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Happy National Pickle Day! 🥒
Solo expedition build
- Thread starter Alan Gage
- Start date
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I did the car door edging thing to my old-school angle and wing nut foot braces, not so much for gear protection but because I would occasionally scrape my foot against the edge while moving around in the canoe.
I did the same thing to the edges of the DIY canoe rudder housing, figuring that is was just a matter of time ‘til I walked around the stern of the canoe too close and sliced my leg.
The carbon yoke is out. Just couldn't get happy with it. Feels hard but when you start to crank down on it with the locking knobs the foam gives a little, which means in never locks tight. Or just when you think it locks tight you throw the boat on your shoulder, something flexes a little, and then it's loose again. Another layer of carbon or large fender washers to distribute the force might fix the issue but it's only a roughly 1/2 pound weight savings over the wood version I have and by the time it was beefed up the savings would likely be gone. I'll keep it around and hopefully find a use for it later.
But I still had to adapt the wood one and the first problem was that while the inside gunnel profile drains water great it doesn't really provide anything to clamp to:
20150711_001 by Alan, on Flickr
A couple pieces of cherry cut at a 45* angle and thickened epoxy took care of that:
20150711_002 by Alan, on Flickr
20150712_001 by Alan, on Flickr
I've since laid a single layer of 8oz. fiberglass tape over these blocks for extra reinforcement to the hull and to help keep them from splitting.
The brackets that came with my yoke were made for Bell aluminum gunnels. They work fine in that application, not so much in this one:
20150712_002 by Alan, on Flickr
They actually locked in pretty solid and I carried the canoe this way about 1 1/2 miles round trip to some gravel pits behind my house. Did pretty good but they had a tendency to slip and loosen. So I came up with this idea instead and so far it seems to be working much better:
20150716_001 by Alan, on Flickr
For both pieces it's only an ounce or so heavier than the aluminum brackets, and I have started counting, but I can live with that.
I put a nylon lock nut on top of the carriage bolt so the knobs can't be taken off (fall off) without some real effort.
Alan
But I still had to adapt the wood one and the first problem was that while the inside gunnel profile drains water great it doesn't really provide anything to clamp to:
20150711_001 by Alan, on FlickrA couple pieces of cherry cut at a 45* angle and thickened epoxy took care of that:
20150711_002 by Alan, on Flickr20150712_001 by Alan, on FlickrI've since laid a single layer of 8oz. fiberglass tape over these blocks for extra reinforcement to the hull and to help keep them from splitting.
The brackets that came with my yoke were made for Bell aluminum gunnels. They work fine in that application, not so much in this one:
20150712_002 by Alan, on FlickrThey actually locked in pretty solid and I carried the canoe this way about 1 1/2 miles round trip to some gravel pits behind my house. Did pretty good but they had a tendency to slip and loosen. So I came up with this idea instead and so far it seems to be working much better:
20150716_001 by Alan, on FlickrFor both pieces it's only an ounce or so heavier than the aluminum brackets, and I have started counting, but I can live with that.
I put a nylon lock nut on top of the carriage bolt so the knobs can't be taken off (fall off) without some real effort.
Alan
One and a half miles should be a good test ! It would be tougher on me than the canoe !
I'd be tempted to shorten the lip on the bottom of the bracket, bringing it in closer to the hull. drill the 1/4" carriage bolt hole through the up and down side of your block. This would keep the bolt threads hidden, and prevent scaring from the threads.
I need to draw a picture.
Great idea with the nylock !
Jim
I'd be tempted to shorten the lip on the bottom of the bracket, bringing it in closer to the hull. drill the 1/4" carriage bolt hole through the up and down side of your block. This would keep the bolt threads hidden, and prevent scaring from the threads.
I need to draw a picture.
Great idea with the nylock !
Jim
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Guest
Guest
Outstanding.
Alan,
Does that flexy portage yoke overlap the gunnels? If so, you really only need to hold it from wiggling around. Maybe if someone(wink, wink) were to send you some 3M Dual Lock, you could try that instead of threaded fasteners.
