THE "STAR" BABY KAYAK

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1938, Page 25 (Supplement)

THE "STAR" BABY KAYAK

PART II By Propeller

Now you are ready for the covering. This is of plywood, and I found some little difficulty in getting the right sort, but soon discovered it. If expense is no object, use waterproof aeroplane plywood m.m. thick. But as expense is in most case* a considerable item to be considered, use a New Zealand-made pine three ply which is 1-lOin thick. And remember, it ia not waterproof, so vou must paint the inside with red fead before applying the covering. This is so that there will be no misses. And be most careful to paint on the ed K es, which i* where the damage is done if the water gets in. I might sav in passing that my own kayak has stood two season*, and, except for a couple of ►light "buckles" in the plywood, it is as good as the day it was put on, and it was this cheap ply at that. The ply will not be available In long enough lengths for the whole side, so you will have to cut to reckon out where the joint will be. Keep it away from the actual centre and atagger the joints.

That i«, if It comes to frame E on one tide, gee that it comes to D on the other. From memory I think the Oft sheets just cut nicely to fhese frames. The joints are made to fit neatly and butt up against each other, with a liberal supply of paint or red lead in the joint. The sides are easy, giving absolutely no trouble at all, but it is a bit difficult to get that nice little run in near the ends where they twist up to meet the stem posts. By cramping and tacking and humouring the job, you can soon get them in place. I used fairly fine upholsterer's tacks (blued) with fin t but fairly thin heads on them. The idea is that when the cloth covering placed on afterwards, if these tack heads stick up at all you will have ugly marks, and, what is worse, pierce the cloth. So get those tack heads down flush with the plywood. Tacks are spaced ft bout every inch, in some places closer than that. You will soon nee what is needed to get and keep the ply down. By the way, a liberal supply of stiffish casein glue is used under all joints. Some carpenters will tell you that the glue will not stick to red-leaded joints. Well, mine did. Neaten up all edges mid then put on the side panels the •nine way. In all cases cut the original ply just a little larger than required and trim off flush afterwards, never forge ft ing to red -lead the bared edges. Now you are ready for the cloth eoverinjr. This can be very lijjrlit canvas. Jiut f uspd a sort of nainsook or calico, which was quite good. It if* pasted on With casein glue, using temporary tacks

to stretch it as you work along. There is a little catch at the ends, but these are folded in, the surplus bcin" cut away, but enough left to make an"overlap joint. A £ood big paperhanger's whitewash brush is excellent for the j astc U with the (>a,ip in Sl»e under and then give a coat right over the outside. 'I he covering will shrink as it dries, just like a model aeroplane tissue covering, and will never part company from the ply if projierly done. Now is the time to paint the inside a good brilliant green or whatever colour you wish. A lacquer paint is excellent and jjoes a long way.

The cockpit framing is now fitted. The plans say to use spruce here, but I found the old white pine quite good and easy to work. Soak it in hot water for an hour and it will "walk round" as easy as you like. The splash' boards with all their odd angles will take some figuring out but by cut and try methods you will soon get a neat fit. Now fit the flooring boards. I used 1 x 3-8 laths of redwood, and made them a proj«r

fixture right away. Some people like them "pull-out-able" but in practice I think they are a pest this way as they are always coming out when you lon't want them to, and if you have a capsize you are like the man who wanted a few extra hands, one to catch the paddle, one to catch the kayak, one to catch the floor boards and a couple more to swim with. So nail them in, painting them first.

Well, we approach the end of the job— the covering of the deck. This is plywood again, and by now you will be quite expert at the job. so I offer no more suggestions. If you make the hiiL'c size kayak, at this point you will fit the mast stay on the bottom and put in h cross brace in the top # befoVe decking. The little fellow is a bit tight for sail ing, but the big brother is O.K. There now remain one or two of the fancy touches. The deck is covered with plywood and then cloth pasted on as with the sides. The beading is placed risht round the outer edges of the gunwales. One thing I just remembered—and it is going back a bit. but worth while. Before you put on the deck covering have a look at frames A and H. and if there are any holes in them —impevfect fits— get to "work and plug them with plastic wood, or even glue some cloth right over them, thus making the fore and aft compartments dead watertight and the kayak unsinkaMe. Also in practice a good idea is to bore holes in the frames down near the plywood skin, so that

you can get the water that lodgesi in the parts between the frames to run to the centre and thus assist with the emptying out after a trip. There is always water getting in -spray for instance. and the bits that run down the paddle.

Now a couple of good, heavy, brass screw-eyes in the stern and stern to take mooring cords; rub down all the outside with wet and dry abrasive cloth, and paint. Here the tack heads will come through when you sand down if you haven t sunk them. A couple of coats of lacquer or aero dope to your fancy colour, and the ship is done. If you get as much tun out "Star" baby kayak as I and my family have done, you will never regret the time you have spent 011 it. By the wav— mine weighs 321b, and I built it 'for abuse— not for looking at.

Well, my hearties, good paddling to you, whether it be on lake, river or the beach. I'll bo c you out with those kayaks at Chi istmas and we 11 have a race or two.

Club Notes. The Auckland Model Aero Club continues its Saturday afternoon meetings 1.1 l'erk's field. Three Kings. Mount Roskill. every Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. There have been large attendances of spectators, and \vc are pleased

to see many new flyers coming along. Many of them enter the invitation event, which is open to non-club members who have come along and brought their models. However, with the very small fee for membership (.'J/ per annum for juniors under IS years of age and 11/ for seniors) these invitation flyers don t take long to pav in their snkscription« and get to work in the competitions. Activity in the gas model hangars is always apparent just before a big meeting. The petrol section holds its meetings on specially scheduled Sundays (about every three weeks) and is attracting the elder section of the members. They are now preparing for the big northern districts rally, which will take place at Mr. Barnaby's property, Buekland, on Sunday, October !>. Alxmt -•"> petrol-driven models are expected to compete. Already the model builders of New Zealand have started 011 their preparation for the 1030 Wakefield and Motfctt exents. There is no time to lose, for the selection must l>e made of the team of six for each event, and models will have to leave New Zealand about April of next year. For the Moffctt event there is a movement on foot to get the members of the team in touch with 11 number of enthusiasts in America, who have promised to act as proxy flyers. In this way full instructions will be given, and a better chance thus given our members. S.O.S. Airmail. T-i.D.A., of Te Puke, would like to get the plans of the "Star" (.'allcon. lie says lie will exchange a model (w.iterline) of an Kast Indiamau for them. I don't know whether he means an actual made up model or just the plans, but if anyone is interested you can have the address from me.