Skip to main content

Beveled the Borealis Panels

Yesterday I beveled the #5 and #4 panels on the inside edges where they will eventually meet.

ALTERNATIVE STEP FROM THE OFFICIAL PYGMY MANUAL: The Pygmy manual suggests using a rasp or such to do this. That is probably good advice, however I used a router table.

To do so you have to 1) have someone help you, 2) have a lot of room (roughly 34'), and 3) be damn careful.

I got the router set up outside my garage near the end of my long work table. Then carefully adjusted a 45 degree bit with a roller on top to just the right level. To make sure I used some of the scrap 4mm boards that come with the kit. The top of the panels ended up barely meeting the roller.

My wife helped me and she carefully held the panels such that there wasn't much stress put on the main middle seam (remember I'm only putting fiberglass on the inside of the panels and not the outside). Then we slowly ran each panel through the router table. It did a fine job in most places but there were a few spots that I had to then go over with a rasp and clean up. But... no big mistakes or gouges! Phew!

In the picture below you can see that it did a pretty nice job... at least in that stretch. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Rogue Manual

I've posted about this earlier, but thought it might be good to post it again for anyone who may be interested. I've started to write a manual of tips and tricks for Pygmy solo kayak builders. It covers the taping method, so that your boat doesn't have hundreds of holes all over it. I'm on version 2 now. Version 2 covers several other tips and tricks from myself and from others as collected over time. ATTENTION : Use the manual at your own risk! The only person responsible for any mistakes or problems with the building of your boat is you. Always use the official Pygmy manual that came with your kit. Only do those tips and tricks that make sense to you. If something in the manual doesn't sound right to you, then don't do it! Neither I, nor Pygmy Boats, nor anyone else except YOU is responsible for the safety of your boat and the quality of your build. It's in very rough draft form right now, but if you'd like to read it, please send a $10 donat...

Waterlog Surfboard Build, Part 2

 Since my last post I've made a lot of progress.   I've completed the rails and the landing strips.  Here is the chine log being epoxied in. By the way, I'm using epoxy for much of this. I ended up using Titebond III for most of the rails because they didn't have a lot of force on them and I could get them clamped down quickly (Titebond III sets quickly). But for anything that has any stress on it, I'm using WEST System epoxy that I have left over.   The nose strips had to be steamed. Read the manual for how to do this. It works well enough.  For the landing strips (the 'lands'), I'm doing the "alternative" method that is shown in one of Grain's tutorial videos . I'm running the outside one out the ends. It worked out well and I'd definitely recommend you do it instead of the convoluted approach they say in their manual.  I would expect that at some point in the future that they make this the primary way to do it and change their m...

Pinguino End Pours and Other Jobs

I've spent the past day and today doing a number of jobs that just need to be done but aren't that noticeable. First, I added a saturation coat to the bare wood on the #4 panels above where I cut the fiberglass the other day. I also added a layer of epoxy over the area where heels may rest. Today I scraped the sides and heel area and added another coat of epoxy.Here's how it looks now. It's technically a third coat, but really only two as much of the first two have been either scraped or sanded. I may add a third layer once this is cured. I also worked on the end pours. The Pygmy manual says to do the end pours later on after the boat is complete. It says to take the boat outside and prop it up on a wall with the end in a bucket of ice water. Then you contort yourself and pour thickened epoxy down into the end and let it cure. Then you do the other end. THEN... you have to guess where you can drill holes through the ends for your painters (the lines that you t...