Curving the edges on a Pirogue before glassing?

[stevesteve]

Hi All,

I have stuck the bottom on and it looks more like a boat.

I masked the seams with brown packing tape as I didn't have any real masking tape to hand and I was too impatient.

The results were pretty good (I rounded this with a tongue depressor stick). Even though the tape left brown adhesive on the ribs etc it scraped off much more easily than a smeared fillet would have done.

I have now put two overlapping glass tape strips down each seam on the inside and epoxied them in place.

My current question concerns the outside seam or chine where the sides meet the bottom.

I have run the power plane over this edge to form a flat bevel as you can see. Should I now round this off with the RO sander before glassing or should I leave it bevelled?

If it should be curved before glassing (reasonably tight weave cloth), what sort of radius should I be looking to create?

 

[Kayak Jack]

Get it round so the glass will lay nicely. No smaller than an 1/8" (4mm) radius. Get things nice, round, and smooth as a schoolmarm's leg.

 

[JEM]

yep, round them off. Otherwise you'll be fighting the glass the entire time.


Question: Why two layers of tape on the seams? Nothing wrong with doing that. Just curious.

 

[stevesteve]

Thanks Jack,
Curved and smooth it will be then (I'm married to the schoolmarm!). 8)

Matt,
The chap who supplied the epoxy etc builds boats himself and suggested using 50mm (2") tape. He puts two strips down with 30%-50% overlap. This gives a double thickness over the most stressed part of the joint.

If I can be bothered at some time I might make a couple of test joints and see if this really does make a difference. Either way, The epoxy has set like steel now and the joints look pretty tough.

Back to planing and sanding then :shock:

 

[hairymick]

Heya Steve,

That is looking great mate. Beautiful neat fillet work and lovely joinery work on the ribs. She is gonna be a real nice little boat. I think you will be surprised at all the envious glances you get wherever you take her.

 

[stevesteve]

Thanks Mick,

That's praise indeed coming from yourself. I was pleased with the filleting. I wanted to keep it as neat as possible. I have splashed a bit with the epoxy but all that does is show up the grain. Once it is all sanded, epoxied and varnished it should look quite pretty.

I decided to make all the ribs etc rather than buying a kit. I was given a bandsaw for Christmas by my inlaws which helped with the bevelled edges. Don't know how the UJ ribs are joined in the kits but I went for a half lap joint and made the bracing blocks to fit. All glued up with epoxy/woodflour then routed with a rounding-over bit to give it a smooth shape.

Next stop flip her over and finish the seams... then the bit I'm most nervous about... the external glassing!

 

[oldsparkey]

The external glassing is a cake walk compared to doing the inside.

Chuck.