Eureka Canoe - Page 19

budwana2001 · #**271** 28th Oct 2007, 09:51 AM

Australian Wood Panels --GREAT PEOPLE TO DEAL with------I now have my ply
I have obtained Paulownia also from WHITEWOOD brilliant guy.
He supplied the required timber at a fair price.
A few little hiccups to sort out then construction begins
In the meantime I shall grab all the tips off you guys
Cheers Campbell

Walesey · #**272** 29th Oct 2007, 12:06 PM

Hi Guys,
I'm back again after about a months absence. What a lot of posts to catch up on! It has been an active little thread while I have been amusing myself elsewhere. Anyway, I have temporarily satisfied my need for playing with toy trains for a while and it is time to get back to "Ship Building"

Budwana, I am glad you liked my pics. I have spent hours studying Mik and Midge's pics, and appreciate the value of a simple snap shot.

We have managed to glue the inside seams of the Eureka (not as pretty a job as Midge's though). Actually we glued up to about the air tanks and then glassed up the stems and the end bits. I hope we have done the right thing! It was very hard to coax the glass tape right down into the "V" and we seem to have got some bubbles around the copper stitches. Is this going to be a problem Mik? Is there a solution?

This week we hope to put a bit of glue down the "v" in the outside of the seams. Then we will glass over the seams. Trouble is, I am dead scared that the pannels will tear apart when I remove the stitches. Those stem sections are under a LOT of tension! Is there a safe way to remove the stitches? Should we maybe remove a couple of stitches then glue a bit and dry then remove a few more stitches etc? or just "jump in" and patch up the mess if it happens? I think I need some reassuring words, Mik!

I am feeling a little nervous about the Christmas deadline, too, but as has been said before... "which Christmas?"

Grandpa has been a bit scarce over the last month. He does not like glue and glass. I think he might be laying low and hoping that the gluing and glassing will all "happen" without him, so that he can come back and cut the decks, etc. I guess he has other grand kids who need him too!

Any way, it is good to be back, and catch up on what has been going on. I will try and post some photos as soon as We get the seams all glued and glassed. Then to Scarfing the gunwales!

Budwana, I too had trouble with the Oregon. I ended up using Hoop Pine for the gunwales, etc. I was able to get Maple (for my paddle handles) and WRC from the local Mitre 10 shop!

Regards
Walesey

Walesey · #**273** 29th Oct 2007, 03:30 PM

Mik,
The young fellers are starting to ask about putting a mast on the Eureka. (I could have seen that comming!) If it is inevitable, then now might not be a bad time to start thinking about it, before we put the decks on)

I know you have plans for a "Drop in Rig", but I suspect the boys might have been thinking more of a broom handle and poly tarp.

Tell me; will a canoe with a mast, but no centre board or rudder, just roll over in a breeze?

Is there a REALLY, REALLY easy way to put a mast on a canoe without risking life or limb of the "paddlers"?

An idea I had was to put a block in the bottom of the tank with a piece of Aluminium tube from the bottom to the top of the deck. I would probably need to replace the single mid rib, under the deck tith two ribs, ine on either side of the Al pipe. Is this likely to work, or am I barking completely up the wrong tree?

I look forward to hearing from you

Walesey

Walesey · #**274** 11th Nov 2007, 12:45 AM

Now this is feeding my paranoia! I get distracted away from the thread for a month and there is a million contributions in my absence. I come back, and it seems like I am the only one here! I didn't mean to scare you all away guys!

Any way, the boys have been doing little bits here and there. We have the inside seams all glued up and glue on the outside of the joints. We have laminated and shaped a nice little "Centre Spreader", following the example of sombody that I read either on this forum or on Mic or Midge's pages. I forget exactly where I saw it, but thanks for the idea!

Next week we hope to get a bit of glass and tape on the outside of the seams, and Grandpa is keen to start on the decks and bulkheads. I will add a couple of photo's of the glued seams and of the centre spreader.

Until next time.....

Walesey.

bitingmidge · #**275** 11th Nov 2007, 01:50 AM

Crikey, a bloke goes away for a month or so and ... cough, splutter!!!!

