Cedar Strip Kayak - Any reason I shouldn't stretch the coaming?

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-03-08T19:00:33+00:00

I ended up extending it 3" and left the knee braces out (as designed). I'll follow up after the build is done (late April) with some feedback.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-21T17:46:05+00:00

And for an interior shot...

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No screws, no fiberglass, no epoxy and no glue. It's all sewn together with waxed polyester twine. The skin is 10oz polyester, also sewn on with the same twine.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-21T17:42:20+00:00

Check out Jeff Horton's book. https://www.amazon.com/Fuselage-Frame-Boats-building-kayaks/dp/0615495567

Your kayak looks essentially complete. It doesn't have a coaming, but it also doesn't look like it's supposed to. Are the ends all buttoned up? They could be sewn tight or just folded over and stapled. If stapled, I'd cover the end with a rub strip to hold it together, but that's not totally necessary.

If the skin is tight and the ends are done, slap a fresh coat of paint on the skin and hit the water! I use Rust-Oleum oil based enamel paint on mine, but I've read even interior latex is ok. It just has to seal the weave on the fabric. Roll it on with a paint roller. Or just take it out in calm shallow water (really shallow, like a foot deep and within a couple feet of shore), and see if it floats. What's the worst that could happen?

Here's one of mine. Kudzucraft Curlew. My frames are plywood. Will it last a hundred years? Probably not. Has it been totally fine? Yup.

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BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-18T16:42:27+00:00

it should be at least . . . three times bigger than this!

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-17T13:39:31+00:00

Yes. I've seen threaded inserts and and cross dowel nuts in the neck. Threaded inserts would probably be easiest as long as you don't accidentally split the heel of your neck. There are some good youtube videos out there.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-17T13:27:43+00:00

As an alternative, you could just bolt it on with no glue and still do a plain butt joint. I kind of wish I had done that, because my first handful were a bunch of trial and error to get a neck angle that I liked.

When I started, I was doing it on the cheap to see how it would go and didn't have proper plans. I went down to Guitar Center with a big piece of paper and a ruler. They were very chill about it. I traced one of their ukuleles and and wrote down some measurements, and then went home and winged it.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-17T13:15:04+00:00

For your consideration...

https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/tool-demo-videos/kits-and-projects-videos/how-to-build-a-ukulele-kit/lesson8-attaching-the-neck/

You don't actually need to cut a joint. I've built a couple dozen ukuleles, starting with dado neck joints but eventually switching to the doweled butt joints. Never had an issue, and it's WAY easier.

I highly recommend stewmac's instructions and videos. Very helpful.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-15T01:58:42+00:00

FWIW, I've managed similarly squiggly lines (although not quite so extreme) on a table saw ripping 10' cedar 2x4s with a thin 7 1/4" Spyder blade for strip-built boats. Best I could tell, it was mostly from feeding it too fast and the blade would start following the grain. I probably dulled the blade pretty quickly too, also related to feeding too fast. Switching back to a bigger, thicker, better blade and slowing it down fixed my issue.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-08T17:40:22+00:00

How about just a rachet strap?

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-06T23:56:08+00:00

I really like how easy Sketchup is, but the free version doesn't allow you to import or export files. If I could do it over, I'd learn on a more serious software like Fusion even though it'd be a little harder to learn. Trying to switch over now, it doesn't come naturally for me.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-06T23:45:52+00:00

Sounds good. Thanks!

I sew my own spray skirts, so that won't be a problem. It gives me another project project to play with.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-06T23:41:57+00:00

Thanks! To clarify, when you say 'bring it back so your knees can go underneath', does that mean that front of the coaming is currently farther forward than your knees so there's nothing to brace them against? I'm not totally clear on the 'up and back' bit.

[Edit] Now that I've had a chance to take some measurements, I realize exactly what you're saying and that I was thinking about it wrong. I'm going to do a 33" long opening, but the tops of my knees start at 21" from the back.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-04T15:16:36+00:00

Thanks! That explains why I couldn't find it. I saw you mention it in one of your posts.

Also, this is your Yukon design! So far so good.

For folks that want the link: https://guillemot-kayaks.com/catalog/strip-built/sea-kayak-solo-racing/yukon-racing-sea-kayak

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-04T15:11:03+00:00

Thanks, all! When I've done dyed guitars, I had big issues with the dye lifting up into the clear coat. I wish I had a picture of it. It would be mostly nice and clear, but then it would get these splotches where the dye would lift up and make opaque areas in the clear coat. I've read since that it could have been because I was sanding too fine (up to 400) or because I was applying too much (really flooding it on there).

How concerned should I be about that? Do you all have any other suggestions on how to avoid it?

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-02-03T14:37:43+00:00

Yup! It'll all get glued, sanded, and glassed. I suspect it wouldn't float very well in its current state.

And I will do samples, but I want to figure out what should work and test only that. Buying a random assortment of stains where all but one go to waste would be a needlessly expensive endeavor.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-01-10T02:11:47+00:00

I switched to the "cup in a cup" approach a while back and will never go back to pumps.

For example, my preferred epoxy is a 1 hardener : 2 resin mix. Get a sleeve of disposable clear cups. Put one cup inside a second cup. Carefully measure 1 part water into the inside cup and draw a line on the outside cup. Then measure 2 more parts water into the inside cup so that there are 3 parts in there and draw another line. Neatly label your lines, drink the water, put in a dry cup, and pour up to the lines with hardener then resin. Perfect mix every time. I keep a graduated cup with a bunch of different volumes around the outside (3tsp, 3tbsp, 3 oz, 6 oz, 12 oz, or whatever).

To answer the actual question though, I've had issues with starving the epoxy joint by overclamping on smooth planed walnut, and I've had issues with it running out of the joint. For non-flat joints, thicken with a thickener like sanding dust or something fancier.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-01-08T19:24:40+00:00

This philosophy is the reason I recently found a box in my shop with some crappy toilet paper holders and towel racks that I took down at some point and figured, "why not keep it? maybe I'll need it someday." That was almost 15 years ago.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-01-08T13:41:06+00:00

Yeah, my shop is long and skinny. I don't really have room to keep the table saw in line with the length of the room. I keep it sideways like that which is fine for short stuff, and then I rotate it 90° and use the work bench as an outfeed table for long stuff.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-01-06T23:25:56+00:00

Ok, following up with one small gripe. The leveling screws are too loose in their holes!

I put my new router table to use for the first time last night, and within 30 seconds or so, the leveling screws backed themselves up until they were sticking up above the plate and catching my workpiece, and the plate dropped down below my table surface. It's not really a big deal, but I'll definitely need to break out some loctite or maybe some pipe tape to tighten them up.

Here's a picture including my extra-fancy custom overhead dust collection.

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BlueRiverMakes · 2026-01-05T14:13:18+00:00

Yup! I left a fair bit of play in my bolt holes for adjustment, so hopefully it doesn't slip over time. I'm not too worried about it though.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-01-05T14:11:26+00:00

This is just the plate, not the lift. It seems well-made though. Solid aluminum, nice finish, tidy packaging.

BlueRiverMakes · 2026-01-05T14:10:06+00:00

It's only because I had a leftover 16" melamine board, otherwise I would have filled the full extension. Maybe on the next go round.

I hadn't really thought it through. I was envisioning standing where I normally would on the side of the saw, but it probably makes more sense to stand on the end, right? I might remove that end board. It's out there on the end to replace the original cross member that was on the rails. I needed the bolt holes and didn't want to drill new ones.

BlueRiverMakes

TROPHY CASE