Material

Posts discussion or asking about different boat building materials

Foot Brace + Seat

Submitted bybug_hunter onWed, 07/08/2020 - 22:23

Hey Guys,

Moving along with my Resolute build.  Working from KayakCraft (no kit).  Used redwood, poplar and walnut.  Done stripping, and getting ready to put the glass on the deck, and thinking ahead to the interior.  Given that this is my first kayak, I can use some help in fitting it out.  I am looking for a reasonably priced, and comfortable seat, and some foot braces.  Any suggestions and recommendations would be apprecaited.

Thanks,

Greg

Basalt and flax fabric

Submitted bytv onFri, 04/03/2020 - 08:01

Hi, 

My epoxy and glass fiber supplier, timeout.de, also sells basalt and flax fabrics for epoxy composites. Has anyone used either of these for wooden boat building? I'm looking for something opaque for the inside, and these two are cheaper options, than carbon and/or aramid. The flax is especially appealing because it is a natural material. Unfortunately, this also means, that it will rot. 

Any kind of feedback is appreciated. 

newbe ?? on varnishes and bubbles

Submitted byWill_S onWed, 10/16/2019 - 14:10

While I've built 5 S&G boats, I know very little about how to varnish them; I just blindly did as I was told. That's no longer satisfactory. Lately I've been reading forums, etc, about the subject but I still have a couple unresolved questions. And I think the answers would be of interest to other builders.

Coating for keel protection

Submitted byMac50L onSat, 09/07/2019 - 06:20

In the past I've used an epoxy produce, available locally, with carborundum in it. It is a bit like putting on very thick treacle but it does work. To apply, a small container of water and a well wetted finger melding the lumps along the keel. The area to be covered should be masked off and the rest of the hull covered with a plastic sheet. It is  also a good idea to have a sheet on the floor too. All of this to stop leaving a white layer all over everything looking like a bad paint job.

Kayak painting

Submitted byRandy onMon, 05/06/2019 - 17:00

Because of my glass/epoxy problem in a different thread I decided to paint the lower part of the hull of the Pygmy Tern 14 I just completed. My first paint job, no idea how it will hold up or even if I use an acceptable paint. So, I said to myself, maybe we could have a thread where we discuss the pro's and con's and do's and don'ts of painting. I personally like the looks of hull painted kayaks with varnished decks.

Wood suggestions

Submitted byGary-IL onTue, 04/23/2019 - 23:02

Hi. I'm about to start my first kayak. I'm in the Chicago area and I've yet to find any clear (or at least reasonably so) WRC and no place has NWC... at least no store that I've been able to get to. At my local wood shop (Owl for those in the area) I checked out their WRC and it was very knotty. Looked at a bunch of other options and all seemed quite heavy by comparison. The backup choice of basswood wasn't too bad appearance and weight wise but then I found their Spanish Cedar. It is not a wood I had heard of before.

Skin on frame: doubts about the fabric and lashing line

Submitted byPfolha onTue, 08/28/2018 - 21:07

Hello everybody,

I'm Brazilian and only found info to build a SOF in English and Spanish, I am facing difficulties in finding the recommended material, sometimes because no one sells locally, other times because I am lost in translation. So I have two questions:

  1. I only found ballistic nylon pre-coated with PVC, PU or Acrylic resin, which one should I choose? 
  2. What is "artificial sinew"? Is it a nylon line?

Thanks in advance, 

Pedro

Kayak Maintenance

Submitted byadmin onTue, 08/28/2018 - 09:14

A couple weeks ago I took time out from other projects to do some quick maintenance on a few a my kayaks. I had a broken back band, worn out gasket and a big ding to deal with. The video is below.

Probably of most interest to people is dealing with the beat up bottom of my Petrel Play SG. This boat has a single layer of glass on the bottom, doubled up only on the keel line. I take this boat to play in rock gardens where the surge sometimes drops me hard on pointy rocks.

Advice seriously needed.

Submitted byEddie onThu, 08/02/2018 - 06:47

I'm 77.  Never paddled.  Physically challenged.  Want to build a double sea kayak.  The obvious choice is Stitch & Glue.  And here comes trouble.

I am in Thailand.  Forget about red cedar, CVG, marine grade plywood, Western System Epoxy etc.   I know, for you guys living in US it is a matter of choosing the nearest reliable supplier...  I have honestly tried...  The best thing I can buy here is: