Day one

Ten things to say to ten different people right now. In no particular order and without any context..

1. You know it might just be easier to be normal than to use so much energy to add drama to everything in your life.
2. Just because you don't want the hassle, doesn't mean that a project can't be done.
3. You have to want the help, before it will mean anything to you.
4. Please speak in full sentences, I can't read your mind.
5. Really? been there and done that.... didn't turn out so well did it?
6. Lets make this reunion a great party.
7. Darling it would never work out between us.
8. Shut it.
9. Just be a kid.
10.Working every day isn't the end of the world and the paychecks aren't bad either.

A Different Direction

The FWG has challenged everyone who reads his blog to participate in two weeks of reflection.
Everyday for the next two weeks we are supposed to respond to various questions about ourselves, some are fun and some are sort of touchy. This might be kinda fun and totally different than how I usually run this blog but for the 6 people who actually read my blog on a regular basis, this might give you another view into the man inside the workshop. So what the heck, the questions are as follows and I might even try to answer them..

Day 1: Wednesday March 7: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day 2: Thursday March 8: Nine things about yourself that might surprise people who think they know you.
Day 3: Friday March 9: Eight people who mean a lot to you and why (in no particular order).
Day 4: Saturday March 10: List your "desert island" top 20 music albums, or whatever number works for you, preferably in order! Should anthologies qualify? You decide.
Day 5: Sunday March 11: You win five million in the lottery. How, specifically, do you spend (or save) each dollar?
Day 6: Monday March 12: Seven things that often cross your mind.
Day 7: Tuesday March 13: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day 8: Wednesday March 14: Five ways to win your heart.
Day 9: Thursday March 15: Four turn-ons (interpret as you wish).
Day 10: Friday March 16: Three turn-offs.
Day 11: Saturday March 17: Build your dream home. Describe it room by room.
Day 12: Sunday March 18: Describe your ultimate perfect weekend from Friday night through Sunday.
Day 13: Monday March 19: Two images that describe your life right now and why
Day 14: Tuesday March 20: One confession.

Update

Spent the weekend finishing up the final bookshelf for the B-man's built in bed project. We should get it installed sometime this week and I'll get some pictures up. the next project is an additional bookcase for the living room with a under window seat. I have the materials on hand and am ready to start that one.

Skinning the Yack

With this non-traditional skin on frame kayak, made on the cheap, what could be more appropriate than using duct tape to use as the skin?
First we wrapped the yack in shrink wrap, you know the stuff they wrap pallets in. This will give the tape something to stick to and keep the adhesive from drying out. A couple of layers should do the trick.

Frame complete

The framework is now complete. And because I cant decide what type of skin to put on it, I am thinking about duct tape. First a layer of shrink wrap then over that with silver and black tape. It should hold up good enough for a couple of paddle trips... we will see when the ice goes out..

Skin on Frame Kayak

is nearly done...

K2

 I started this kayak last weekend by cutting out the forms and splicing together the stringers. Its a pretty simple design, the speed of construction is fantastic. I got the basic information from http://yostwerks.com/. He provides free plans for non-traditional skin-on-frame kayaks. As this is my second kayak ever, I don't really have the experience to tell you if the plans are good or not (ill let you know if it floats!) but so far there has been a little frustration but overall I have been able to figure it out. I'm thinking that one more weekend ought to finish up the frame. Just for fun I think I will skin this one out in duct tape for its maiden voyage. Length is 13 feet, width is 21" and height is 10". Materials are cheep pine and drywall screws with Tighbond II wood glue. Skin will be a layer of shrink wrap and then a layer of collored duct tape.

Feels Good

to accomplish a couple of projects. The book cases are finished and installed, looks pretty good if i do say myself. of course there is always a few things to tidy up but the main work is done.

I had a great weekend, not only did i start a new skin on frame kayak but i caught a fish through the ice! tasty!

More progress

Couple of projects going on and should be wrapping them up before the end of the week. First is one side of the book case project that will be placed on either side of the fireplace and a dresser module for the b-man's built in bed system.
I used a pocket hole jig for the face frames and was very impressed with the results.

