New Build...Questions?

[fenix1]

Hi everyone, i'm Charlie. After reading every post on here at least 3 times i decided to go for it! I built a pirogue bout 40 years ago and i loved it. Had it bout 4 years till somebody stole it. Really loved that little boat but for some reason never built another. Anyways, ordered the resin(poly), cloth, and tape from "Jamestown" Friday and am going to town Monday ta get the plywood, 1x2's for ribs and rub rails, door stop for inwales, and material for the stems. Gonna build it 15'6" x 26 1/2" if i can squeeze that much out. Planning on taping inside and outside seams with 3"(6oz.)tape and then covering the bottom and part of sides with 38"(6oz.)cloth. Planning on "scarffing" joints for sides and bottom and am hoping especially the sides(10")turn out well cause i really love the natural beauty of the wood and would really HATE having to paint it! Am a disabled vet(Nam). Been single now for 4 years, just me and my female Black Lab. So having to kinda do things on the "cheap" from scratch. I gotta good eye and all the tools except a table saw but...anyways, my questions are, (1)what is the best thing to use to apply the fillet material to the inside seams? Syringe, empty caulk tube, etc. My main goal is not making a mess no more than i have to and am planning on masking on each side of the seam as well...and (2)what would be best for the stems? 2x2, 2x4 and what angle should i cut em for a 15'6"er? Am so looking forward ta building my boat. I haven't been this excited bout anything these past 4 years since my divorce, it kinda took the wind outta my sails. But, after stumbling on ta UJ's website and seeing all those people from all over with their pirogues man that really brought back some beautiful memorys. Made me realize there IS life after divorce. I live just 3 miles from Toledo Bend Reservoir on the border of Louisiana and Texas. The main channel(river)is at least a mile or more from the bank so there's all kinds of good water to fish in out of a pirogue. And, Lord willing i'll be doing just that in a couple of weeks! I'd really appreciate your' help and any suggestions ya might have. Thanks...charlie

 

[oldsparkey]

The fillets are easy to do....... My way of doing them.
I take a brush ( cheep foam one ) and epoxy the seam and about an inch or more out on each side of the seam. Let it cure , overnight , Then lay down some masking tape on each side of the seam with the width between the tape the same distance I want the fillet to be. That is usually about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.
The reason for epoxying the sides of the seam is so when you put down the masking tape and later on pull it , it will not pull any wood with it.

Then I mix my epoxy resin with the wood flour and make sure it is a good mix , no lumps , now I mix in the hardener and make sure it is mixed really well. Then I take that and add it into a syringe that I have and run a bead down the seam. When the epoxy and wood flour mix is gone I rinse out the syringe with some acetone and after the syringe is nice and clean I go and smooth out the bead for the fillet.
Then I mix more epoxy and wood flour and keep repeating the process till the fillets are done.

My favorite smoothing tool is an old charge card. If you use one make sure the black ( magnetic ) strip is up and not touching the epoxy mix , if it does you will have some of that black strip in your fillet. After about an hour I pull the tape and then have the fillet done and by using the masking tape the fillet has nice sharp , clean , edges. Don't forget to pull that tape or it can become a perminate part of your boat.

Not sure about your stems and which wood to use , that is the builders choice since it is going to be his boat.

I like to tell folks that planning , preparation and understanding the steps are what makes a boat , especially the preparation. Taking time to get everything just right makes the boat come together a lot easier.

 

[fenix1]

Filletting the seams like that sure sounds like the best way ta do it. Have read bout 4 different ways ta cut the stems and bout 4 different angles. Think i'm gonna rip a 2x4 down ta 2x3 and then put a 17 1/2* cut on each side(35*). Seems like anything more than that would be a little too much. Anyways, gonna cut em and see. Really looking forward ta this. I haven't been this enthused bout anything in a long time. Even went out to the storage and checked on my trotlines and yo-yo's today and my tackle boxes. The "bream" are starting to bed up the past few days and everyone's catchin' em right and left even on the bank. Can hardly wait. I really appreciate ur help and hope to share my progress here in a week or so. Thanks Much, Charlie

 

[seedtick]

Don't know ezactly what you're building but 17 1/2 degrees seems a bit skinny for a stem piece

poke around here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8404&hilit=curved+stem

 

[FloatingBear]

Just a shot in the dark. Maybe 20 degrees on those stems.