Anyone Build a Kayak ?

[Don Rogers]

Anyone Build a Kayak ?


Just mildly considering building a Kayak and would like to know your experience in doing so. I have never used one but am interested in the relatively low weight of a strip-built Kayak compared to a manufactured fiberglass (or whatever plastic type material) one. It also sounds like a decent Neanderthal project.


Being a senior citizen, I may or may not use it myself but I’m sure my two sons would like it. My aged eyes make smaller projects difficult and I’m thinking such a project would be more suitable. I believe I have most all of the required tools.

This week, I got a birthday present of Kayak lessons which primed my interest in making one. I intend to schedule the lessons during a warmer season (19 deg. F here this morning).


Any information you have will be appreciated. I have too many questions to ask specifically.

[Phillip J Allen]

Don,
Last year I made 2 skin-on-frame kayaks. They are nothing more than wood strips lashed to plywood forms then covered with fabric and painted.

They are not necessarily great for white water kayaking but for lake and open seas they are great. The best thing is that they are only 25-35 lbs! So a single person can pick it up and put it on top of the car.

Good luck.
Phil

[russell lusthaus]

I have made a number of strip built ones and would restate everything Philip did above about them except they are made differently. Highly recommend the process and the boats are beautiful. It will likely cost more to build than to buy, but you don't get the benefit of doing a job well and having all at the lake ooo and ahh over your creation(s).

Russ

[mark kosse]

It will likely cost more too build than buy

Russ

I've never built one but from other experiences, it will cost more to build than buy.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

I've never built one but from other experiences, it will cost more to build than buy.

I've been doing a lot of research and plan on building one next winter. If you mill the cedar yourself, I think you can build one for around $500. But expect to spend 300-400 hours.
If you don't count the hours, $500 is at the lower end of kayak prices.

[Don Rogers]

Anyone Build a Kayak


Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I had not considered “skin - on - frame” construction but will search for information on that method. Sounds like that may be the way to go. It also sounds like everyone who had made a kayak, enjoyed doing so and also enjoyed using the finished boats.


I’m not surprised that the cost of making a Kayak may end up more than buying one commercially made. Almost every time I looked into making something myself, that appeared to be true, especially if one considers his time. But, that’s not as much fun.


George, thanks for the tip on posting my question on the “Boat Builders” part of Sawmill Creek. I had forgotten about that forum. It is a great idea and I will try to have it moved even though I learned lots from members of this forum.

[Mike Holbrook]

If you can find someone with a set of molds you can lay glass & or kevlar fabric on them, saturate it with resin and when it dries pop out the two halves joining them at the seam. Usually with this method there is also a mold for the seat and combing that just hangs in the hole in the deck. This is the way the very light boats are made.

[Darrell LaRue]

The skin-on-frame concept was what we used at a Scout camp the year before last. We built a boat, from start to water in 3 hours. It's made from a pile of sticks, a ball of cotton string, a few 1X3's, a roll of plastic, and a handful of screws & nails. If we had used better material and more time we would have had a fairly nice craft, but for the purposes of a demonstration it was awesome.

paddling3.JPG

Darrell

[Don Rogers]

Mike

I have not progressed that far at the moment but molding is another method I will consider. No ribs to add to it’s weight.


Years ago I had a Scorpion type sail boat that was made with an outside mold. Polished metal I believe. This produced a finished outside surface which could also be colored as desired by adding pigment to the mxture. And I remember seeing a large pile of hardened expandable foam just outside their back door. It provided a place to dump buckets of the mixture if it was made up earlier than it could be used. Lots of running was involved.

I bought a sail boat from them that same day and had loads go fun with it.


Thanks for your suggestions

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

I have not progressed that far at the moment but molding is another method I will consider. No ribs to add to it’s weight.

Strip built kayaks don't have any ribs.
Not sure where you would find a mold?

[Don Rogers]

Darrell

hat is similar to the construction method I saw about 2 years ago at the Klingspore/Hickory Show. Perhaps the only difference is in the fabric covering. It was magical because it was a heat-shrinkable material applied almost loosely over the stick frame and then shrunk taught with an ordinary heat gun.


To demonstrate it’s strength it was applied to a frame about 2’ square. tightened with a heat gun and then everyone was invited to break it. Suspended on all 4 sides of its frame, it held up to many people jumping on the fabric inside the frame without tearing or breaking. It could be cut with a sharp knife but could be quickly temporarily repaired with Duct Tape.

Much like model airplane construction with paper over balsa wood strips. The paper covering was made taut by sprinkling it with water and then allowing it to dry.

Thanks for the picture . Don;t know how such a good-looking boat was made in three hours but I believe you.

[Mason Truelove]

roughly estimation, how much did it cost to build that one?
thanks!

The skin-on-frame concept was what we used at a Scout camp the year before last. We built a boat, from start to water in 3 hours. It's made from a pile of sticks, a ball of cotton string, a few 1X3's, a roll of plastic, and a handful of screws & nails. If we had used better material and more time we would have had a fairly nice craft, but for the purposes of a demonstration it was awesome.

paddling3.JPG

Darrell

[Darrell LaRue]

Cost... Not much!

Someone had a part roll of 6 mil vapour barrier leftover from a home reno project. A roll of vapour barrier at the building supply stores probably runs about $30. We used a dozen 1.25 inch wood screws and a couple dozen 2 inch finish nails, and three 8 foot pieces of 1X3 strapping. One of the guys gave us a big spool of cotton string that we used for lashing. Oh, and the inevitable duct tape to pad the pointy bits of the sticks and seal up accidental punctures. The sticks were free, we cut them at a woodlot a friend owns.

All in I guess about $25 worth of materials if we had to buy it all. And you can portage like a hat.
Darrell

[Jim Belair]

I've built a couple, neither strip built.

The first was a mahogany ply stitch and glue that took roughly 100 hours to build and 100 hours to finish. A beautiful boat results- stunning to look at and very fast. (no photos I'm afraid) Not too good in larger waves as I intentionally dropped the foredeck in the style of the Betsie Bay boats http://www.bbkayak.com/valkyrie.htm No regrets and I paddle the boat regularly. Performance depends on the boat design of course.

The second was a skin on frame, similar to what Don described, but somewhat truer to the historical methods. Steam bent oak ribs lashed to a pine frame, covered in canvas. No glue or metal fasteners. Leather and bone deck fittings. Took perhaps 75 hours. Custom design to anthropomorphic principles- length 3 arm spans, width hips plus two fists, depth a fist with extended thumb, etc. This results in a boat that getting into is like pulling on a pair of jeans, i.e. very tight for good control with the hips. I ended up tearing the skin off after several years and hanging the frame on my garage as decoration. It was just too high performance for enjoyable paddling, especially living where the water is cold most of the time. Again, selected design dictates performance and paddling experience.

I enjoyed the building process and the result in both cases.

20070913_0002_1.JPG

[george wilson]

A post in the boat building section might bring more results.