I put the still wet with oil canoe out in the evening sun and it does work. The oil has cured to a hard resin where the sun has shone on it for about 20 minutes. I have moved it around and the outside is fully cured. Some areas of the inside are still a bit damp as I couldn't get the sun right into the ends, but another sunny day should do that.
You can see the shadow of the side reinforcing sections, which take your weight when you press on the gunwales getting in and out. It still need to fit spray decks in the ends and apply at least one more coat of resin. Then rubbing strips and gunwale strips and two coats of varnish and then she should be ready to float. There seem to be very few pinpricks of light when the sun is on her, so the first coat seems to have filled the weave well. A second coat will be much thinner and should make her waterproof. Two coats of varnish just to complete the job and protect from UV in the future.
Looks absolutely superb..reminds me of making balsa-wood aeroplanes when I was a yoof :O).
ReplyDeleteIt is very similar to model plane building. This will not be a tough, white water canoe. I have to be especially careful of getting in and out, not to grind her on the bottom. But she is easy to carry on a shoulder. Still quite a bit of work to do though.
ReplyDeleteIt is very similar to model plane building. This will not be a tough, white water canoe. I have to be especially careful of getting in and out, not to grind her on the bottom. But she is easy to carry on a shoulder. Still quite a bit of work to do though.
ReplyDelete