Tonight I added "end pours" to both ends of my Pygmy Borealis XL kayak.
Back in 2000 when I made my first Coho, the Pygmy manual had us make a small cardboard "dam" and wedge it into the ends. You then filled the area with thickened epoxy and taped the deck on. It wasn't a bad idea but now the manual has switched the end pour to one of the final steps. In the new process they make you stand the boat up on its ends and contort yourself such that you pour epoxy into the ends.
I understand that this new process fills the void between the hull and the deck better, but it's a real pain in the ass to do this. You also run the risk of creating a tremendous amount of heat if you pour in enough epoxy to fill the ends sufficiently so that you have enough material to later drill a hole through for the toggle lines.
ALTERNATIVE STEP FROM THE OFFICIAL PYGMY MANUAL: So... I do both techniques, sorta. I create a dam using some of the Mylar. Simply bend it inward into the ends and tape it on both sides. Mix up some thickened epoxy to mayonnaise stage and pour it in. I did two pumps each of resin and hardener and thickened it up with wood flour. I then poured about half into each end. Yes, it still created some heat, but not so much that it caused damage to the exterior fiberglass.
The advantage is that now I can still do the "stand on end" end-pour but the amount of epoxy that I'll need to pour will be much less, will be easier to pour, and won't create that much heat.
Here is the stern dam...
And this is the bow dam...
When cured the Mylar comes out easily; much better than the old cardboard suggestion. There is still plenty of room above the pour so that I can do an end pour later on and only worry about filling the small space between the top of this end pour and the deck. Easy!
To be honest, I may not ever do the "stand on end" pour. Didn't do it on my last boat. The original boats never bothered filling to the top deck and they've lasted for years. If you are careful to fully saturate all around the inside in the very ends then there shouldn't be anything to worry about. I'm of a mind that it may simply add excess weight and lend no structural or watertight advantages. The modern Pygmy manual claims that it can trap water. I don't buy it. Besides, if it's totally sealed then that small amount of water should evaporate well before it ever is a cause for concern. Alternatively, you can do my process and then when it's cured rasp out a small channel so that any water that does get in there will simply drain out.
The end pours I did tonight are plenty for me to drill a 1/2" hole through later.
Also did the step tonight of reinforcing the main butt seam on the inside of the hull to strengthen it and to prepare for fiberglassing the inside of the hull.
Aloha!
Back in 2000 when I made my first Coho, the Pygmy manual had us make a small cardboard "dam" and wedge it into the ends. You then filled the area with thickened epoxy and taped the deck on. It wasn't a bad idea but now the manual has switched the end pour to one of the final steps. In the new process they make you stand the boat up on its ends and contort yourself such that you pour epoxy into the ends.
I understand that this new process fills the void between the hull and the deck better, but it's a real pain in the ass to do this. You also run the risk of creating a tremendous amount of heat if you pour in enough epoxy to fill the ends sufficiently so that you have enough material to later drill a hole through for the toggle lines.
ALTERNATIVE STEP FROM THE OFFICIAL PYGMY MANUAL: So... I do both techniques, sorta. I create a dam using some of the Mylar. Simply bend it inward into the ends and tape it on both sides. Mix up some thickened epoxy to mayonnaise stage and pour it in. I did two pumps each of resin and hardener and thickened it up with wood flour. I then poured about half into each end. Yes, it still created some heat, but not so much that it caused damage to the exterior fiberglass.
The advantage is that now I can still do the "stand on end" end-pour but the amount of epoxy that I'll need to pour will be much less, will be easier to pour, and won't create that much heat.
Here is the stern dam...
And this is the bow dam...
When cured the Mylar comes out easily; much better than the old cardboard suggestion. There is still plenty of room above the pour so that I can do an end pour later on and only worry about filling the small space between the top of this end pour and the deck. Easy!
To be honest, I may not ever do the "stand on end" pour. Didn't do it on my last boat. The original boats never bothered filling to the top deck and they've lasted for years. If you are careful to fully saturate all around the inside in the very ends then there shouldn't be anything to worry about. I'm of a mind that it may simply add excess weight and lend no structural or watertight advantages. The modern Pygmy manual claims that it can trap water. I don't buy it. Besides, if it's totally sealed then that small amount of water should evaporate well before it ever is a cause for concern. Alternatively, you can do my process and then when it's cured rasp out a small channel so that any water that does get in there will simply drain out.
The end pours I did tonight are plenty for me to drill a 1/2" hole through later.
Also did the step tonight of reinforcing the main butt seam on the inside of the hull to strengthen it and to prepare for fiberglassing the inside of the hull.
Aloha!
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