: Hi Rob,

: That might just work, fiberglass mat soaked in cement, kinda like
: seriously heavy paper mache. Would have to have some kind of
: form to lay it on but might be able to make it strong enough yet
: not silly heavy.

: Bill H.

Think about the material they use for making plaster casts for broken arms and legs. Nothing more than a roll of cheesecloth saturated with powdered plaster. Soak the roll in water and wind it over the affected limb. The fabric-reinforced plaster hardens into a supportive shell. Replace the cotton cheesecloth with an open weave fiberglass fabric. as always, fiberglass mat is going to be heavier and probably not as strong for its weight.

I do like the idea of a paper mache kayak, though. I'd want to waterproof it by covering both sides with epoxy, but several layers of paper would make a very durable skin over a conventional wood frame, or, it you put on enough layers of paper you would have a laminated shell which could be removed from a frame. Depending on the adhesive you used for the layers of paper, and the time required for the glue to dry, this might be a time consuming, but very easy, process.

Fiberglass fabric on the outside? cover the inside, too? lots of options!

i thought of doing one with pieces from the Chicago Tribune, laying out the outside layer of page clippings in a manner which displayed the masthead of the newpaper. At the time I was dreaming this up I thought the Tribune might be interested in sponsoring it, and using it as a promotional piece. Idea never got off the ground.

PGJ

PGJ