[Paddlewise] pre WWII Klepper

I've also posted the following on the Guillemot Kayak Builders' BB, so I 
apologize to those who get it twice.  That site has lots of builders, 
but I know that several Paddlewisers have a lot of experience with 
folding boats, including Kleppers.


A friend came around today with the frame for a pre-WWII Klepper. He 
thinks that it is a model T-12 or T-18. He also has the frame for a 
Polish kayak called a Niewadow, probably from the 1950's or 60's. He 
doesn't have the skins for either.

He would like to skin the Klepper and maybe the Niewadow, but he has a 
few questions. Never having done a skin on frame, I didn't know the 
answers, but said that I would ask. If he skins the Klepper he isn't 
worried if it can be taken apart again, except for a worry about keeping 
the wood from rotting.

Some details about the Klepper. It is about 20' (6 metres) long and is 
about 34" (86 cm) wide at the middle where the bow half joins the stern 
half. The deck height in front of the coaming is approximately 19" (48 
cm). The entire frame is wood with 4 hollow frames in the bow half and 2 
closed frames that probably act as bulkheads. He only brought the bow 
half so I don't know the construction of the stern. The side stringers 
(gunwales?) are also wood and are about 10 cm wide from the top of the 
deck to the bottom of the stringer.

Now the questions:
-Does anyone know what model this might be?
-Since he has no skin, what can be done to produce a new skin at a 
reasonable cost? Neither he nor I have much idea about modern materials 
for the skin and/or waterproofing. I do have George Putz's "Wood and 
Canvas Kayak Building" book.
-If he makes a new skin and leaves it on, any suggestions for 
waterproofing this 70 year old wood, without adding too much weight?

John
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