Subject: Re: [baidarka] Plastic SOF Ideas / Questions
From: Wayne Martin (wayne.martin@prodigy.net)
Date: Sat Oct 20 2001 - 10:53:48 EDT
I'm a newcomer to this list in the early phases of a folding SOF made
mostly out of PVC. I've posted on the kayakforum.com list, but have now
discovered this group, so I'll tell you what I'm doing and would welcome
any reactions/input.
The goal is a low cost, durable folding kayak that doesn't take long to
build. This is why I chose PVC. It can be bent with heat, is already
"finished", and would be durable and resistant to degradation across time.
And cheap! I got 10' lengths of 1/2" PVC at Home Depot for $0.67! My
current plan is to build it and test it before moving on to make it
"foldable".
I'm copying the 17' kayak described in Putz' book, but am using the 1/2"
grey electrical conduit PVC instead of wood. I used the dimensions of the
forms in Putz to make PVC ribs - these are angular rather than rounded, so
I easily drew the form outline on plywood and then put decking screws in
the corners. I filled the PVC pipe with tightly packed sand and capped it
on both ends with duct tape. Then I used a heat gun to soften the pipe and
bend it around the screws to form ribs. The ends met at the top of the
deck at a 45 degree angle and are fastened with a PVC joint at 45 degrees.
These ribs appear remarkably strong, and took about 2 hours for this novice
to make.
I have built a "strongback" (I'm still learning all these terms, so please
be patient if I get it wrong) from some 2"x4"s and sawhorse legs. I've
fastened the keel (1/2" PVC, of course) to it, and today need to mount
vertical supports to which I'll attach the ribs I've made so I can start
adding the stringers. The next step will be to make a C-beam with 1/4"
plywood joining 2 PVC stringers. This will be in place of Putz' truss on
the gunwales.
My current plan is to join the stringers and the gunwale truss to the ribs
with cable ties - they're cheap and easy to do. When I want to dismantle
it, there's just some snipping to do, and when I want to put it together,
it means a dollar's worth of cable ties. After that, I'll need to attend
to the floor of the cockpit.
I've got the PVC tarp from a billboard that I'm planning to use as a skin.
I've discovered that I can heat weld it very effectively with a clothes
iron. The current plan is to use a folding seal (like a dry bag) on the
deck and then lace up the deck like a shoe to hold the fold in place. This
would allow me to fully assemble the boat and then lace up the skin. BTW,
the PVC fabric was mine for the asking from a local sign company. It
appears highly durable. I'm really hoping it will take a paint(!!!!!)!
The unanswered question is - will it be a success? Seems there's only one
way to answer that.
Unsolved problems include:
1. Would there be a better/easier way to secure the ribs to the stringers?
2. How about the coaming (bent PVC pipe, of course!)? I'm thinking about
mating it permanently to the skin and then securing it to ribs fore and aft
when I assemble the boat.
3. Will I need sponsons? If so, how have these been home made?
4. I'll need to have pegs or a smaller diameter pipe inserted inside my
1/2" PVC stringers to stabilize the joints between stringer pieces (like a
shock-corded tent pole). Any ideas? 1/2" PVC pipe actually has an
internal diameter of about 5/8". Is there a PVC pipe of this diameter I
might find somewhere?
5. What am I missing (other than the obvious critical absence of grey
matter between my ears)?
Many thanks,
Wayne
<><><><><><><><><><><>
Wayne Martin, LMSW-ACP
wayne.martin@prodigy.net
817.456.3489
<><><><><><><><><><><>
You don't always have to
ch
op
with the sword of truth.
YOU CAN POINT> WITH IT, TOO. Anne Lamott
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