I like to get the stringers on the same day that I bend the ribs because it really helps to smooth out the shape. It’s nice to have Liz’s help with the lashings. We just put on a podcast and an hour and 15 minutes later we are done with the lashing. We are...
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Timelapse: Canoe build: Bending in the ribs
Liz and I have been slogging through Canoe Building Course updates for the last few weeks so I haven’t had much of a chance to do anything creative, but the rib bending videos from last year are still pretty solid so we made this time lapse instead (check out the music!) The secret to...
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Video: East Greenland Kayak build, Day 7: Coating the kayak
East Greenland Kayak build, Day 7. Coating the kayak. Nearing the end of the build now, I coat the nylon skin with 2 part polyurethane. Pioneered by Corey Freedman of skinboats.org this coating is durable, easy to apply, and relatively non-toxic. I don’t necessarily love the glossy look of it, and I wish that...
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Video: East Greenland Kayak build, Day 6: Finishing the skinning and dyeing the nylon
East Greenland‘s Kayak Build, Day 6. Finishing the skinning and dyeing the nylon. Once I get the coaming sewn on I tape it off and then boil a pot of hot water and vinegar to get ready to dye the skin. Acid dye is just one of several ways to color a skin boat....
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Video: East Greenland a Kayak Build, Day 6: Skinning the kayak
East Greenland a Kayak Build, Day 6. Skinning the kayak. Well heck, I just spent 40 minutes writing a caption for this post and then it magically disappeared and I’ve got to get to work this morning. So, if you’re interested in learning more about the skinning process just scroll back to my last...
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Video: East Greenland Kayak Build, Day 5: Oiling the frame
East Greenland Kayak Build, Day 5. Oiling the frame. It’s always nice if I can get the oil on at the end of day 4, but with the short days of winter this time I had to wait an extra day. Oiling the frame isn’t really necessary, but I suppose it does seal the...
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Video: East Greenland Kayak Build, Day 4. Installing the deck stringers and cleaning up the frame
East Greenland Kayak Build, Day 4. Installing the deck stringers and cleaning up the frame. (There’s music) The foredeck of an East Greenland kayak has a distinctive humped shape in the foot area. Because these kayaks were extremely shallow (typically around 5 1/2 inches) it seems likely that this hump was there to create...
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Video: East Greenland Kayak Build, Day 3-4: Lashing on the stringers, setting the end plates, and installing the masik
East Greenland Kayak Build, Day 3-4. Lashing on the stringers, setting the end plates, and installing the masik. If possible I like to have the stringers and stems tied on by the end of day 3 but some times that work bleeds over into the next day. I’m using waxed polyester to tie things...
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Video: East Greenland Kayak Build, Day 3: Tying on the keel, stems, and stringers
East Greenland Kayak Build, Day 3. Tying on the keel, stems, and stringers. (Turn on the sound!) I usually work a longer day on the third day of the build so I can get the keel and the stringers on the same day as I bend the ribs. Like I said yesterday this helps...
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Video: East Greenland kayak build, Day 2-3: Finishing the deck and bending the ribs
East Greenland kayak build, Day 2-3, finishing the deck and bending the ribs. (There’s music!) Towards the end of day two I flatten the tops of the gunwales, cut the ribs to length, and prep them for steam bending. I always start my bending first thing in the morning on a new day because...
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Video: East Greenland kayak build, Day 2: Building the deck
East Greenland kayak build, Day 2, Building the deck. (FYI there’s music) On day two I fasten the ends of the gunwales together, build all the deck beams, and install them to complete the deck. Traditionally the deck beam joinery in Arctic kayaks ranged from extremely precise mortise and tenon work to bluntly whittled...
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Video: East Greenland kayak build, Day 1: Prep work and setting up the deck
East Greenland kayak build, Day 1, prep work, setting up the deck. Last week in the shop we built an East Greenland kayak to replace some of our older building course videos with newer, crispier ones. This is a never ending cycle because the kayaks and my teaching methods are always evolving. This particular...
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The problem with having once been an expert at something is that you don’t always notice when you’re losing your edge.
Aaaagh. The problem with having once been an expert at something is that you don’t always notice when you’re losing your edge. If you remember, (and I hope that you don’t because nobody should be that concerned with anything I’m doing), late last summer I set aside an East Greenland kayak build because I...
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Toggles and rub strips
The toggles and rub strips that I use on my kayaks are made out of high density polyethylene. On Inuit kayaks these were sometimes made out of antler or bone, but most often made out of ivory from walrus kills. Speaking from experience, neither bone nor antler is very durable in this application, but...
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LPB kayak build: Prep work
With yesterday’s surprise planer repair complete, I’m starting work on a kayak that I don’t build very often: my Long Pointy Boat design. A surprisingly successful marriage of the performance principles of my F1 stern with the general shaping concept of a racing kayak bow, the LPB offers increased top speed and stroke ergonomics...
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