Coaming no 3

How difficult will it be?

Trials 1 and 2.

I think I will get the world's first kayak, whitout the cockpit.

Try 3.

I tryed with 7 mm thick and 40 mm high pine, the cracks a bit but as it is only in the outer annual ring.








Try 4.

Tried also with two 3-5 mm thick and 40 mm high. will see after the weekend if it has ruptured.

Kayak no 21

After the test paddle kayak has found it self down in the basement again.

At the top of the picture you can see the guides for the foot rests which I have glued in place.

I hav tryed to make a masik to get the coaming to get in the right position, it is not yet glued.

The broken cockpit coaming to test the final look, I think it will work.

Coaming no 2

This is the first attempt!
a little sad, I am.

But a little pity on the beautiful oak base. Now I have purchased a good piece of pine without knots will see if it goes better.

Kayak no 20

Finally launching time!

It feels much more real now when the kayak has been known close to the water. That I was worried aboute the keel would be oblique, has just been wasted of energy.
The kayak went strait the hole time. I think however, that it is a little high in the water but it means that I can load it whit heavy luggage.





This picture was taken by my friend Micke HA who were there as a photographer, moral support, a lifeguard and generally nice friend.

Once we were about to pack up came a very nice Finnish man who wanted to show his strip built kayaks built of prints from. Thomasson design, incredibly fine work there.

Coaming no 1

I have changed little on the form since the first attempt. As material, I had a floor base of oak lying which fitted perfectly for the job. I cut it down to about 7 mm at the table saw. After about 12 minutes in my seam box it was time to get in shape, I had good help of my colleague André. It had never worked to make this by myself!

Steam box

Now it was time to use the "steambox" I've built. I have used a ventilation pipe Ø125 mm about 160 cm long. at one end, I screwed a piece of form plywood in the second, I have a loose piece that funktion as a lid. The pot is perhaps of 15 liters. Between the lid and the pipe, I have an old Thermos, it´s made to keep the heat on the content, so it should indeed be perfect in order not to lose the heat of the steam. All parts are lost and found.

I forgot the fact that I used som epoxy for sealing joints.










First try, one third of water in the pot, lid on and wait. Once water was boiling and it was about 90 ° C, I set my oak socket (more about that in another post)

Kayak no 19

It is approaching the big S day, S as in splash.
Tomorrow I will test paddle my kayak to see how it behaves in the water. I have in the absence of "saran wrap" wrapt the kayak in building plastic / moisture barrier. I hope it will hold.

Paddle no 6

At last, my Greenland paddle are done!

I have shaped it and sanding it all weekend. The paddle is oiled 3 times with Herdins teak oil, it was what I got at home.

You can always refine it but to be my first paddle I ever made, I'm happy.

Optimus Crux Lite

My first choice in the field kitchen for my solo trips are Optimus Crux Lite. It weighs only 72 grams. With a one liter saucepan from Trangia at 102 grams, pie form as lid at 3 grams, and a grip at 45 grams, so considering my entire kitchen solution 222 grams + fuel, not so bad.

Consumables for me is about 220g / week

Terra Nova Laser Comp

I have a Terra Nova Laser Comp for my solo trips.
This must be the biggest little tent ever made!
I am 187 cm and has plenty of room left on both length and width. You can sit up and cook in apsis.
Solution with carbon fiber sticks may save on weight but is a lousy kvallité






Incredibly easy to set, requiring only 2 tent pegs, but if you put down 6 pc it will provide a good tension on the screen with all the pins it also do fine in strong wind (tried 15 m / s). Apsis is big enough for cooking, rucksack and boots at the same time.
There is some condensation problems when you got bad tension and pour rain, otherwise no condensation.
It says that it will weigh 860 grams, but it is without all. my weighs 1014g with everything.

Shaving horse no 4

Finally I´m done!

I have finally finished building my shavinghorse. Two hinge fittings, I used to be able to regulate the angle of the carving table. I plugged with oak pegs so that they do not wear out so fast.






I tested on a bit of crap wood, worked very well.

Now a can start with the paddles!

Shaving horse no 3

There you go!
Now it resembles something, little small adjustments left.
I am looking to attach a small piece of leather on the head so it will be more gentle to the paddle. I don´t want any marks on the wood.

