The Bear Mountain Boat Shop

I heard that generally you should use the same weight of cloth on the inside as the outside... or if you feel you want to add strength to the boat then the extra layer should go inside where it will protect better from impact that happens to the outside of the hull. If your primary concern is abrasi...

Thanks for posting the pictures... the canoe looks really nice! Congratulations! I don't have a lot of experience but I have heard of others not glassing the inside at all. As for your interest in the rib and canvas method...I think it is appealing also. I suppose every method has its pros and cons....

:sad I am not sure I can cheer you up but maybe it will make you feel better to hear about something stupid that I did. I had put on one layer of fiberglass and wanted to add a second "football" shape to the bottom for added strength. I asked my son to help me hold the cloth while I cut ou...

The first 3 coats of epoxy I did all the same day about 5 hours apart. I didn't do any wiping down in between because the epoxy was still green between coats. It was pretty chilly in the basement tho... right around 60 degrees. Then about 5 days later I scraped some of the drips and runs with a cabi...

I'm still trying to work out the "why" of this. 1. Is there anything that could have acted as a solvent on cured epoxy? (Lacquer thinner, acetone, something in my tack cloth, mineral spirits?) or 2. If I would have sanded down to the cloth before varnishing could it have caused this? I chi...

Sounds like a plan. I know why it could have looked like the fiberglass was in the cut out piece... when it was still "hot" immediately after flipping the boat over I pushed the bubble down -- rubbed, back and forth a bit over the surface with my finger trying to see if there was water und...

I did investigate the pieces I cut off and I was pretty sure there was no fiberglass in them. I could break them apart with my fingers like a potato chip. Don't know how much the epoxy alters the flex of the fiberglass but I hope it isn't that brittle! I also think I am feeling and seeing the weave ...

Maybe I'm just looking for an easy way out here... or hoping to not hear the worst. However, I cut into the bubbles and the part that I cut away is so thin.. I wonder if it is only the varnish coats that bubbled for some reason? I just think that varnish plus epoxy would be much thicker? Its weird. ...

It doesn't "look" wet underneath -- but I will check. If it is dry, do you think I need to cut out all of the area that is lifted off the surface? Or can I make a slit, and put some fresh epoxy inside and then press it back down into place? I kind of think that the cedar strip pictured was...

Hi folks.... I have two small blisters --- (delamination?) on the underside of my canoe. There are in close proximity to one another. One is about 3/4" round and the other is about 2 1/4" long by 1" wide. They appeared this last weekend after I had the canoe out on the water for a lit...

Congrats on a beautiful boat! I have been thinking about using Redwood for my next one. I love the dark color. Your decks are beautiful.. the grain of the wood is outstanding. Just gorgeous!

... John! I left a long note in response to your link that you posted over on my post. I would have put it here but didn't see this until after I already wrote back to you over there!
Fantastic pictures! Congratulations to you too!!

I just finished looking at your album! Your boat looks superb and I laughed when I saw the picture of the mud in the boat. Hard isn't it?? I heard a scrape on the bottom of mine when one of the kids got in and I stopped breathing for about 2 mintues. After I got home I looked all over the bottom for...

Well... I couldn't wait any longer! The forcast is for rain all weekend and last night was perfect so I took the canoe out for the first time. I will be trying to put a picture over on the "launchings" page but I wasn't sure if it would be seen over there so I'm making a note here as well....

... then I believe that will be the way I will approach it..... in keeping with "the spirit of the law". Thanks for saving my hull! lol
:twisted evil