Today saw the final step in making the boat water tight. The outer seam. To start with, the “patches” applied yesterday were trimmed down and shaped to blend in with the existing curves of the deck and sides.
This involved mostly planing, hand sanding, some shaping with the rasp and finally a quick hit with the random orbit sander. I then ran down the deck and side scuffing up and smoothing out any bumps or drips in order to make a good surface for the seam fiberglass.
Instead of using the roll fiberglass on the outside I saw a well timed “tip” in the Kayak Building Facebook group suggesting the use of bias cut cloth instead since it doesn’t have the thick edge like the roll does. So I had just enough scrap pieces and about a 6′ length of the original roll left. I trimmed out some bias (diagonal) cut pieces from it and laid along the edge of kayak until I had enough. A few extras were cut for later bow and stern use.
Being bias cut they contour much more easily to bends. I helped them along by easing the sharp edge of the deck with a few passes with a sanding block to round it over slightly. This will help the fiberglass not have to turn so abruptly and also not be a sharp point hitting my shins or any other part of me if I have to do a wet entrance in the future.
The installation process is no different than any other fiberglass application I’ve done before. Place tape, dab on epoxy with a disposable brush to anchor it in place and then go back and saturate it. After a few minutes follow up with the squeegee to remove any excess. When done the seam all but disappears. Later. after it dries, the edge of the tape will be sanded and blended with the rest of the deck. Had I used the roll this edge would be much more pronounced and harder to sand out.
The other accomplishment today was to glass the other side of the bulkheads. Same process as last time.
To do list:
Keel work (strip (or two) over front and back stems, filler pieces
The bow and stern where the deck meets the keel was never fitted perfectly as I had planned to do final fitting only after joining the two pieces. While it’s close there still is a gap that needs to be filled. Instead of trying to get a little piece in there I cut back the deck a bit to create a larger opening. I want this piece to match to the keel so I used the Spanish cedar to fill it in. A few small strips were cut and glued. Once dried I slowly planed and sanded until I had a snug fit.
I repeated the same process at the front, the pictures above are the back, and then saturated them with epoxy to “glue” them in place.
Since these need to dry before I can trim and do the final shaping I turned to the bulkheads. Some final fitting was done to ensure they could be put in (now that the boat is assembled) and a bit of sanding and tweaking until I was happy with the fit. I then ran the random orbit over the entire surface to smooth it out, remove any remaining glue and pencil marks and prep it for fiberglassing.
A few pieces of scrap material were cut to size and mixing up a small batch, dabbing it on with a brush and then using the squeegee to remove the excess I got one side of each done. Hopefully they’ll dry sufficiently overnight (they should actually be dried to the touch in a few hours) that I can epoxy up the other side tomorrow.
Over the labor day weekend I was able to finish the inside seams. The kayak was flipped onto the other side and following the same steps as last time I completed the seam. With a second coat of epoxy to help fill the weave, after sanding the edges it’s barely visible and in a normal orientation it’s not something that will ever be visible.
After the seam was setup and dried I turned to the outside. Despite my best efforts at stretching the hull to match the deck it was still a bit off. This ranged from barely noticeable to about a quarter of an inch at the worst point. A long hour + with the block plane easily shaved off the extra resulting in a nice smooth edge. I could have probably used a power saw or sander but didn’t want to accidentally damage something. Taking my time with the hand tool allowed for much greater control.
While this may not seem like much for the long weekend, I had limited work I could do as I had to wait for epoxy to dry. The next goal will be the remaining fiberglass seams (outer hull to deck and the keels at the stem and stern) along with a bit of fitting at the stem and stern. I also purchased a 1′ long by 1″ diameter brass pipe which will be put in the front and back to allow for carrying handles and tie down points when transporting. It arrived yesterday.
So the list is slowly shrinking, although I also added one item too.
Attach hull/deck on outside
Keel work (strip (or two) over front and back stems, filler pieces
It’s been quite warm but the humidity has been nearly unbearable. Coupled with a busy schedule and I’ve not made a tremendous amount of progress until recently but I’m finally getting going again.
I started with some additional prep work including beginning to tape the deck and hull together, in a few spots, to test the fit. Without the tape there is a gap in some areas but once taped down the gap disappears.
I was about to progress to final taping when I remembered that I wanted a tie down on the inside to hold a strap that would attach to the underside of each hatch. This was basically meant to be an “oh crap I dropped it” safety device to avoid losing a hatch if it was opened while on the water. So I started making more of my deck line holders.
Checking the plan I figured where I would use single holes and where I’d want double holes and cut and drilled the glued up assembly I made last time. The brass tube was cut slightly oversize and inserted and attached with super glue. A sanding both by hand and by the stationary disk/belt sander quickly softened the final shape and took the sharp edges off the tub and brought it down flush to the wood.
To attach them to the underside of the deck, given that there wouldn’t be any significant stress or strain applied to them, was easy. I used a small patch of fiberglass to reinforce the “glue” I attached them with. First the deck was roughed up, then the holder was “glued” down with epoxy. The patch was put over it and saturated to help it conform to the shape. Once dried I cut out the fiberglass covering the hole and then sanded and applied a second layer of epoxy. Worked well although my in progress images didn’t come out so good.
