[Paddlewise] Log entry...week 8

	I have posted the pictures that accompany this update to the So-Cal
kayak builders page to minimize my use of this list's bandwidth.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/btreecs/.

 I will be happy to privately email anyone with questions.

After final sanding and fairing this week we decided to retrofit external
stems. This is something which we should have decided to do earlier, but
thought unnecessary. I thought that we could just epoxy a couple of thin
strips of hardwood on to cover up the end grain at the bow and stern. Well
we still could do it that way, however, I have some time until I get my
epoxy supplies so I decided to do it right (?!). It may be a little
difficult to describe but the process went like this:

I first decided that my stems would be built up of steam bent laminations of
3/4 x 1/4 Black Walnut. A friend of mine builds furniture and had some
scrap. I wanted the leading edges of them to have a 3/8" radius round over,
so 3/4 wide at the base was the way to go. So therefore there had to be a
3/4 wide flat bed on the bow and stern to glue them to.Using an adjustable
square set to 3/8" I scribed lines along the profile on both sides of the
bow and stern. These lines were the depth of my stock removal, our
intention being to sand the bow and stern flat to these lines, giving us a
3/4 bed for the stem. Next we sanded and planed (slowly and carefully) the
bow and the internal stem down until we met the previously described lines.
Where the external stem rides up into the keel we simply squared off our
cut with a chisel. Comparing the final shape of my added on external stem
with the profile on the plans, I came within an 8th of an inch, so my deck
will be fine.

We steam bent some strips, no burns this time, and using the boat as a jig
and ratchet straps as clamps, bent them into shape. They are now drying and
will be glued and faired this week.

I would highly recommend doing this prior to initial sanding of the
bow/stern, Since the strips were already sanded to their final shape we
will have to be very careful, while shaping the stems not to bite into the
strips. All in all though, it was the right decision, the walnut makes for
a very dramatic profile.



Jim Champoux


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