Recent content by seedtick

Varnishes and other coatings are uv stabilized by the addition of “stuff” that dissipates the up rays at the surface into harmless heat. Pretty much similar to the way flatterers are added to gloss varnish to make semi gloss or matte finishes. Google “hostavin” for more info on the different...

Haven’t read the label on this stuff but I believe that most gorilla glues are polyurethanes. polyurethanes foam as they cure. They are good glues but the foam is open cell as opposed to closed cell. Open cell foam will permit ingress of water, so while the glue may be waterproof, the wood...

Half scale. Most pirogue sides about 12 inches wide and however long you want the boat. A half scale would six inches by a half length (6,7 or 8 feet). A 4 by 8 sheet could nominally give you eight sides or enough for 4 models. You don’t have to put the bottom on to check out the lines.

I suggest to folks who are trying their own designs or tweaking existing designs that they build a model out of cheap luan or Masonite. That way you can see the results without cutting up expensive plywood or planks. It also builds your confidence in your boat building skills

I haven’t done a lot of epoxy coating, except for saturation coat prior to varnishing. For me, foam brushes are not stiff enough to effectively move epoxy around. I buy cheap chip brushes, cut about half the length of the bristles off, flex the remaining bristles vigorously to remove any loose...

Yes it will change. Rocker depends on several things - the arc that cut out on the bottom of the sides, the width of the boat, the flare of the sides, and the length of the boat. I don’t know of any mathematical equation that ties them all together such that you can fix one parameter and...

do an internet search for “the pirogue maker” and watch the 1949 movie. Old time paddles were narrow, straight sided, with flat bottoms and a notch cut out of one side to catch trot lines, crab traps, etc.

Glad to see you willing to try scarfing, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed theres is always more than one way to skin a cat, here’s what I do using sawdust filled epoxy as glue"...... I scarf both matching pieces at the same time, I feel it’s easier to scarf one 1/2” thickness than two...

No it’s not the same as resorcinol

My experience with rails is that they are more flexible in one orientation over the other. Support the rail on each end and put a weight in the middle to make it sag. Then flip it over and check the sag. The orientation that sags the most will indicate how you want to attach the rail. Scarfing...

Resorcinol is a great glue, but it requires tight fitting joints and seams. Seems to me that most folks today don’t want to take the time to make a good fit and would rather throw something together and plaster over with some epoxy and sawdust “peanut butter”.

Before the invention of Titebond and epoxy, thousands of boats were glued up with Weldewood. A tan powder that you mix with water to whatever consistency you needed. Even though the label says for indoor use, it was better than anything else the old time boat builders had, so they used it...

Need a little more information...... how old is it? Old growth cypress or grow back? Does it have or did it ever have some sort of finish? What kind of shape is it in? Does it leak. if there is no paint is the wood weathered? old cypress boats were not built with tight seams and depended on...

No bottom ribs? Or am I just missing seeing them? BTW I admire your willingness to continue trying something new. Now you understand why the boatbuilders who had to make a living building boats only built one style

Since I'm apparently in the minority, I figured I'd add my two cents".......... My family, for at least three generations before me, have predominately been folks who built wooden things - houses, boats, cabinets, coffins, etc. My grandfathers opinion was that the only significant question was...