The proceeding was completed over the last two weeks or so. Today I flipped the deck back over and mounted it to they hull. I started to tape it then realized the seam needed something to stop any tiny gaps or leaks so I went ahead and taped the seam to prevent any epoxy drip out and then reapplied the strapping tape every so often. The strapping tape has reinforcing strings in it and good stretching properties. I applied to the deck, then pulled down quite forcefully and pushed it against the hull. When it was well anchored I’d then cut it from the roll. Once they were attached I went back and ensure the two pieces were tight and then applied more and more tape, about every 6 inches or so for further reinforcement and tightening. To help keep the bow and stern tight I used stretch plastic wrap and wound it around and around pulling it tight as I went along. The more I applied the tighter it got.
To fasten the two pieces together I’m using a roll of fiberglass. It’s about 3″ wide and bends quite easily and holds the shape so it would fit in the corner nicely. I turned the kayak on it’s side and while the hatches provide for a lot more access my arms simply aren’t long enough to reach the front or back. I need at least a few more feet of reach. A few quick cuts to a stick and a brush coupled with a predrilled hole and a screw and instant (almost) brush on a stick. I’ll need to replace the brush when I do the seem on the other side and will follow the same process using the stick.
I would be installing the strip in pieces instead of one long roll. Three running from the front hatch to the front, the middle to about the rear hatch and then from the rear hatch to the back. Starting with the hardest one, the front (due to the small hatch severely limiting access), I cut the fiberglass to length. Using more plastic wrap I wound it around my kayak “bench” to create a non stick surface and laid out the wrap on the surface. The wrap will be saturated with epoxy here along with a coat on both sides of the seam inside the kayak. It was then mostly rolled up.
The small bundle was placed into position and unrolled by hand as far as I could reach before then using the brush/stick to further unroll it. Using my hand, again where I could reach, I ensured it was tucked tightly into the corner and that both sides were smooth. With the stick I did the same for the further away spots. A good flashlight with a moveable end helped to ensure I had the light pointed where I needed it. Repeating this process two more times I installed the other strips.
The rest of the left over epoxy, not much, was applied at the over laps and in general over the strips before leaving it all alone to dry. I’ll give this at least a day or two before doing a thorough check and then flipping it over to do the other side. With any luck by the end of labor day weekend I’ll have the inside completed and be starting on the final outside finishing. My goal of getting it in the water this year still looks possible.
My to do list is down to:
Attach hull and deck on inside (half done)
Trim outside of deck as needed
Attach hull/deck on outside
Keel work (strip (or two) over front and back stems, filler pieces
I started out with a bit of shop clean up and then took a good look at the kayak and what steps still need to be done. As of right now I’ve got the following on my list.
Finish fitting bulkheads
Final interior epoxy coat under the deck
Prep edge of deck for connecting to hull
Add hatch retainer clips to underside of deck
Attach hull and deck on inside
Trim outside of deck as needed
Attach hull/deck on outside
Keel work (strip (or two) over front and back stems, filler pieces
End pours
Order seat & maybe skirt & maybe cover
Install bulkheads
Drill/fit carry handle/tie down holes
Outside final fill coat(s)
Outside final sanding(s)
Install line guides
Varnish, varnish, varnish
Done!
At this point this list actually seems quite small compared to the steps from when I started. There isn’t really anything on this list that I’m not already fairly comfortable doing.
So I got started with sanding the underside of the deck and then applying a final epoxy coat. Nothing really new here, just being careful to sand out to a smooth coat. In the picture below it’s still early in the sanding process.
While I had the camera out, here is a better picture of the foot braces loosely installed. I’ll wait until after the deck and hull is attached to do the final install. (yes I know one brace goes on each side)
The bulkheads were trimmed to approximate size and then placed in the hull. I noticed areas that were a tight fit and either cut or sanded, repeating until I felt the fit was good. Not I’m not going for a solid fit, but rather a very loose fit at this time. The gap will either be filled with foam or caulk with the bulkheads either simply caulked into place or maybe fiberglass and epoxied in.
I’m leaning strongly toward the caulk option as in the case of impact I believe (and have read) that it’s better the kayak can have a bit of give which a rigidly fit and attached bulkhead would not provide. But after some more research I may still go with a fiberglass install instead.
With the inside epoxy dried I did a light sanding in any areas where I could feel “grit” in the finish and then a good sanding along the outside 2 inches or so which is to help the strip of fiberglass and epoxy that will be applied here (when joining to the hull) have a better attachment.
Finally I started thinking about deck lines and the attachment clips I had made earlier as a prototype. Looking them over I’m still happy with them although I’ll need to do a bit of rounding over on the corners. With a count of the single holes I’ve got 8 that I need on the deck and 4 more for the inside of the hatches to install an anchor line to avoid dropping or losing the hatch. I’ll need 8 doubles to provide for the front of the deck for a bungie for retaining maps, etc. and two more at the front and back for the deck lines. That totals to 22 pieces and I’ve got materials made up for 7.
Grabbing a few left over strips I did a quick glue up to make more. Once dried I’ll cut and drill and then insert the brass rod. For the front and back tie down/carry handle holes I also plan for a brass insert so I’ll need to buy a short section for this.
I’m pretty excited as I can now see the end in sight. There is a strong chance I’ll at least be able to get it wet this year, which after many years of dreaming and over 2 years of work, is a nice reward.
