...current status pics [Pax 18]...

fairplay · 22 Sep 2011 8:28 pm

...ah, i almost forgot - as a further little teaser, seen from the stern:

...and seen from the bow:

oak_roberts · 23 Sep 2011 12:41 pm

Thanks for the tips Fairplay, it makes sense to mix small amounts, when using epoxy at least, not wasting as much is well worth the time spent mixing. I will be giving myself a challenge for my first kayak, I will be purchasing plans and manual only, and will probably deviate from the plans somewhat to add personal details, mostly cosmetic or above the waterline as I wouldn't want to mess up the designed lines of the hull as I'm sure they know best! Depending on the quality of the ply when it arrives it may be I paint it fully or just details under the varnish, who knows, very much looking forward to making them (I aim to make 2, one each for me and my girlfriend). I will start thread with images to document the build when I start, not sure when that will be as I'm currently building a collapsible catamaran raft and was in danger of getting distracted by the kayaks . Hopefully won't be long.
Cheers.
P.S. I take it the pax paddles well?

fairplay · 23 Sep 2011 1:35 pm

oak_roberts wrote:

P.S. I take it the pax paddles well?

...i'd say: absolutely!...

...on her second trip my wife crossed a lake that i use to row in a (plastic) rower; going up and down the lake takes me fourty minutes in the rower...while i have not timed my wife doing the trip i saw her - easily! - overtaking three other kajaks (pretty nice looking plastic kajaks), each with obviously experienced, strong young man paddling - one of them going at full speed (from the looks of the energy put in ) and the others also exercising actively...

...as i said she left them all behind easily on her second trip ever without putting much effort into it, actually just trying to accustom to the new boat...

...myself i was actually astonished how stable the boat is: as soon as i relaxed the thing was absolutely balanced; in all i was allowed about ten minutes of paddling until now and those ten minutes were pure fun...i tried some speeding and a lot of turning in not so calm water and a little wind: no problem at all...

fairplay · 23 Sep 2011 1:41 pm

...ah, and another note: with my first boat i had the impression that Fyne did take care to find nice pieces of wood - especially for the forward and aft deck - that had a nice look and fit together...i also might be completely wrong with this assumption...

...it might be that just all the special-boatbuilding-mahogany-plywood is very nice and it doesnt matter...

...when i unpack the second one i will see how the 'selected' wood compares to no. 1...

Paul · 23 Sep 2011 3:22 pm

oak_roberts wrote:

Depending on the quality of the ply when it arrives it....

Using cheap wood is a false economy. It tends to be heavy and full of voids which are potential water traps allowing a perfect looking panel to rot from the inside. We use the best wood we can get for the kits: it is expensive but we want the boats to last many many years.

Please do not try to save money by using inferior wood.

We do try to find well marked wood for the decks.

oak_roberts · 23 Sep 2011 3:42 pm

Thanks Paul, I'll be sure to be very critical of the plywood when it arrives (I'm going to make my catamaran hulls using stitch and glue since learning about it only recently, shame I had nearly finished making the full size mould for fiber glassing!), I had ordered 6mm WBP rather than 4mm, as the curve is quite shallow.
As for when I make the Pax, the wood looks great but unfortunately I will not be buying the full kit as it's out of my price range, and I can 'borrow' plywood from work to enable me to move forward with the build but not immediately run out of money.
I had asked another builder about using Birch ply as its strong and very nicely uniform (though not great to look at, I would paint the whole craft, probably leaf grean, with dark blue 'trimmings', I would have to sit down for a few days with my friend photoshop to get it right first time), and I have never seen a void in it. Though I know it's not waterproof, if I was to glass both sides, it wouldn't matter would it?

Last edited by oak_roberts (23 Sep 2011 3:50 pm)

fairplay · 26 Sep 2011 10:20 am

...oak_roberts, i am not trying to put salt onto a probably already wound area, but: you will want 'the real thing' - a light, durable and slick kayak, that has great looks, handles easy and is fast...that is why you chose the Pax...

...for myself - this being the first boat ever i built - i decided not to deviate too far from the main specifications, especially regarding the materials used...at this time i can only guess about the implications caused by other wood than originally specified, but to get the Pax into shape there was a lot of flexibility and strength required from the wood...i even managed to break one of the 4mm panels in two (very early during the building stage - was able to repair it so that you cannot see it from the outside at all and have to have a very close look to spot it inside)...and the 4mm panels are the thicker ones ...

...knowing that i actually seem to have less experience than you regarding the boat-building let me nevertheless remind you: you want the real thing, and you will put in a lot of effort, time and money to get to it - think twice before doing any shortcuts, and i'd reccommend you rather wait until you can afford the 'correct' wood - which you might not have to buy pre-cut btw. ...

oak_roberts · 26 Sep 2011 11:52 am

Thanks for the tips Fairplay, you absolutely right I want a very good looking, good kayak (cheers for the info on your wife being a lot faster than the other people, sounds like the Pax is truly a fast and stable kayak , good news). Any deviation on the plans would be thoroughly thought out at the time when I can see the plans and know how it all fits together (and you all will probably be in on it before I go ahead, what with the build log I will be posting ), I am merely speculating at the moment, trying to glean as much knowledge and techniques before I'm able to actually start the build as I can. As far as my experience, I actually have none in the way of boat building, though I have some experience paddling and sailing (my on going project is a collapsible metal frame, the hulls being the only part that will be made of wood), but I am hoping I can draw on some of my other woodworking experience to help out in some areas (cabinet making apprentice, machinist then wood turner, over about 8 years).
Good point on not having to buy the pre-cut wood, I'll look into it.
Thanks all for your tips and input (apologies to Faiplay for kind of hijacking his build log!). I very much look forward to sharing my build with the forum when I eventually start .

fairplay · 5 Nov 2011 12:35 pm

...while no. 2 is making good progress, no. 1 is used whenever possible...

...today half the family made trips with no. 1, underlining the necessity to hurry up the build of no. 2; here's a view of no. 1 returning from a trip:

...and starting for another one (with a much younger passenger) immedeately thereafter:

#26 22 Sep 2011 8:28 pm

Re: ...current status pics [Pax 18]...

#27 23 Sep 2011 12:41 pm

Re: ...current status pics [Pax 18]...

#28 23 Sep 2011 1:35 pm

Re: ...current status pics [Pax 18]...

#29 23 Sep 2011 1:41 pm

Re: ...current status pics [Pax 18]...

#30 23 Sep 2011 3:22 pm

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#31 23 Sep 2011 3:42 pm

Re: ...current status pics [Pax 18]...

#32 26 Sep 2011 10:20 am

Re: ...current status pics [Pax 18]...

#33 26 Sep 2011 11:52 am

Re: ...current status pics [Pax 18]...

#34 5 Nov 2011 12:35 pm

Re: ...current status pics [Pax 18]...

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