A Sparkey seat- finally | SouthernPaddler.com

A Sparkey seat- finally

J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Fay has stirred up an all day rain here. Couldn't go out in the boat so I decided to finally build a proper seat. Cut out the side supports last night and rough sanded them. Didn't have any cypress wide enough so I settled for white pine. Today, I ripped up some more of that old cypress fence post for the uprights and the slats.
100_0345.jpg

I planed a small chamfer on the slats and glued up the strengthing plates onto the side supports.
Sharp-eyed paddlers will notice that the side supports are higher than in the plans. I'll try it out to see how high I can get away with. Can always cut them shorter--- hard to cut em longer. :wink:

Also left out the notch for the center rib. My middle rib is about 6" in front of center. The way it looks, the seat will fit between two ribs and won't need a notch.

Joey
 
O

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Joey...

You are in some DEEP CHIT with me , it is War :roll: .... I tell you ...War..... by not building it like I made the original one. :lol: :lol: :lol:

OK... Back to reality and not clowning around....... :wink:
That is the nice thing about the seat , you can build it the way you like it (Just like our boats ) and have a customised outfit just for you and your comfort and fun. If you get a bunch of fish when trying the seat out while paddling an fishing from your boat that does not hurt matters. :D

For me .... I have left out the lower cross member on the backrest , the one I made (Actually the third one ) that cross member dug into my back when relaxing and paddling.

The best thing to do is get it together and see what is the best you you and go from there. I have made them out of Pine ,Poplar and out of Cypress , going to make one out of Redwood just for the fun of it. Great thing is most , if not all of it can be made from scrap wood. Or at the worse you have to get a couple small chunks for the side pieces and doweling for the cross members.

I use the notch for the center rib to fit in , this keeps the seat at the mid line , actually just a shade back of it to balance the pirogue out when on the water. Plus it keeps you in position with sliding around in the boat. A little piece of felt , foam pad or rubber glued to the foot area on the side pieces help to protect the bottom of your boat from wear and tear. (contact cement works great when attaching the pieces).

Chuck.
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Chuck, I'll attach some kind of padding on the feet after I set the height. I know this is going to be a comfortable seat. I especially like the fact that you can use it as a camp chair. One less thing to bring.
 
O

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
jdupre' said:
Chuck, I'll attach some kind of padding on the feet after I set the height. I know this is going to be a comfortable seat. I especially like the fact that you can use it as a camp chair. One less thing to bring.
Click to expand...

It has a lot of possibilities , mine folds down flat so it can be used as a base for the camp stove if I want it for that use , or as a higher seat in the boat without a backrest when paddling , just drop the backrest and gain a few inches. :D

Heck ... Uncle Johns wife ( Bab's ) has one to use when at football games and sitting in the bleachers. All it takes is some imagination to all of the uses for them. Comfort knows no bounds. :lol:

Chuck.
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Got the seat done and sanded. Sat in it a couple of minutes and it IS comfy. Backrest angle seem perfect.
100_0350.jpg


First coat of Hellsman's Spar varnish.
100_0351.jpg


The varnish really drew out the color of the old cypress. It has a couple of the obligatory black-stained nail holes.

Just looking closely at the photo and found I missed a spot on the top dowel rod. Going back out to do a touch up. :oops:

Joey
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Beer holders?! We don't need no stinking beer holders! Dontcha know nuthin'? Cup holders hold cups-- a beer stays in your hand until finished. :lol: :lol:
 
O

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Yep it is comfortable and makes sitting a pleasure when out in a boat. That is what created it.
I was in a pirogue with a Ash and Cain seat and after a couple of hours it was more like a torture chamber then a seat. I figured there had to be something better and the friend in his pirogue had a cut off lawn (beach ) chair and was really comfortable in it , to dang comfortable.

When I got home , grabbed some wood and came up with this seat for my comfort. Guess I did something right since so many folks are enjoying them now days.
Uncle John wanted to sell the plans on his web site so they would go with the pirogues and offered a % of the sales to me , which I refused but sent him the template for them so he could draw up the plans. Only condition was that I got the credit for designing and coming up with them. I'm one hell of a business person. :roll: :lol:

Chuck.
Uncle John did send me some really nice Cypress for making a seat , it was all pre cut and with brass hardwear to finsh it with. As far as I know I'm the only person who has ever gotten a Cypress kit from him to make one. No , he does not sell the kits.
 
K

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
jdupre' said:
Beer holders?! We don't need no stinking beer holders! Dontcha know nuthin'? Cup holders hold cups-- a beer stays in your hand until finished. :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...
I'm guessing then, that you quit after the first beer? No spares?

You need a stinkin' beer holder, or a stinkin' holder for beer.
 
J

Jimmy W

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2006
611
1
north georgia, USA
Kayak Jack said:
jdupre' said:
Beer holders?! We don't need no stinking beer holders! Dontcha know nuthin'? Cup holders hold cups-- a beer stays in your hand until finished. :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...
I'm guessing then, that you quit after the first beer? No spares?

You need a stinkin' beer holder, or a stinkin' holder for beer.
Click to expand...

Mick knows that those stinkin' beer holders are called ice chests.
013640x480.jpg
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Kayak Jack said:
jdupre' said:
Beer holders?! We don't need no stinking beer holders! Dontcha know nuthin'? Cup holders hold cups-- a beer stays in your hand until finished. :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...
I'm guessing then, that you quit after the first beer? No spares?

You need a stinkin' beer holder, or a stinkin' holder for beer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for bringing that to my attention, friend Jack. Don't need a holder for the beer I'm drinking , I need it for the NEXT beer. :) 8)
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Mick knows that those stinkin' beer holders are called ice chests. [img said:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/hairymick/Sasquatch/013640x480.jpg[/img]
Click to expand...

Now THAT'S a beer holder! Looks like it might hold enough beer for a few days for regular folks or a day trip for a Cajun or an Aussie. :)
 
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