Thread: Geodesic airolite skiff

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

Originally Posted by Still Smilin'

Great to see another interest in these - they're fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why?

No, I'm not trying to be cute or rude, I'm curious. Is this a direction this frustrated builder could conceviably follow?

Richard

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

Originally Posted by Still Smilin'

Great to see another interest in these - they're fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Daddles

Why?

No, I'm not trying to be cute or rude, I'm curious. Is this a direction this frustrated builder could conceviably follow?

Richard

BTW, you don't have to mention 'beauty', this is self evident. Even my beloved Janet would approve of these

Richard

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.....

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

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.

Hi Cliff,

You started the whole canoes and lampshades thing, just didn't realise how many times I would have to explain the name

That is the dining room part of our lounge room... I guess it is really hanging on the wall in the dining room.

OK, slight deviation into interior design and lessons on hoe to set up signatures on this site. Hoping this works - thanks, Cliff

Nice solution, nice distributed load!

I don't have original ideas, I just steal the best ones I see!

MIK

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

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.....

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.