Subject: Re: [baidarka] accuracy
From: Paul MacIntyre (pfmac@mindspring.com)
Date: Fri Dec 28 2001 - 22:47:12 EST
Don't get bogged down in perfectionism, enjoy the process. I know several
accomplished boat builders that have built less than perfect boats if not
down right turkeys. I dismantled and rebuilt my last boat because of a
design mistake I made. I was bummed but I learned a few things in the
process and I'm pretty pleased with the boat now. Another thing to
remember is that wood is a natural material and sometimes has a mind of its
own. Remember to paddle your boat also, get to know how it handles in a
variety of conditions. This will help you figure out what really is
important, so then you can make informed decisions when you build your next
boat. I admire the people who build replicas but I don't think replicas
are necessarily good recreational kayaks. I went to the Lowry museum in
Berkeley to view the baidarkas in their collection and I was amazed at the
high level of craftsmanship that was attained with "primitive" tools.
Paul
----------
>From: Wayne Steffens <wsteffen@skypoint.com>
>To: baidarka@paddlewise.net
>Subject: [baidarka] accuracy
>Date: Thu, Dec 27, 2001, 7:14 PM
>
> One of the things that always gets in my way is my damned perfectionism.
> This is particularly troublesome when doing something I'm not all that
> skilled at, like woodworking. My first boat was just practice, and I wasnt
> really trying to duplicate anything. Its quite imperfect, and I dont care.
>
> When I'm deliberately trying to get something that looks and performs
> similar to the original, how close is close enough? If for example one of
> my gunnel tips droops 1/4 inch more than the other, is it reason to start
> over? When is it? 1/2 inch? 1.5 inches? If I have 1 inch less rocker than
> I'm supposed to (as I did in my Aleut boat), or if one of my x-sections is
> off a bit, should I take great pains to correct it? At what point does a
> minor mistake or imperfection affect peformance noticeably? One of the
> reasons I choose these types of boats to build is precisely because of
> their imperfections (which make them perfect to me), and yet I still want
> to replicate things with perfect accuracy. Something tells me that even the
> original builders didnt have that great degree of precision, and I doubt
> they were measuring 1/4 inch droops over 19 feet. Doesnt make any sense,
> and I seem to waste a lot of time wondering how do stuff perfectly so I
> dont alter the performnce too much. Some of this is good, as I dont want to
> screw up too bad, but at what point or at what magnitude do the
> imperfections render a replica a non-replica? I dont mind being imperfect
> as long as I'm within the bounds of imperfection deemed acceptable by the
> original builders, and they arent around to tell me.
>
> Gunnnels cut, shaped and ready to scarf. Again.
>
> Just babbling. Sorry, I probably need to get out more, and its not even
> January yet. ;-)
>
>
> wayne
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