Kayaks, canoes, curraghs and more; light, fast and fun to build.
For an introduction, see the Kayarchy chapter Sea Kayak Construction Methods (5) Skin on Frame.
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Contents of (unfinished) article:
- A little inspiration
- Why skin-on-frame?
- The frame
- Getting ready to build
- The main steps for traditional SOF construction
- Steps in building the frame
- Steps in fitting the skin
- Rough timber for the mould(s)
- SORRY, THAT'S ALL FOR NOW - I HAVEN'T HAD TIME YET TO UPLOAD THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE
- Timber for the boat
- Strength and durability
- Getting the right size timber
- The ideal timber
- Kiln-dried timber
- Green wood
- Air-dried wood
- Wood for stringers (the long timbers)
- Plywood shoe?
- HDPE skid plate?
- Wood for the stem post, stern post (or transom)
- Wood for ribs - for umiaks
- Wood for ribs - for kayaks and canoes
- An alternative to bent ribs
- Wood for risers
- Wood for thwarts, deck beams, mast partners (mast gate attached to at least two thwarts)
- Wood for headboards, knees, ears, mast foot, rowlock sockets, cleats
- Plywood for a centreboard case
- Treenails / pegs
- Wood for hatch coamings and cockpit coamings
- Scantlings (timber cross-section dimensions) for particular boats
- Froe (tool for cleaving green oak or chestnut
- Equipment for steaming ribs
- The steam box
- The steam generator
- Leather belt and gloves
- A former (a bending jig) for ribs
- Three tips for accuracy when fitting ribs
- Frame design
- Accurate reproduction of boat shape
- Hard chine or multi-chine
- Curragh’s double-gunwale construction
- Round or square timber cross-sections
- Distance between ribs for a kayak or canoe
- Distance between ribs for an umiak
- Fitting kayak deck beams
- Reinforcement for sailing
- Reinforcement for supersize curragh or umiak
- Safety in kayaks and baidarkas
- Assembling the frame
- Simpler rib/gunwale joint - skeleton gunwale
- Simpler rib/gunwale joint - lashed ribs
- Kayak frame lashing - sinew
- Umiak frame lashing - twine
- Checking hull symmetry
- Checking hull cross-section
- Buoyancy bag installation lines
- Finishing the wood frame
- Interlayer of closed-cell foam
- Skin material
- Cotton or synthetic?
- Nylon or polyester?
- Skin material - for a kayak or baidarka
- Skin material - for a canoe, dinghy, small umiak
- Skin material - for a 25’ umiak - 26oz/sq yd = 900 gm2
- Electric hot knife for cutting and sealing edges
- Propane torch for sealing edges better
- A very sharp pair of big scissors / shears
- Canvas stretching pliers
- Tacking skin to frame temporarily
- Kayaks and canoes
- Umiaks
- Sewing the skin
- Thread for sewing skin
- Skinning tools - for sewing
- Insert for piping the seams
- Skinning tools - for holding thread
- Twine for lacing skin to frame
- Heat-shrinking nylon skin onto the frame
- Reinforcing the keel
- Waterproofing the skin
- How much skin?
- Which sealing compound to choose?
- How much sealing compound will you need?
- Dye for translucent coatings
- Squeegee to apply coating
- UV protection for the hull
- Deck and skin fittings
- Drain plug
- Breathable skin for deck
- Outfitting
- Decklines
- Toggles and cleats
- Standard woodworking tools that will be useful
- Workbench
- Workbelt
- Measuring
- Saws
- Plane(s)
- Spoke shave
- Chisel(s)
- Sharpener for planes and chisels
- Screwdrivers
- Knives
- Mallet
- Files / rasps
- Clamps / cramps
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