Seeking Composite Layup Expertise

[Cruiser]

If it comes to that I may have to overlap ... but I would really prefer to have a continuous, just seems like the easiest solution. When I put out all that money for a premium product and compromise before I even start, then I usually rethink the process.


Brian

 

[Traveler]

Maybe we could collaborate on a build, I don't think we are that far apart in Ontario .... I will advise what CC says.

Sorry for delay in this Brian - I was one of the people unable to post over the last little while until DaveO got things fixed. Tempting offer - will have to see what my appetite is after I finish my current tandem build, which hopefully will be sometime in early July. Definitely curious about what you hear from CC - thanks

Tony

 

[jffdejongh]

This thread has got me thinking. I just did a little research and to add to:

Look at what Millbrook has been doing for years on their whitewater boats. Just a couple layers of s-glass and kevlar with no core as far as I know and they're pretty light.

They have used spheretex in at least some of their hulls and it can be used in a hand lay-up manner instead of divinycel. This has got me thinking about 2-3 layer 6 oz. E-glass + spheretex inside & ribs with a possible dynel football.

 

[Cruiser]

Sorry for delay in this Brian - I was one of the people unable to post over the last little while until DaveO got things fixed. Tempting offer - will have to see what my appetite is after I finish my current tandem build, which hopefully will be sometime in early July. Definitely curious about what you hear from CC - thanks

Tony

Got the same story from CC as you did Tony. However, I did have some 4 oz S glass shipped from Sweets to a friend in Buffalo. Just met up for a trip into Algonquin and he brought it along, so I now have 20 yards of 60" 4 oz S glass for my next build.

My wood guy has some canoe grade northern white cedar for me to pickup, unfortunately on that last trip, I ended up busting up my ankle pretty good ... so no driving for a couple months, hopefully still there when I can drive again.

Brian

 

[Traveler]

Missed this post until now Brian. Really sorry to hear about your ankle - sounds like a nasty spill, but I hope it mends quickly.

I tried to get CC to sell me some 60 inch 4 ounce s-glass in cut yards again a couple of months ago. They didn’t say “no” but did say that they had none in stock, so I was out of luck either way. Will hit them up again later this summer - maybe they will get the message that there is a market for this stuff in “personal” sized orders. Will also look at Sweets, although I don’t have a US-based middle man so might get pricey for shipping etc.

For the pack canoe I just finished I overlapped the 30 inch s-glass on the exterior and it worked pretty well, but took some fussing to blend in the edges - all doable but not ideal.

BTW is your “wood guy” Scouten White Cedar in Smiths Falls?

 

[Cruiser]

Missed this post until now Brian. Really sorry to hear about your ankle - sounds like a nasty spill, but I hope it mends quickly.

I tried to get CC to sell me some 60 inch 4 ounce s-glass in cut yards again a couple of months ago. They didn’t say “no” but did say that they had none in stock, so I was out of luck either way. Will hit them up again later this summer - maybe they will get the message that there is a market for this stuff in “personal” sized orders. Will also look at Sweets, although I don’t have a US-based middle man so might get pricey for shipping etc.

For the pack canoe I just finished I overlapped the 30 inch s-glass on the exterior and it worked pretty well, but took some fussing to blend in the edges - all doable but not ideal.

BTW is your “wood guy” Scouten White Cedar in Smiths Falls?

Scouten is good, I have visited and bought there, but I found a guy near Killaloe (Round Lake) that is better wood and a better price. I just hope he still has the wood when i can drive.

Surgery on the ankle went well, sporting internal hardware now, incisions are healing very well, I am about 3 weeks out from next checkup to see if I can start weight bearing physio .... on a positive note, getting air lifted out of the wilds was pretty intense, those guys were "bad arse".

Noahs (Toronto) has been telling me they were going to start stocking 6 oz S glass, but it hasn't happened yet .... I did suggest 4 Oz might be a better idea.

 

[Traveler]

Holy cow - an air lift rescue followed by what sounds like major surgery. That’s more backwoods adventure than I would want. Again, very sorry to hear this. Was it a fall or something like that?

 

[Cruiser]

Just a stupid slip going round a rocky mud pit (edit: it was also pouring rain, with falling temps) ..... lol, fortunately the canoe wasn't damaged. The guys I was with were pretty awesome, decided we needed to get to a campsite, so they got me into my canoe, over a few beaver dams and into a site some 3.5 hours later. The response when I blew the beacon was pretty impressive and the 2 officers ... as I said to them "bad arse" ....

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Just read this older thread.

Some fabrics are better in tension and some in compression. The tension fabrics should go on the inside and the compression fabrics on the outside. I also like the most wear resistant fabrics on the outside.

Agree

If I remember right this would put kevlar or fiberglass on the outside and carbon inside.

No. Carbon or FG would go outside for compression and scratch resistance, and Kevlar inside for tension.

foam

foam core

foam

I don't think alsg is thinking anymore of building a composite canoe for the class 1, 2 and 3 whitewater he stipulated in his OP, given that he has acquired and Esquif Vertige presumably for those waters.

However, I thought I'd comment that I am unaware of any serious whitewater cruising canoe with a foam core. How is one going to repair a foam core when it inevitably cracks after the 30 rock hits it will suffer on every day trip? We're not talking about building an uber-light lake portaging canoe here. Nevertheless, the discussion of how to build foam cores was very interesting, if inconclusive, for that type of canoe.