I just started my firsst boat, yeah!! Got the scarf joints glued last night and just got done glueing on the sheer clamps. It has taken a little longer than I thought it would, bit no big deal.
I do need some advice though. I thought I had everything setup real nice when I glued the scarf joints for the bottom of the hull. I'm guessing it may have shifted when I clamped them down but they didn't end up all lined up perfect like I wanted. See pics
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Phk-BeV-w3EApyMQuzT5fw?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6ieF0kY0SBOtfTCjkK0EFQ?feat=directlink
I figure just plane it down till it is more fair then stitch it together and see what happens, it think i would turn out ok, they did end up symetric, just out of alignment. It I could get some opinions that would be great.
Thanks
Jason
Those are bottom panels, not side panels? They don't have sheer clamps now attached to them? In any case, it looks like you've got significant misalignment. I would try to separate the scarph joints, and realign them. The standard method is to apply heat. If you use a heat gun, use a low setting and don't hold it too close to the wood, because it's easy to leave scorch marks on the plywood. Go slowly and give the heat time to penetrate deeply into the scarph joint.
If they actually are side panels, with sheer clamps recently attached, I'd be tempted to see if the epoxy is still soft enough so they can be easily removed. If they can't, you could try taking them off with heat. But if that doesn't seem feasible, the only solution is to try to fair the lower edge with a stiff batten, and hope for the best. Good luck.
Grant
They are bottom hull panels, the side panels with the sheer clamps attached came out perfect so I was a little shocked when I saw the problem.
If I use heat to seperate them I need more epoxy to glue it back together, or will it still be tackey enough to just realign the joint?
Thanks,
Jason
Jason you will definitely need to use fresh thickened epoxy. The mating surfaces will probably need the old epoxy removed also. To clean them up I'd start with a carbide scraper (a regular scraper will work too) and then switch to sanding.
While you're at it, you might also want to check that your other scarphs are correctly aligned, because that's very important. The plans &/or instructions probably show how to do that using a taut string as a reference. Before you reglue them it's good to have a system in place so the panel sections don't slip out of alignment when you squeeze the epoxied joint together. I like to tack them to the work surface with small brads, but clamps also work well, depending on your setup.
Grant
Got them cut apart and re-glued last nght, t worked like a champ, all lined up now. I had it nailed down but I guess not good enough the first time. Used clamps and blocks screwed to keep in it line.
Now time to drill holes and start stitchin, see if I can make it look like a kayak!
Thanks
Jason
Jason, it'll start looking like a kayak VERY soon (well, at least a canoe, till the deck's on). If you start on a Sat morning you'll have a wired hull by Sun afternoon, I'm sure!
If it's not too late, you might consider using the zip ties instead of wire. I used wire, ran out twice and broke lots of my twisties along the way. I used zip ties on the ends (after my second supply of wire exausted) and they're MUCH easier to put in/tighten. Also, they'll pull right out of epoxy fillets, whereas wire isn't as friendly in that department.
Good luck, and keep posting pics - love to see the progress,
Larry
Unfortunately it is too late, stitched it together to day and tabbed it up so I could pull the wires out before I did the fillets. I had the same problems with the wire, ran out with the two coils that came with the kit and had to go buy another 25ft of wire and then broke a few while tightening it down. It was a long day working on it but well worth it. Hopefully I'll have the inside expoyed and fiberglassed by the end of the day monday. We'll see how many BBQs I have to attend.
All sorts of new pics posted
http://picasaweb.google.com/107267314409083170158/Chesapeake17Build?feat=directlink
Anymore advice? I'm all ears, it's been quite fun.
Jason
Jason, that looks great (and eerily familiar!).
No advise, but you can see a similar build at this post: http://www.clcboats.com/forum/clcforum/thread/5940.html
It's the log I kept while building my 17LT.
Enjoy, and keep taking / posting pictures,
Larry
Thanks for the post, I followed lit last year while you were building it, I really enjoyed it. I have it book marked now for reference.
I pulled out the wires last night and taped up the inside to do the fillets and glass the interior. I was real nervous waiting for the epoxy tabs to fail and the whole boat sprung apart making me start over, but thank goodness it did not. :)
I hope to get to the fillets and glassing tomorrow morning.
Knitron,
Your last pics/link didn't post. That said, thanks for the kind words vis-a-vis my "log." I pulled the entire thing out into a word document and might make a small manual from it later.
I took my boat out today for the second time... she's extremely easy to paddle. I'm still quite anxious about tipping over (where I am there's no bank you can pull over to for re-entry, leaving only a wet re-entry option - quite challenging!), but am starting to think that as long as I don't do anything wierd/wild, she'll cruise along at a nice clip, stable as can be. Lots of fun on the water, you'll be happy you built yours.
