The appearance of that shop is a disgrace to all of us.
Note to self -- PM MDS to see if he can come over and straighten out my shop.
Note to self -- PM MDS to see if he can come over and straighten out my shop.
Pirogue build in Delaware
- Thread starter mds
- Start date
You should see the disbelief on my wife's face when I tell her the garage is too clean. 
If I didn't have to keep if clean for the wife and two kids to go past to get in the car it would look much worse. As it is, she is on me to clean the garage and basement up now. For those whose shop looks like a storm just blew through and are tired of looking for "that thing I just saw yesterday, it was right there", rubbermaid containers and peg board. The rubbermaid are really tough, seals well and keep out the dirt you don't want in. Most of mine were bought on sale for $5 for the 18 gal. Peg board got the clamps out of a bucket and works sooo much better. I also have the garage lined with adjustable racks in every space a floor rack wouldn't cover and I put up just about anything that won't fall off.
Just finished the 2nd coat of graphite/aerosil/epoxy on the bottom. I had to sand the patches I tried to put in during the 1st coat. I also had to sand the high spots, as I thought, 1st mistake, the squeege and brush would work for top coating. I am hoping that I can make most of the streaking disappear with the next two coats. I think a fourth coat might be needed after some wet sanding. Another option, just use it until it needs a new coat. Repeat to yourself, form, fit, function, again... :mrgreen:
One additional build step to complete the rails, I will be putting a hard wood dowel every 6"or 12" to strengthen the rail and make sure it never seperates. I have tried soaking the dowels in tea and coffee to darken the end grain enough that sanding flush will look consistent, but neither did much. I made a jig to drill the holes, so I should be quick once the bottom is done.
If I didn't have to keep if clean for the wife and two kids to go past to get in the car it would look much worse. As it is, she is on me to clean the garage and basement up now. For those whose shop looks like a storm just blew through and are tired of looking for "that thing I just saw yesterday, it was right there", rubbermaid containers and peg board. The rubbermaid are really tough, seals well and keep out the dirt you don't want in. Most of mine were bought on sale for $5 for the 18 gal. Peg board got the clamps out of a bucket and works sooo much better. I also have the garage lined with adjustable racks in every space a floor rack wouldn't cover and I put up just about anything that won't fall off. Just finished the 2nd coat of graphite/aerosil/epoxy on the bottom. I had to sand the patches I tried to put in during the 1st coat. I also had to sand the high spots, as I thought, 1st mistake, the squeege and brush would work for top coating. I am hoping that I can make most of the streaking disappear with the next two coats. I think a fourth coat might be needed after some wet sanding. Another option, just use it until it needs a new coat. Repeat to yourself, form, fit, function, again... :mrgreen:
One additional build step to complete the rails, I will be putting a hard wood dowel every 6"or 12" to strengthen the rail and make sure it never seperates. I have tried soaking the dowels in tea and coffee to darken the end grain enough that sanding flush will look consistent, but neither did much. I made a jig to drill the holes, so I should be quick once the bottom is done.
Hey guys might as well back off about the too clean shop affliction. Us married guys understand why he keeps it clean. For you unmarried guys he explained it. "... she is on me to clean the garage and basement up now." I don't think he can be helped at this stage of his life. He obviously thinks he has something special in his organizational containers,peg board and adjustable racks. I have all that stuff in my shop, just can't find it under the sawdust, unfinished projects, and scattered tools. :lol:
beekeeper
Oops almost forgot ! Good looking boat.
beekeeper
Oops almost forgot ! Good looking boat.
rubbermaid containers and peg board.
The assimilation process is complete, so long my friend. Hope you at least get 1 outing in your new boat that you've worked so hard on
The assimilation process is complete, so long my friend. Hope you at least get 1 outing in your new boat that you've worked so hard on
Put another graphite/epoxy coat on last night and used a squeege to pop the air bubbles. This seemed to eliminate most of them. My son was to help with the drill for the rubrail dowels but he got so into paddling and fishing in the garage that I didn't get much of anything done. He was having a great time flinging that little weight around the garage. I hope this little boat brings us as much fun as he had in it sitting in the garage.
Good on ya, MDS. Keep him involved and engaged in those activities. When he gets older, and you look around and wonder where he is, He's likely to be involved in boating activities.
Try, though, to raise him to be honest - which means no fishing. He'll deteriorate down to someone who never tells the truth if he fishes. :wink:
Try, though, to raise him to be honest - which means no fishing. He'll deteriorate down to someone who never tells the truth if he fishes. :wink:
. . .but, Jack, fishing builds character and bonds a son to his father. . . 'Sides, 'at's what da boat is fer. . . . :lol:
Ain't it, mds?
mds. . . you have the makings of a good thing there with that young 'un. . . good on ya. . . .
