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Thread: Geodesic airolite skiff
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8th January 2010, 04:22 PM #1New Member
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Geodesic airolite skiff
Having built an Iain Oughtred Puffin dinghy and a Tom Hill Charlotte canoe I am interested in attempting an Aerolite Classic 12 skiff. I would be interested in hearing of anyones experience using Australian timber to build an Aerolite frame. What timbers worked and were there any problems. I intend to buy the plans and partial kit.
dan42
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8th January 2010 04:22 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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8th January 2010, 08:05 PM #2
Hi Dan,
I've built a few of these - check out www.canoesandlampshades.com and also the pics on the GABoats Yahoo Group under aolsmile42 are mine (lots there).
I've always used Bote-Cote's epoxy glue to glue the frame together and that glues anything it seems. I've used Aust Red Cedar (don't try it!) and the range of Tassie timbers - Huon, Celery and King Billy etc.... The transome on the Classic14 I did was in Huon and Myrtle for contrast.
Feel free to contact me directly as you go on - Great to see another interest in these - they're fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers
Peter
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8th January 2010, 09:24 PM #3
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8th January 2010, 09:31 PM #4
Hi Peter,
I see a detail I am quite fascinated by ... how are the seat crossbeams joined to the ribs? It looks like a pretty light join.
I always look out for lighter and simpler ways of doing things.
MIK
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8th January 2010, 09:34 PM #5
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8th January 2010, 11:00 PM #6
Hi Daddles,
Mate, give it a go - you won't be sorry. Though I'd probably do a canoe first, they're a lot less work than the row boat. Why? The hint's in my user name "Still Smilin' ". They're soooooo light and wonderful to handle that you just can't get the smile off your face. The process is pretty simple and easy, with only a couple of "how does this work, and why didn't it" bits. Building time for a basic canoe is stated as 40-60 hours and I take 250. Build time for the row boat is quoted as 170hrs, I took 430.....in other words, they repay a little extra effort which is mostly the case when something looks so simple.
And did I mention the weight???? This row boat is a 14footer, weighs 20kg. A 14ft canoe that Cliff Rogers and I paddled around at the Tinaroo Raid weighed 7.5kg.
And they're beautiful.....
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8th January 2010, 11:11 PM #7
Hi Mik,
Yeah, Platt was a devil for light weight. He had a saying which I've tried to live by, "If it ain't there, it don't weigh". Works for me.
By the way, I was the one responsible for quite a few hits on your basa wood canoe back in 2006 when I was just starting to get the "light weight canoe" bug. I remember being quite taken with it.
The seat frames as shown here differ slightly from Platt's design. As well as the gusset below the frame he also has a tri-angulated piece of plywood set horizontally at each frame/stringer joint. I fitted my frame around the rib as I didn't like the look of the plywood piece. (The design also called for the transom to be a piece of 1/2 inch plywood. As per my reply to Daddles, they repay a little extra effort
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8th January 2010, 11:14 PM #8
Smile 1 is hanging on the wall in our lounge room with lights in it now.
It has done more than 10Kms on Tinaroo & has been to 2 raids now.Cliff.
If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.
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8th January 2010, 11:21 PM #9
Hi Cliff,
You started the whole canoes and lampshades thing, just didn't realise how many times I would have to explain the name
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8th January 2010, 11:26 PM #10
That is the dining room part of our lounge room... I guess it is really hanging on the wall in the dining room.
Cliff.
If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.
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8th January 2010, 11:36 PM #11
OK, slight deviation into interior design and lessons on hoe to set up signatures on this site. Hoping this works - thanks, Cliff
"....we also have a line of very nice umbrellas..."
www.canoesandlampshades.com
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9th January 2010, 10:15 AM #12
Nice solution, nice distributed load!
I don't have original ideas, I just steal the best ones I see!
MIK
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6th October 2010, 09:06 PM #13New Member
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Thanks Keep Smilin,
have finally finished the framing of the skiff, using Hoop Pine for the longtitudinal framing and water soaken then steam bent Tasmanian Oak for the ribs. Now the fun starts with the fabric covering.
dan42
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7th October 2010, 07:25 PM #14
It's a blast - I always say it's about a six hour operation - it takes about three hours to get the skin on and shrunk............................................and it takes about another three hours to get the smile off your face!!!!
Seriously, if you have any doubts give me a call....."....we also have a line of very nice umbrellas..."
www.canoesandlampshades.com
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7th October 2010, 07:45 PM #15Senior Member
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I saw one of these at the WWS a couple of years ago...its was a thing of beauty it really was.
How hard is it to do the shrink wrap stuff??? It looks as if it can shrink heaps. The one i saw i think was a copy of a Rob Roy canoe...about 12' long. And the white material was perfectly done..no wrinkles anywhere..
If you had a choice in materials would you use Celery Top or Huon pine?? Do you use a Hot pipe to bend the ribs??
Looks great.
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