Sabalo build log | SouthernPaddler.com

Sabalo build log

3rdcoastkayak

Active Member
Mar 8, 2020
38
0
48
Abbeville, Louisiana
Well, now I know why people pay extra to get the pre-cut wood kits. o_OMaybe I layout and measure slow, but it took me several hours to work through it all, not counting a couple of the parts that require a mirror image of another part. I don't know why but those frame layouts were the worst. By the time I did the last one on sheet 4, it went smoothly with only one eraser destroyed in the process. There were plenty distractions because I did most of it on the kitchen island because of its width!! The wife was THRILLED,
:roll:
but she drew her own lines and did not allow me to perform any cutting there.
:(
Her saintliness (is that a word) only goes so far I guess.
20200321_195218_75_75.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20200320_204427_75_75.jpg
    20200320_204427_75_75.jpg
    329.7 KB · Views: 400

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
3C, my first 3 builds were Pygmy kits. (Very good kits). The first two were built on the floor. Then, I constructed the table I described, and thought I’d died and gone to heaven. My fourth, and last, build is a canoe from plans.

My “cordless saw” is a Japanese hand saw. I bought in Japan in ‘64. My “cordless drill” is the egg-beater style, and has a cranky cranky on it. The one, single power tool that I find essential to boat building is an electric sander. The “wax on, wax off” drill that the Karate Kid used doesn’t hack it in the 21st century.

Shoo! Scat! Use the work bench you constructed, and get out of the kitchen. Your wife doesn’t wash dishes where you build boats. ;-)
 

3rdcoastkayak

Active Member
Mar 8, 2020
38
0
48
Abbeville, Louisiana
Point taken... but mostly because the rest will forced to be in the shed anyway. HOWEVER, I don't believe that Japanese pullsaw still works. You may have to send it to me so I can verify sharpness. :p
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Nice try. Close - but NO cigar. Actually that saw is in semi-retirement. I replaced it with a younger brother about 10 years ago. I strongly recommend them. Very handy. And the guy who built the first house that I bought ($1,500) used one to build that structure.

When you get one, use a pair of common pliers to break off the outer corners of the blade. That exposes both sets of teeth (rip and crosscut) so you can start a cut anywhere on a board, not just along an edge. And, when you’re cutting out boat panels, that can be quite handy. Said the Little Red Hen.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Welcome to the world of wood boats , you are just getting started and already learned to keep it out of the house.
I got that LOOK after laying out the plans on the dining room table to learn from them before going to my workshop. Not even thinking of later on when I was doing all that sanding and was covered from head to foot with sanding dust. Wives , no sense of humor.

Like Jack said , the best saw's I have are the pull saws. They are ideal for close up work where you have to stay right on a line. As far as sanders I have gone threw my share of them. Especially if you plan on ever doing a cedar strip boat. Sanders and masks are two really used items. The dust from Cedar or Redwood will give you a splitting head ache after breathing in that dust.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
I have to say that, starting with a few, flat boards, and creating a living boat out of them, might just be all the closer we men ever get to creating Life in this universe. Friends of mine, who build their own airplane, have similar feelings. Sets us back on our haunches, and makes us gaze skywards. Or: riverwards, lakewards, plainswards, hillswards, etc. To where we want to go, and to where we are coming from.

BURMA SHAVE
 

oldbuffpilot

Well-Known Member
May 13, 2014
629
34
80
Central Kansas and Central Texas
Well, now I know why people pay extra to get the pre-cut wood kits. o_OMaybe I layout and measure slow, but it took me several hours to work through it all, not counting a couple of the parts that require a mirror image of another part. I don't know why but those frame layouts were the worst. By the time I did the last one on sheet 4, it went smoothly with only one eraser destroyed in the process. There were plenty distractions because I did most of it on the kitchen island because of its width!! The wife was THRILLED,
:roll:
but she drew her own lines and did not allow me to perform any cutting there.
:(
Her saintliness (is that a word) only goes so far I guess.
View attachment 1315
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Odd, how we enjoy chatting withe each other, and just naturally do it. Maybe it matters to the group more where the conversation goes to, than where it came from? We enjoy each others’ company, and that’s fulfilling.

Thanks, Chuck for keeping the coffee pot going. Appreciated. Any time cost begins to get binding, let us know? I’m happy to chip in. A couple of others might be too.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
We have chat areas and we have sections that should remain associated with the topic that's listed. A build log is something I believe a person wants as a record of the build. Also including the answers or comments to the questions they had for future reference.
So lets be adults and keep everything related to the subject matter.
 

3rdcoastkayak

Active Member
Mar 8, 2020
38
0
48
Abbeville, Louisiana
Finally finished cutting all of the parts out. I took my time and scored everything prior to cutting, which probably wasn't necessary. I had to re-cut two parts, broke one sanding, cut one wrong, I didn't score the replacement, with no splinter issues. I then spent the next few hours sanding everything to the lines with a 2" x 72" (120 grit) belt sander. That thing was my" learning to weld aluminum" project, so it isn't pretty, but it works great. It has an old treadmill motor and a variable frequency drive to control speed. It rotates 90° to go upright as well. Belts go from 36 grit up to 1 or 2,000 grit. Made sanding easy.
20200328_131600_40.jpg


The pile of parts sanded:
20200328_164155_50.jpg


Here are the scraps.
20200328_163311_50.jpg


I will try to weigh them and the actual components later. Probably could be less if cut from patterns, or partially stripped, which I may do. I know some of this will be used for foot peg support and other such device support.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
As Crocodile Dundee said about his knife: “Naaaoww, THAT’S a sander!”

Welding sluminum is difficult, and not all that common. May I ask why you were learning, and what you were building? And, please respond in a separate string? To avoid hijacking.
Thanks
 

3rdcoastkayak

Active Member
Mar 8, 2020
38
0
48
Abbeville, Louisiana
Mainly this sander.:) Built it for my home shop and ended up leaving it at work. We use it way more there and I have free use of it anytime anyway. We use it mainly for metal grinding, equipment maintenance, and such. They are very commonly used by custom knife makers.
 

3rdcoastkayak

Active Member
Mar 8, 2020
38
0
48
Abbeville, Louisiana
Didn't get much done this week. Made some wood chips today though! I managed to find a couple, literally 2 pieces, of cedar that was without knots at the local big box. Coupled with the few pieces of cypress from my stash, I may have enough for the decks. Remembered to get a pic of the cedar before I ripped it all down to 3/4". Here is a sampling of what I had.

20200404_150622_75_50.jpg


Started doing the largest piece, the forward deck. I traced the deck pattern directly into the plastic in the table. Used some staples and scrap cypress bits as clamps to hold the pieces down while the glue sets. Only got a couple of pieces done with all the other tasks I had to accomplish today.
20200404_205543_50.jpg
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
If you found 2 good boards in one visit consider it a success. I usually make a point of checking the box stores when I go into town. Lucky to find any good ones (knot free) most of the time. If you are laying them straight for making panels and not bending them around a form, boards with a few small knots will work fine.
I like your plan to mix the cedar and cypress. Should be pretty.
 

3rdcoastkayak

Active Member
Mar 8, 2020
38
0
48
Abbeville, Louisiana
Continued work on the foreword deck today. In between drying sessions, began work on the transom piece and the aft deck. The aft deck is dry fit. Will have to fill in some of the small cracks, but here she is.
20200405_192308_50.jpg


Not a whole lot to show but in my defense those angles had me stumped for a while. :rolleyes: