Continued from previous post number 38..........
Last weekend I made a trip to Home Depot to see if I could find some suitable pieces of cedar to use for stringers for my Disko bay SOF kayak. After more than an hour of picking through the piles I found some pretty decent pieces that did not have many knots. I picked out a piece of 2x4x10 ft long to use for the gunwales and floor boards. Then picked out one piece of 1-1/4x6 x 10 ft long to use for the chines, keel, and deck boards; this piece had very few knots and the ones it had were small. For good measure I also picked up a piece of 1-1/4x6 x 8 ft long in case the 10 ft piece did not yield what I thought it might.
I had previously lined up Sean to rip my stringers for me. Thanks Sean, but I was talking to my niece’s husband, Todd, who offered to rip my cedar for me on his table saw. So yesterday I went to my nieces and in a very short amount of time Todd had cut my cedar for me.
Turned out the pieces I picked out worked out very well. I sized everything up after the two ten foot pieces were ripped and it looked like I could get everything I needed out of them. So I kept the 8 foot piece intact and brought it back home. If I have not sized things up right I will just use it as needed and if I have figured things up right it will come in handy to use to make a laminated Greenland Paddle later.
Last night I laid out all the pieces of cedar and sized things up better with a measuring tape. I decided which pieces to join for the stringers and marked them.
I had thought about scarfing the pieces together to make the lengths needed for the stringers but then decided against it. I did some reading on the internet about scarfing and decided it was a lot easier (for me) to just butt join the pieces together. Most things I read suggested using a 6 inch length of wood for the join, epoxy, and stainless steel screws or dowels. I have a bottle of Gorilla glue on hand and decided to use that and I opted to use 8 inch lengths of wood for the join.
I have also been thinking that I may just lash the stringers to the frames. I have been reading that this is quite sufficient (if done correctly) and that adding screws or dowels through the stringers into the frames is just adding bells and whistles. Once everything is lashed than I will decide if I will add screws or dowels. I have been thinking that if I decide to just go with the lashing I can put some lashing around the butt joins for extra strength; but I am thinking at the very least I will end up adding screws to the butt joints. But all of that can be decided before the polyester skin goes on.
Speaking of polyester… I ordered some today from Kudzu Crafts along with a spool of 50# artificial sinew and a backband. I expect I could make up a backband or back support but it was only $27.00 and it did not add anything to the cost of shipping. While I am waiting for this stuff to show up I will pick away at things. I have to make a strongback and secure frames one and six to it. Then I can temporarily tie the stringers on and cut them to proper length.
Well, that’s a little more accomplished... actually it feels like a lot more accomplished. I am now viewing this as a full blown project and not just an idea I have been toying with…
Some good progress here, Dean!! There's no need to be afraid of scarfed joins - I did mine with a handsaw and a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a block of wood. Screws/dowels in the butt joins are just overkill - the wood will fail before the glued join. I popped dowels in my stringers and gunwales at the frames because it was easy to do and they really hold tight. I didn't cut my stringers until I had the entire frame fitting together. Better safe than sorry, I say! Also, I've finally got my foam back rest working well - it's getting quite comfortable now that I've been doing some tweaking.
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