Following are a bunch of thoughts about building the 5.28 m Baidarka from the bluprints and kit materials supplied by Geo. Dyson... they are given in the order of building... they reflect what I learned... what worked, what didnt, as well as some suggestions for making it easier for the next person... I hope this material will be useful....Tom Clarke... January 31, 1995
For the frame support molds, I drew in two 1/2 inch holes for
each support, to replace the single alignment hole in the plans...
I made them 6 inches apart and at the same height as the given
alignment hole... for frame supports 1 and 9, I made the hole
1/4 inch (half the hole diameter) higher... (See Building Jig
below for how these were used).
I spent a lot of time aligning the three sections of the cockpit
coaming on the aluminum sheet... It would be really helpful if
there were a straight line on the plans which intersected the
two joints... This would enable the three pieces to be aligned
perfectly when laying them out on the aluminum...
I used a single knee for attaching each deck beam to the frame...
I picked these off of the blueprints... They worked well...Didnt
do it for any other reason than it seemed like a good idea at
the time...
I have not had the boat out yet, so this is from a purely cognitive
view, as opposed from a experience view... I am concerned that
the rudder (the new version, in which the depth is to the bottom
of the keel) will stall at a very slight angle of attack... very
low aspect ratio, similar to the barn door rudders on cat boats...
such low aspect rudders are helped significantly if a foot (spoiler
plate) in placed on the bottom... Phil Bolger has had a lot of
positive experience with these... Im going to try it as designed,
but will build another with a foot, probably 1.5 inches wide and
running the full length of the rudder, if this one stalls at the
angles needed....
I am 62... My knee caps are just aft of frame 5, with my back
within an inch of the aft end of the coaming... Bottom line, I
fit, but just barely... If I were to build another, Id move that
frame forward an inch and also raise the forward end of the cockpit
a half inch...
To transfer the frame supports to plywood (I used 1/4 inch
plywood and it worked fine), I placed the plywood under the blue
prints and used an awl to transfer the center point of all holes
and the base line... marked the size of each hole on the plywood...
I also drew in vertical and horizontal line (each about an inch
long) centered on each alignment hole (see above) Drilled the
holes, drew in the baseline on the plywood, then cut each frame
support, running down the middle of the line of holes for the
stringers, and about two inches below the base line... I also
ran a saw cut from the center of each alignment hole (see above)
at a perpendicular to the bottom of the support down to the bottom...
For all aluminum parts, I cut out the blue prints and wall paper
pasted (vinyl paste... left over from doing the nursery for our
grand-daughter) the blue prints directly to the aluminum sheet...
This worked well, and the blueprints washed off with water after
all the sawing and drilling...
I built the jig using 4 ten foot 2X4s...two for each side of
the ladder, with a two foot overlap, giving me 18 feet. After
nailing the two sides up, I clamped them together and drew in
a line for each station across the two sides. I then separated
the two sides and nailed in 9 2X4 (X15 inch) braces across the
top of the two sides... aligning the edge of the cross brace 1/8
of an inch from the line (I used 1/4 inch plywood frame supports)...
The sides of the ladder frame were on edge (i.e., 4 inches high),
while the cross braces were nailed flat... I then squared up the
ladder frame and nailed in two pieces of plywood, about 12 inches
by 15 inches at each end of the ladder frame to lock it so that
it would not rack out of alignment...
I then nailed number 1 and number 9 frame support to the corresponding
cross brace, making sure that the base line from the blueprint
was aligned to the top of the cross brace, and centered on the
cross piece... I then ran two pieces of line (squid line, pulled
very tight) through the horizontal center of the alignment holes
and resting on the bottom of the holes... I tied them off to some
nails in the plywood braces at the end of the ladder frame to
prevent the 1/4 inch frame supports from bending...
Then I took each frame support, slid it over the two lines and
nailed it to the ladder cross brace such that the line bisected
the alignment hole vertically and horizontally... note that the
alignment holes for support 1 and 9 are a half-hole higher that
all others...
