return for 1st and last build

[cajunmike]

Register on here long ago....I had purchased pirouge kit, read the forum everynite. Devised a plan cut 2by4's into 1/4 strips and make panels for the sides and bottom. After cutting a heap of 1/4 strips 16 foot long. I glued togetherthe strips making ... 2 side panels and 1 bottom panel.......I clamped the 2 side panels together and then cut the ends.....The end..... health issues struck, I am no longer able to do the wood working.,forced to move closer to kids as I can no longer keep the house up without some help..So for 2 and half years everything has set in the basement. Everything bow, stern, all the ribs with the gusetts glued to them,side panels cut, wide bottom panel, all glass and epoxy from Raka still unopened in the box.
My friend Mike offered to help complete the pirouge.....blind leading the blind......all I needed to do was give him instructions on what to do and help where I could.......so the first build begins again, after it is complted a move to Minnesota,all tools to be given to the son in law......so this will be the last build. I will be posting pics as I progress, I request all of your help I just want to see her done.....so lets start how do you post pics on here ?

 

[oldsparkey]

Sorry to hear about your problems but as life goes by it is not that good at times. We just have to strive to make it better for us as it goes along.
There are a lot of things I use to do but would never try to do them today , knowing where the limit is ,is the key.

As far as pictures I have been told this is the best.........http://imageshack.us/ the pics will stay up forever!!!

 

[Kayak Jack]

Mike, you have my empathy. Keep that positive attitude, and enjoy our family.

 

[woodchips]

This forum is known for kind people, with alot of experienced advice, geared torwards wanting you to succeed. Some have been known to do a drop in for a little hands on. There are members here from all over the world. I myself am located in Montgomery, Alabama.
The first thing I would suggest is to make sure both of your sides are EXACTLY the same size before you epoxy them to the stems or frames.
Then mark center on your frames and pull a string from stem to stem and make sure it is all straight and level before you mark and cut out your bottom panel.
I think then the most daunting phase will be the day you pour the first pot of epoxy onto the cloth, there is no stopping then untill the whole job is done. But don't fret, that is why we have sanders.
Happy boat building.

 

[cajunmike]

Here we are so far, so far this thing has gone together like a dream
http://img860.imageshack.us/i/71614429.jpg/

 

[woodchips]

That looks great. Your farther along than just some panels.
I believe your going to be asked some 'how to' questions before you get finished.
Looks like you will be posting on Bragging Board soon.

 

[crazycajunmike]

Ready or not......will soon be entering the unknown.....glass.......1 .what temp should it be outside to proceed with the fiberglass ? 2.What to glass first inside or outside, does it matter ? 3. Sparkey talks about saturating with thin coat of glass before you proceed with the cloth..........Here is my plan do the inside, start with taping off where the inner rail spacers will glue to the sides......this will allow the inner rails to be glued later.Paint entire inside with a thin coat of epoxy (leaving out the taped section at top of sides where the inner rails will glue).Thin coat of epoxy resin and harderner , 4.what do you use to thin this..............Allow all this to dry, then tape the joints to run the fillets to keep them neat and uniform....allow to dry. flip the boat and thin coat the bottom, then cloth and glass.Let dry flip and cloth and glass inside on top of thin coat already applied.....can it be done this way or is there a better way ? There it is guys start your engines, thanks in advance for your help

 

[oldsparkey]

3. Sparkey talks about saturating with thin coat of glass before you proceed with the cloth.........?

I'm sure it is a typo but the saturation coat is only the epoxy mixed up. This soaks into the wood and gives the epoxy when used with the cloth what they call some tooth to bond to.
Just make sure you do a light sanding of the wood after you saturate it or else the glass will catch on the whiskers of the wood. When that happens you will have runs in the glass.

The whiskers are wood fibers that swell after being saturated and want to stand up.

Also if you do the saturation try to do it when the temperature is dropping and not rising. The rising temperature will expand the air in the wood and you will have bubbles. If the temp if falling then the air in the wood will not be expanding and you should not have any bubbles. If anything it would help to draw more of the saturation coat into the wood.

The epoxy will set up better in warm weather then cold since it sets by a chemical reaction that causes heat. As far as thinning it I use Acetone but it will evaporate rapidly and the fumes are extremal flammable. DON'T have any flame around it if you use it.

 

[Kayak Jack]

I glass the outside first cause it's easier to do than the inside. Consider doing the inside only part way up the sides, say, a few inches above waterline. And, it would probably be a lot easier to do the inside in three sections - bow, amidships, and stern. Glassing the inside is a real PITA.

 

[beekeeper]

I glass the outside first cause it's easier to do than the inside. Consider doing the inside only part way up the sides, say, a few inches above waterline. And, it would probably be a lot easier to do the inside in three sections - bow, amidships, and stern. Glassing the inside is a real PITA.

"PITA" ain't that them thar people that don't like folks eaten or wearing animals. :lol:

Nobody ever disagrees with Jack :wink: , but if it is a strip build you might need (want) the extra strength of the glass up the sides as high as possible.

beekeeper

 

[Kayak Jack]

<SNIP>if it is a strip build you might need (want) the extra strength of the glass up the sides as high as possible.

