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 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 15:31:41 -0400, "John Waddington" <waddinj_at_ripnet.com> said: > 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. I've got a 1930 klepper frame that is in need of a skin. I'm planning on using Tom Yost's pvc skinning instructions, and keeping it foldable. http://yostwerks.com/SkinMenu.html If he doesn't care about keeping the boat as a folder I would use Bill Low's skinning instructions. http://www.imaginelan.com/aleut/polyester_skinning.html Both sites include information on where to get supplies. Kirk -- Kirk Olsen *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Thanks very much Kirk. These are both great sources of information. I'll pass both on to the owner of the frames. John Kirk Olsen wrote: >I've got a 1930 klepper frame that is in need of a skin. > >I'm planning on using Tom Yost's pvc skinning instructions, and keeping >it foldable. >http://yostwerks.com/SkinMenu.html > >If he doesn't care about keeping the boat as a folder I would use Bill >Low's >skinning instructions. > >http://www.imaginelan.com/aleut/polyester_skinning.html > >Both sites include information on where to get supplies. > > >Kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 8/25/2004 12:34:04 PM Pacific Daylight Time, waddinj_at_ripnet.com writes: > > Now the questions: > -Does anyone know what model this might be? > Go to: http://www.faltbootbasteln.de/ and have a look at the various Klepper models listed there. Especially look under: Klepper - Zweier which compares some of the earlier models. Mark Eckhart at Long Haul Products sometimes has old Klepper skins for sale and could probably help in identifying your model: http://www.longhaulfoldingkayaks.com/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Other than Franz Romer's, Atlantic crossing, custom Klepper "Deutsch Sport" (at 21' 6" x 36" wide--from 1928) I don't have any information on any Klepper double anywhere near 6 meters (19' 8") long (until the 19' long triples of just a couple of years ago anyway). Most pre-war doubles were at most a few inches over 17' long until the 1950's when a few were made 18' long (5.5 meters). Those were narrower though, about 30" rather than the 34" that you mention (and 34" to 35" is what many of the old 17 footers were). Are you sure the length was measured correctly? My source has the Klepper T-12 being first built in 1962 and it was 17' 1" by 34.6" wide. I've not heard of a T-18 until now. There was a T-8 that was a double with about the same dimensions as the T-12. I looked up Niewadow on Google and Google asked if I meant "Niewiadow". Apparently I did. I hadn't heard that name before but I had that kayak listed as a Neptune built by Predom in Poland sometime before 1986. Now with Google I've lowered that to sometime before 1961. My original information indicated it being very similar to an East German Pouch. One or two listings in Google said it was very similar to a Klepper, I don't know much else about it. Any chance I could get the length, width, and the cockpit inside, depth, length and width measurements (for my collection) from your friend who has the frame? Matt Broze www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:39 PDT