keeping the nails in nice rows will have a neat aesthetic appeal.
Are you tracing your plans on poster board and then using those to lay out the designs on the mold material?
Good building to ya.
Holmes
WOW
A fire can make you Totally forget about building a canoe!
Glad to hear you survived as well your canoe building spirit!
I trace the stations out on posterboard, it's easier to work with , and I can still save the plans, in case of an error.
Will you use a small piece of wood to prevent your nails sinking too far into the strip? This would save denting the strip also.
Will you fill the holes with tooth picks?
Should work fine!
Good luck!
Jim
A fire can make you Totally forget about building a canoe!
Glad to hear you survived as well your canoe building spirit!
I trace the stations out on posterboard, it's easier to work with , and I can still save the plans, in case of an error.
Will you use a small piece of wood to prevent your nails sinking too far into the strip? This would save denting the strip also.
Will you fill the holes with tooth picks?
Should work fine!
Good luck!
Jim
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!
That posterboard idea is excellent, believe I'll do the same.
I keep all my wood scraps and use the small pieces to run the nails through. I take a few minutes and run a small pilot hole through a bunch of scraps and then box 'em for build usage. The pilot hole keeps them from splitting.
I used staples on the hull of my kayak and then went to the nails when I did the deck. Originally planned on filling the holes with tinted water putty but was not pleased with the results. Ended up leaving them. The holes were dramatically reduced by wetting the boat down thoroughly and letting it dry. I used straps between the forms during this procedure in case my glue softened while wet. I did this three times and the nail holes really shrunk up.
I seal coat my boats so the remaining holes get plenty of resin fill.
I like the looks of the holes except in the trim areas. This boat will be primarily WRC with a white pine accent. The accent will have no holes.
Gonna try this build with my own strips. I'm not set up for B&C so I'll be rolling the bevel on my 3/16" x 5/8" strips.
I'm really looking forward to this build and the eventual launch.
Holmes
I keep all my wood scraps and use the small pieces to run the nails through. I take a few minutes and run a small pilot hole through a bunch of scraps and then box 'em for build usage. The pilot hole keeps them from splitting.
I used staples on the hull of my kayak and then went to the nails when I did the deck. Originally planned on filling the holes with tinted water putty but was not pleased with the results. Ended up leaving them. The holes were dramatically reduced by wetting the boat down thoroughly and letting it dry. I used straps between the forms during this procedure in case my glue softened while wet. I did this three times and the nail holes really shrunk up.
I seal coat my boats so the remaining holes get plenty of resin fill.
I like the looks of the holes except in the trim areas. This boat will be primarily WRC with a white pine accent. The accent will have no holes.
Gonna try this build with my own strips. I'm not set up for B&C so I'll be rolling the bevel on my 3/16" x 5/8" strips.
I'm really looking forward to this build and the eventual launch.
Holmes
I found a simple way to fill staple holes.
Traditionally I filled with plastic wood putty, the kind with Acetone, this is still the prettiest.
But a quick method is after you roll on yuor first seal coat, wait about and hour or more, depending on your resin, mix up a small batch, say three oz. and with a small brush, paint over the staple holes! This second coating really fills the holes!
I know setting up for bead and cove can seem expensive, but In my opinion it's one of the best things you can do! I started doing the rolling bevel on my first canoes, and would never go back!
Good luck!
Jim
Traditionally I filled with plastic wood putty, the kind with Acetone, this is still the prettiest.
But a quick method is after you roll on yuor first seal coat, wait about and hour or more, depending on your resin, mix up a small batch, say three oz. and with a small brush, paint over the staple holes! This second coating really fills the holes!
I know setting up for bead and cove can seem expensive, but In my opinion it's one of the best things you can do! I started doing the rolling bevel on my first canoes, and would never go back!
Good luck!
Jim
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!
Yup, that's how I did the exterior of my kayak hull - except I didn't wait an hour. Went over the holes right after I applied the seal coat. And yes, I ended up getting plenty of practice scraping runs the next morning! Lesson learned.Jim Dodd wrote:....But a quick method is after you roll on yuor first seal coat, wait about and hour or more, depending on your resin, mix up a small batch, say three oz. and with a small brush, paint over the staple holes! This second coating really fills the holes!
And this boat may well make a believer of me! Quite honestly, I never intended to build another boat. I'm just not much of a woodworker. But now I've got all these silly hand tools and I'm carvin' paddles, too. Got coerced into helping a couple of locals building their boats. Poor guys looked at my kayak and assumed I knew what I was doing! Now I'm starting a canoe and have another kayak on the drawing board for a winter project.Jim Dodd wrote: I know setting up for bead and cove can seem expensive, but In my opinion it's one of the best things you can do! I started doing the rolling bevel on my first canoes, and would never go back!
Good luck!
Jim
I've got a new Veritas low angle smoothing plane enroute and I'm losing sleep in anticipation. It should arrive tomorrow. Twenty two months ago I didn't even know what a smoothing plane or spokeshave was!
Here's a link to a picture of my kayak:
http://tinyurl.com/nhjox
If this addiction continues, I may have to come out and actually admit to being.... a woodworker!
Thanks for the tips, Jim.
Holmes
-
Glen Smith
- Posts: 3719
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
Thanks for the kind words, gentlemen. My kayak is pretty plain when compared to many of the works of art that you guys produce. The beauty of wood though is even a plain jane build is very attractive.
Glen, those accent stripes around your kayak cockpit as shown on Nick's site are very nice. My next build will certainly incorporate your idea.
Jim, as soon as I finish my canoe, my strongback is going to be disassembled and redone in a friend's basement so I can help him do a Prospector Ranger 15. He's ordering plans now. He's watched my builds and has some woodworking experience. This is going to be a hubby & wife project with yours truly as an assistant when needed. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they launch a boat built by their own hands.
Bryan, the reptiles are all happily back in their proper enclosures. Had a boomslang take off on me during the transfer and had to chase him around the lab for a while. Speedy boogers those 'slangs! Lost a few eggs that were in incubation which was disappointing but I'm just glad to still have a lab period!
And I'm off again to the lumberyard to pick through their boards as a new load came in yesterday.
Pleasant waters to all.
Holmes
Glen, those accent stripes around your kayak cockpit as shown on Nick's site are very nice. My next build will certainly incorporate your idea.
Jim, as soon as I finish my canoe, my strongback is going to be disassembled and redone in a friend's basement so I can help him do a Prospector Ranger 15. He's ordering plans now. He's watched my builds and has some woodworking experience. This is going to be a hubby & wife project with yours truly as an assistant when needed. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they launch a boat built by their own hands.
Bryan, the reptiles are all happily back in their proper enclosures. Had a boomslang take off on me during the transfer and had to chase him around the lab for a while. Speedy boogers those 'slangs! Lost a few eggs that were in incubation which was disappointing but I'm just glad to still have a lab period!
And I'm off again to the lumberyard to pick through their boards as a new load came in yesterday.
Pleasant waters to all.
Holmes