Subject: RE: baidarka Uh-oh!
From: wayne steffens (wsteffen@mr.net)
Date: Wed May 24 2000 - 22:13:35 EDT
Hi Stephen,
At 05:09 PM 5/23/00 -0700, you wrote:
>Excellent point on epoxy weathering. Especially true in harsh saltwater
>environments.
>
>While I admire resourcefulness and practice recycling, I recommend only the
>best boating
>materials you can find and afford.
I can afford a fiberglass kayak, which many would say is superior to wood
and skin.
>
>Although it may be easier to find quality stock here in the Pacific
>Northwest,
>there is no excuse for using some of the (s)crap I've seen 'craftsmen' put
>in their boats.
>
>For heaven's sake, it's a boat. It will be on the water and you might need
>it to
>save your life someday. I've been in too many situations where I was glad I
>hadn't
>scrimped... and hadn't scarfed!
I dont plan on doing much whale hunting or crossing Lake Superior in this
boat though. Certainly if I was, I might make different decisions. I should
add that those activities were occasionally done in Caribou kayaks, and
they were even used to travel hundreds of miles on Hudson Bay, though they
were primarily intended for inland waters-even rapids!
>
>I certainly don't accept scarf joints in the keel and gunnels, and usually
>not in the stringers.
>I also try to use only the joinery necessary to connect individual members
>of the frame.
>
>If you like epoxies, get a fiberglass kayak. A good fit, dowels and
>artificial sinew are all that
>is necessary to assemble a quality, flexible joint.
>
>Glues and epoxies should be left in the bottle! I find plenty of use for
>them on my sailboat.
>I can't possibly imagine why you would need any on a skinboat. Epoxies work
>great on inflexible
>materials like fiberglass, but have no use on skinboats. I thought that was
>the whole point of a skinboat!
>You want them to be flexible.
Remember, adhesives where used on this type of craft, so anti-adhesive
sentiment is not warranted in this case. Otherwise I would be inclined to
agree in theory, though to each his own in practice. I'm not aware of what
the qualities of blood glue are, other than it was bloody strong ;-) Was it
flexy (probably more so than epoxy), was it not, was flexing something that
was sought after in this type of boat or was it merely a fact of life given
the materials at hand? Something tells me that in 20-28 foot boats, too
much flex might not be a good thing, but I'll leave that to the engineering
types to argue.
If I could go back a hundred years and bring some West Systems epoxy with
me, would the Caribou Inuit choose blood glue or epoxy? I dont know, but
its an interesting question!
>
>The most I ever use is a little Gorilla Glue and sawdust to fill a misplaced
>drill hole.
>If it splits, cracks or checks - I make a new part and recycle the ruined
>piece, if possible.
>Heaven forbid you use screws or fasteners!!
metal nails were sometimes used to fasten ribs, cockpit coamings, or end
horns, after they became available. Was that decision based on the fact
they work better, ie they were the best material available (as you yourself
advocate using), or was it a sign of cultural "deterioration"? In looking
at photos of the interior of the original Chateau De Ramezay, I'm pretty
certain I see small nails at the ribs. I dont know the age of this craft,
but I know nails were used at least as early as the early 1900s when very
fine kayaks were still being built. One collected in 1914 has them. In all
other respects the Chateau appears to be a fine and rather unique example
of the type. Nails dont really appeal to me and they probably wont be going
in my boat. Then again, they might, because it appears it did have them.
It'll depend on just how authentic I feel like getting at the time.
>
>Buy some good wood, Wayne. It's worth it. In my humble opinion... Alaskan
>yellow cedar, spruce,
>green oak and Western Red cedar are the the only woods to use.
No AK cedar to be had around here. Spruce is available if you can sniff it
out (I do my best), we do have western red cedar (very, pricey), not much
oak to speak of, and white cedar. I'm using spruce (I'm pretty sure) for
gunnels, stringers beams and keelson, and green (ie fresh) white cedar ribs
and WRC end horns. If I dont like the way the cedar works out for ribs.
I'll use ash, because I can get both green around here. I think if I make
the cedar ribs 1/2 x 1/2 which is the dimension usually used on Caribou
kayaks, I'll be fine. The original ribs were only 1/2 x 1/4, which I'm only
slightly worried will not be adequate for a nylon hull.
Wayne
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