Started the Sasquatch 14 x 30 build.

[oldsparkey]

One side is done , when the last fillet is dry then we do it all over again on the other side.
I was wondering how I would get the canoe to stand on it's side for that last fillet. It's a good thing there are two boats hung from the rafters on PVC Pipe , just tied off to one of them and the problem was solved.

Mick...

The edges of the fillets will still require a little sanding but the whole interior will need some light sanding after it is epoxy saturated and preped for the fiberglass.

By the way I tried one of the foam brushes , it worked but not for a long time , took two to do the fillet since the acetone ate the foam up like a kid in a candy shop.

Still have the end pours to do after the fillets and before glassing.

Chuck.

 

[oldsparkey]

Smoothing out the edges of the fillets....................

Filleting two of the seams today I found the answer to nice sharp edged fillets.

After using the tape and letting the epoxy cure for an hour , I pulled the tapes , just like I have always done.
This leaves a rough but straight edge. In the past I would use a gloved finger dipped in some acetone to smooth out the rough edge. That leaves you with a cold finger and I'm sure some acetone gets threw the rubber and onto the finger.

Next I tried foam brushes , the acetone eats them in a rush and it would require a box of them to do a boat.

Today I tried one of the disposable (cheap ) 1 inch wide bristle brushes with the acetone.
It smoothed out the fillet edges and left them nice and sharp. Plus I did both fillets with it and will use it again in the morning on the last two fillets , one brush gives you a lot of mileage and does an outstanding job of getting rid of the rough edge.

It figures .... I only have two more to go and find the answer to making the job simpler and better.
I still have the outside to do but all those are only 1/8th of an inch and not as wide as the inside fillets.

Chuck.

 

[dangermouse01]

Mate, not being a smart arse here, but do you think the acetone might degrade the integrety of your fillet?

Talked to the leader of our Composites Lab today at work, they do ALOT of cloth layups (both glass & carbon fiber) for space satellite antenna, radomes & military stuff. Tom said to use Iso alcohol instead of Acetone. Acetone will act as a solvent and blow the properties of the epoxy.

Acetone vapors are more flammable than Iso and acetone is more easily absorbed thru the skin.

The Iso alcohol is also considered a solvent, but to a much lesser degree than acetone.

DM
mike

 

[JEM]

you know... rubbing alcohol doesn't make it taste any better.

 

[oldsparkey]

you know... rubbing alcohol doesn't make it taste any better.

That's for the outside of the sore builder and the other ink-ahol is for the inside , might say double duty. Attack the sore back from both angles , external and internal. :lol:

Mike did bring up a good point , or should I say one of his co-workers did , either way it is a good point and helpful information.
As my luck would prove , I have completed all the inside fillets when a good answer is made available. "O" Well , I will press on.

Have to figure a way to do the end pours without it raining on the canoe since it will have to be outside to get the correct angle. Yep , getting lazy , don't want to cut out a dam (form ) for the bow and stern to place in the canoe to do the end pours. The angles in the bow and stern would almost make it impossible due to the curve there is between the top and bottom where I want it. Would have to pour everything threw a 1/4 inch gap at the top ....... NO THANK'S.

I will figure a way to do it , that you can bet on. It might not be orthodox but as long as it works.

 

[JEM]

how about a big fillet or a series of them?

 

[oldsparkey]

how about a big fillet or a series of them?

Thought about that , sort of stacking them on top of one and the other.....Tried the base one today . worked really good with a thicker mix. Turned out really nice.

Chuck.

 

[dangermouse01]

Chuck;
Post here when you get the end pour stuff all finished, and then I will tell ya how to do them. :lol:

Actually, Matt's idea sounds logical to me, and probably the way I would do it.

DM
mike

 

[oldsparkey]

Will do , when they are done or in the process of being done. The base of the end pours are a good place to put the left over fillet material as you work on the boat .... Then do the end pour to make everything look good and to bury the mess you made there. Never tell anyone , they would never know. :roll: :lol:

Chuck.
These ain't the 1st ones I have done , No Sir ... No Way. :wink:

 

[oldsparkey]

Decided to cheat on the end pours. The weather is not cooperating with me at the lease , if anything it is just trying to make it harder for me. So I'm bypassing the weather.

Wasn't going to do it but decided to ........ Doing two small decks on the canoe with what might be called a very small bulkhead. I have some 1/8th inch wood ( left overs from the last boat ) so I cut out some cardboard and after three cuts managed to get a good template to use to mark and then cut the wood.

Right now it is epoxy saturated and flat on some plexiglass drying , will do the backside of them later today then put them in the canoe in the morning , fillet the sides and roll on. It will become the dumping area for all the unused epoxy while working on the canoe. Later I will add the decking all 2 inches of it , to close it off.

