Yup, that's me.
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Happy 1st Sighting of Pacific Ocean by Lewis & Clark (1805)! 🧭
J Winters "Kite" build
- Thread starter stripperguy
- Start date
I finally got a few free moments this week.
I really need to build a spray booth!!
Most of the finish looks OK, we'll see how it buffs out tomorrow...
Maybe tomorrow I can drag the boat outside to get a good look at it, I had a hard time to see it clearly as I was spraying...
Those with a sharp eye will see all those parts for the 2004 Harley Soft Tail Heritage Classic that I'm rebuilding (for profit, I hope!)
I really need to build a spray booth!!
Most of the finish looks OK, we'll see how it buffs out tomorrow...
Maybe tomorrow I can drag the boat outside to get a good look at it, I had a hard time to see it clearly as I was spraying...
Those with a sharp eye will see all those parts for the 2004 Harley Soft Tail Heritage Classic that I'm rebuilding (for profit, I hope!)
Took the time to spray it eh? What'cha gonna do the first time you scratch it? 
Took the time to spray it eh? What'cha gonna do the first time you scratch it?
Nothing is prettier than a scratched up canoe
Alan
Took the time to spray it eh? What'cha gonna do the first time you scratch it?
Actually, it was already all beat up from the last paddle down a rock strewn stream. I just cleaned off the mud and sprayed away!!
The resin is pigmented, so additional scratches will still be red, just not quite as red...every scar tells a story. Besides, everyone knows, chics dig scars!!
Real quick...I did some wet sanding with 600 grit, followed by a quick polish using a rough polishing compound.
I'm pretty sure that I can get an automotive quality finish by the weekend.
I'm pretty sure that I can get an automotive quality finish by the weekend.
So I take it that you've been paddling the boat now and again while working your way through the finishing process? What do you think of it so far? I finally warmed up to my Kite this summer once I quit trying to paddle it like a fast solo and stopped trying to push it so hard. Just gotta realize I'm not going to paddle it 6 miles upstream or cruise at 5mph. It's fun to have something you can spin around with ease, slide around obstacles without thinking, and stand up comfortably in. I think I'll be taking it out again Saturday morning.
Looks great!
Alan
Looks great!
Alan
Alan,
So far, the boat is doing all that I had hoped. I've spent lots of time in fast hulls, tandem and solo.
The fastest hulls are my preference, but for some waters that I like, those hulls just don't work well.
Specifically, the small meandering streams are almost impossible in a longer, less rockered hull.
And some bigger water is uncomfortable due to taking rollers over the bow, and also due to stern hook.
And even class I was tough to negotiate in my DY... so far, the Kite has seen mild class II and is confidence inspiring.
While the Kite is not going to set any speed records, it's closer to a universal hull that can work for me in any water and weather condition.
It's very comfortable, with plenty of reserve stability, and no stern hook!! Very maneuverable while still tracking OK. And I got to play with a carbon fiber over foam layup, something I had previously toyed with only as a thought experiment. I like the aesthetics, and the whole "book by its cover" kind of appearance, it looks like a production boat at first glance, but, upon closer inspection, reveals that there is much more going on between the covers.
It is heavier than I had expected, but I suppose that is a consequence of building it for heavier water.
Overall, I'd give it an A minus, for my paddling.
So far, the boat is doing all that I had hoped. I've spent lots of time in fast hulls, tandem and solo.
The fastest hulls are my preference, but for some waters that I like, those hulls just don't work well.
Specifically, the small meandering streams are almost impossible in a longer, less rockered hull.
And some bigger water is uncomfortable due to taking rollers over the bow, and also due to stern hook.
And even class I was tough to negotiate in my DY... so far, the Kite has seen mild class II and is confidence inspiring.
While the Kite is not going to set any speed records, it's closer to a universal hull that can work for me in any water and weather condition.
It's very comfortable, with plenty of reserve stability, and no stern hook!! Very maneuverable while still tracking OK. And I got to play with a carbon fiber over foam layup, something I had previously toyed with only as a thought experiment. I like the aesthetics, and the whole "book by its cover" kind of appearance, it looks like a production boat at first glance, but, upon closer inspection, reveals that there is much more going on between the covers.
It is heavier than I had expected, but I suppose that is a consequence of building it for heavier water.
Overall, I'd give it an A minus, for my paddling.
I'm glad you're enjoying it. It certainly looks fantastic and I enjoy reading about and watching the whole process.
Well, SG - I took some time off from this forum half way through your project, and just finished going through the rest of this thread since I left. Very nice job on the Kite! But I don't see a full photo-shoot of the finished boat. What's up with that??
Well, SG - I took some time off from this forum half way through your project, and just finished going through the rest of this thread since I left. Very nice job on the Kite! But I don't see a full photo-shoot of the finished boat. What's up with that??
Thanks for posting all the step-by-step! It's gonna help....one of these days.
Thanks for posting all the step-by-step! It's gonna help....one of these days.
Sorry, man...there's a short story coming, so be sure to be sitting.
I had rushed through most of the build, knowing that my free time could evaporate at any moment.
Sure enough, not long after I had the boat done enough to paddle, a veritable sh!t storm of rehabs and vacancies hit MDB and I. (we have 27 rental units that we own and maintain). So, with occupancy deadlines looming, all canoe work stopped, along with any form of recreation.
Around the start of August, I had just enough free time to wet sand the entire outside of the hull and apply two layers of acrylic clear coat.
I managed to get the clear coat wet sanded before the next trip with the boat. I still needed to buff out the finish, to make it really shine.
