Monday, May 31, 2010

Getting Close!

My classes have ended until next Fall, so I've been able to enjoy a little bit of time to myself of late. Not tons of time, mind you, but a bit.

My student who has been building the Newfound Woodworks Osprey has taken the boat back to his shop for some finishing details. The kayak is, for the most part, complete. The hull and deck have been made, the coaming is formed and two bulkheads have been fitted.

This Saturday, he asked me to come over and help bond the deck down the the hull. We've got a sheer clamp at the top edge of the hull that we installed as the kayak was being built so that we could bond the deck to the hull with thickened epoxy. Here's the kayak bonded together and trussed up like the Thanksgiving turkey with inner-tubes:


Once this has cured a piece of 'glass tape will be epoxied over the outside of the hull/deck joint for strength and waterproofing. A cosmetic Butternut coaming cap will go on and the seat and footbraces installed. At this point, only a bit of minor epoxy work on the deck and varnishing stand in the way of the first paddle.

Eventually, he plans to cut hatches in the fore and aft decks, and add some deck rigging, but he's been waiting so long that he will wait to cut the hatches until after he's paddled it a bit!

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