Boat Building Forum

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Re: Walrus Tips
By:Mike Hanks
Date: 7/5/2001, 1:11 pm
In Response To: Re: Mike H. (Ben Staley)

Ben,

I have used Western Red Cedar for both of my skin versions. I have had a chine crack, but I think that was due to my extremely lowered floor design. I have since come up with a better design for that.

Lowering the floor helps a lot. The low floor on the 20" beam one make even that kayak stable enough. Keep the sheer as low as possible. Raise the bow a couple of inches to help with plunging. Moving the seat/cockpit back 1-1/2" balances the kayak better in winds, but it makes it track stronger and reduces turning ease. I haven't tried adding more rocker yet, but the skinny version could use more. I highly recommend a synthetic skin. DON'T use the standard cockpit. I've switched to a keyhole design that I am quite happy with.

Get your brass screws from someplace like Tacoma Screw where they cost 1/10 of what they do at someplace like Home Despot or LOW(quality)es Hardware. I really like the polyester that I used for the skin on my last one, it is much nicer to work with (same weight, tighter weave) than the Dyson polyester.

I also have the offsets for the Skinny Walrus forms. The skinny version is substancially quicker and easier to roll than the standard.

Mike

: Hey there Mike,
: I just got the forms cut out and will try to pick up the wood sometime this
: week. I was planning to use cedar, any advice? I see that most use spruce
: or ash. Also since I don't have a strongbench yet I thought about using my
: 2x4 internal strongback and cutting holes in my forms like I did with the
: Guillemot.

: I'll have to see about saturday, I used up a lot of my spouse credit points
: yesterday and I'm not sure how many I've got left :) I went rock climbing
: for most of the day, spent 1/2 hr at home loading the yak and windsurfer
: and was out playing on Lake Stevens with my boys till 9 last night. I'll
: try to earn enough to make it out to the pass.

Messages In This Thread

broke a cheek plate for the 2nd time
Ben Staley -- 7/5/2001, 11:31 am
Re: broke a cheek plate for the 2nd time
eric schade (shearwater boats) -- 7/7/2001, 10:38 pm
Re: broke a cheek plate for the 2nd time
Shawn Baker -- 7/5/2001, 3:33 pm
Re: broke a cheek plate for the 2nd time
Ray Port Angeles -- 7/5/2001, 1:03 pm
Re: broke a cheek plate for the 2nd time
Wayne G. -- 7/8/2001, 1:20 am
Re: broke a cheek plate for the 2nd time
Ray Port Angeles -- 7/10/2001, 7:11 pm
Re: broke a cheek plate for the 2nd time
Mike Hanks -- 7/5/2001, 11:49 am
Re: Mike H.
Ben Staley -- 7/5/2001, 12:05 pm
Hmmm. sounds like a good idea
Paul G. Jacobson -- 7/5/2001, 1:14 pm
Re: Hmmm. sounds like a good idea
Alan Adams -- 7/6/2001, 1:33 am
Re: Hmmm. sounds like a good idea
Ben Staley -- 7/6/2001, 11:01 am
dont consider a strongback as a reference point
erez -- 7/6/2001, 12:08 pm
strongbacks and references...
Alan Adams -- 7/6/2001, 4:33 pm
warping during construction of a walrus frame?
Paul G. Jacobson -- 7/8/2001, 8:12 pm
Re: box beam AKA Joe Greenley
Don Beale -- 7/6/2001, 1:49 am
Re: Walrus Tips
Mike Hanks -- 7/5/2001, 1:11 pm
Re: Walrus Tips
Ben Staley -- 7/5/2001, 1:43 pm
Re: Walrus Tips
Mike Hanks -- 7/5/2001, 2:01 pm
Re: Walrus Tips
Ben Staley -- 7/5/2001, 3:19 pm