Well, after that particular trip, I saw how beat up the hull was, and decided that I wasn't going to spend any more time to make the finish flawless, when I knew what would come next.
So here we are in September, and MDB and I have another rental property crush, so the couple of wilderness trips already planned will be shifted to October.
But, I did manage to take a day off of work and paddle with My Darling Bride up Fishing Brook.
Still left to do:
Clear coat the gunnels and thwarts
Build that fancy seat/portage yoke combo from foam and carbon fiber.
Retire from my full time job.
All of the above will happen in 2015...but I do have some photos of the mostly completed Kite.
Here it is at Sand Lake
And here we are on Fishing Brook (photo from MDB's iphone, not the best!)
I had rushed through most of the build, knowing that my free time could evaporate at any moment.
Sure enough, not long after I had the boat done enough to paddle, a veritable sh!t storm of rehabs and vacancies hit MDB and I. (we have 27 rental units that we own and maintain). So, with occupancy deadlines looming, all canoe work stopped, along with any form of recreation.
Around the start of August, I had just enough free time to wet sand the entire outside of the hull and apply two layers of acrylic clear coat.
I managed to get the clear coat wet sanded before the next trip with the boat. I still needed to buff out the finish, to make it really shine.
Well, after that particular trip, I saw how beat up the hull was, and decided that I wasn't going to spend any more time to make the finish flawless, when I knew what would come next.
So here we are in September, and MDB and I have another rental property crush, so the couple of wilderness trips already planned will be shifted to October.
But, I did manage to take a day off of work and paddle with My Darling Bride up Fishing Brook.
Still left to do:
Clear coat the gunnels and thwarts
Build that fancy seat/portage yoke combo from foam and carbon fiber.
Retire from my full time job.
All of the above will happen in 2015...but I do have some photos of the mostly completed Kite.
Here it is at Sand Lake
And here we are on Fishing Brook (photo from MDB's iphone, not the best!)
That's what I'm talking about!
I am anxious to see that seat when it's done though.
OK, it's been nearly a year and I have finally gotten back to finish (mostly) that Kite that I built last year.
I was dissatisfied with the exterior finish, even though I had applied an automotive clear coat, the hull just didn't "pop" the way I wanted.
I also was not happy with my seat, it was a temporary ash framed, fully caned donation, from a buddy (Cold River Bob) on another forum. The seat itself was OK, but the cleats that I installed did not allow a very secure attachment. Besides, I had always planned for a combo seat/portage yoke sort of thing.
So...based on some of what Alan did in his expedition solo build, I made some new carbon fiber over foam seat supports, attached directly to the bottom of the hull, interior, that is. I purchased some 3M Dual Lock material with 250 pins per sq inch and an adhesive back. I cut the legs off of that donated seat, and used the 3m Dual Lock to hold the seat frame in place. I can even lift the entire boat using the seat, that 3M stuff is plenty strong.
Eventually, I'll make another seat with rear extensions that will serve as a portage yoke. When it's time to carry, I'll just unzip the seat, turn it front for back, and reattach, ready for carrying.
For the exterior, I applied a couple of coats of Interlux Brightside single part polyurethane paint. I also brushed on some epoxy on my sanded but never finished gunnels and thwarts. The carbon gunnels now "pop", and provide a nice contrast with the painted exterior and stripped interior.I'm pretty happy with the results, paint flowed nicely and really shines. The eventual scratches will show the pigmented resin, so even deep gouges (which I'm sure will accumulate) won't be too obtrusive.
Here are a few photos to show the boat as it looked today...I have yet to remove the original seat cleats (just under the "crease") and make the combo seat/yoke, but it is essentially as done as it's getting.
I was dissatisfied with the exterior finish, even though I had applied an automotive clear coat, the hull just didn't "pop" the way I wanted.
I also was not happy with my seat, it was a temporary ash framed, fully caned donation, from a buddy (Cold River Bob) on another forum. The seat itself was OK, but the cleats that I installed did not allow a very secure attachment. Besides, I had always planned for a combo seat/portage yoke sort of thing.
So...based on some of what Alan did in his expedition solo build, I made some new carbon fiber over foam seat supports, attached directly to the bottom of the hull, interior, that is. I purchased some 3M Dual Lock material with 250 pins per sq inch and an adhesive back. I cut the legs off of that donated seat, and used the 3m Dual Lock to hold the seat frame in place. I can even lift the entire boat using the seat, that 3M stuff is plenty strong.
Eventually, I'll make another seat with rear extensions that will serve as a portage yoke. When it's time to carry, I'll just unzip the seat, turn it front for back, and reattach, ready for carrying.
For the exterior, I applied a couple of coats of Interlux Brightside single part polyurethane paint. I also brushed on some epoxy on my sanded but never finished gunnels and thwarts. The carbon gunnels now "pop", and provide a nice contrast with the painted exterior and stripped interior.I'm pretty happy with the results, paint flowed nicely and really shines. The eventual scratches will show the pigmented resin, so even deep gouges (which I'm sure will accumulate) won't be too obtrusive.
Here are a few photos to show the boat as it looked today...I have yet to remove the original seat cleats (just under the "crease") and make the combo seat/yoke, but it is essentially as done as it's getting.
Very nice! I like red, me. That running knuckle sure gives it a distinctive look, much different than the Osprey. You going to use it this summer?
296 replies, over 12,000 views! This thread has been amazing to watch. Great job!
Yeah, that POPS alright! Beautiful job stripperguy. Looking forward to seeing it on the water.
G
Guest
Guest
Dayum, "pops" is right. That deep color took some work.
Honestly as fine as I've seen.
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