Kayak 001 -
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Bow Form

Bow End Form

Dry Fit Forms

Dry Fit Forms

Cutting Strips

Ripping the Strips

Strips

Bookmatched Grain Pattern

Blackwater River Guitars

Kayak 001 - Great Auk (in progress)

The Great Auk was designed by Nick Schade, author of "The Strip Built Sea Kayak."

This is turning into a long term project. I got diverted building guitars and other stuff.

I started laying out the form patterns in Aug 2008.
The strongback, stands, and forms were ready in Sep 2008.
The cedar boards were ripped in Nov 2010.
Bead and coves on (most) strips done in Nov 2012.
Sripping the hull and deck started on Dec 4, 2012
Fiberglassing was started on Dec 28, 2012 and done (both sides) for deck and hull by Jan 13, 2013.
Now working on the cockpit coaming (Jan 17, 2013).

Lofting - Strongback and stand - Forms

Lofting - Aug 23, 2008

The offset tables for creating the forms are available in the Nick Schade's book. The tables provide distances from the sheer line and the center line for each form position. The process of translating the tables into form patterns is called lofting. 		Lofting

The strongback, stand, and forms - Sep 9, 2008

I made the strongback, stand, and forms from scrap wood - construction materials leftover from building my workshop.

In the picture you can see my last boat project, a "Wee Lassie," an undecked double-paddle canoe (also called an "open kayak" or minimalist kayak) designed in the late 1800s in upper New York State by the reknown canoe builder, J. Henry Rushton.

 Lofting
Forms Forms

Cutting the strips - Nov 13, 2010

Strips

The Strips

The strips are ripped on the table saw (see photo left column) to approximately 3/16 inch.

As each strip is cut, it is labeled with a board identifier and strip number. This allows me to keep track of grain patterns and color.

Strips

Grain Pattern

This photo shows the labeled strips and a possible color and grain pattern.

Bead and Cove - Nov 13, 2012

Photos below show the set-up for milling the bead and cove on the strips. The bit has both the bead and cove cutters. Set the height of the bit to get the one you want. The strip is pinned between 3 feather boards, 2 holding the strip against the fence and one holding the strip down.

Bead and Cove Bead and Cove

Next up: Stripping the Hull