BTW. . . that boat is lookin' good. . . . great job. . . . .
Ain't it, mds?
mds. . . you have the makings of a good thing there with that young 'un. . . good on ya. . . .
BTW. . . that boat is lookin' good. . . . great job. . . . .
That is a very nice and clean build. Beautiful boat.
Take the kid fishing and your blessing will grow before your eyes. I've been fishing with my oldest boy for over 40 years and it is still a blessing.
Oh, yeah . . . . Fishermen don't lie, they just exaaaagggggeeeerrrrate a lot. And that's the truth . . . . maybe. :mrgreen:
Take the kid fishing and your blessing will grow before your eyes. I've been fishing with my oldest boy for over 40 years and it is still a blessing.
Oh, yeah . . . . Fishermen don't lie, they just exaaaagggggeeeerrrrate a lot. And that's the truth . . . . maybe. :mrgreen:
looks great MDS, there was some serious yard fishing done when I built my pirogue, a little different style than garage fishing but fishing just the same
I am on the home stretch for launch next week. I completed the bottom graphite and then the sides last week. I installed 3/8" dowels every 6" along the length of the rub rail, 72 in all. It took some time but I think it will improve the strength of the rails because the dowel goes through both rails and the side ply. I made a drill jig to locate the holes so it was easy to repeat. I did get a bit of tearout even using a backer while drilling the holes.
I am pleased at the way they stand out and will keep the rail clear even after I paint the boat. I just put coated the inside again and should only need to do some touch-up coating on the inside.
I did find that the epoxy sags while curing, as the black on the wood shows. I checked when I did the sides and found a few dripping into the black, which I wiped off. With the weather turning colder soon, I decided to launch this next week without the final paint or varnish. I will have time to work on that over the winter in the basement. With the cold weather coming, the wife wants back in the garage. Next spring, after a few trips, I will decide if a skeg is needed and make any modifications.
I completed the bottom graphite and then the sides last week. I installed 3/8" dowels every 6" along the length of the rub rail, 72 in all. It took some time but I think it will improve the strength of the rails because the dowel goes through both rails and the side ply. I made a drill jig to locate the holes so it was easy to repeat. I did get a bit of tearout even using a backer while drilling the holes. I am pleased at the way they stand out and will keep the rail clear even after I paint the boat. I just put coated the inside again and should only need to do some touch-up coating on the inside.
I did find that the epoxy sags while curing, as the black on the wood shows. I checked when I did the sides and found a few dripping into the black, which I wiped off. With the weather turning colder soon, I decided to launch this next week without the final paint or varnish. I will have time to work on that over the winter in the basement. With the cold weather coming, the wife wants back in the garage. Next spring, after a few trips, I will decide if a skeg is needed and make any modifications.
Ran into a problem during the 1st coat of varnish. After a light sand I put on the varnish, that was Tuesday. Today is Sat and it is still tacky over about 80% of the area covered. I tried acetone to wipe it off with no luck. As I am launching tomorrow, I used scrapper, steel wool and sand paper to remove the varnish. It has taken several passes to get the most of the goo off. I am now at the stage of 1 pass with sandpaper, wipe off, sandpaper, as the balls of varnish left from the pass just get smeared in if you don't wipe them off. I am now looking at other options to the varnish. I was going to put extra coats on in the basement this winter and the smell of the varnish would not have permitted that. I am still going to launch it tomorrow the way it is and will use the time between now and spring to detail it out.
mds, nice build. What type of varnish did you use? I redid some canoe paddles and boat oars last summer. I used Varathane Oil Based Spar Varnish, and in 90 degree temperature, they still took 2 weeks to dry.
not the same, the amine is waxy/oily and sanding just spreads it around
some epoxies "blush" more than others and some even claim to be non-blushing
but a quick washing is easier than scrapeing off varnish that hasn't dried
some epoxies "blush" more than others and some even claim to be non-blushing
but a quick washing is easier than scrapeing off varnish that hasn't dried
After waiting 3 days for the epoxy to fully cure I scratched up the epoxy coat with 150 sand paper then did a good wipe down with acetone to remove any remaining blush. The varnish is Cabot Gloss Spar Varnish from Lowe's. Even after scraping most of the varnish off yesterday and today being warm with some rain, it is still very sticky. I am repurposing an old table base I made since the top is now my wife craft table and putting it in the basement. The launch is next weekend since the weather didn't work today and my daughter is sick. I may try the poly on the boat if the test sample dries overnight.
I did have some spring steel that I used for a work project that worked out well when I filed it into a radius scraper to remove the varnish. At least the learning makes it interesting. :mrgreen:
I did have some spring steel that I used for a work project that worked out well when I filed it into a radius scraper to remove the varnish. At least the learning makes it interesting. :mrgreen: