Lake Union Skiff

[Mark Raine]

My wife signed us up to make a Lake Union Skiff this July 4th at CWB. They supply all the wood and fittings. I was thinking about construction methods and infusing some of the advisories here about Resourcinol.
The plans are for stitch and glue method.

??? I like the apparent properties of Resourcinol would it be worth while trying to use it rather than the epoxy that CWB ( Center for Wooden Boats) includes in the project???? Or am I making it too complicated and should just go with the flow. Ive never done the stitch and glue method so I not familiar with what opportunities there would be for resourcinol.
Any one made one of these or something similar? The sailing/rowing skiff is 9' and supposed to be seaworthy in 4 days. made of plywood and mahogony and thats about all I know. I feel lucky that MY WIFE and 12y/o DAUGHTER WANT to do this!!!! Thanks for advice. Other comments and suggestions welcome too.

[johnw]

Keep in mind, one of the major differences between epoxy and resourcinol glue is that epoxy doesn't shrink when it dries. That's why resourcinol needs clamping pressure to make it work. I'd go with the epoxy.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

I'd use Resorcinal only for flat laminations. As johnw says, it requires heavy clamping pressure and you don't want to do that with stitch and glue. Use epoxy for that.

Rich

[Tom Lathrop]

There is no place in the S&G part of the building for resorcinol glue. Unless you know better (in which case you would not be doing this kind of project), stick with what the organizers recommend.

[On Vacation]

Save your money and time and buy a canoe from Wal-mart if your intent is to use it.

[Mark Raine]

OK thanks that helps.
We'll "go with the flow"

Buy a canoe... well we have a canoe, 2kayaks, a rubber dinghy and a 38' blue water cruiser and use them all.... this a "family project" thing and the skiff will be for my daughter. And its WOOD.

[RGM]

Oh come on Oyster, now what kind of attitude is that? Stitch and glue doesn't lend itself to the use of resorcinol for a handful of reasons. Besides, as you already indicated you don't want to make this to technical. The main idea is to have some fun and expand your horizons. Just think, you get to do this with your family, that's great. Save the resorcinol for the next boat that you and your family build. Good luck and have fun.

[On Vacation]

RGM, I would like to think a boat that I choose to put my family in to be relatively safe. Building a S&G with no fastners and no reinforcing battens with plywood glue to hold sides and bottom together with engrain to hold something with resoursinal glue, IMHO is not a very wise move. The amount of money involved for that size skiff for epoxy, well as the old expression goes if you got to ask how much then you can't afford it. Maybe sometimes I might too blunt, but going against a designed construction technigue and redoing a building technigue I am sure you have seen big time problems.

[ 06-28-2002, 10:35 PM: Message edited by: oyster ]

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by Mark Raine:
My wife signed us up to make a Lake Union Skiff this July 4th at CWB. They supply all the wood and fittings. I was thinking about...Resourcinol.

The plans are for stitch and glue method....am I making it too complicated and should just go with the flow.Since I helped out a bit with the last workshop for these...

Aside from the fact the boat is designed for epoxy construction and the workshop is oriented around building the boat as designed....

go with the flow.

Stitch+Glue is designed for epoxy. Resorcinol won't work: gluing resorcinol requires (A) high clamping pressures (~ 160psi), thin gluelines (~ 0.005 inches) and the consequent tight fit that implies.

None of which you get with S+G construction.

A S+G boat is a plywood/epoxy glass composite. Instead of chine logs, the planks are tied together with epoxy putty filets and then get a layer of fiberglass tape epoxied over the joint inside and out. The fiberglass/epoxy composite is what takes the load.

You'll be very happy with the boat and the S+G construction.

To build the boat with resorcinol, you have to cut chine logs and fit them. Also build and install a keel for the bottom planks to land on. Instead of taking 4 days, it would take you..well...longer. And you'd still need mechanical fasteners on top of the resorcinol.

[Mark Raine]

Thanks helpful and informative. As usual.

My original hope/intention/goal was to take a lapstrake boat construction class at CWB. The classes kept getting cancelled and I ran out of open time. So this is a fine alternative introduction. I think my family wil have more fun "investing" themselves in this one.