I have started the Bayou Skiff....

[oldsparkey]

Chuck
Man that boat is really looking good there
The idea you have of putting a filet of thickened epoxy on the top of the transom sounds like a great idea to me. Have no idea why I didn't think of it first, sure sounds like better protection than just the wood trim pieces. Don't know when I've enjoyed watching some one else build a boat more

PS. More pictures please (especially of the top of the transom when you get to it )

:lol: :lol: :lol: You will get the mess that is on there before it is sanded and I do make a mess when doing it. Then the one after it is sanded. Pictures are worth a lot of words or explanation.

Trying to keep everyone abreast on what I am doing and the pictures will keep them coming since I want this as a build record on how I am doing it , both on here and for the designer to reefer to or anyone wanting to build one. Might be a little boring when someone looks at them on some of the steps ......Yep that is the next step , so what is new , sort of thing. For the new folks it is something to think about and look at.

"O" Something I did not say and is not in the pictures , The corners of the blocks where they meet the sides and the transom , at the wood flour filleted area , are rounded off with a 1/4 inch gap in them that will let water drain off , either in to the boat in case of rain when using it or out of the boat when washing it out and back at home.

Chuck.

 

[oldsparkey]

Have the transom filleted yesterday afternoon ................

This morning I managed to sand it and brushed a coat of epoxy on the fillet , makes a difference.

In place of this .............

In the morning , she gets flipped over and I start on the bottom , when it is done , then back upright and I can add in the goodies to complete it.

Chuck.

 

[oldsparkey]

Chuck
You were right (as usual) that does set off the rest of your fillets. This is something else to add to my meager arsenal of boat building knowledge. Can't wait till it warms up enough here to start my next project with the grandkids.

PS:what ever you do don't paint over that transom :!:

Ha Ha Ha , I just get lucky at times with my thinking. Or as some folks tell me , Even a Blind Hog will find an Acorn now and then.

As far as the boat ( Skiff ) The only paint you will see on there will be on the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides and it is a Poly (epoxy) paint with Teflon in it. ( Something I have used in the past ) Expensive but some good stuff and stinks to High Hell when using it no matter how many fans are going.

Not sure if I said it on here or on some of the back channel chatter but the boat will be varnished ( When done ) with some that has tons of UV Protection ( according to them ) then a coat of the same brand of Satin varnish over it ( It does not have any UV Protection in it ) but does offer a soft glow to the wood when you look at it. Both are made for boats by some reliable folks...... Not the Min Wax crap. :evil:

Just taking my time and trying new things and ideas as I go along.... Will take a break in three weeks from this project for a week long camping trip and sleeping in a Hammock for some R an R on a river bank enjoying a camp fire for just the heck of it. ( That's Rest an Relaxation for you folks who were not in the military)

Can't be working on new boats all the time , have to take some time to have fun with the boats we already have.

Chuck.
Besides it is almost a tradition with me , over half way when building a new one , take one I already have and dissapear for a week with it. More time to think about things.

 

[Bellybuster]

well done on the skiff Chuck. I'm really enjoying your build as I'm stuck out in Vancouver until the spring. My junior boat builders are anxious for me to get home and restart our builds. Thanks for the updates

 

[oldsparkey]

With the neighbors help , we got the skiff out of the shop and set on a couple of saw horses. I set up some boxes on the table and we flipped the skiff over and moved it back in. ( Banana Boxes from the grocery store work really well as supports for the boat when flipped over)
Now for the bottom , have it sanded , the screws removed and as soon as the weather will let me some wood flour and epoxy to fill the screw holes.

Front view.

A look from the backside.

This is the bow where the side boards meet the stem piece , it needs to be filled with a fillet of epoxy and wood flour as soon as the weather warms up , it will look the same as the transom does after I sand the fillet down.

A closer look at the area that needs filling. The wood flour and epoxy will add a lot of strength to it.

Then I can epoxy saturate the boat , sand it lightly and glass it. ( I also took a "T" Square and a pencil and marked where the water line will be so later I have that as a reference point for the tape , it is easier to see the marks on the wood then later on the glass. Besides the paint on the bottom will hide the marks when it is on there.) The above picture ... under the word ... " filling " if you look closely you can see the marks. One is near the top screw hole on the right side in the picture the other is across from it.

Chuck.
Bellybuster .. I am making a running record of the build so when someone makes one they can use this as a reference to go by , if they want to. As I told Uncle John , when it is done then just the completed pictures in the bragging section ( Providing it floats :wink: ) and a link to this on how I built it.