Shaving horse no 2

Then most of the parts for shaving horse is sawn. Sanding and merge remains.

The actual bench for the shaving horse is assembled and waiting for sanding and plugging of the holes.

Shaving horse no 1

Then it was time to launch a another new project. In order to produce paddeln, I have decided that I need a Shaving horse. I found this picture online, can´t be that hard to do.

about $ 5,50 for a little bunch of threaded rod, nuts and washers + $ 10 for 2 pine 45 x 120 x 2400 cm. The remaining material from the pile of leftover wood in the basement.

Backpack no 2

Update:

Backpack NoName stripped about 1,500 grams is now 480 grams
Hip belt is now 184 grams
Waterproof bag home made about 60 liters weighs 121 grams

Total 785 grams

I ordered carbonfiber tubes from Skåne Drakar & hobby will see if the tubes will hold.

Carbonfiber is just wonderful! 45 grams for two pc 10mm tubes 60 cm long instead of alu-rails of 120 grams each. Of course it tastes so it cost $ 25 for two including shipping.

Backpack no 1

Made in 2008

Waterproof 65-liter light backpack (DIY)

Backpack 674 grams (240 grams is 2 pc aluminum rails) + hip belt 183 grams + home made waterproof bag 121 grams = 978 grams .

Have tried the prototype a week at Kebnekaise (The highest mountin in Sweden), starting at 15 kg (all in the bag) worked great.

Cost about $ 20 for the backpack (2200gram) in a sports store that always have 50% because they are closing (for 10 year´s now) + $ 30 in the fabric from shelby.fi.
Then I saved the function with the straps on the sides, I can easily hang on a couple of side pockets when necessary (which I not found yet)

Paddle no 5

The work on my first Greenland paddle continues slowly. The basic shape is now appointed and ready to refine. Someone wrote somewhere that one should not make paddeln too fat and I have really followed, perhaps a little too well.

A question that arose was how to match paddeln with a skin on frame kayak, a strip built kayak is easier to match.




I must say I am quite happy with the blade so far.

I must also mention the site with a fully sovereign video with Matt Johnson on how to make your own Greenland paddle.

Paddle no 4

Then I finally got to start shaping my first paddle.
Fun but really tough when you do not have good tools, I should buy me a really good plane.
It may also be the purchase of a grinding wheel to angle milled or rather it must be purchased several grinding wheels.
Even a craft knife tape from Svante Djärv must be bought. Taking aboute Svante Djärv, I can only offer my major recommendations according to my opinion one of Swedens best skilled knife makers.

Paddle no 3

My Greenland paddle begins to take shape.
All parts except the tip of the paddeln is glued.
The next step is to mount the tip of my first paddle I both made and owned.

Paddle no 2

I have started whit the paddle.

This paddle is supposed to be inspired by the Greenland paddles. As it looks now there will be a spine / shaft of two 15 mm western red cedar with a 5 mm pine between. Indeed paddle blade is built on the 5 mm poplar then 15 mm western red cedar to
completed by about 5 mm light aspen on the edge and about 50 mm at the end of the paddeln. All of it glued with the same epoxy I glued the hull of the kayak with.



I have not made up my mind whether it will be marked transition between leaf and stem, or a smoother transition.

Paddle no 1

Suddenly I realized that I need a paddle to the kayak. After much surfing I arrived at two good examples: Making a West Greenland Paddle by Chuck Holst and Vest greenland pagaj by Thomasson design. I see no difference between the two except that the latter has a tip that the thinner blade with a concave profile provides more speed and quieter time.

Western red Cedar is not cheap in Sweden $ 160 for 365 x 5 x 20 cm. I could have got a bit of a lumberyard in the vicinity for about $ 120 for approximately 400 x 5 x 12 cm, but then they would order only, in other words, no chance to choose annual ring or knot-free.

Bilge Pump no 1

I have made me a bilge pump to the kayak. I surf around a bit online and found four websites: Homemade PVC Bilge Pump, Building hand Bilge pumps, Orust Kayak and AndersJ. Then it was time to go out in the storage and locate parts, an old bicycle tube, I got over last week when I did spring maintenance of my bike, a trap that I bought on sale for a long time ago, a ski pole that the kids never had time to use, a little plastic pieces and screws I had lying . And so not to be forgotten epoxy.