OK I get the message, I'll start work again soon!

P

Cliff Rogers · #**276** 11th Nov 2007, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

...., I'll start work again soon!.....

Which year?

Boatmik · #**277** 11th Nov 2007, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walesey

Mik,
The young fellers are starting to ask about putting a mast on the Eureka. (I could have seen that comming!) If it is inevitable, then now might not be a bad time to start thinking about it, before we put the decks on)

Is there a REALLY, REALLY easy way to put a mast on a canoe without risking life or limb of the "paddlers"?

Walesey

That is surely the point of canoe sailing!!!!

Howdy Walesey,

This one zipped under the radar!

Dont worry about putting anything in the tanks. I have plans (availailable at a modest cost hehe ) to either add a very small sailing rig to the canoe that has an integrated leeboard or to add outriggers and a bigger sail to make a monster sailing machine.

Have a look at them on the plans page of my website

And then meditate whether you want to be slow and safe or rocket around like the local lair!

MIK

Walesey · #**278** 12th Nov 2007, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boatmik

That is surely the point of canoe sailing!!!!

Howdy Walesey,

This one zipped under the radar!

Dont worry about putting anything in the tanks. I have plans (availailable at a modest cost hehe ) to either add a very small sailing rig to the canoe that has an integrated leeboard or to add outriggers and a bigger sail to make a monster sailing machine.

Have a look at them on the plans page of my website

And then meditate whether you want to be slow and safe or rocket around like the local lair!

MIK

If you ask the Dad (me) then "slow and safe" sounds right on the knocker. (After all, it is a long way from one side of Jervis Bay to the other, especially if you are swimming and dragging an upturned canoe!)

If you ask two teenage boys, who seem to consider themselves "Bullet Proof" you might just get another answer!!!

There might need to be a little "Family discussion". on this point. Anyway, I think it will be enough of a challenge to get the craft into the water at all this year. If we get the tanks sealed and the canoe water tight, we will be going well. It might be "Broccoli boxes" for seats at this stage.

Mic, I saw a picture on your site showing a canoe with a rope apparently passing THROUGH the tank and then down to the back. Did you just drill a hole throuth the bow and seal it with a bit of pipe, or what?

regards
Walesey

Boatmik · #**279** 12th Nov 2007, 11:42 AM

Yep, the usual way is to put a big gob of thickened epoxy and timber up in the pointy bit before the deck goes on - then there are two ways ...

Drill from the outside the right size for a pipe and try and seal it in. Or use the old epoxy trick for making holes but protecting the end grain of the timber. You drill the hole a little oversize, fill it with epoxy bog and let it cure. When it is cured drill the hole the size that you originally wanted.

It is a good method for waterproofing relatively inaccessible bits of the boat that are going to be subject to large amounts of wetness.

For example centreboard or rudder pivots (do it before you glass them - but I don't think there is much point to a swinging rudder - the PDRacer/GIS rudder method is simpler and steers better - that's why most racing boats use it) also where the pivot pin goes through the centrecase.

You can also use it for keelbolts. Can't think of many other fastenings in a modern built wood epoxy boat.

You NEVER use it when the oversize hole will compromise strength - like on a mast. It cuts away at the cross section too much. WEST used it for the pivot bolts of windmills and the bearing surface was the glue powder strenthened epoxy bog - with some graphite added for lubrication.

They were able to produce a set of electicity generating windmill blades in wood for $40,000 compared to $200,000 from NASA in carbon. Performance was near enough the same but the wooden ones had much better fatigue resistance.

Trees bend backwards and forwards all the time!

MIK

Moose007 · #**280** 26th Nov 2007, 12:40 PM

Hi All. This is a very interesting site especially when I see nothing newer then
2006. or maybe I missed some newer post. In any event I have purchased the Eureka plans from Duck Works about three weeks ago and have actually
started to build it. I have all panels cut out and epoxied and just this afternoon have done the butt straps. I have taken pictures and will post them as soon as I figure out just how to do that. Maybe someone here could give me a hand with that, really would appreciate it.
You have a great site here

, so much info I can hardly believe it, please keep it coming. Hope that I am not the last one building one on this site.

The Moose