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Hi, The epoxy I use (Bote Cote, an Aussie brand that's simply sensational) doesn't darken the wood much. I think others are the same. The best idea is if the boat is oging to be natural wood, to look at the varnish you'll use. You can get completely clear varnish which will give you a...

Hi, I am using 3mm Gaboon marine ply (what we call Okume) on a racing kayak I'm building. Purely to save weight (and deck will be 1.5mm ply). I can lift the 2 sheets of 4' x 8' 3mm and 1 sheet of 1.5mm easily in one hand - total kayak weight should be around 10kgs. I went through a pile...

Hi Sheetsrep, Fantastic looking boat. What design is it - one of Matt's pirogues or soemthing else? May just have to build one myself (one day, the list keeps growing) as it looks like a great fishing platform. Is the deck stained, or a different type of ply? Thanks, Darren

Thanks all, I like the scrap of blind idea, but will go with the easy option (not having any blinds to destroy) and follow Tor's advice of a trip to Bunnings for a few squeegies. Will post some pics of the boat once I make some more progress. Regards, Darren

Cool! Thanks for the replies, now I know what to look for, and will be off to the local auto parts store or big hardware this week. Have just sanded the hull and am currently planing the sheer clamps to get the deck radius right. That will take me a while...especially in 95 degrees...

Hi, I'm just about to glass the outside of my Chesapeake 17 plywood kayak. Finally! I did the interior and seams with a disposable brush, but the outside is recommended to apply the epoxy to the glass with a squeegee. So, firstly, what's a squeegee? A solid foam one thing like is used...

Thanks all, I'm going with standard ply for the bulkheads, suitable encapsulated in epoxy. As I thought, should be strong enough and not suffer any wear like the hull might. Regards, Darren

Out of interest, does the graphite coating add much weight to the boat? I assume - as it's being applied in epoxy - it would add more than varnish coats. Just wondering if those that have applied it notice the weight difference...and would you say it was offset by the reduced friction drag...

Hi Jack, I found the thread: they were talking about "hBN" which a quick Google search showed as: "Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has the same layer structure and properties as graphite, and be called white graphite" I didn't read the article, but yes it seems to be a substitute with...

Hi Kayak Jack, Thanks for this. I had seen some posts about the graphite mix, and was contemplating this as an alternative to paint. I've decided this kayak is the test-bed for things, so was considering giving it a go. I did see on another forum (Guillemot kayaks I think) about someone...

Hi, I am currently building a S&G kayak and am thinking about the finish, etc. My first one so below the waterline at least will be painted to cover some messy scarf joints. But the sides (and hopefully the top) will be OK so will be at least partly clear varnished. However, the ply I am...

Thanks Mick Hope you had a good Aussie Day and got to enjoy a long weekend. I hadn't thought of the weight difference in interior/exterior ply...I'll have to go to Bunnies and see what a piece of each weighs (ensuring the pieces are the same size :roll: ). I thought 6mm was a bit...

Hi all, I'm new here and just getting into building a Chesapeake 17 a my first kayak (but I have the next 4 or 5 planned :D ). This is the 'learning' kayak so I can gain knowledge on fiberglass, epoxy, building techniques, etc before I do a few more serious ones (also how I justify it to...