Message-Id: <n1381089341.8842@coup.wednet.edu>
Date: 2 May 1996 10:31:46 U
From: "Gary Thomas" <coup.wednet.edu!gthomas@imagelan.com>
Subject: RE: (Fwd) Re: Wood Question
To: baidarka@imagelan.com
real utilitarian, try plastic underground sprinkler system pipe, bend to any
length by heating with a torch, (carefully). My first kayak was built this
way, with fiberglass covered plywood stations, canvas covered and painted..
There may be some possibilities with different grades of plastic pipe for
stringers that are small diameter and stiffer. How about graphite, or glass
fishing rod blanks? they make several kinds of blanks to 20 ft.....
_______________________________________________________________________________
From: baidarka@imagelan.com on Thu, May 2, 1996 8:46 AM
Subject: (Fwd) Re: Wood Question
To: baidarka@imagelan.com
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
On 26 Apr 96 at 11:48, Paul R. LaBrie wrote some interesting comments
which got me thinking about the materials I used in my baidarkas and why.
>
> I used white cedar for the ribs on my baidarka. After I had bent them over
the forms, I then
> laminated carbon fibers over the outside of the rib. What i got was very
light and strong
> ribs...also, the carbon fiber can't be seen after the boat is covered. My
5.8 baidarka has about 20
> ribs over its length
My first boat was George's triple design, which I built in wood instead of
aluminum. It was a bit of an experiment since I had been making archery
equipment and wanted to try the wood with fiberglass cladding, similar to
the way a bow is made. It can be flexed and retain its shape, and it is
very light for it's strength. It was about triple the work it would have
been in aluminum for about the same results. I went to great lengths to
pare weight wherever possible, including routing the ribs and stringers so
they were like small I-beams, and routing the undersides of the
floorboards. The boat ended up weighing about the same as an aluminum
version, around 90 - 95 lbs, most of the weight being in the skin and the
rigging and hardware. I was pleased with the fiberglass over wood concept
on the ribs and stringers and think it would have potential in other sorts
of boat building where light strong beams are needed, but if I was to do it
again I would either do it in aluminum or use Wolf Brink's philosophy of
making boats out of what is available locally, is easy to work with, and is
simple. (Being a machinist, aluminum falls into this category for me.)
Sometimes the challenge of a new way of doing something seems to take over
a boat project and the results are hard to justify to anyone but yourself.
I think in this case the engineering was the reward and the boat was
secondary to the pleasure of problem solving.
> > The thing I'm puzzling about most is the rest (bow and stern pieces, deck
> > beams).
>
> I found that the best (easiest) solution for me was to use marine plywood
for the bow and stern
> assemblies. I also used light marine ply to create a "deck" just behind the
cockpit ring (makes
> getting in and out a lot easier). I used some 6061-t6 from George Dyson for
the chines (it seemed to
> me that this would be more durable than wood for these essentially small
diameter components). i used
> spruce for the gunwales.
>
>
> - paul -
>
My second boat was done quickly and cheaply as a way to try out the long
narrow hunting
baidarka shown in Zimmerly's book. I used a good grade of non marine ply
for the ribs and bow and stern pieces, dimensioned spruce and fir for the
gunwales and keel, and aluminum tubing for the remaining stringers. I'm
pretty happy with this boat even though it isn't a showpiece, and I'm not
skillful enough to use it to it's full potential.
It proved to me that I need not get hung up on making things out of one
material
exclusively. I think the utilitarian aspect is sort of fitting when you
consider the original purpose of the boat, and this one seems to have a
little more soul than the other. Here the boat spoke its needs and the
problem solving was only my way of answering.
Ron Franklin
Bowdoin, Maine, USA
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From: "Ron Franklin" <biddeford.com!oldhaven@imagelan.com>
To: baidarka@imagelan.com
Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 10:34:37 -0500
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