This system worked very well... I didnt have to build a rigid
bench... I could always check alignment, even after tripping over
the partially completed frame and knocking it out of alignment...
all I had to do was kick it back in place to make sure all frames
were centered on the two lines...
I kept the frame on the floor the whole time... (I was really
cramped for space and couldnt have built it at normal height even
if I wanted to...) Worked fine... no problems...
I used a band saw for most cutting of the aluminum sheet...
I bought an 18 tooth 1/4 inch blade, but found that a standard
10 tooth 1/4 inch blade worked just as well...
For cutting the lightening holes in the stem and stern, I drilled
a 3/8 hole and used a saber saw... the saber saw would not turn
in a tight enough radius (used a Skil saber saw with a 1/4 inch
hack saw blade)... so I ended up making radial (straight) cuts
from my original hole out to the edge, about every 1/4 inch or
so, then cutting off each little pie piece as close to the edge
as possible... I then used the two rat tail files (3/4 inch and
1/2 inch) to go out to the edge... a very noisy but quick process...
I used a drill press for drilling all holes, then again for countersinking...
Used a larger drill bit (not a counter sink bit) to counter sink,
carefully setting the depth of cut with the drill press... no
problems other than boredom.
The deburring tool is wonderful...I also made heavy use of a couple
of flat mill files to take off all of the band saw blade marks
on the edge of the pieces... (I know that no one will ever see
them, but I know they are nice and smooth)...
I used doubled squid line (what you supplied) for all lashings...
I experimented with a number of knots and bends and came up with
the following, which worked:
Started every lashing with a Packers Knot...Tie a loose figure
eight knot in the end of the doubled line. (The other end of the
doubled line is the middle of the single line with the needle
threaded on it). Pass the needle end around the piece which will
be the anchor piece, then up through the loop of the figure eight
knot which has the bitter ends coming out... and parallel to those
bitter ends.... tighten up the figure eight knot, cut off the
bitter ends within an eighth, seal them with flame, then draw
the knot up tight against the anchor piece... It wont slip. Now
continue with the normal Scout lashing (or sewing... I used the
same starting point for all sewing and lashing)
Ended each lashing with a round turn, then three clove hitches...
cut off the end, sealed with flame...
The only bend (for tying two lines together) I found which did
not slip was the Fishermens Bend... I ended up only using it once...
Rather than bend one line to the last (for example, when doing
long sewing runs on the bow or stern) I just tied off the end
of the line with the clove hitch and started the next set of holes
with the Packers Knot...
As noted above, I used single knees for deck to frame joints...
Pain to cut the groves in the tubes for the single knee to fit
into... I used a hand hack saw as far as I could cut, then the
edge of a 4 inch mill file... Held the tubing with two wood blocks
with a deep V grove in each block... I could hold it tight in
the vice without collapsing the tubes...about half way through
the frames, I started doubting the sanity of using single knees
rather than the double knees you show...
As noted above in plans, if I were to do it again, I would have
held off on finishing (i.e., not cutting to length according to
the blueprints) frame number 4.5 and 5 until after all other frames,
the cockpit rim (not coaming), foot braces and stringers had been
put in... Then I would have been able to adjust the height of
the front of the coaming and moved 5 forward a little to adjust
to my body...
Another it seemed like a good idea at the time item... although
this one worked out very well... (but again tried my patience)
Since the inside of the coaming is exposed, I thought it would
look nice if it were machined (Im not sure that is the right term).
After a lot of experimenting, a glued a piece of closed cell foam,
a 1/4 inch thick, to the end of a 5/8 dowel (used rubber cement)...
then in turn glued a small (5/8 inch diameter) piece of 600 wet/dry
sandpaper to the foam (again, with rubber cement)... put the dowel
in the drill press. Took a piece of plank (6 X 8 inches) and put
two 4 penny nails in the flat of the plank close to the top edge,
exactly 3 centimeters apart (all holes in the edge of the coaming
are 1 centimeter apart)... I clipped the top of the nails so there
were two spikes sticking up about an eighth of an inch... clamped
the plank on the drill press so that the center of the abrasive
was lined up with the line between the two spikes and equal distance
from them... I now had a jig in which I could put a swirl every
centimeter, parallel to the top edge of the coaming... after each
row, I re-clamped the board 1 centimeter further away from me...The
wet/dry paper was used dry and lasted for the whole coaming, as
did the rubber cement!...end result is a beautifully machined
coaming...