The small picture in the top:

top image: the suction
lower picture: close up of the flask

The almost complete bilge pump.

What is missing is a rubber seal up under the handle and I am waiting to cut the outlet tube until I tried it in the kayak. Then I wonder what color it should have, maybe red for I have a can of red paint in the cupboard and it would fit well with a yellow floating ring. Saw a cheap yellow sleeping pad in one of lowprice markets that would fit.

Kayak no 18

Then I have ordered and received Coelan Bootsbeschitung / Coelan Boot Coating from Euro Coating. I do not know how it happened but they sent a liter Coelan Thinner also the cost in itself, only $ 11,5 / liter, so it did not matter much.
The actual coating costing $ 92 for a 750 ml jar + a 375 ml jar + $ 14,5 freight cost.
Consumption of Coelan 1000 ml/m2 whit (5-6 coat´s) in other words, 166 - 200 ml/m2/coat according to Eurostat Coating.

Euro Coating is very determined that you order the quantity that it is intended to use is 1000 ml/m2. For a kayak, it could go with two coat´s 200 ml/m2. For a kayak on 6 meters, it therefore to be 2.4, l but I was a little crafty and ordered coating of 3 m2.

Kayak no 17

The canvas has arrived!

Finally, the nylon cloth from FOV fabrics in Borås has come.
I ordered 13 meters of it would go to Hxxl the first time I skin the kayak or if any other kayak builders need a bit. $110 for 13 meter provides a meter price of $ 8,5 incl VAT o cargo. I may add, that the pepole at FOV that I had contact with was very nice and good to do busniess with.

Kayak no 16

Now I have ordered 13 meters of cloth 66040-100. It was slightly cheaper than the one called 1631.

Just want to add that they are very nice on the FOV, no problem ordering. It only requires a VAT number.

While waiting for the canvas for my kayak to be delivered,
I started to produce the footrests.
Of course it must be adjustable footrest, but I do not want to buy some metal or plastic.

DIY is the way!

Kayak no 15

Sandpaper with 180 grains, a Bosch sander, earplugs and breathing mask. It was what waited today, when I went down in the basement. After about an hour I´m satisfied with the utside of the hull.


I still wonder how the skin will fit in the bow and stern. It may need a work over.

Kayak no 14

At last the samples from F.O.V. have come. The one to the left is the 1631 and the one to the right is the 66040-100 as marked on the fabric. 1631 feels more like rigid cotton fabric. 66040-100 feels more like real nylon, as a Haglöfs Backpack from 80 century.
I will come back to prices, weights, etc..

Kayak no 13

Then I have put the last stringers in place. I assembled the last two, one with a short splice (about 13 cm) and the other with a long (about 30 cm) splice, will see how long it holds.

















I have also mount the floor mounts. You can see here how they became.

Kayak no 12

Then was the time for the floor. I continue with spruce, 4 strips about 1 cm thick. These, I thought glue and plug them in the extra bits in section 3 and 4.

Before I left work yesterday, I ordered samples from FOV The sales person I spoke to promised to send a little different samples not only the sheets they call 1631AX (which seems to be the most common "kayak skin in sweden"). We'll see how long it takes.












Here I have provisionally put the pieces there to keep floor in place. I wonder how much 1 cm higher floor will make for stability. I will try to lower the floor 5 mm.

Kayak no 11

Now it has happened a little with my kayak.
I have shaped the bow, feel that the form was successful. Sanding will take place later.

Finally!
My kayak is of from the strongback. A major step in the project. Now it's just the two stringers who sit closest to the keel left. I will have to join them when I do not have the energy to go and buy more full length timber again.

What I have been afraid for some time now it´s a fact, the keel is bent! Just before section 1 (see picture). I will of course not (more likely) blame on something other than pure carelessness and laziness. It is strange that the tip of the rail at the bow is in line with the rest of the keel.














The solution:
On the front of the seam plate I will take out a piece and glue a leftover piece from a stringer. I am thinking that if I first also broadens and shifts slightly it will be straight. Will also try to make a similar settlement with the front part of the keel.

Kayak no 10

Then I continued with the bow of the kayak, plugs for all possible directions for the best possible durability.

Have begun to think about the seat / bottom of the cockpit, maybe three steamed spruce ribs from stringer to stringer or four straight one´s between section three and four. This is worth thinking about even footrests must be planned.