 

[Bellybuster]

( Providing it floats )

I'm pretty sure she'll float just fine

 

[oldsparkey]

From this ............ Which really needs filling with something.

To This........... With some wood flour and epoxy.

Then this......... After waiting about an hour to pull the tape.

Finally the way it should look.............

The weather is cooling down so there may not be any progress reports for a few days unless the weather folks are wrong but it sure feels like they will be correct on there predictions.

Chuck.

 

[Bellybuster]

lookin good.
Nice touch I used to use when building furiture was where screws were used, put in bit too large brass screw then sand top off. It leaves a nice brass pin effect.
She's gonna be a purdy boat

 

[oldsparkey]

Pulled the brass screws and got the holes filled with the wood flour mix.... Yesterday I mixed a little epoxy and shot it in the screw holes so it would soak into the ribs and the panel before the screw holes were finished / capped off with the dark wood flour mix. Might call the clear epoxy a non metal screw to seal things then the mix to complete the job.

Something I am not ready to do but will have everything here when it is time to do it , have to get the glass the outside 1st.

I called CLC Boats ( Mark and I had a good conversation about finishing off boats ) and got the Brightsides (epoxy with Teflon in it ) paint for the bottom. Used it on several boats in the past and really like it.

Also ( Trying something new ) ordered the Brightsides Schooner Gold varnish and they verified that it has a 5000 UV block in it. :shock: . Then completed the order with the satin varnish ( Brightsides ) to go over it to give the boat a nice warn ( not glossy ) coat. The satin does not have any UV protection in it so it is for looks , not UV protection , that is why it will be the last coat of varnish on the boat.

So much simpler and quicker to just paint it and skip all of this but I enjoy the wood showing in a wood boat , extra work but rewarding to me and it is going to be my boat. As I said , trying some new stuff and ideas on this one but still doing it the old way , for me.

Mark told me he could not guarantee when it would be shipped since they have 30 inches of snow outside there place and more coming down. I advised him that we are in the 50's and looking at some frost this coming week without getting out of the 50's so no big hurry. Epoxy does not like it when it is under the middle 60's so my progress is at a stand still till it warms up. About noon the temp started going down , the rain getting heavier and not a good time or weather to try to build a boat.

Chuck.

 

[hairymick]

Dang!

i just ordered the plans for this one.

Mine will be a lil different than Chucks (different purposes) and not as pretty but oh boy, here here we go again. 8)

Bloody good to be back

 

[oldsparkey]

Dang!

Mine will be a lil different than Chucks 8)

Bloody good to be back

Yep , yours might be made before mine if this weather keeps up...... All the time in the house around the fireplace then out doing something constructive like building a boat.

Chuck

 

[seedtick]

oldsparkey wrote
Pulled the brass screws and got the holes filled with the wood flour mix.... Yesterday I mixed a little epoxy and shot it in the screw holes so it would soak into the ribs and the panel before the screw holes were finished / capped off with the dark wood flour mix. Might call the clear epoxy a non metal screw to seal things then the mix to complete the job

Tell me why you put screws in then pull them out and backfill

is it just to save weight?

 

[oldsparkey]

oldsparkey wrote
Pulled the brass screws and got the holes filled with the wood flour mix.... Yesterday I mixed a little epoxy and shot it in the screw holes so it would soak into the ribs and the panel before the screw holes were finished / capped off with the dark wood flour mix. Might call the clear epoxy a non metal screw to seal things then the mix to complete the job

Tell me why you put screws in then pull them out and backfill

is it just to save weight?

It's just me , I don't like any metal in my boats if it is possible , rather have them all wood and glass then any metal in there. I know I could counter sink the screws and have there brass heads showing but that would be to easy and not as much fun or time consuming.

I use them to hold everything when it is dry fitted together , then when it is ready I loosen them and put epoxy between the joints ( Such as the sides and ribs) and screw them back to hold it together till the epoxy dries. Then I use what I call an epoxy screw , it is epoxy shot into the screw hole to fill it and let it be adsorbed into the wood of both pieces. Normally takes two applications and when the epoxy sets up then fill in the top of the hole with the epoxy and wood flour mix , sand it flush with the sides and have that small dark cap showing.

Chuck.

 

[oldsparkey]

I am SOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo sick of this dam Global Warming. The last chance I had of working on the skiff was back on the 9th of this month...... Now it is the 16th and they say the weather will not get to 70 till Monday at the earliest , the 21st....... If the weather folks are guessing correctly. :evil:

That is 11 days lost , if I am lucky. At this rate I will not have it complected till May or June when it normally warms up around here and a person can build a boat in no time..... Not like this weather , work on it one day , take a week or longer off then work on it a day and repeat the taking time off........