Had some trouble at first joining the three sections of tubing
for each stringer, but finally found the following worked well...
filed smooth the splicing sleeves and the inside edge of the two
stringers to be joined... Vice Gripped the sleeve tight so that
the saw kerf you put in was squeezed tight, then drove it into
one stringer with a wooden mallet... Vice Gripped the other end
of the sleeve and started it, with hand pressure into the joining
stringer... I then picked up the whole assembly and drove it into
a nice handy 2X8 as if I were throwing a spear... This drove the
two pieces together without bashing up the next end.
I attached each stringer to the frame supports with a single piece
of squid line... line comes from forward, through the hole (under
where the stringer sets), up over the stringer, back through the
hole, up over the stringer a second time, back through the hole
to the next frame support... tightening up as I went... This held
the stringers in place, but kept the line out of the way of the
frames and lashings that would come later... (When I did the lashing,
some times Id catch the line holding the stringer down... not
a problem, the line came out, when I pulled the frame from the
building jig, without any problems)...
I put in the keel, stringer I and II, then attached the bow and
stern assemblies, then all the frames, then the rest of the stringers...
The gunwales did not fair to frames 4, 4.5 or 5 (I think there
were three places out of the six that did not hit right)... I
made spacers out of spare tubing (about a centimeter long and
1/3 circumference) and lashed these in to have a fair curve on
the gunwales...
While assembling framework, I continually checked the alignment
holes on the frame supports and that each frame was vertical,
etc. etc... a lot of minor sliding of lashings to get this all
aligned perfectly...
I used a plate of aluminum for the base of the Henderson pump,
placed on the starboard side, about 12 inches aft of the cockpit...
plate lashed to the top of the gunwale and the deck stringer....
I screwed each 13 inch Yakima foot brace to a pair of bridges...
each bridge is aluminum, about 4 inches long, and is a flattened
U shape in cross section... the bridges are lashed to stringers
II and III, one forward of frame 6, and one aft... the height
of the U is such that the foot brace just clears the inside of
frame 6... This set-up was required because of leg length... an
inch shorter and I would not have had to bridge over frame 6...
Epoxy coating on all lashings and sewn assemblies was no problem...
any drips that would hit the cloth covering were filed off smooth...
Did the top of every lashing/sewn assembly while the frame was
still in the building jig... then, after it dried, released it
from the jig, turned it upside down, and did the bottom...
I used 1/4 inch varnished mahogany planks for the floor boards...
they run from frame 5 to 6 only, lashed to the bottom of the frames...
I did this to give me more foot room on the braces (Ive got size
12 feet)...The floor boards are only from the keel up to stringer
I.... I also made a platform of cross planks, lashed to the top
of stringer I, side to side, running from station 4 back to station
3... for junk... These planks made from 3/16 varnished mahogany,
3 inches side... a third lashing down the keel line holds the
planks together...
The coaming is lashed to the cockpit rim with doubled line spiraling
around the rim and through every hole... then a second time, but
in reverse... this way there is a zig-zag pattern of doubled lines
running between the bottom row of holes and the bottom edge of
the coaming... I found the coaming was not the right length the
first time... the holes did not match up in the overlap aft...
I marked the overlap, pulled the whole thing off, cut it off at
the overlap, drilled some new holes and resewed it with a butt
joint... extra work, but looks good...
Skin is the 15 oz. nylon... nice stuff... With frame upside
down on two horses, I laid the cloth out and basted it to the
two gunwales whole length... I placed it with about an inch overhang
to the end of the keel... not enough. I found out the hard way
when I was sewing up the stern... the last of the sewing... because
the stern tucks in, the cloth was not long enough to reach the
top of the transom... short by about a 1/4 inch after all the
stretching I could do... ended up fishing a piece in... key is,
leave about 3 inches at the end of the keel when first laying
it on..
