I make puppets and masks, and create sculptures out of polystyrene. Now I am planning to build a outrigger kayak. Elsewhere -- especialy in surfboard manufacturing -- there's a new initiative in the use of bamboo to cover the foam form.(EG: a manufactuer in Byron Bay, here in Australia) This technique seems to be requiring special tools & processing.

I, on the other hand, have always used bamboo to make my large sculptures from polystyrene. In part I was interested in the resin/fibreglass skin as a new way to do many things I make -- including this kayak I have in mind.

I employ long bamboo skewers to "nail" the polystyrene together and strengthen the pieces. Painted with glue, these nails are easily inserted wherever I want to support any number of different structural features. Once I finish the joining and get my shape I simply break off the ends that extend out of the foam. It makes a verey strong object --puppet, totem, sculpture. The only darw back is that later when I trim and scupt ith my hot wire I can keep running into the skewer and have to keep shortening it.

Here's my question/hypothesis: IF i make my kayak the same way I expect the finished shaped foam to be significantly stronger than either balsa or straight foam. Insome aspects it could be stronger than a kayak with a stringer as the skewer mesh can work as a strengthening skeleton.

Can I avoid fibreglassing this craft? Will asimple resin application do?

Imagine the possiblility of running the skewers structurally into the foam at transverse angles to the skin so as well as internal struts running forward and aft, there is this medial support imbedded in the foam.