Misc Stuff
This page is intended as informational only and not an endorsement of any of the products shown. Nor am I receiving compensation of any kind from the companies mentioned
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The Epoxy I used was purchased from US Composites. I chose to use the thin epoxy with 3 to 1 hardener because of the temperature I was working in. The draw-back of this hardener choice is that it blushes and requires much sanding between coats to remove the blush. (waxy feeling coating) |
I used both Fumed Silica and Cabosil as epoxy thickeners. I could not tell the difference between them in the finished product. The Cabosil seemed to mix with the epoxy easier and the Fumed Silica seemed to increase volume more than the Cabosil. |
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US Composites does offer a non-blushing hardener and they were easy to do business with on-line. The Cabosil came from US Composites and the Fumed Silica was purchased from a local Revchem dealer. |
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I used plastic cocktail cups to mix epoxy and measured the volume by weight using a scale. On a previous project I learned this was easier and less messy than using measuring cups or trusting the pumps to provide the correct ratio. |
I used scrap 4mm ply cut into thin strips about 6 inches long as epoxy stir sticks. Use them once and toss, no mess, no clean-up. Shown here kept handy in a length of PVC pipe. |
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This is a squeege used to spread epoxy. It is made from a scrap piece of square plastic downspout. Cut from the side and just after a corner it provides a sturdy, curved edge to work the epoxy. |
Foam brushes come in handy for smoothly applying epoxy on pieces to be joined. When used to paint epoxy on a large surface they tend to fall apart. |
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Below is a jig to hold a closet rod steady when cutting the slot to accept the oar blade. The round hole was cut in the center while the two pieces were clamped together, then holes drilled to maintain alignment for large nails on the ends and screws to provide clamping force. These were also used to hold the rod when carving the pear shaped grips on the oars. |
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The top piece is cut thru so that the clamp can be adjusted by only loosening or tightening one screw. |
Completed jig shown assembled in an exploded view. You can see that when loosened, the clamp moves up and to the side to release the rod without loosing alignment. |
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Next is an improvised screw holder made from a short piece of automotive rubber hose. Choose a size that tightly fits the screw head then insert the driver blade into the screw slot. |
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The short rubber piece holds the screw to the driver for easy one handed installation. The rubber piece moves up onto the driver as the screw head contacts the surface. |
Holds the screw driver blade centered in the screw slot so it won't slip out and gouge the wood surface. Also works well on electric screw gun bits. |
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Need a bunch of clamps? Purchase a ten foot length of 4 inch ABS plastic pipe. Cut into rings 1.5 to 2 inches wide. (wider = stronger)Then cut through one side and pull apart to fit pieces to be clamped. Works well for clamping gunwales to hull. |
This 6 inch low angle block plane was used extensively for smoothing and shaping almost every piece used in contruction of the Whisp. Kept razor sharp, it was a joy to use. |
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The paint was selected by desired color not brand name. This is first time I had use this brand. I found it easy to apply with a foam brush and produced a nice even finish. It was applied directly on sanded epoxy without primer. Time will tell if it was a good choice. I have had good results with this varnish on past boats, some under hard use. |
The finish is completed. The picture is a little distorted because it is pieced together from three shots. |
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