I started in the middle of the side of the cockpit, alternating
sides about every 6 inches... with a lot of patience and pulling
stitches out and redoing, got it around the cockpit without any
wrinkles...I then went around a second time (all with single line,
not doubled) so that on the inside of the coaming, there is a
continuous line of stitches connecting the bottom row of holes...for
aesthetic purposes only... it certainly did not need the second
row for strength...
Since this nylon does not heat shrink like the other skin... at
least that is my understanding... I wanted to set this up tight
the first time... This is the technique I used...temporarily sew
one edge to the deck beam firmly... mark the center line of the
deck beam on the skin with a pencil... pull the other edge as
tight as I can, marking the center of the deck beam on it... cut
off on both pencil lines, plus an extra 1/8 inch or more, depending
upon the humidity (if dry, use a scant 1/8 inch... if high humidity,
use a very full 1/8... even a 1/4 inch... I had to play it by
ear)... I then put a tick mark every centimeter...
I used a 40 watt Weller soldering iron to cut the cloth...filed
the tip with two hollows on each side... worked great.
Sewed up through edge A at centimeter 1, down through the seam
and up edge B at centimeter 2, down through the seam and up edge
A at centimeter 3, etc... go for a foot or so... pulling the skin
toward the bow (or stern) at the gunwales and at the keel...then
do the other side....Up through edge B at centimeter 1, down through
the seam and up edge A at centimeter 2, down through the seam
and up edge B at centimeter 3, etc...
I should have been more careful doing my rough cuts at the bow...
I cut a tad too much off and as a result, the crotch in the bow
is not at deep (as far aft) as it should be... If I were to do
it again, Id sew the deck to about station 9... then Id do the
bottom of the crotch... then the top of the crotch at the same
time as the deck, then finish off the horn... I probably spent
more time on the forward 18 inches then the whole rest of the
sewing...The end result, except for some patches noted below,
is beautiful... on dry days, the whole skin is drum tight without
a wrinkle... on damp days, it tends to sag some (note, this is
without Hypalon)...
There were a few places were the 2 halves did not meet tight enough
to be waterproof... for example, on the aft side of the horn...
What I did was to cut out some strips of nylon, about 1.5 inches
wide and glue them over the offending areas with rubber cement...
I also sewed an additional reinforcement cloth over the top of
the deck beam just aft of the cockpit were the paddle hits when
getting in and out... This was the only time I used the curved
needles, the flat stitch requires it... elsewhere I used only
the straight needles, and only broke one...(Sewing it seemed like
a good idea at the time, vs. gluing... It is more aesthetically
pleasing when sewn) After I got the cloth all on, I found it a
little difficult (but eventually OK) to get the cloth tight around
the aft end of the keel.. I realized, too late, that one more
hole in the vertical plate of the keel, located right were the
aft end of the keel and the plate intersect would have made the
job easier... I could have wrapped some line around the keel,
through the hole and made it tight...
Nylon Belt Rubbing Strip I used two (4 oz.) cans of rubber cement
to do this... with some other handy uses for the cement, Id recommend
3 cans per kayak... Rubber cement works at below freezing temperature...
No change in working properties... To make the belt lie flat around
the horn of the bow, I burned in cuts, about 3/8 deep, perpendicular
to the edge, every 2 centimeters, on both sides of the belt, starting
forward of station 9 when the bow starts to turn up... These cuts
allowed the belt to lie flat on the curve... worked well... after
it was glued on, I just took the soldering iron and smoothed out
the edges...
Coaming Edge I sewed the nylon rope to the coaming with blind
stitches...single threaded needle out through the coaming and
through the rope, then back through the rope using the same hole(this
way, the line is buried inside the rope and doesnt show except
on the inside of the coaming)...Went around once, then a second
time through the other set of holes... thus leaving a continuous
line of stitches on the inside of the coaming... the second row
is definitely needed... the rope is absolutely solid against the
coaming and does not move at all... This technique did flatten
the rope slightly, but did not affect the security of the spray
skirt.
Bottom Line The end result is beautiful... exceeding my expectations
in every way...highly recommended...
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