more thoughts
Two more things I haven’t seem mentioned yet:
Go to clcboats.com CLC’s web site. There is a builders forum there which has answers to I think all your questions.
While there also look at the builders club. This is a voluntary listing of people who have built CLC boats. Search for people in your area and see what they have built. Most of them are very happy to talk boats.
The last thing is it is very difficult to pick a boat to build without paddling one. The Builders group may help. I have let many people paddle mine. Also, CLC holds several demo’s in different places. Check and see if they are coming to your area.
Good luck! Building your boat is a lot of fun.
There are many different
styles and sizes of wood kayaks so try to get one that meets your needs. Many of them are very large which is great for camping but if your mainly doing day touring you might want a lower volume kayak. The only problem with building your first kayak is that it won’t be your last. It’s addicting.
yes, i am planning to attend this:
– Last Updated: Apr-22-06 10:59 AM EST –
http://www.clcboats.com/okoumestock/index.php.
by the grace of other boat builder/owners, i hope to try paddling several different kayaks.
in the meantime, i'm studying up on the whys and wherefores of boat characteristics...hard/soft/multi chine, water line, shoulder, etc.
sounds like a lot of work
It’s not that hard to chose.
how big are you, height/weight, intended paddling and your present experience?
remionders of m’self
I remember agonizing over all the various choices. My advice? Do like LeeG suggested and just pick one that is good for your height and weight. You may as well get a full kit.
The puzzle joints look like a nice way to make connecting the pieces a simple process, so I’d suggest going with a kit that offers that as an option. I’m pretty sure that for the size you appear to be in your photo, that would narrow your choices down to the CLC Shearwaters, the Shearwater Mergansers, and the Waters Dancing boats.
Lot’s of good answers…
…from others already.
As has been mentioned, the Kayak Building Bulletin Board is THE best reference site on the web:
http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Building/index.cgi
The biggest thing is to get a boat that fits your body type and your paddling style best.
I’m in the process of building my second Pygmy kit – a Coho. Two other fellows that I paddle with have just finished building a Tern 14 and a Tern 17.
If you’re interested, we’ve got 3 builds documented on our website:
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/building/index.php?cat=2
And be sure to check out Darren’s absolutely gorgeous Purple Pygmy (complete with kelp graphics) in this thread:
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/community/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=309
Dan
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com
Coho
I made one in '98,it’s almost like a skinny QCC400 with an upswept bow. Very efficient hull shape with lots of volume. I went on a Maine trip with a friend who was paddling a Caribou,my gear/boat/me set up probably outweighed him by 50lbs but I rode about 3" higher in the water and he was a submarine half the time.
Every once in awhile I think of making another one but making a full recess for the coaming that extends forward so the peak of the coaming is at the height of the deck and the thigh braces exend in off of the coaming recess.
saving plastic containers…
a nuymber of you suggested i begin saving plastic containers. i’m munching on a single-serving pack of pringles right now and wondering if i should save the container.
it has no cover, will i need containers and covers, or just disposble containers?
containers:
yogurt, small deli, cottage cheese size containers. You might want to keep the lids but most of the time they won’t be used with the containers as you will be using them to mix epoxy/hardener and then either clean with vinegar or chuck.
Enjoy the pringles…
Bob
containers
– Last Updated: Apr-27-06 5:32 PM EST –
I just buy plastic disposable cups from WalMart or the grocery store. I let the leftover epoxy harden in the bottom of the cup, then use it again.
If you are going to roll the epoxy on with foam rollers, you can use the plastic disposable paint try liners to hold the epoxy. When you are done with a batch, switch to a new liner, but don't throw the used one away. Let the epoxy that is still in the liner (there will always be a little bit)harden, then either re-use the liner as is, or pop the hardened epoxy out, then re-use it.
For stirring sticks, the easiest thing is the wooden tongue-depressor kind of things that you can buy at a craft store, WalMart, etc.
And a LeeG tip from the first time I built a kayak: Buy lots of disposable gloves. I generally wind up using a full package of 100 and part of a second package, but I'm not bashful about stripping them off as often as necessary.
double gloved
that works well because it’s easy to put a gloved hand into another glove. So if your working with a mess and need to pick up some scissors or a tool you can pull the sticky glove off, use the tool then put on another glove. Putting a sweaty hand into a new glove isn’t as smooth.
margarine containers
– Last Updated: Apr-27-06 6:08 PM EST –
Buying a package of clean plastic cups is a good idea. 16oz, 10oz,and ittle 2.5oz cups are useful for small mixes.
My favorite is the medium small margarine cups about 8oz. Make sure and clean them out well.
Don't use anything that you can't clean out completely before putting the epoxy into it.
Don't use wax paper cups. Be careful of cups with deep rippled bottoms because that will making mixing dificult as some resin stays down in the ripples unless you can get the mixing stick down in it. More than one person has mixed up a big 10oz batch of epoxy in a funny shaped container and discovered one area of the hull is still soft long after the rest of the hull is cured. That happens from a little bit of trapped and unmixed resin being applied from the bottom of the cup then layed onto the fiberglass.
Spend the big bucks and order a couple boxes of brushes from jamestown or any distributor that sells 2" foam brushes, 1" bristle brushes and acid brushes. Buying two or three at a time costs three times as much at retail prices.
For mixing very small amounts of epoxy…
To cut down on waste I use translucent 35mm film canisters available for free at most 1 hour photo type places. The translucency makes it easy to judge the ratios and I mix it with Popsicle sticks.
yep
I didn’t use a pump on the last kayak, a Merganser 18. Everything was poured into or with a 2 1/2oz cup. Small quantities were marked off or with a graduated syringe.
I go the syringe route
I use a couple of dollar store condiment bottles (ketchup and mustard) and a couple of hypo syringes from a medical supply store or pharmacy – the ones that I use are for irrigation purposes (I cut the tips off). The syringes are marked in cc’s so it’s a simple matter of drawing out the correct ratio of epoxy and hardener into their respective syringes.
I first clearly mark the condiment containers – one for hardener, one for epoxy. I do the same with each of the syringes. I put a quantity of epoxy or hardener in each bottle, stick the end of the syringe in the top of the bottle, invert it, and draw the required amount.
I then squirt the epoxy and hardener into a small plastic cup and mix them there. The epoxy bottles and syringes never shall meet.
I find with this method, I can mix minute batches of resin with very good accuracy.
Here’s a photo of the process in use:
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/building/displayimage.php?album=12&pos=46
Dan
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com
photos area dangerous thing…
– Last Updated: Apr-30-06 2:33 AM EST –
now i have some *serious* workshop envy...and i'm not even going to mention the boats!
Just containers
1…This is a 16 year old thread.
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Use the pump system. That other container stuff is too much trouble.
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…and the suyringe thing…never heard of that. Way too much trouble.