Preparing Bottom, Side Panels

Preparing Bottom, Side Panels



Before wiring the bottom and side panels together to form the hull, it is necessary to join the panels lengthwise to arrive at the full length of the kayak. Since the panels have been machine cut with puzzle shaped connection points, it was merely a matter of finding the best sides to be facing outwards and then epoxying together with fiberglass tape. Will have to let this sit overnight before going any further.

Rough trim of ends of sheer strips

Rough trim of ends of sheer strips


Guestimated the angle of cut for the ends of the sheer strips after attached to the side panels. These will be precisely trimmed later when the panels are stitched up and the ends are closer to their final positioning to attain the proper measurements for the final fitting. The Japanese hand saw you see is indispensable. I ordered an assortment of blades and they all interchange with the handles which. So you can order many different blades and just a couple of handles and have many different tools for different jobs at a fraction of the cost of a couple different brand saws. You can call and talk to this little old Asian man personally that sells these in fact he has a lot of experience being that he is 86 years old. He is quite a character and it was a pleasure to talk with him at length. Just type in " Tashiro Hardware" in your web browser. I'm sure he would appreciate the business.