Modified JEM Crawdad SS&G

[oldbuffpilot]

I found the rollers at Home Depot and cut each in half which worked out really good when glassing the boats. One half of a roller for one batch of epoxy. Also found the foam brushes at Home Depot that I used for the final touch up. I could use one brush a couple of times before it got tossed.
Something that worked good with the rollers was a disposable plastic paint tray liner in the paint tray. Made cleaning the paint trays easy , just let the epoxy set up after the 2nd batch and pull it out of the tray.the next day. When some epoxy refused to leave then I started a new tray.
I found with the epoxy spread out in the deeper portion of the tray it did not set up as fast in the tray and gave me a little more working time.

Thanks Chuck, I appreciate the suggestions. Do you (or anyone) have suggestions for the very tiny bubbles in the epoxy? I've been able to control the large bubbles that form as temperature rises, but can't get rid of the tiny nearly invisible ones. Tipping with a foam brush helps a lot. Maybe I need to pay attention to what Fla Mike once advised : "Perfect is the Enemy Of Good"
Thanks for the reply,
Andy

 

[Kayak Jack]

Andy, my boats fall into the "50 footer" category. They look pretty good from about 50 foot away. But, as you draw closer, well. . . .
My boats are a tool to accomplish a job. All of that job is on the water, and none of it is for spectators. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

 

[oldbuffpilot]

Jack,,I know how you feel. I don't know how many times I've stated to paint a wooden boat and some one has talked me out of it.! In Texas I often launch launch where there are other folks and the "did you build that " conversation starts. Kind'a enjoy that for a while. Not a problem in Kansas-- very few people-- and I know most of them! First freeze tonight, crappie should be bunching up, I'm ready.

Good Fish'n
Andy

 

[oldsparkey]

The only trick i have as to the bubbles is to do the initial epoxy work as the temperature is cooling down not as it is warming up.
The reason is simple........ The wood in the boat has air in the cells since it was a living item. As the temperature increases the air in the wood increases ( expands ) and eventually will escape the wood causing the bubbles. If you do the epoxy work as the temperature is falling the air in the wood will cool ( condense ) and stay in the wood.
I would do a epoxy saturation coat in the evening and after it cured then do the glass and epoxy the following evening just to play it safe.
I didn't follow that routine one time and learned my lesson. Lots of bubbles appearing as the tempeeture in the shop increased before the epoxy had cured. Did a lot of dry brushing that time.

 

[oldbuffpilot]

Thanks Chuck, That's good advice and a pretty good summary of what I'm doing. My results are OK, just not where I'd like them for a boat like the one I donated. It was on display and I waned to be proud of it. The last epoxy coat had with a few bubbles that disappeared when I sanded with 320 for varnish. I don't anticipate anyone but a few fish see this one!

Andy

 

[Kayak Jack]

Andy, make that MANY, many fish!

 

[oldbuffpilot]

Thanks Chuck, That's good advice and a pretty good summary of what I'm doing. My results are OK, just not where I'd like them for a boat like the one I donated. It was on display and I waned to be proud of it. The last epoxy coat had with a few bubbles that disappeared when I sanded with 320 for varnish. I don't anticipate anyone but a few fish see this one!

Andy

Thanks for the replies. I decided to think about the tiny air bubbles and was re-reading what Chuck said and it dawned om me --- I knew that! Thanks Chuck. here is a link that I read a few years ago when the the bubbles were a threat to finishing out the JEM TV 12-32 that I donated to a charity for raffle. Just like Chuck said! I now have the luxury of heat and air in the shop. Back to fill coats.
http://www.laughingloon.com/epoxy.html
Fishing next week!

Andy

 

[oldsparkey]

Andy.......

As far as any mistakes in the process of building your boat , Don't worry about them. You will know where they are but someone looking at it will not see them. SO , if you do not point them out your secret is safe.

Considering all the fish you will fill the boat with , Remember it's called fishing ....NOT catching fish , cause most of the time the fish don't coporate.

 

[oldbuffpilot]

Well it's been a few weeks without post. I spent a week taking one daughter and three cousins and from Indiana fishing. Four 50 some year old women everyday in the boat! It was a blast!

Just got back to working on the boat and then this weekend ended up spending three days in the hospital, gallbladder surgery now recovered enough to sit at the puter.
Below are some of the smaller jobs that I like to do while the fill coats are setting up.
Need some corner braces for the transom. I cut them out of scrap from the deck, glassed them and will epoxy in later.

I like to make a bow tie rope like we see on here often. Ron (Texas River Rat) posted how he ties the knot, It's posted on here somewhere. I simply put a piece of 1/2"PVC through the bow. I drill pilot holes with a long 1/4 ' bit and run it through both sides of the bow to make sure it is symmetrical, if not drill a new one. Then I use a step bit, which cuts a nice clean hole about any size. Mine are expensive metal cutters, but Harbor Freight has some less expensive. Epoxy the PVC in place, cut off flush, sand and you're done.

For the front deck I make a pattern out of cardboard and trace onto paper, cover with plastic and glue up the rough shape. I like to use the 23 gauge pin nailer for gluing the strips. My planer is only 13" so the deck is initially made in two parts, Then epoxied together glassed and it's ready to epoxy on the boat..I think I've learned that big deck supports aren't necessary and just glue in some simple supports.

More next week!
Good Fish'n

Andy

 

[oldbuffpilot]

or this post we start with the inwhales. I like to put them in before the deck and transom supports. I cut the "rails" and spacers. I like to make the spacers thick enough for 1/4 rope to fit through the slots. Also it is easier to route the rail edges, round off the spacer corners, sand, and coat the parts with epoxy before assembling the inwhales.



First put the spacers in with epoxy and let set at least overnight. It's important to take time to clean up the epoxy around the spacers at this time. Next day glue the rails in place. On this boat I used spring clamps and reinforced with 23 gauge pin nails through the rails and into the spacers the pins become invisible.

To epoxy the deck supports in I tape another stick of wood to the deck support to hold them in place while the epoxy sets. Always cover the pieces you don't want glued in place with packing tape.

I epoxied the front deck and transom braces in place simply by masking the boat sides and running an epoxy bead on the top edge of the sides. Once again clean up the epoxy when you glue these down, it's near impossible later. I have shot bags I use on a regular basis. Also I put some shot in tubes made of pump discharge hose. They come in handy to weight and hold parts in place. That's a trick left over from building airplanes.

The decks are trimmed with the multi tool. It's a great value at harbor freight.

Next round off the junction of the deck and sides with 80 grit on a stick.

On this boat I used 3.5 ounce on the deck. I think it will leave a better overlay seam. I define this overlap seam by taping off where two cedar strips join. Then when epoxy is "green set" I bend the tape over like a hinge and cut the glass with a utility knife. Then scrape and sand the overlay seam. It literally disappears with one coat of epoxy.

n

Had a check up today for last weeks surgery. One more week and cleared to anything but heavy lifting. Gonna be a hard decision---- Crappie fish or boat build!
Good Fish'n
Andy

 

[Kayak Jack]

Looks like a good fishing tool, Andy. Like you, I like the ventilatrd gullels. Handy to drain out water when the boat is rolled onto its sude. Also handy when lashing gear in place. Also, a very strong, light weight beam.

 

[oldbuffpilot]

Finished, well just about needs varnish after the epoxy cures a week or so. I'll get to that next spring when we return from Texas.

The deck needs a splash board both for function and also probably for strength. I cut, planed, and rounded the edges of a cedar fence board.Then made a card board pattern to ensure a good fit, routed a groove for the deck to fit into, and glued the board in place. Covered the splash board with 3.5 oz fiberglass and epoxy.

Next are the rod holders, which also serve as supports for the "tumble home" panels. I often fish with long poles and thought these type of holders might keep the poles out of the way when not in use, time will tell. They added quite a bit of rigidity to the top side panels.

The rest of finishing this project consisted of epoxy/graphite/rockite on the bottom and a final fill coat on the boat.

Thanks to Bee Keeper for his research on the bottom coatings, This is the third boat that I have used rockite in the epoxy graphite mix. I'm convinced it is more gouge resistent. However, as always another lesson! If a little is good more must be better? I mixed two heaping spoons each of Graphite and rockite in 3 oz of epoxy. The result, a really rough non skid surface! After a couple hours of sanding it off, I went back to my original one heaping spoon each of graphite and rocktite in 3 oz of epoxy. It is important to make sure the edge of the masking tape is sealed really good as the black mixture seeps easily.

here are a few pictures of the finished boat.

IT was a fun build,even with some time out to get rid of that pesky gall bladder! Can't wait until the crappie head up the creeks to try it out..



A picture of why us old folks head for Texas in the winter. Six inches of snow and 50 kt winds are a good enough reason for me!

Good Fish'n, Andy

 

[Kayak Jack]

Very nice looking boat, Andy. Will you be installing a "mast step" to accomodate that Christmas tree?

 

[texastom]

Nice work as always. I agree with Bee Keeper doing a great service for all of us with his experiments. Thanks for the receipe that works for you. I've made a note of it.

 

[Kayak Jack]

I've not used Rockite. My boats were built before JD let us know about ir. But, the first time I paddled through gobs of seaweed after adding graphite to the epoxy - WOW! It was so little added frag that I couldn't tell. Before, the boat stopped dead in between strokes; now it just glides on.

 

[beekeeper]

The boat looks very nice. The finish brings out the wood and craftsmanship.
I,m glade you like the Rockite/epoxy coating. I also found out too much is not always better. I was once using Rockite/epoxy without graphite, and it came out very hard but not as smooth as I would like. I did not sand it off, but oped to coat it with epoxy/graphite. Another problem with using too much Rockite may be that the coating will not flex with the floor and crack.

 

[oldsparkey]

I've not used Rockite. My boats were built before JD let us know about ir. But, the first time I paddled through gobs of seaweed after adding graphite to the epoxy - WOW! It was so little added frag that I couldn't tell. Before, the boat stopped dead in between strokes; now it just glides on.

After I read that article in sailing about the use of epoxy and graphite on the bottom. It was on Americas sail boat for a upcoming race. If it made the bottom slippery then it should be great and make paddling threw the weeds easier. I had to try it. I coated the one pirogue with the epoxy and graphite bottom and paddled threw the weeds at Lake Kathryn. After my test paddle I handled the paddle over to David and he tried it. That was when we came up with the term 4 wheel drive for a boat .

I got a tickle from ( The old crew 18 years ago ) when I posted the results but then some else tried it and found out it is slick. ...As they say .." the rest is history "