A new pirogue project in Tallahassee | Page 8 | SouthernPaddler.com

A new pirogue project in Tallahassee

PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
72
Tallahassee Florida
I couldn't resist sanding the bottom again and putting on another coat when I was doing the sides. The brush marks are pretty much gone. The whole outside of the boat is now olive drab. It looks good to my eye. BTW, the paint does look more olive drab and less hunter green than I initially thought now that it has a couple coats on and is dry.

I need to pad my saw horses before flipping it over. They are Toughbuilt folding ones that came with abrasive tops that would tear up the freshly painted bottom if I were to flip it now.

I suspect I may regret using the Hunters Specialties camo paint on the rails unless it dries much harder with a little more drying time. I guess time will tell. It has taken two coats to get decent coverage. I may either wind up living up with very visibly scuffed up rails or redoing them in the future. I guess neither would be the end of the world. I would be a little bummed out if the olive drab rubbed off on my pretty Bending Branches paddle from doing pries against the rails. I'll probably just dedicate composite canoe and double blade paddles to the pirogue. I have plenty that have accumulated over the years. Maybe, I'll paint the blade olive drab like the boat.

I think if I were doing it again I might have bought a returned gallon of exterior latex house paint from the bargain rack and had them mix a color I liked. I almost did that. I used to buy a gallon of top quality latex for $1 and paint several boats. Stores would mix them an off color as a deterrent for folks intentionally returning paint and coming back and buying it later for $1. Mixing it to something pleasant is easy enough if you aren't too fussy to get an exact color since they usually were a light color to start. Not sure what that $1 equates to in todays market, but last time I checked they still sold returned paint at a large mark down.
 

PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
72
Tallahassee Florida
I got a surprise when I weighed the pirogue this morning. I wondered how much weight it gained with the latest work I had done. My guess was that it would be 2-3# heavier now after painting. I lost track of what epoxy work and sanding was done since it weighed in at 30#. I was expecting 32-33# and wouldn't have been shocked it it weighed in at 35#. I was very pleasantly surprised when it weighed 28#. I did a lot of sanding so maybe that is possible, but I am suspicious that the scale isn't reliable, so I put some exercise dumbbells' on the bathroom scale I used that were nominally a total of 28# and it seems to read correctly.

I guess two things are probably at play here. Paint is heavy, but not as heavy as I thought and I sanded of more epoxy than I thought.

At some point I'll hang it on the spring fish scale that has a 50# capacity. I use that one to weigh luggage and it has matched other scales pretty reliably in the past so once the boat is complete I'll check it with that one and call that the "official" weight.

The inside had a pretty heavy last coat of epoxy so I think I just might actually sand off more weight than I add in paint there. Perhaps it will come in even lighter than the latest weigh in. More likely it will come in close to the same.

Regardless of whether the scale is accurate or not. I think the reading is close enough that I can say that I am pleased with the weight. This boat will be much easier to get to and from the local waters than my canoe. I think that will make for less inertia to overcome in getting out on the water.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Pete, did you put the boat directly onto the scale? Try having an observer; weigh just you; then you holding the boat free of any support.
Also, most scales read more accurately when on a firm, non-carpeted surface.

Any way around, a 28-30 pound boat is a lot easier to handle than a 55-60 pounder.
 

PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
72
Tallahassee Florida
Pete, did you put the boat directly onto the scale? Try having an observer; weigh just you; then you holding the boat free of any support.
Also, most scales read more accurately when on a firm, non-carpeted surface.
Yes I put it directly on the scale. I know that the scale isn't really designed for that range. I will get another reading the way you suggest at some point, but it is more important after sanding and painting is done. It may vary a pound or three yet one way or the other.

I did just hang it from the fish scale and it looked like 30# so that is at least in the ballpark.

Any way around, a 28-30 pound boat is a lot easier to handle than a 55-60 pounder.
That is definitely the truth. The difference between it and my Wenonah Escapade is quite obvious when handling them. I was kind of afraid I'd wind up with a boat that is no easier to handle when loading and unloading from vehicles or carrying to and from the water. I am pleased that isn't the case. Anything in the range it looks like it is coming in at makes me happy.
 

PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
72
Tallahassee Florida
Okay so I am waffling some more as usual. I flipped the boat over and sanded the inside. I plan to take her our for a test voyage or two before painting the inside, but not today. Thunderstorm warnings and even a tornado watch are in the forecast today.

I found that I like the look of having the inside and outside different colors and am not really super concerned that it is really "camo". I just don't want to be too alarming to the local wild life. I think maybe the color Hunters Specialties call "marsh grass" might look nice for the inside with the olive drab outside. I think it would be pretty and still be low key enough. Since I am looking like I might run out before I finish the can of olive drab that I have I may need to buy more paint any way so buying another color won't really be an extra expense.

I am toying with the idea of using latex exterior house paint for the inside of the boat. I can get it cheaper and mixed in any color I want. It is easy to apply and gives one coat coverage. Any reason it is a bad idea? I know it stands up to the weather for years and years. I think it should hold up to the traffic of me and Marley scuffing around in the boat. I am not too fussy if the floor gets a little scuffed up and lived in as long as it stays protected and not terrible looking. Scuff marks over time are okay even if they are permanent, bare epoxy after minimal use is not okay. I am not sure which of the two types of paint would be better in that regard.

The latex is also typically cheaper than the specialty camo paint even if I can't find some returned paint marked down. The marked down stuff can be dirt cheap, or at least I used to find it for a small fraction of the original price. I assume that is still the case, but have not checked lately.
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
I can't help with color choices, I'm colored blind. Posting some pictures of your boat could help with suggestions from others. I would like to see it no matter what color .
Latex paint has worked well for me and I use the mistake/returned bargain exterior most of the time.
The "camo" paint I had was very thin and did not seem to coat very well. Why does calling it "camo" make it any different/better house paint?
The most durable paint I have used was Rustolum Garage Floor two part epoxy paint. Used it on both inside and outside of the bottom and never had a scratch, gouge or worn spot reach the wood.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
On one of my kayaks, before adding the deck, I added white pigmented epoxy to the final coat of epoxy for the inside bottom. And pulleys in the stem ends. Long, circular ropes in the pulleys assisted getting the first items into and out of stem ends, and the white epoxy made it easy to see if anything was in there.
 

PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
72
Tallahassee Florida
I would like to see it no matter what color .
So far it looks like this:
1556

It has it's warts, but I think it will be functional.
 
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PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
72
Tallahassee Florida
I just bought some nice exterior latex in a what I guess you might call a brick red. It was marked down from $38 to $9 for a gallon because it was a return. I think it will look nice with the color of the outside of the hull. It is a satin instead of the flat finish I had planned though.

Edit:
After putting a coat on it looks like a much brighter peachy color than the more brick or terra cotta dot on the can seemed to indicate. So much for the camo look. :) I am okay with it though. Another picture to follow soon. Maybe the color will age/weather/get dirty and become more like color the dot on the can, since the dot is from the paint in the can. If not it will be a cheery peachy color.
 
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beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
Boat looks nice. It has simple and very clean lines,

"After putting a coat on it looks like a much brighter peachy color than the dot on the can seemed to indicate."
Now you know why it was returned. :rolleyes:
 

PeteStaehling

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
146
2
72
Tallahassee Florida
"After putting a coat on it looks like a much brighter peachy color than the dot on the can seemed to indicate."
Now you know why it was returned. :rolleyes:
Yeah. It is always hard to judge a color by a tiny dot as compared to a big expanse. Good news is the color did seem to tone down a bit as it dried. That or I am just getting used to it.

Of course, I don't have the option to return. The markdown stuff is final sale only.

The boat's finish and fine details are not great, but now that it is done I think I will soon forget all the flaws and just use it and enjoy it.

Maybe sometime I will make a pretty one again :) I did a varnished kayak once and it was beautiful. It was a lot of extra work and a pain to have to baby it though.