And, he's not making a second one either. Though he had different problems than Andy, the disappointment was similar.
Probably like some of my "ideas". They are good but not worth the work and trouble it would take to make them into better ideas. Something different ofton shows us why things are done like they are. Time and usage usually weed out less than "better" ideas.Jack the aluminum is glued on while the panels are flat. Then when the panels are bent to shape around frames the aluminum panels are "stressed" similar to drum skin or a fabric shrunk on an airplane. that's what makes the paper thin aluminum so strong. Herb Cootile had a good idea, ..................
Andy
Just about all of the boats ( Non motorized ) I built were with door skins , epoxy , glass cloth. it was the best way for me to make a 16 foot boat that would weigh 30 to 32 pounds and be strong enough to use for just about any trip.I got into some bad situation ( weather and even some rapids ) and they performed as you would expect them to. None broke in half , sunk , fell apart or did any other nasty things. They did get a scratch or two but that is expected and didn't functionally damage to the boat.Has anyone tried a stitch and glue boat using 2mm plywood? Even if used only for the sides, it would lower the weight.