Good idea, JD.

Also, I like your ventilated gunnels.

 

[crazycajunmike]

Sparkey took your advice on the image thing for pictures, thanks.....more questions once the saturation coat is applied..How long do let it setup before the light sanding....Once the light sanding is done, Do you use anything special to remove the dust from the light sanding.........Next step cloth after sanding cleanup how long till you can apply the cloth........minimum....what is the maximum you can wait.....without the help of my friend Mike and the guidance and support, and encouragement from the folks on this forum this build would not be processing......thanks

 

[oldsparkey]

Sparkey took your advice on the image thing for pictures, thanks.....more questions once the saturation coat is applied..How long do let it setup before the light sanding....Once the light sanding is done, Do you use anything special to remove the dust from the light sanding.........Next step cloth after sanding cleanup how long till you can apply the cloth........minimum....what is the maximum you can wait.....without the help of my friend Mike and the guidance and support, and encouragement from the folks on this forum this build would not be processing......thanks

I let it dry overnight , if it is not tacky then it is ready for the light ( I stress light ) sanding. The thing I use is either an air compressor or just a clean towel to remove the dust. ( Don't tell my wife about the towel )

After the saturation coat you can hold off for 72 hours but no later then that. Anything after 72 hours you might have a blush on the epoxy if it is the kind that will blush. In that case a light wipe down of acetone is needed. I normally put the cloth down after I do the sanding.

 

[woodchips]

Everyone has their own way to skin tha cat, ( not to offend PETA or PITA ).
Epoxy dry time depends on what ya got ( fast/med/slow ), temperature,& humidity.
Should be dry to the touch, then do the fingernail check ( in a discrete location),
see if you can press into it or if it is hard. If set try sanding ( in a discrete ... ),
you don't want it to gum up or stick to the paper, remember at this stage a power sander
may be too much. You just want any humps, bumps, runs, and foreign materal to be absent
when you lay your cloth, because it will lift it when wet and you will either get an air void, or a big bad bump. So use the palm of your hand and rub it all over for any wood fibers sticking up.
I will often use a scrap piece of fiberglass cloth and run the snag test, because if there is a fiber up, it'll get it. You can shop vac it after that, and before laying your cloth wipe it out with a tack cloth.
I try to avoid blowing with compressed air, it'll just put particals in the air to land back in your work later. If it is dry enough to sand, its dry enough to recoat or lay cloth.
I agree with Jack in doing the inside in sections, from rail to rail & stem to frame and frame to frame,
except I do my inside first so I can flip it on the horses and do the out side whilst she sits on her rails.
Try not to miss your wet cut. That is the point when the epoxy has set enough but the cloth is still soft enough to run a razor blade around the edge and cut away your excess cloth.

 

[woodchips]

Sorry Chuck, didn't mean to step on your advice, it weren't there before I pressed submit.
But as long as it takes me to type you could have grown some 'matters already.

 

[oldsparkey]

Sorry Chuck, didn't mean to step on your advice, it weren't there before I pressed submit.
But as long as it takes me to type you could have grown some 'matters already.

All of us have our way's of building a boat and the nice thing is that we can share them on here. This way when a person has a question they have different systems , that work for that person , to chose from or confuse them :lol: hopefully to chose from. But they are offered a choice and even find different ways that work for them , which we did not think of.

 

[crazycajunmike]

brought build from basement to the deck upstairs......problems showed up it the daylight.......there are some small gaps between some of the strips, either lack of glue or did not line up exact edge to edge........two.. some of the strips seen to be uneven .......what is the fix for this, is there any? thin line of tite bond3 down each strip.with syringe, then sand......or with epoxy.....Sparkey give me some ideas here please......here is what I am talking about http://img818.imageshack.us/i/gapuneven.jpg/
gaps between strips
uneven tickness in some strips

 

[swampwood]

brought build from basement to the deck upstairs......problems showed up it the daylight.......there are some small gaps between some of the strips, either lack of glue or did not line up exact edge to edge........two.. some of the strips seen to be uneven .......what is the fix for this, is there any? thin line of tite bond3 down each strip.with syringe, then sand......or with epoxy.....Sparkey give me some ideas here please......here is what I am talking about http://img818.imageshack.us/i/gapuneven.jpg/
gaps between strips
uneven tickness in some strips

I would use epoxy+silica+ sanding dust. It is harder and can be matched better. I would not use titebond. soft and does not sand well.

 

[Kayak Jack]

I have had that same symptom on some of my boats. Unless I pick up the boat, hold it up to the sun, and try to look through the bottom, it hasn't been much of a problem. Seal off the gaps as recommended w/thickened epoxy and glass over it. A hundred years from now, you'll never know the difference.

 

[oldsparkey]

If you use epoxy the area will fill up but light will shine threw it , a epoxy and wood flour mix stops that. Then just glass over it for protection.