Ther's more then one way to do it. :lol: "O" By the way I have a good 3/4 inch thick bead of the fillet material running along the seam at the bow and stern to secure and seal the seams. I guess you could say the little bulkheads will be decorative ( besides adding some strength ) to hide the mess behind them. :roll:

Chuck.

 

[oldsparkey]

Cheating again on the canoe. I usually make my thwarts by laminating some 1/4 by 1 and 1/4 inch pine lattice strips , then epoxied together and sanded to the shape I want , that works really good.

Home Depot has some 3/4 inch wood doweling ( some type of wood from China ) and it weighs nothing , light as a feather.
They will be the thwarts and the two hand holds for picking up the canoe or tying off a rope to them for the tie downs (Safety lines) on the front and rear of the Jeep when car topped.
I will give them a steroid treatment (epoxy saturation ) to beef them up and if necessary a layer of fiberglass. 8)

This canoe will be a international representative with the wood in it. The ply is what Matt gets , I think it is from a plantation in South America or from the Philippines , Then some pine strips from the southern USA ,( my bet , it's Georgia) Some Red Wood from California and last but not lease some sort of wood from China. "O" and a couple of chunks of some cheep Luann from someplace here in the states. :lol:

Chuck.
Just trying some new things to keep the weight down on my 100 pound :lol: canoe , wish I could do the same with me. :roll:

 

[Kayak Jack]

You beat me to it, Mouse. Acetone is nothing to play with. Flammable to nearly the point of explosive. Will go through gloves and into skin. It affects the body in bad ways.

Two liquids that would be worse - Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) and nitroglycerin.

 

[oldsparkey]

You beat me to it, Mouse. Acetone is nothing to play with. Flammable to nearly the point of explosive. Will go through gloves and into skin. It affects the body in bad ways.

Two liquids that would be worse - Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) and nitroglycerin.

Boy's and Girls ......Nitroglycerin is our friend and traveling companion , not the weak stuff , pharmaceutical quality , the good chit , top grade , USA 100% great and a grand bang for your buck.
You should never leave home without it.

Chuck.

 

[oldsparkey]

The inside is almost done , this is the epoxy saturation coat , sanding in the morning then the glass for the inside , rub rails and thwarts , later the seat.

A closer look..........

Chuck.

 

[JEM]

8) 8) 8)

 

[coogzilla]

That's just too neat and clean looking. Needs to look more sloppy
so I can compare it to my work. Nice job.

 

[Mutinousdoug]

Chuck,
Pardon my ignorance but are those end pours a big lump of epoxy or do you have some flotation built in there?
I'm looking forward to seeing your boat once it gets wet.

Doug

 

[oldsparkey]

The end pours ended up being end fillets , what you see is some Luann I cut and fitted in there to fill the space. Right now the sides of them are sealed , filleted , with the same mix I used on the rest of the canoe.

When the canoe is done then a small deck will be fit on top of them , providing a air space that will be sealed off.

I might pack them (The space) with some of the Styrofoam popcorn that was packed with the stuff Raka sent me. Can't see where it would hurt anything.

Spent this morning sanding the inside of the canoe getting it ready for the glass , spent more time on it then I wanted 7:30 to 10:30 and it got hot out there. Might say part of the canoe was wet sanded , anyway the part I had to lean over to get. Bright sunlight , no clouds but it was raining on the area I was working on. :lol:

This might help in the understanding... the top is not flush with the sides , it will be sanded even with the sides later. Plus I have the canoe tipped a little to one side for the glassing in the morning.

Chuck.

 

[islandpiper]

As for poured in flotation: i had a nice DD-13, single yak......a thing of beauty and speed. A little tender, though. if you were going to wink at the girls you winked with BOTH eyes or went swimming. Anyway, i though some poured in insulation might be the best thing, so i stood her up on one end and shot four of those cans of polyureathane joint sealing foam down into the bow. in about 2 years the ply had all delaminated and got ugly....i ended up scrapping the boat.

Now, i've put on 20 pounds of fat around my middle. Fat floats, so i figure i won't need any flotation in the next yak.

piper

 

[Mutinousdoug]

OK,
I can see what you're doing now.
I was afraid to put sealed flotation in my stripper for fear temperature changes would make the chambers blow up (or collapse) so I just jammed a bunch of styrofoam sheets fore and aft under the decks to give it a lick and a prayer. Pretty unsightly compared to your solution.
If you put a little (say: .128 dia) hole at the bottom of each chamber so air pressure could equalize and not too much water could leak in in a single inverted incident; what would you think about that? Especially if you had the chambers full of Jimmy Carter (styrofoam) peanuts?
Then it wouldn't be much different than an Alumicraft (I can't seem to spell: Grummund; Grummand; Grummind; Grummend). FLOTATIONwise, I mean.