Nokomis Build

[MacCamper]

These threads are too distracting and keeping me from my business. But man oh man what an education. The Nokomis is a great looking canoe Jim and I'm looking forward to hearing how she takes to the water. The tips I have read about over the last couple of days make me wish I'd been on this board since last summer. So is this a plug for your CFN? The extra layer of cloth on the bottom is for additional protection? Would you recommend this layer on all boats?

 

[Jim Dodd]

Hi Jack

I'm anxious to see Nokomis part the waves myself !

Yes, Nokomis has been piggy backed with the CFN long enough.

I'm a big fan on double layering the bottoms of my hulls. The extra abuse these hulls can handle with an extra layer, be it E-glass, or the more preferred by me, the S-glass, is worth it !
Good luck this week end !

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

Tippy Toed down to the shop, crawled into my sanding gear, rolled Nokomis out into the bright sunshine. Finished the rough sand.

Used 50 grit, worked good, just left a lot of swirl marks that will need to be sanded. I usually start with 80 grit, a better choice.
This time I had an extra fill coat, plus the Peel Ply, and was able to make the 50grit work.

Here's some pics.

Jim

 

[MacCamper]

Will this be a solo canoe Jim? Looks mighty fine.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Yes. It's 16' 4"

Hopefully I can keep it light enough for these old bones to carry around !

Jim

 

[latremorej]

Wow Jim, looks great!

 

[Jim Dodd]

Thanks guys ! Anxious to get it off the forms, but need to wait until Ben's Traveler is glassed.

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

This am after Ben trimmed the cloth and feathered the extra layer, and bias strips, on his Traveler.
We pulled Nokomis off the forms.
I sure love bead and cove. Only a couple of glue globs to scrape.
Now I'm ready to sand again.
Here some pics.

Jim

 

[Alan Gage]

Sure am anxious to see how this one performs. I bet you are too!

Alan

 

[Jim Dodd]

Me too! I may bring it up for it's first paddle .

After this weekend, I'm in the market for more resin. What do you recommend ?

Lucky for Ben and I, our cloth showed up Friday.

 

[Alan Gage]

After this weekend, I'm in the market for more resin. What do you recommend ?

While I really like the thinness and long working time of the Adtech 820 with slow hardener for wetting out I'm starting to wonder about it's ability to cure at cooler temps (below 70). At first I was blaming the long cure/lack of cure on an incorrect mix ratio (calls for 5:1) but I've had the same problem after weighing out my resin with a scale. After setting the pieces in front of the wood stove and giving them more time they seem to have cured hard but I've also got pieces that were done over a month ago that still feel slightly tacky and the surface will soften a little when wetted with alcohol. I'll look but I think the slow hardener is all I have left so I can't test to see if the faster hardener cures better at low temps.

I'll be keeping some Adtech Probuild on hand as the extra thickness is nice for fill coats or when using fillers to make a paste and will probably keep some faster setting Adtech 820 hardeners for infusing since it's so thin. Thinking pretty hard about going back to Raka for wetting out cloth or, if I get rich like Mem, trying out some of that System 3 he's always touting.

Alan

 

[Canotrouge]

What about West System? Not many seams to use it, is it a price thing, a quality thing or just not available in your area?
I use it all the time for a lot of different things, no cedar strip canoe yet thought, but really like it.

 

[dave0]

Alan, I use West System for all of my projects. Of course I'm not building beautiful boats but tinkering with broken old hulls. I use 206/105 for the resin and for tough spots I add in some G-Flex. Just food for thought!

 

[Mihun09]

Canot, we use West System as it is the only resin available locally, anything else we would need to order in. It is a tad expensive, but it all comes from the U.S of A so everything is expensive at the moment. I have no issues with West for boat building and although we could order System 3 from Noah's in Toronto, once you factor in shipping it would work out about the same.

 

[Jim Dodd]

West system is fine, but the expense is the issue for me.

I've used a lot of RAKA's 127+350 non- blush hardener. A three gallon kit sells for $182+ shipping. That puts it about $60 a gallon

I should order some System Three Clear Coat, and use it just for wet out.

Thanks Alan! I did do a little checking, and you are right. The Adtech is more comfortable with 80 degree temps. At the rate I'm going lately, It'll be July and 90 degrees F outside. And the air full of bugs.

Jim

 

[latremorej]

At the rate I'm going lately, It'll be July and 90 degrees F outside. And the air full of bugs.

Jim

Hahahaha. Nothing is better than sanding 100 mosquitoes off the finish!

 

[Jim Dodd]

A stroke of luck afforded me the chance to sand Nokomis.
She is ready for glass. I'm really liking this hull.

I'm a little shy of Resin and 350 hardener, beings we glassed Ben's Traveler last weekend.
I walk by Nokomis, and I swear she says Glass me ! Glass Me !
Here's some pics.

I keep the middle form strapped in place while sanding. Years ago a friend on a very hot day, nearly wasted the hull he was sanding. I didn't see it, but another friend said it had sagged in the middle big time as it sat in full sun. They were lucky to save it I was told.
A thing I always do.

Jim

 

[MacCamper]

Looking great Jim.
When sanding the exterior do you skip roughing up the bow and stern where the boat cuts the water? Or is this an optical illusion. I just sanded my ends and noticed yours appear not to be.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Looking great Jim.
When sanding the exterior do you skip roughing up the bow and stern where the boat cuts the water? Or is this an optical illusion. I just sanded my ends and noticed yours appear not to be.

Thanks Jack

I wait until just before varnishing. I hand sand the stems. A ROS can be too aggressive there, at least for me.

Jim

 

[cbdeajr]

Had to do a double look at the bottom. All the shadows. LOL