Amazing what you can do with a bit of drift wood
- Thread starter atross
- Start date
Ah jojo saw some too well done. The last few shots of Rabbit stick 2006 (page19) shoow the frame with the skins loosely draped over, not yet tight and stitched.
I must say what an interesting assortment of people and projects on that site
Another on page 20, and a team of assistants help to skin it up on page 21. brilliant stuff
Thanks for the heads up guys!
I must say what an interesting assortment of people and projects on that site
Another on page 20, and a team of assistants help to skin it up on page 21. brilliant stuff
Thanks for the heads up guys!
Not much driftwood around here unfortunely, but hand made with hand tools, a small skin on frame kayak I built a few years ago in a similar manner, most of the frame in Red and Yellow Cedar, ribs of willow branches, all tied together with artificial sinew. The frame was finished with linseed oil and red oil based pigment.
It was almost a shame to put the canvas skin on!
It was almost a shame to put the canvas skin on!
Thanks for the 'neoanderthal' link, I've just spent a morning looking at all the pictures, great stuff.
:You_Rock_
Not much driftwood around here unfortunely, but hand made with hand tools, a small skin on frame kayak I built a few years ago in a similar manner, most of the frame in Red and Yellow Cedar, ribs of willow branches, all tied together with artificial sinew. The frame was finished with linseed oil and red oil based pigment.
It was almost a shame to put the canvas skin on!
Wow now thats what you call a right lash up!
Very inpressive craftsmanship jojo :You_Rock_ . How did do you bend the ribs (I know willow rod's are soft, or maybe steam bent; what I meant was how do you get the gradually changing degrees of bend to flow smoothly? Did you do it freehand and by eye or did you have a drawing of each cross section to work to?) Also how tricky is it to get the skin tight instead of baggy?From the look of the rabbit stick pictures it was quite an effort pushing pulling levering etc! Maybe you could of used a transparent skin material so the frame would still be visible?
Great pics i only wish i had some skills/and the tools needed, alas i dont have either,
otherwise i could make use of some of this,
some of the piles are about 6ft high, i just use it for firewood when camping.
otherwise i could make use of some of this,
some of the piles are about 6ft high, i just use it for firewood when camping.
It is relatively easy to do the ribs. When fresh the willow bends very easily, you just have to be careful to bend them gently so they don't snap. You just have a few spares in case.
The first thing to make in these boats are the two long, thicker bits that give the shape of the boat when looking down on it. On the underside you drill 1/2" approx holes a hand span apart (the willow ribs go into those holes at both ends)
Next you put the thwarts, that's the bits going across, keeping the 2 gunnels apart. Then you place a long stiff batten where the keel is on the centreline keeping that long batten at the depth of the hull, that give you 3 points in between which you bend your willow ribs.
You start on the middle of the boat with the biggest rib, then go down toward each end in turn, alternating the ribs, thick end and thin end. Because of the 3 points between which you bend the ribs is it then relatively easy to fit them by eye.
The canvas is hard work on the hands because you need to pull hard on it to keep it from being baggy. If you work on your own it requires some carpet tacks to keep in in place on the gunnels while you gradually tighten it around the bottom of the boat.The whole skin is one piece of canvas, which is sewn along the centre line ridge on deck and around the cockpit rim. When all sewn up, you can take the tacks out, wet the canvas which makes it shrink somewhat, therefore a bit tighter. When dry you can paint it with ordinary oil based house paint, or linseed oil. I think the canvas is a lot lighter, easier to live with than the skins, as they need regular, careful drying and oiling to keep then from smelling like a dead rat in the sun
Hope that makes sense.
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Thank you Firecrest... I wish I had the patience, and the ability, to do the paintings you do!
