tape the seams

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4x4kayak2112
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tape the seams

Post by 4x4kayak2112 »

the plans i have for my kayak say taping the seams are ok....is there a down side to this apposed to cloth? Does taping a kayak make it weaker?
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gerald
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Re: tape the seams

Post by gerald »

Well, of course, tape is cloth--just narrow cloth. Back in the old days in the transition from true wood boats to more modern types of construction the most technologically advanced method of building a wood boat was to use the standard thickness plywood and tape the joints with a strip of fiberglass cloth and resin. In those time the resin was polyester. That method is still used today. It still works very well. Basically, 1/4" plywood is/was the standard for small plywood constructed boats. The tape gave better joints and helped eliminate some of the wood frame. If you're going to build a boat and tape the joints you'll still need to use that 1/4" (6mm) plywood and/or understand that the "skin" will be much less strong (not fragile by any means) than 4mm with cloth on both sides.

Is modern wood composite construction better than old style transitional construction? Oh yes...by far. However--a classic wood boat is a wonder to see and use. I love'em. Just whatever strokes your boat...
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4x4kayak2112
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Re: tape the seams

Post by 4x4kayak2112 »

so building my kayak with tape is ok?
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gerald
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Re: tape the seams

Post by gerald »

Sure--if that's what you want to do.
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Re: tape the seams

Post by Pogo »

4x4kayak2112 wrote:so building my kayak with tape is ok?
In the world of kayak kits, as it was known for many years until just recently, Chesapeake Light Craft and Pygmy Boats are the Ford and Chevy. Most models offered were S&G sea kayaks based on 4mm okoume plywood. CLC always used the taped seam approach ("tape" means a roll of fiberglass cloth in 3" strip form, usually 6 oz), and Pygmy went with full interior glass. Result: there are untold billions and billions of these boats out there, and neither approach has emerged as anything like a clear winner or loser. So, in short, they both work.

On this board, the standard by which all boats are judged is the dreaded Brazos River, which chews up and spits out all but the stoutest, and anything less than full interior glass is merely begging for disaster.....

Not really, it just seems that way sometimes. Mostly it's just an opportunity for me to poke fun at Gerald, Ron, Darrell, and whoever else is part of that Brazos River Rat Pack. :P :lol:

Edit: As a question of final hull weight, I believe it's a wash. You must apply a pretty decent amount of epoxy to bare plywood in order to assure 100% waterproofing. Also, the prepared rolls of fiberglass "tape" have an edge treatment -- there's a name for it, but beats me right now -- that eliminates unraveling, and they're a bit bulky, somewhat akin to actual hems, which is a big part of why I cut my own "tape" when I want fiberglass strips. So getting right down to it, full interior glass probably makes the most sense as a general thing.
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Re: tape the seams

Post by gerald »

Yeah...the rolls of "factory" tape are selvedged. That means one edge is humongous and must be sanded down smooth after application. Like pogo, I cut my own strips from scrap cloth. For strips that must go around curved surfaces I cut it on the bias--meaning diagonal to the warp and weft.
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