Author Archives: Kudzu

Small fix for a big problem

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As the title implies the fix was simple. Finding it. not so much.

If you look at the end of the keel stringer (boat is upside down in the photo) you will see I added a small block of plywood to the frame. Believe it or not, that made the boat assume a proper shape. Not exactly as I had designed it but it has some rocker in it now. I did find something else that was working against me, but it wasn’t worth the effort it would take to fix it.  Bottom line is I know what I did wrong and how to fix it.

So the frame is done as far as I can tell. It’s stiffer and while not exactly the way I designed it. I am happy with it.  Now it’s time to finish the outriggers for the sliding seat.

 

 

Frame is done and we have a problem…

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Frame came off the strong back and I took out in the yard for the obligatory F.R.O.G. photo. (frame on the grass)  I still love that raked transom.

I took it back into the shop and placed it on the trailer just to get it out of way so I can clean up around the stands.

I noticed there was more flex in this frame but there is also more wood, so it is heavier and skinning always stiffens them somewhat so it wasn’t a big deal. Then I was on the other side of the shop, turned around and I could see the frame was hogged. No doubt about it, the bow was lower than the center of the boat. I could not  believe it! I took and string and tied it to the boat stretched it along the keel, found that the bow was 1″  lower than the center of the boat.

After a lot of double checking and measuring I still didn’t have an answer, just a couple of ideas. After removing a few lashing, forcing the boat back in shape and studying why it wanted to deform when the pressure was released I have found a couple of reason I suspect are behind this. Of course there is only one way to find out, but that is for the next post.

Still plugging along

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Have not made much progress but I am really close to taking the frame off the strongback. Between the ankle and other things going on I just have not gotten to spend the time on this project I really wanted too. But today I finished lashing everything but the deck beams. I needed to scarf some of the cutoffs together to get the lengths I needed for the deck.

Really anxious to get it off the strongback and flipped over. It’s going to make fitting the transom much easier. Here is a couple of photos. This is a one long boat!

 

Insomnia was the answer!

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I don’t like to brag on my work, I was raised that was not polite. I may sometimes come across as bragging and I hope not, but sometimes you are just so proud of yourself  you can’t help it. This is one of those times and I am going to openly brag a little.

I want to start attending events and displaying my boats. I need a way to display them inside a small space. The obvious answer was a display rack but the problem was finding a good design. I want it to be simple, lightweight, easy to store and haul. And of course it must be cheap. Try as I might I just could not come up with a design that meet all my demands.

So, 2 AM this morning I am tossing and turning and can’t sleep. I get up and go in my office thinking I could proof read the chapter I was working on in the new book since reading almost always makes me sleepy. Instead I got to thinking about the rack and sketching some ideas. I have done this numerous times and I  have never come up with anything good.

But suddenly it just fell in place! It was ugly but simple and it was cheap and lightweight. I could assemble and disassemble it in 2 minutes or less and I didn’t need a cordless drill or any tools at assemble it. This was exactly what I have been looking for! I had been over thinking it all this time.

After that I managed to go back to sleep.  This morning I ate breakfast, ran to the lumber yard and after 2-3 hours in the shop and I had it built.

I settled on 3 boat rack since this would keep the tallest boat at eye level for most adults. As you can see, the rack is barely visible with the boats on it. Even so I will probably spray on some paint or varnish just to make it look a little better.

The ends are 1×4’s glued and screwed together. No fancy joints, just bare bones slapped together, basic construction. The rods are closet poles with a small dowel pin in them to keep the ends properly spaced apart.  Since the joints are a loose fit it’s wobbly. To keep it from flopping around I use polyester line as cross bracing across the back of the rack. Using a truckers hitch I can pull them tight and the suddenly the rack becomes very rigid!

The rope just has a loop on the end and just hooks over the protruding dowel.

Simple, effective and it cost me less than $30.

OK, I am though bragging now. 🙂

 

Inch by inch it comes together

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Finally, I am able to walk with out holding onto a crutch, cane or whatever was in arms reach. Actually this ankle is healing faster than I expected but boredom has a way  of making time stand still.

It is starting to look a lot like a boat. The hull is getting really close to being done. You can get an idea of its shape in this photo.

Bow is basically finished, just need to trim and lash the gunwales in place.

I worked on the transom today. I wouldn’t call it hard but I consider myself a decent woodworker. I suspect it would be challenging if you were not experienced. There was a lot of hand fitting to get everything right.

Put in on the boat, take it off and trim a little. Put in on the boat, take it off and trim a little. Repeat and then repeat it again.

One my most used tools, my bench! Just so much easier to do jobs like this with the proper tool. The best tools for the job don’t always have to be plugged or of charged either.

Here the transom is In place with the stringers trimmed. I really love the look of this transom but it is so small it’s not easy to work on.

This will be the finished transom. It needs some trimming and detailing. It will be stained and varnished eventually.  I am considering laminating a nice wood veneer on it. Of course it is it so small and its will barely show due to the rake, it so I am not sure if it is worth the extra effort.

A little more progress

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I had an accident and Praise God it crawled away with just a badly bruised, possibly sprained ankle. That has kept me out of the shop for several days now. Swelling is down and I managed to put on my boots and actually lace both up the morning.

I got in the shop a little bit yesterday and got to work on lashing some of the stringers in place. I built the stands I work on and one of the great things is I can can off the top bar and lower the boat down on one of the cross braces. This allowed me to sit in a chair and work. Was nice to be able do something besides watch TV. Trust me, there is nothing on TV!

I like to lash the center of the boat together leaving the stringers long on the ends.  Once I have the middle lashed I move to the ends and start on them.

As you can see the stringers were very long on this one. Other than being in the way it’s not a problem and I can use the cutoff by scarfing them together into longer pieces for use on the deck or seat stringers in another boat.

The transom is going to be interesting to build! A little harder than I anticipated but I am not surprised either. Once I get the bow down I will start on it.

New boats, new products

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Had a little accident early this week and took a pretty good fall.  Fortunately (and amazingly) I just have a bruise and sprained ankle. Not being able to get in the shop I work I have had time to finish up a few projects.

I just listed some new designs and a placed a couple of new items in the store.

My first tandem canoe, Tangerine.  16′ long is now available.

Crawfish Pirogue’s are also available.  These are all about being simple to build. Not that they can get a lot simpler than they were though.  I am thinking this could be great Boys Club or Scout projects. Father and son/daughter building project.  There is a single and a tandem version.

Also, I now have a black marine grade bungee cord and a black polyester rope for making life lines now available in the store.  They actually will not be in stock till end of next week but I went ahead and listed them.


If there is something I don’t offer let me know and I will look into it. I am looking into some other items and I do have a couple of boats designs in the works.

Jeff

Storing all these boats

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Everyone probably has the same problem. Where to store the boat(s)? In my case I build so many it is getting out of hand. I am going to put some up for sale very soon. If you looking for a used one I am going to let them go very reasonable.

But I still needed to get those keepers out-of-the-way and out of the weather. I have been looking at ideas for a while and finally decided nothing beats overhead storage. That is dead space. I have been looking at options for making my own, but pulleys are expensive.  I found I could buy bike hoists cheaper and just alter them.

First I had to mount a 2×6 to the ceiling since the joist ran the wrong way. That took a while since I work alone and the tall ceilings didn’t help. But once I got that done I managed to get 3 of my boats hung up fairly quickly. I have 3 more kits I can install and I am so happy with this I think I am going to..


Frame starts to come together

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It has taken me a couple of days to get back to work on the boat. I have spent a few minutes here and there over the last couple of days. I caught a couple of mistakes and today I finally got most of the frame dry fitted together.

As you can see the stringer are way longer than needed. I bought 12 foot lumber and I ripped and scarfed them together. They end up being 23 feet (+/-) long. Other than being in the way being to long isn’t a problem. After I am happy with what I have and lash the frames in place I will trim them back. I always save the cutoffs because they can scarfed together to make longer pieces.

I couldn’t resist putting the rowing unit in the boat once I got the stringers in place the bungees tight.

 

Placing it in the boat helped me see what I had but left me with about as many questions as answers. Still not sure how I am going to mount it to the boat. Looking at it I came up a couple of ideas that might work. Also thinking I need one more partial frame to support the unit.

From this angle  I could see that I could shave an inch off height off of the rowing unit frame. That will lower the center of gravity and making the boat a lot more stable.  There is enough space under the foot board that I can slide it downward and my heels could actually be below the rowing unit if I wanted. Plenty of room to make it me properly.

Tomorrow I will lash a few frames in place that will not change. But I am think I am going to be pulling some of them out and making some alterations.

Building has commenced

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I have got to name this boat.  I am torn between Cotton Row, my initial idea and Cottonwood. What ever the name I started cutting the frames today. Actually I got them cut out, just need to do a little clean up work on them and sand the edges a little smoother for them to be complete.

I rough cut them from the plywood with the jig saw and do the final cuts on the bandsaw. It’s just the way I prefer. But one thing I hate about the bandsaw is those stupid ball bearing guides! I don’t know why anyone thinks they are an improvement. They scream like a banshee and I just put new ones on it. It’s so loud I have to wear ear protection or I think I would go mad!

Instead of buying new bearings I should have bought the parts to convert it over to cool blocks. It sure would have been money better spent.

Here you can see my prototype sliding seat. I have the base built and dry fitted together. I want to get the frame built and put in the boat before I glued it anything. I want to make sure I like this and I see no reason I wont.

One thing I know I have to change is the looks of the footrest. That big slab may bet totally functional, but it sure is ugly. Not sure what I am going to do but it really needs something!