looking at building a timber strip kayak, just a few questions

**Chikoroll** · 27th December 2008, 10:06 PM

moulded the rest of the strips today - total of 500 x 2 metre strips, 200 x 0.5-1.8m strips (varying sizes)

ordering the glue in the next time the rep comes in (westsystem ultra slow)
had a bit of a play with some sample glue... bloody hell it's good stuff, applies easily and soaks right into the timber (open grain), dries as hard as concrete- tried to break a strip of it i applied to a length of the cedar, struggled to break it, tried the hammer treatment, couldn't chip it

will get the chipboard for the templates in 2 weeks (have to replace the brakes on my fourby first)

**Fish Boy** · 3rd January 2009, 05:51 PM

Nice progress Chikoroll

, I have a quick question for anyone out there, I have a set of Guillemont plans and wish to build soon, but live in country South Oz and having trouble finding WRC already stripped /bead&coved 3/4 x1/4 (lazy by nature and do not wish to do this bit myself). Does anybody know who supplies around here ?

**anewhouse** · 4th January 2009, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Fish Boy

Nice progress Chikoroll

, I have a quick question for anyone out there, I have a set of Guillemont plans and wish to build soon, but live in country South Oz and having trouble finding WRC already stripped /bead&coved 3/4 x1/4 (lazy by nature and do not wish to do this bit myself). Does anybody know who supplies around here ?

A lot of people don't use bead and cove, including some professional builders. They just put a bevel on the strips that need it. That is how I did my four.

It doesn't have to be WRC.

Paulownia, for example is lighter and good to work with.

**Fish Boy** · 5th January 2009, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by anewhouse

A lot of people don't use bead and cove, including some professional builders. They just put a bevel on the strips that need it. That is how I did my four.

It doesn't have to be WRC.

Paulownia, for example is lighter and good to work with.

Hi Anewhouse,
Paulownia is a bit to light(colour that is) for my personel taste, great timber to use apart from that.

As for the bead & cove, this will be my first kayak build and i intend to build it not using any staples etc in construction( just clamps,dowl&screw etc) and thought the bead & cove would help a lot with alignment issues and would be a little easier to fair. Would this be the case ? not having done it before I just don't know.
Thank's very much for the reply,

Any More progress Chickoroll ?

**Chikoroll** · 5th January 2009, 10:23 PM

nah, no progress just yet, gotta wait for my brakes to be repaired, then i will buy some sheets of ply for the forms and strongback

**TK1** · 6th January 2009, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Fish Boy

As for the bead & cove, this will be my first kayak build and i intend to build it not using any staples etc in construction( just clamps,dowl&screw etc) and thought the bead & cove would help a lot with alignment issues and would be a little easier to fair. Would this be the case ? not having done it before I just don't know.

Hi Fishboy (and sorry Chicko for the minor hijak...I'm watching the thread with great interest

. I am about to start my first strip-built kayaks (Night Heron & Payne K1) and am using 3.5mm thick WRC strips. As they're thin I won't be bead & coving them, just bevelling the edge of each one. I plan to use bulldog clips and spring clamps between the forms to help with alignment - this will slow down the build a little, but with fast-drying yellow glue I should still get a few strips on each day this way. Hope to start next weekend after completing ripping the strips this weekend (they're wide venetian blind blanks I got, so each one will be cut into 2-3 strips).

Hope this idea helps.

Regards,
Darren

**Chikoroll** · 6th January 2009, 08:40 PM

hey, no problems with hijacks, it doesn't take much for anyone to sift through them, besides, it's all on topic anyway, if any questions or suggestions help others in the future, then it has been worth it

**anewhouse** · 7th January 2009, 07:56 PM

TK1, I have built mine without staples or bead and cove.
I found masking tape did an excellent job of keeping strips aligned between forms.

**Fish Boy** · 24th January 2009, 06:53 PM

I dont know how far you have got so far, but i have just finished my forms today, and have a tip that you may find helpful. After i cut out my paper forms I laminated them with A3 lamination sheets, ( some needed a bit extra added to the end before going through the laminator) for the bow & stern sections i used clear contact. Then I glued them to the ply sheet with Kwik grip laminex adhesive (after trimming off the eccess lamination material). This worked realy well,

The forms are protected from glue etc, the layout side does not require tape now, no need to transfer lines etc, and with any luck the forms should stay in good condition in case of a second build.

. I am not sure if this is common practice or not but it worked for me. Any stray glue cleaned off with turps. The contact is nowhere as good as the lamination material but it still did the job (keep the turps of it though).
Just need to find some timber now.
Hope this is of some benefit to you,
Cheers for now,
Fish Boy

**prozac** · 24th January 2009, 08:43 PM

Bill and Beth (Price?) have an excellent site detailing the various builds that Bill has done. There are so many photos and explanation that is is really a book in the amount of information that Bill covers. Check it out here - http://users.moscow.com/bprice/

**Chikoroll** · 7th March 2009, 01:14 AM

just thought i'd give a heads up, this project is not abandoned, just been too busy to do it.... life needs an extra day for the weekend

**Chikoroll** · 30th April 2009, 11:54 PM

Bought the fibreglass sheeting today, 200gms @ $10.56/metre x 1metre wide, 10 metres of it, from Volksglas fibreglass in slackscreek

Reasonable price?

i'm finally on holidays, and if all goes to plan, will get back to this project when i return from a trip to capeyork (the end of this month) ...assuming it isn't snowing down south... in which case i will be hitting the ski slopes instead

**Fish Boy** · 1st May 2009, 02:19 PM

Glad to hear things are progressing, bought the fibreglass for mine on the weekend as well, 25m @ $10.50 pm. if you would like to see how mine is comming along photo's can be viewed at
http://s606.photobucket.com/albums/tt145/Fishboyz/

if all goes to plan hope to glass the hull this weekend,
Enjoy your holiday, great part of the world you are heading to

**Chikoroll** · 18th July 2009, 11:20 PM

haha i really should hurry up with this :P

cut the forms today, got the strips, got the epoxy, got the fibreglass, got the space, got the time....

it shall be coming alive over the next month or so, tomorrow i'm starting the strip laying

**Chikoroll** · 21st July 2009, 10:09 PM

saturday:
the forms all cut out,

sunday:
the forms slapped onto a length of 60x60 rock maple, 100% rigid!, even with 5 metres of leverage, no flex - the red photo is just using the laser level to check it, camera can't see the laser too well, it was spot on over the entire distance

monday: strip laying, 2 layers

tuesday: strip laying, 2 layers

what do you reckon of this walnut burl veneer around the cockpit section?

not having any drama's with it just yet, hopefully none will arise

but there is always something

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