Just a random shot from some filming I was doing yesterday on the new 225 pound size LPB. This shows our standard deck rigging pattern which is an eclectic mix of bungee, rope, plastic,and leather. Every piece has a very specific job to do, for example, I would never use bungee directly ahead of...
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Jim’s F1 on the Student Builds blog
A fantastic resource for anyone considering building one of our skin-on-frame boats is the Student Builds Blog on our website. We offer a $75 discount on the cost of your plans in exchange for writing about your build and posting pictures. There’s a map that shows where people are building and a feature that...
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Joe’s rowing shell float test
Here’s a couple videos and some photos of a prototype skin on frame rowing shell designed and built by Joe, a high school student in Maryland that I’ve been mentoring for a school project. (See this post from a few weeks ago for framing photos) This is the second saran wrap test of this...
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Video: chainsaw milling some Oregon White Oak
Here we are chainsaw milling some Oregon White Oak to turn into kayak and canoe ribs and possibly coamings. To be clear chainsaw milling is my last choice for getting this sort of wood, but it is an option if you don’t have any others. This whole operation made me a bit twitchy because...
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Video: Float testing an older F1
We took a moment yesterday to float test this older 187 lb size F1. The frame for this kayak was originally built for a customer that I decided to put in a different size, then sat in storage for a couple years. Last week I got an email from someone that it seemed like...
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Tools: the Makita cordless track saw
I originally bought this Makita cordless track saw to build cabinets for my house but it’s also handy for straightening the occasional board to get an edge I can use on my tablesaw. (A jointer isn’t really practical for long boards). Of course, you can snap a chalk line and do this with a...
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Well, I totally f**cked that up!
Well, I totally f**cked that up! Today was supposed to be the start of a project where I build a 15 foot canoe out of this incredible Sitka Spruce 1x12x15’ (not a cheap or easy to find a piece of wood) but on the very last planing pass I got dyslexic for a moment...
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Video: A 90-second tour of our modern kayaks
My kayak outfitting recipe is an eclectic mix ingredients, but each element has a very specific job to do. Feel free to ask questions!...
Timelapse: The kayak coating process
Sound on! Here’s a time lapse of the kayak coating process. The whole thing takes about a day and then that’s it for the life of the skin. This is about as close to a miracle as you’re gonna get in the world of marine finishes. I love how the colors on each of...
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Video: Just some close clips skinning the kayaks
Check out the sound here. Just some close clips skinning the kayaks with my new Sigma 30mm 1.4 prime micro 4/3 lens (60mm 2.8 full frame equivalent). Not a huge change in imagery, but a big difference in how often I had to drag a 30lb studio light around for each shot. Should be...
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The secret to any good boat coating
The secret to any good boat coating is lots of light, lots of ventilation, proper working height, good walking paths, and being well organized. Actually following the instructions is helpful as well. Here I’m working with the two-part polyurethane sold by skinboats.com. The product goes on wet on wet over the course of a...
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Karl’s solo canoe
Check out this lovely student built solo canoe! Karl is 6’0” 225 lbs and decides to go 31” wide and 14’8” long. With tumblehome it’s 29” wide at the gunwales. Normally I would advise a bit more length to float that weight, but Karl took an interesting approach to adding a progressive measurement to...
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Just a little home-improvement project
Just a little home-improvement project to deal with the out of control kayak prototype situation I’ve got going on right now. These simple racks are very space efficient and work great for boats or lumber....
First test of the new 250 lb size F1
We had an extremely successful wrap test of the new 250 pound size F1 frame. This version is 15‘8“ long and 25 inches wide (but paddles like it’s 23 because of my hull shape) and the paddler is 6’5” 265 lbs. The extra 15 pounds is useful because it shows me what this kayak...
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Video: Milling some Sitka spruce
Turn the sound on, it’s kind of cool. I know what you’re thinking but this isn’t the same slow motion 1942 direct drive Parks Planer pornography I post every week… This time we are planing CVG Sitka Spruce! I bought this Spruce last year when I found a couple of rare, 15 foot sticks...
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