Weight Tips

Post your own building tips and "how to" ideas here.
AlohaDan
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Weight Tips

Post by AlohaDan »

Matt's designing an ocean going SOT for me. I'm probably getting too excited, but want to prep myself more for the building stage.

I want to keep the weight down.

I have read quite a bit on this board and encountred a lot of statements like "I could have been more careful and kept the weight down".

For a newbie what builder tips to youguys have for keeping weight off. Like what not to do. Versus what to be sure to do, etc.

Thanks for any tips.

Dan
jem
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Post by jem »

Biggest ones I can think of are don't over-size you fillets (radii that connect hull panels) and don't add too many coats of epoxy.

Using quality plywood is also a big part of that.
-Matt. Designer.
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Post by Kayak Jack »

Hitch hiking on what Matt said, I'd say get 1/8" Okoume plywood. Avoid any temptation to "save a few bucks" and get cheap materials. Good wood will be consistent, bend properly resist cracking and breaking, and has the potential to give a stronger hull.

Wipe off more epoxy than what you brush on. (Anyway, that's the way it seems.)

AVOID trim & gingerbread. Make a hull, deck (if the boat is decked), seat mounts (if the boat is to have a seat installed), etc. Make NO unnecessary items. Leave that wood in the workshop.

Make a boat no larger than you will need.
Kayak Jack
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Post by hairymick »

Hi Dan,

I would also recommend using the lightest weight possible fibre-glass matt. I use 85 gram stuff. I am not sure what that translates into ounces but it has been plenty strong enough for my boats and requires much less resin to fully wet out.

Also, carefully check out the Sabalo build piccies on this site. In particular, the Mirage Drive mounting. I think it is an engineering masterpiece the way that was done.
Regards,
Mick

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Post by jem »

hairymick wrote:Hi Dan,

I would also recommend using the lightest weight possible fibre-glass matt. I use 85 gram stuff. I am not sure what that translates into ounces but it has been plenty strong enough for my boats and requires much less resin to fully wet out.

Also, carefully check out the Sabalo build piccies on this site. In particular, the Mirage Drive mounting. I think it is an engineering masterpiece the way that was done.
I can't safely recommend anything less than 135 g per sq m.
-Matt. Designer.
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SAFETY FIRST!!

Post by LEE SCHNEIDERMANN »

Matt,
Not trying to be a "hairy-tick", but some of the best times of my life have come from ignoring the axiom.
Lee
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Those who can do math, and those who can't.
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Post by jem »

It's not an axiom or old wives tale. It's a matter of safety... to which I will always be conservative.

I can't control what builders do. But my recommendations will not change and there's no room for debate about it.

Sounds a little abbrassive but that only because of the nature of what we're dealing with: someone's safety and even their life, or thier kids' lives, if caught in the wrong situation.
-Matt. Designer.
hairymick
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Post by hairymick »

Yep, gotta agree with Matt.

My glass is sold to me as 85 gram but I suspect it is a little heavier than that.

What-ever weight it is, I was wrong to suggest using it and I apologise. Safety is paramount. Dan, please stick to what Matt recommends for his plans.

Sometimes I need to improvise and use what I can get here. Ammateure wooden boat building is not a big industry here and the products Matt recommends using are simply not available.

Matt, Please feel free to delete my previous post if you like, You will not offend me mate. I was out of line and I am very sorry. I meant no harm.
Regards,
Mick

JEMWATERCRAFT Swampgirl; Wadefish;Touring Pirogue;South Wind; P5 ;
Laker X 2, Sasquatch 16.5 T-V 15 Okwata 15:
Cobia 15 (under construction)
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Post by jem »

Was no harm.

I just wanted to ensure I was clear what I recommended. Experienced builders and paddlers make trade offs. But to cover all skill levels, I stick with the same minimum recommendations regarding material grade, type, thickness, etc.

To try and make a list of trade offs that could be made to cover all situations would take forever.

From business point of view, I also want to ensure there is additional room for error without compromising safety. My goal is to provide worry free products.

It's all good. :wink:
-Matt. Designer.
LEE SCHNEIDERMANN
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Easy there guys!

Post by LEE SCHNEIDERMANN »

Apologies all around then! Just doing a bit of tongue-in-cheek walk down memory lane. I laugh at myself when I think of all the bone-headed things I've done that were absolutely unsafe in retrospect.
I do take your advice to heart Matt, and am not trying to promote anything other than folks having a safe and memorable experience when they build and use thier boats. The best way to do that is learn from the folks who've done it and are willing to share thier good advice.

Lee

PS; Does this mean I can't give Hairy a hard time now and again?
There are three kinds of people in this world.
Those who can do math, and those who can't.
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