Next Project?

could this be the next project? not according to my spouse. but perhaps in early spring..

where to start

I spent an hour between dinner and the next meeting I had to attend, starting to clean up the shop and get it ready for winter and the next round of projects. I tell you that I have abused everything and there is not a clear counter top or work bench anywhere. There is even some rust on the table saw and the band saw table.(shudder)

hello September

Wow, that was the quickest summer I can ever remember. I havent been in the shop much at all since the kayak was finished. The weather is cooling off and soon the ground will freeze and the snow will fly. I have a lot of projects lined up and ready to go, I just need a little time to get them started and let the sawdust roll....

Canceled

After five months of preparation, countless hours in the shop, 175 miles of travel... the race was canceled due to unsafe water conditions.
i do need to make some modifications to the kayak, the foot braces are a little to short and i had to hot glue on a skeg to get it to track straight. a little fiberglass and a couple more coats of varnish should finalize it...
 next projects?

B-man needs help finishing up a gun cabinet he built in shop class for Mr. Wong.
I'm not sure what I'm going to work on... i have some small engine repair to do, but ill be back in the shop soon...

Finished

ok is a project like this ever really finished? the weather has been terrible, low temps and high humidity. the spar urethane i was trying to use just wouldn't dry. i ended up putting on a couple of coats of polyurethane on top of the sticky spar urethane to cap it off.

there will be a few more pictures as i get it in the water, im waiting for the wind to drop down below the stupid level to launch..
if we ever get some 90 deg days, i will sand off the drips and sags and put a nice hard coat of something on it... but for now, i need to get it on the water!

shhhhh.......

its done..... but the camera wont download...

Crunch Time

Between late last night and early this morning, I managed to get the inside seam fiberglassed and epoxied. We will see tonight, when I pull off the packing tape if I did a good enough job. I couldnt sleep for the nightmares of the sides going SPRONG!!! if that happens I'm gunna go buy a tupperware boat..

12 days to go...

I don't know what i did wrong. I put some spar varnish on the seat back on Thursday, just to check the final look, as of Monday morning it is still sticky. The SD kayak challenge is in 12 days, do I dare varnish the boat and pray that it is hard enough to transport and paddle? Perhaps i didn't mix it well enough and the humidity has been terrible and the weather cold....
meanwhile.....
The coaming lip is finished and fiberglassed, I just smoothed out the ends and fiberglassed them. in the future I can add fancy looking stem pieces (did I mention that the race is in 12 days?)
Next step is to put the two halves together and fiberglass the seams... time is running out, I don't want to use the word panic but.......

stuff to do:
glass seams, inside and out
do end pours
install toggles and coords
get boat checked out by Game Fish and Parks
purchase licence
figure out how im going to manage to haul the dam thing around
apply final finish
pray that it drys
did i miss anything?

Epoxy has arrived

so the epoxy finally showed up last night and i wasted no time in gluing up the coaming lip and fiber glassing on the foot brace supports. late last night i got to thinking, what if my plastic clamps become stuck in the epoxy permanently? so i had to run out to the shop to make sure i avoided that catastrophe..
next step is to attach the cheek plates permanently and glue down the little dammits that hold down the deck shock cord.

Seems to quiet

yes, things were going really fast there for awhile, then i ran out of epoxy. with a 10 day shipping speed i wont be able to put the last of the fiberglass on until Tuesday. my goal is to get the boat in the water by next weekend. that will give me a good two weeks to tweak it before the big race on the 28th. today i finished up the woodwork for fitting, cut strips for a lip on the coaming. i had to soak them in water to get them to bend around the curves. i finished up the day with yard work, always a crises this time of year.... but it was still a good day.

Fiberglassing

The last of the major fiberglassing has been completed! And I ran out of epoxy. I still have lots to do, the next step is to install the footbraces inside the hull and finish the coaming lip. Here is a sneak peak at what the final boat will look like when finished.