A new pirogue project in Tallahassee | Page 6 | SouthernPaddler.com

A new pirogue project in Tallahassee

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PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
73
Tallahassee Florida
I did a sanding of the whole outside, but didn't go far enough to get rid of all the weave everywhere. I decided another very light coat of epoxy was in order before final sanding of the outside.
 
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PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
73
Tallahassee Florida
Tomorrow I should be able to final sand the whole outside of the hull and maybe epoxy on the gunwales if I get that far.

By the way, I am heading out to get Marley's staples out. The vet emailed a report that said they found no malignancy after more testing. It isn't a full guarantee, but it looks real good. She seems to be feeling very well and has been wanting to lay in the shop doorway when I am working. I have not allowed her in with all the dust, but let her lay just outside of the shop doorway in the laundry room a lot of the time if I am not making too much dust or fumes.
 
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PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
73
Tallahassee Florida
One side is sanded and one gunwale glued and clamped. I used all of my f-clamps some of my c-clamps. I used a total of 30 clamps on a one side of the 14' pirogue. I didn't have to dip into the wooden luthier cam clamps or the spring clamps and didn't use any fasteners.

I am starting to think ahead to the painting. I bought the Hunters Specialties Camo Paint in olive drab. I didn't buy any primer (folks reported good results and long life without primer). I am debating whether to spray or brush it. I have a compressor and a Harbor Freight spray gun (the purple one) that I have had good results spraying lacquer on musical instruments and latex paint on children's sized furniture, but have not done larger stuff with it.

It sanded up pretty nice, but it isn't going to be a varnished show piece and I figure flat non reflective paint doesn't warrant the same level of fuss that varnish would so ease of finishing is probably the deciding factor.

If I spray it will have to be outdoors and near or under trees, so there may be some falling debris (pollen etc.) unless I pitch a tarp. They say the paint is fast drying, but I don't know how fast. Clear lacquer dried so fast here that stuff falling in it was pretty much a non issue if I picked the day carefully. I used a little tent when spraying musical instruments but it wasn't really necessary. Not sure if this paint will be like that or not.
 
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Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
You may be over thinking a pirogue? Open the can, stand back about 5 feet, and fling!

On the other hand, one artist was Ann-Margaret, with paint all over her body, rolled across a white canvas.

You cold use a brush, a sprayer, or . . . .
 
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PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
73
Tallahassee Florida
Yay! It is officially a boat, in my estimation at least. It isn't finished, but it is waterproof, rigid, and would float if I were to take it out for a test paddle. It is far from perfect, but doesn't have glaring flaws that keep me up at night. All in all it makes me happy when I look at it.

Lots of steps could be next. The bottom isn't final sanded yet, the little deck plate are not yet made or installed, the inside isn't sanded or sealed. and the floor isn't glassed.

I made life harder for myself by doing the inside fillets early in the process to make the hull rigid before glassing the outside. Now I have to do more tedious sanding of the fillets. I usually have done the glass over the wet fillets in the past. I kept the fillets pretty small so I guess I could put a slightly larger filler over them if the sanding doesn't go well and they would still probably be in the range of normal size wise.

The reason the fillets were done sooner and without glass was that on this boat I wanted to do the bottom glass first because I had a skimpy amount of fabric and will need to piece the inside floor working around the frames using some odd pieces. I think each section of floor will be a single piece, but if need be there could be piecing and an overlap along the keel line or somewhere.

It has been decades since I built a boat and some of my skills have gotten rusty. I forgot a lot of things as well. I think maybe I gained just a little patience and attention to detail in my old age though.
 
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PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
73
Tallahassee Florida
oldbuffpilot said:
Congratulations Pete! We know how good it feels. Some unsolicited advice.....start out with a low seat, and work up.
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Thanks. I have the seat from the UJ plans (or at least roughly from them, the height is the same, but I didn't follow all lines exactly). I was planning to start there. I'll take a boat pfd seat cushion along in case I want to sit even lower, but I don't expect to need to. I can also use the seat cushion on top of the UJ seat to sit higher should I want to. My best guess is that the UJ seat will be fine as is, but with the UJ seat and the seat cushion I will have a range of choices.
 
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Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Some cushions that I like, are Thermarest “trail seats”. Self inflating, cushy part is 16” X 12”. At first, I would take a fully inflated one, and blow in more air to make them more firm. WRONG! Best practice is to let it fully inflate, then hold a closed fist into it lying on a flat surface to push out some air, and close the valve. This provides a cushier seat of more area, making less PSI on your rump. As long as your butt bones aren’t pressing a solid surface - missing by only 1/16”, you’re sitting on air!
They also make a cushion for lumbar support (nominal 16” X 5”). You can sit on these during the day paddling, and sleep on them at night as pillows.

Pete, I don’t advise sitting on your PFD. Think about that, partner. Do you drive while sitting on your safety belt?
 
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PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
73
Tallahassee Florida
Kayak Jack said:
OK. Didn’t want to read about a former boat builder, no longer with us.
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Yeah, it was a good point to make. I come from a whitewater kayaking background so I have the habit of wearing a comfy pfd all the time when in small craft. We did use seat cushions as a throwable devices sometimes on sailboats when I used to sail, but if the coast guard caught you sitting on your required throwable device they'd write you up in a heartbeat, so we'd usually have a ring or horseshoe throwable and the seat cushions would be just for sitting if we had them at all.
 
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oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Kayak Jack said:
Some cushions that I like, are Thermarest “trail seats”. Self inflating, cushy part is 16” X 12”. At first, I would take a fully inflated one, and blow in more air to make them more firm. WRONG! Best practice is to let it fully inflate, then hold a closed fist into it lying on a flat surface to push out some air, and close the valve. This provides a cushier seat of more area, making less PSI on your rump. As long as your butt bones aren’t pressing a solid surface - missing by only 1/16”, you’re sitting on air!
They also make a cushion for lumbar support (nominal 16” X 5”). You can sit on these during the day paddling, and sleep on them at night as pillows.
Click to expand...

Jack....
As a kid way back then I was taught to fill the air mattress , then sit on it and let the air out till my bottom just touched the ground. Then when you laid out on it , it conformed to your body.
I still do it today. In the hammock I use a self inflating Thern-a-rest ( Mummy style full length ) and inflate it 1/2 to 3/4 of the way. Then it forms to me and the hammock for a great nights sleep.
 
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