The only down side to having it finished - taking it out - is that EVERYONE stops you and askes if you built it. Then they tell you how beautiful it is. At first, it's a great compliment; but after a while you find yourself telling the same story over and over and over again! I love the compliments but I'm gonna have to come up with a shorter story-line for those admirers, it's starting to cut into my paddling time! (haha, just being fescetious).
Look forward to the final product, and your first paddle report.
Larry
Did the whole inside today in one step. That was a lot of epoxy to mix up. Got all the fillets in, taped, and glassed the cockpit today. Took a good 4hrs luckily my wife lets me work on it so long :)
Updated pics posted.
http://picasaweb.google.com/107267314409083170158/Chesapeake17Build?feat=directlink
Jason
I got the hull sanded this morning and hoping to glass tonight, but not sure if I'll have the time.
looking at yesterdays work it turned out good, but I had a question about the glass tape. The edges of the tape seem awful rough and I was wondering if anyone else had this problem and if they sanded it down a little to smooth it out? i was thinking of taking some 80 grit paper and sand the edges to take the bite out of it. In the cockpit it is no big deal cause the fiberglass cloth that covers it.
Thanks, Jason
Jason,
I remember that glass tape as having a sewn or finished seam on one edge. I had to go with 4" wide (no 3" when I ordered it) and if I recall, in some cases I cut the edge off prior to using it. In other cases I did what you suggested, 80 grit and an orbital grinder/sander to smooth it over.
Your fillets look great in the pictures..., using the blue tape probably added some time but the extra effort payed off in spades! I skipped that option and wound up with wide, uneven fillets. Again, looking very good.
Glassing the hull will be easier than the cockpit - convex surfaces seem to be easier to control epoxy runs / spread more than concave, like the cockpit. Will go fast, but you'll again be surprised in the amount of epoxy you mix up. I bought dollar-store plastic measuring cups and mixed 3/4 cups (1/2 resin to 1/4 hardner - MAS) at a time. A good amount for that kind of job. When I taped my inner seams I mixed up a cup and a half and by the time I got to the last seam, my cup went exothermic (I think that's it) and burnt my brush to a black cinder... thought I was gonna need a fire extinguisher!!! Good luck; remember, less is more.
Look forward to continuing pics. Have you decided on a paint/varnish scheme yet?
Larry
I got the hull glassed last night, took 2 1/2 hrs, 1/2 hr was just laying the glass out straight. Then cutting off the extra then ahcing to smooth it all over again. It was easier to glass the outside than the cockpit, A lot less frustrating too. Got a late start and was up till 1AM.
On the varnish scheme I am planning on doing a graphite bottom and varnishing the rest, too many concrete boat docks around here and too little beach, some of the slow moving rivers are rocky too.
Thanks for the help and info.Time to flip it back over and work on the inside again. Need to geet rid of those rough edges.
Jason
Should have new pics up soon.
Finally back from a family reunion and able to get started again. I sanded off the rough edges inside and did another layer of epoxy before I left, i also got the extra fierglass on the bow and stern for abrasion resistance.
Deck beam is installed, didn't use the screws in it, make a quick jig with a stick wrapped in wax paper and a couple clamps, turned out real solid.
More pics have been posted.
http://picasaweb.google.com/107267314409083170158/Chesapeake17Build?feat=directlink
Got the deck attached last night with the help of my wife, thank goodness too, it went rather quick, abou 2 hrs. Had a couple of complications but nothing I won't get over. The deck in one spot barely met with the sheer clamps. I will fill it in with a scrap piece of ply. Most likely I will end up running a stripe along the deck edge to cover up some of the mistakes, but all in all. I like it, finally looks more like a kayak than a canoe!
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HrSSUR17Rcg0e5RwqQPlmQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Av7SyVePGr0/TEC3puKNn-I/AAAAAAAAAaM/TpEtFix4pOU/s400/100_1016.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/107267314409083170158/Chesapeake17Build?feat=embedwebsite">Chesapeake 17 Build</a></td></tr></table>
My mess up
Jason
Well that didn't work, here is the link to my mess up
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HrSSUR17Rcg0e5RwqQPlmQ?feat=directlink
Jason
Got the cockpit combing on tonight and hatches cut. I wish I had more clamps than I do, atleast stronger ones, the pipe clamps don't really cut it for that much force. I made it work though. Getting a whole lot closer to the finishing stages of the kayak. Hopefully I can get the hatch covers done this week. Got too many reunions to deal with. I'l have t post updated pics.
Jason
