New Blogging Style, Faster Updates

The blog has grown. Now that we have an up-to-date blog with a good body of information, we can start telling people to look us up on the internet.

To stay current with what we do in class and on our kayak project, I would like to try a new posting style. Everyday someone will post an entry on what has happened since the last post. Only one person has to post on their assigned day.

This entry should be a personal reflection. It should be in your own voice and should contain your own personal experience and thoughts.

For Example:
5/10/08
Buying Paint
I had to find out what kind of paint we can use for the outside of the kayaks. It needs to be durable and not harmful to the environment. The paint also must protect the epoxy from the harmful effects of sunlight. So far I know that oil based paint will stick the best to the epoxy, but we don't know if it is still harmful to the environment after it is dry. Things are getting down to the wire; I hope we stay on schedule.
---Ryan

This "personal reflection" style of post is what many people use on their blog.

Monday- Shawn
Tues- Mike
Wed- James
Thurs- andy
Fri- Adam

(If someone is absent the next person in the order posts and the absent person switches with them. )

Seeling the Inside and Tracing the top

We just got finished sealing the inside of the boat. We seeled it with oil based primer. We painted the whole inside of the boat with the primer. It acts like a water sealent so that way no water gets inside.
Now we are in the process of tracing the top of the boat. That's the easy part. Put a large piece of luan plywood across the top of the boat and trace it. Then you would cut it out and then glue it and even use nails to make sure that it is sturdy.

Nailing the Bottom

Once you have the bottom cut out to its correct shape you first you spread the glue on the chinelog. The glue we used was Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue. This is a good choice because it is waterproof. You place the bottom of the kayak on the chinelog. Then you nail the perimeter of the boat to the whole chinelog.

Blog Entry III: Putting it all Together

We need to play some catch-up. Much work has been done on the boat since we last posted and we need to fill in all the blog viewers on what has happened.
Once this round of entries is complete, we will move to a more effective blog posting method. Each day one student will be assigned to post an entry explaining what went on in class that day. Blog viewers will be updated everyday on our progress and the student will need to finish the entry by the end of class.

We need to finish these entries by Tuesday, so we can catch-up the blog to where we are with the boat.

Mike- plane chine logs to fit the bottom level
James- nail and glue the bottom
Adam- plane sheer clamps level to fit top
Shawn- sealing the inside, tracing the top

Follow the same entry comments from Blog Entry II

Bulkheads

I helped by putting in the bulkheads. The bulkheads are the pieces of wood in the middle of the boat. There are three of them spaced out in the boat's inner hull. They are for support so that the boat doesn't crush. They give the boat a v-shape. To build the bulkheads, you had to trace them on plywood with a stencil. Then we had to cut them out and shape them to the right size.

Scarfing The Sheer Clamp And Chine Logs

The sheer clamp is the thin long piece of pine at the top of the side panel. The chine log is a piece of pine that runs the length of the boat were the bottom. The sheer clamp is the part that you would nail the top to. The chine log is the piece of pine that is used to nail the bottom on. The boat is 15.5' long and you can only buy the pine in 10' long sections and thats why you need to make a joint. The scarf joint is when you cutt to pieces of wood and glue them together. The way ou cut them would be at an angle the angle we used is 6''. Then you would need to glue them together with a special type of wood glue. Then you would need to press them together with clamps to make sure it stays in place...

Doing the Sides

We stared off with 16 foot long pieces of plywood called blanks. Then you want to find your measurements to the side of the kayak, or use a pattern to trace them on the blanks. Then cut it out, but don't cut on the line, cut a little above it on the waste side. After that, grab a plane and shave it down almost to the line and finally use a Surform, which will give it a nice finished look. The picture on the right is the finished side panel we used. The picture on the left is a Edit[handsome] man in a kayak (me)=) !