To quote an old saying ..... "I'm Burning Daylight"... "Treading Water" , Going Nowhere" , "Taking a step forward and three backwards" ... It is Dis-cust-a-pating and sure looks like I will not have it done for when I wanted it completed for the rendezvous.

Chuck.

 

[hairymick]

I am SOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo sick of this dam Global Warming. The last chance I had of working on the skiff was back on the 9th of this month...... Now it is the 16th and they say the weather will not get to 70 till Monday at the earliest , the 21st....... If the weather folks are guessing correctly. :evil:

That is 11 days lost , if I am lucky. At this rate I will not have it complected till May or June when it normally warms up around here and a person can build a boat in no time..... Not like this weather , work on it one day , take a week or longer off then work on it a day and repeat the taking time off........

To quote an old saying ..... "I'm Burning Daylight"... "Treading Water" , Going Nowhere" , "Taking a step forward and three backwards" ... It is Dis-cust-a-pating.

Chuck.

Waa Waa Waa, Sook moan whine,

Ya can have about 30 of my degrees if you like mate. No problem


My plans arrived yesterday and I spent a whole 20 minutes studying them. Man are they simple! 3 sheets of ply - a few sticks of pine for ribs and a couple of gunwhales. I just can't wait to get started on this one.

Will start my own lil thread in a few days.

 

[Bellybuster]

betchya can't beat Chuck to the finish.....hehehe

 

[oldsparkey]

Brown (UPS) just dropped off the paint for the bottom of the Skiff and both of the varnishes I want to use on it , YEP ... Two of them.

The "Paint" is a Poly paint (epoxy) with Teflon in it and the one varnish has a 5,000 sun block but it is a gloss so I got the Satin to go over it which has no UV protection. This way I have the sun protection and the warm glow of the satin when it is done.

As I said this build will take some time since I am trying some new things and am not in a hurry , especially with this lousy weather we hare having that keeps setting me back on the build.

By the way the Poly paint is not something new to me , I have used it on several boats and still have almost a full can of the primer for it , so that was not in this purchase.
Two coats of the primer , two days , then one day sanding it ( 3 days shot ) and then three coats of the paint , one day apart. It all takes time...........

They say the weather will warm up later this week so then I can get back to work on the Bayou Skiff. Get the outside done , flip it over and complete the inside.

As you can see it is going to take some time ,weather permitting since I still need to epoxy saturate the outside and glass it before doing all of the rest , two or three days more to get that done the way I do it before tacking the above process with the paint which takes a week or two to completely cure , normally I give it a month before getting it wet. Yep.... Looking at some time here to get it done.
The good news is the end is in Sight for me.

Chuck.

 

[beekeeper]

.......Have the one , all I need to do is like beekeeper did and make a base to set it in to raise it to the 8 inches that is recommended for the seat height.
IF.... It is needed since the Skiff and the Pirogue both have 12 inch side boards , the skiff is only wider. Have to get it complemented to find out.

Then make another in case someone goes with me.

If you have not decided on how to do the seats here are a couple more ideas:

A swivel base to place your pirogue seat:

The swivel base will raise the seat 8.5" or 10.5".

This base will raise the seat 10.5" or 12.5". It could be made to swivel as well:

I have not had a chance to try either, but it could be a starting point for you.

beekeeper

 

[leeh]

Dang, Chuck, that looks nice. I can tell you've built a few already.

Can I refer you back a few pages and ask a question? When you had the bottom glued on oversized, did you trim it out with your pull saw? I've been thinking ahead on my build about the deck panels and how to make em fit, and the obvious easiest way is to let em hang over the gunnel, glue em down and trim em off. But I don't think I want to take that on with a jigsaw. So, presuming you did use the pull saw, exactly what am I looking for there . . . if I want to be like Chuck, I mean?

I've been working every step of the way with scrapers and the DA to try to keep my stuff smooth, but after seeing yours, I can see I need to get back in there and work it some more.

That's one purty little boat !

 

[oldsparkey]

The seats are beekeepers handicraft and I do like the idea of the swivel base , would drill a drain hole in the flat part in case of rain. This way the water would not back up and get into the bearings in the swivel portion.

leeh.......

Yes . I fit the bottom on the boat and when it was epoxied in really good I trimmed off the overhang with my little pull saw. I like to have the bottom fasten and filleted into position before trimming it.
Then went back with the sander and rounded the edge off so the glass will lay on it when I finally get the weather to glass it.

Chuck.