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Gyr Build

Conk

Conk

Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
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Location
Genesee Valley, Western NY
Thought I should join the circle of build threads and give an update on the progress of the Gyr. Some regulars may recall that I started this canoe a year ago. A spring deadline was not met and other, more pressing projects took precedence. The Gyr has been in a state of torpor awaiting my interest. Perhaps the current Osprey and Kite threads have helped renew enthusiasm for the project. I have pulled the tarp off the canoe and put it center stage in the shop; a new spring deadline has been established. Today saw the glassing of the hull's exterior. I hope to add regular progress updates to my Picasa album here. https://picasaweb.google.com/114267878012874538920/TheGyr
 
Sir, that is a fine looking canoe! I feel like a wood butcher! A couple of things that stand out…your scarfing of the strips is really beautiful and unique. I always scarfed them with just a running four inch angle length size. I don't think I have a saw fine enough to do what you did, but it sure looks nice. I love the look of your stems too, they are very fine. Thanks for posting, and I hope to see more soon!
 
Wow! Conk, you put the art in artisan. It's going to look elegant in water.
 
Conk,
I once built a sailboat that saw 4 spring deadlines come and go...

It's looking good. Do you have a target weight in mind? Or are you building it tough with the 6 oz and agree to pay the price for that toughness?
 
On past builds, I always used 6oz. cloth. It was highly recommended by two different boat builders. They maintained that the greater strength was significant to a minimal weight gain. On the Gyr, I thought I would experiment with 4oz. fabric, I know as many builders who tout its adequacy. My only source of 4oz. was mail order, in packaged lengths and at considerable expense. I backed away from my 4oz. conviction and went with the heavier six; for me the 6oz. is readily available, at any length and unfolded.

No, I do not have a target mass in mind; I'm not trying to build an ultra-light bushwhacking tripper. Ultimately, I have to ask myself, how heavy can a 13ft. canoe get? If the Gyr comes in under 40lbs., I'll be happy. I would be curious to know the actual weight differences of the same hull built with 4oz. vs. 6oz.
 
If you are not concerned about every ounce and pound, the difference between 4 ounce and six is not much…if you wet out properly, just bury the weave, and only put a wet out coat on the inside hull, it's probably only a few pounds. I run cedarstrips with the school club, and we use them very hard. The average trip is 160 to 200 k, through a variety of whitewater situations, and worse, low water situations. The first few I built with just one layer of six ounce were not adequate, and only lasted about seven or eight years before they were retired. For the last 10 years, all the school canoes I have built have had two layers of six ounce on the bottom, and they have had superior lasting abilities. My last solo, I used a football of 4 ounce under a six ounce sheet for the outside hull. It has held up pretty well, considering the hell I put it through.

I'm not a fan of going too light. I consider anything in the low 40's to be pretty darn light, and I'm pretty sure if I use a 4 ounce football and six ounce cloth, I will make it into that territory.
 
Beautiful! I am giving up my feeble attempts at fixing old hulls! Probably put all my hulls out on the lawn for free and give up paddling forever! Wish I had a shop like yours!

dougd
 
Doug,

Please don't give up! I am a faithful follower of Scooters adventures. The knowledge I have gleaned from your exploits has been invaluable if not life saving! For example, the snow build-up on my roof will have to wait for a thaw, I no longer rip gunwales with a chainsaw and I will never attempt a standing otter entry into icy water; but most importantly, any package delivered from Freeland Maryland will be given very close scrutiny.
 
WOW! Between you and Stripperguy I'm feeling mighty inadequate. I worked on only one strip canoe years ago and it didn't work out according to plan. The only thing I had close to a shop was our garage; which was also the basement of the house. The exterior came out OK but when I glassed the interior of the canoe we went away for the weekend because the fumes bothered everyone when I did the outside. This was in December and the furnace in the house conked out while we were gone. When we came back I just wanted to cry. Everything inside was all bubbled up and just a mess. From that point on the hull became a place to "store" stuff. Eventually I was able to find a person who wanted it so it's now gone but certainly not forgotten. I wish I had the guts to try it again. Maybe someday because I've always admired strip canoes.

That's all for now. Thanks to everyone who shares their efforts on the DIY part of the forum. You're true inspirations. Until next time...Be well.

snapper
 
Conk,
That Gyr is looking more like a canoe every time I check your photos.
Roller only? A squeegee can really squeeze the excess resin from the inside, leaving a satiny, uniform finish.
I like your method of using a single large piece of cloth for the bulk of the inside, then filling in the stem sections with pre saturated cloth. Nice.
 
I should say that I'm not anti squeegee. I have one at the ready throughout the whole process and use it, as you say to squeeze excess. It's just that I have never been adept at using one to distribute resin, especially in the wet out process. The roller has been my tool of choice for applying resin.
 
The mass has exceeded the limit of my shop scale (25 pounds) so I have not been able to weigh it since the interior was glassed. I could have fussed with the wife's bathroom scale but I'm not sure of its accuracy, it seems to read low. Adjusting the calibration would probably piss her off; she likes it, the way it is.

I have not been making lightweight choices with materials or techniques but I am still confident with my mid thirties prediction.
 
Conk,
Again, I'm impressed...but, I must have missed the part of the movie where you painted the interior. Was that just for something different, or is there some particular reason for paint inside?
You explained the bottom paint, for abrasion resistance, right?!
Have you built or paddled this hull before? BTW, my build is gaining weight like crazy...
 
I just finished applying the second coat of Easypoxy to the interior. I am liking the look very much. It had been my intent to paint the interior from the get go. I had seen it done and thought it made sense, easier to apply than varnish. The paint was given to me so I went with something different; it does provide UV protection and helps to disguise construction flaws.

"Have you built or paddled this hull before?"

No, no one has built or paddled a Gyr before.
 
Wow, you are really moving. Fantastic craftsmanship to boot!

Thanks for taking the time to snap the photos and share.
 
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