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Way OT - Canoe Building

But I know that you're a resourceful bunch so here goes.

13 year old son fancies a canoe (kayak). He knows how to canoe from Scouts. I figure that we might kill two birds with one stone and build one from fibreglass - he gets his canoe and learns some of the techonolgy that they no longer teach in schools. I've done this before - years ago so the construction shouldn't be too hard. The problem is finding a suitable mould - any suggestions welcomed.

Thanks

Charles

Reply to
Charles Ping
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techonolgy

Years ago Strand Glass (somewhere near Kew Bridge) used to hire them out if you also bought the glass fibre and resin from them.

AWEM

Reply to
Andrew Mawson

I built mine from wood and canvas!

Reply to
Alan Holmes

There are plans on the net for building a wood strip kayak that is then re-inforced with a grp skin... I believe some plans are even free.

Joules

Reply to
Joules

We make radio controlled submarines by:

  1. Obtaining pink closed cell insulation foam
  2. Sawing, sanding etc, to shape
  3. Covering in duck tape (it acts as a mould release)
  4. Fibreglassing over the duck tape
  5. Cut down the middle to seperate it into two halves.
  6. Then paint!

For your canoe however, you might want to change it slightly.

  1. Do two halves then join them together
  2. Use several layers of 400 csm.
  3. Use a pigment in the fibreglass resin as this will allow for scratches without the need to repaint.
  4. Use a gelcoat to make it smooth.

Michael

Reply to
Michael Hims

I struck lucky and have come across a couple of sets of moulds (1 and

2 seater) for nothing - google is wonderful thing. I've also got two single seater canoes aswell for the same price.

Regards

Charles

Reply to
Charles Ping

In article , Charles Ping writes

Blimey, I am reminded of my yoof (Eighteen Hundred and Frozen-to-death) when my Scout troop built our own canoes. We went to Shelvoke & Drewry (purveyors of dustcarts to the discerning local authority) to learn how to fibreglass.

We had two moulds. One was for a skinny racing-snake job, that would capsize if you looked at it funny. Great fun.

The other was for a thing with marginally less beam than the Tirpitz. Stable as you like but if you got into any sort of current, it was going to turn left. For sure. No question. Left.

The first time we took them out to a camp we discovered that (a) the previously surveyed river had dried up to a trickle, and (b) there was a troop of Guides camping 100 yards away. We had to make our own entertainment.

Ah... Happy days.

Reply to
Nigel Eaton

That's because the Germans overtake on the left.

Sounds like a bit of slap and trickle

-- Regards,

John Stevenson Nottingham, England.

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Reply to
John Stevenson

That is bad...very bad

Regards, Tony

Reply to
Tony Jeffree

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