Back to Work

Well ... it has been a while since I've been able to work on my kayak, it has been a busy spring.

I finally got a few strips put on and have milled some more coves on the strips that I had previously put the bead on. This weekend and tonight I got the center line strips on the hull. The kayak is beginning to take shape. The project requires a lot of clamps of various sizes and shapes. A friend of mine loaned me his dad's Stanley #4 plane and I used it to plane the edges of the centerline strips, a real fine tool, a real pleasure to work with.

Below are a few picts of my progress:

This is progress from the stern looking forward

This view is from the bow looking towards the stern

Looking along the center of the hull with the centerline strips in place

A view of the stern shaping up now, the lines look fair

Here I'm using the old Stanley No. 4 to bevel the centerline strips

Yep, it is getting to build another boat ... Mr. E would be proud

First Strips

I found a couple of nice red cedar boards that I could get a few strips from, there were a lot of knots in the boards but I was able to get enough strips to use for features and will be able to add some nice color. I plan on using the red cedar to make a patter of sorts on the top side of the kayak. I cut strips from the juniper, white cedar and red cedar and now have about 1050 feet of 1/4 x 5/8" strips ready to use. I have milled the bead on them using my router and will mill the cove on the strips in small batches as I use them so as not to damage the coves.

I finally got the time to install the shear strips that are made of red cedar and began installing the lighter juniper strips on the hull.  I had to make sure the shear strip presented a fair line along the hull since this will set the appearance for the remainder of the strips.The kayak should start to take shape fast now as I to make progress stripping the hull
.

The above shows the shear line at the bow

This is the shear line at the stern

Here is a closer view of the stern

I'm deciding how the next strip will go on

while allowing for the first "cheater" strip

Just a cool photo of my tools