Does that flexy portage yoke overlap the gunnels? If so, you really only need to hold it from wiggling around. Maybe if someone(wink, wink) were to send you some 3M Dual Lock, you could try that instead of threaded fasteners.
I'd be willing to give that a shot. Must be some pretty good stuff. I worry a little about it's ability to hold in a wind or when bumping into obstructions just because of the small surface area that would be making contact.
I'd think debris getting embedded in the normally exposed hook and loop could be an issue too.
Alan
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Is this what you had in mind, Jim?
20150719_002 by Alan, on FlickrThey lock in solid and work well with the carbon yoke too. I'm not too crazy about that sharp 90* inside corner, looks like it's begging to split. But it seems tough and the grain is running the right direction. I jerked and pulled and couldn't get it to let go. Maybe I'll see if I can work up a version with a slightly eased corner or make that bottom lip a little thicker.
Using the carbon yoke with these blocks saves me 11oz. but who's counting? Oh yeah, I am......
20150719_001 by Alan, on FlickrIn other shop news my fancy Mirka sander gave up the ghost tonight. I was sanding down the edges of that carbon yoke and it just quit and started smoking. Guess I'll find out how good their warranty service is.
Alan
Alan,
That set up looks pretty good. If you use all of that on your expedition trip, bring along a spare locking knob...I've had two different buddies lose their fasteners when we were carrying. Even though those large knobs are considerably bigger than my buddy's wing nuts, in a bushwhack sort of situation, stuff can disappear quickly if dropped. That's a good part of my aversion to mechanically fastened portage yokes.
In any case, using those clamps, or velcro or 3M dual Lock, you just need to keep the yoke from sliding around. Unless you intend to pick the boat up via the yoke, the yoke fasteners will never see any tensile loads, compressive only and maybe a little shear.
As far as the field durability of the 3M Dual Lock, you'll can out in a few days when your package arrives...
That set up looks pretty good. If you use all of that on your expedition trip, bring along a spare locking knob...I've had two different buddies lose their fasteners when we were carrying. Even though those large knobs are considerably bigger than my buddy's wing nuts, in a bushwhack sort of situation, stuff can disappear quickly if dropped. That's a good part of my aversion to mechanically fastened portage yokes.
In any case, using those clamps, or velcro or 3M dual Lock, you just need to keep the yoke from sliding around. Unless you intend to pick the boat up via the yoke, the yoke fasteners will never see any tensile loads, compressive only and maybe a little shear.
As far as the field durability of the 3M Dual Lock, you'll can out in a few days when your package arrives...
G
Guest
Guest
That's all looking really good Alan. Funny how when a canoe starts to look finished, there is still so much more to be done.
Maybe I missed this earlier in thread, but did you make that carbon tractor seat yourself? It looks real nice. It will be a shame to glue foam on top of that if that's you intention.
Maybe I missed this earlier in thread, but did you make that carbon tractor seat yourself? It looks real nice. It will be a shame to glue foam on top of that if that's you intention.
If you took the foam pads off the CVCC yoke cradles you might save 5 or 6 oz's.
Considering how much portaging you will be doing, I would go with the tried and true wood. The Bloodvein is a pool and drop river and you won't get to run many I would think and going back upstream you will have to port everything. At least all the portages should be nice and clean with all the traffic the river gets.
Considering how much portaging you will be doing, I would go with the tried and true wood. The Bloodvein is a pool and drop river and you won't get to run many I would think and going back upstream you will have to port everything. At least all the portages should be nice and clean with all the traffic the river gets.
I second that opinion. I've had to rig yokes before when they broke on trips, it can become quite a pain.
To avoid the sharp corner on the yoke blocks make them in two pieces. Run the grain on the lower piece in one direction and glue it to the smaller upper block with grain set the upper way.
Something like this...
Something like this...
What did you use for grippy stuff? I thought about some of that adhesive backed stair tread traction stuff for where the two blocks mate underneath but not so much for against the visible part of the gunwale.
I like the idea of the glued up block.
Alan
It is a 2" wide tape with abrasives embedded. Likely what you are describing.
