Re: kayak seat

Posted by Mac on Jun 13, 2005

Mike,

Tool-wise, the best I've found is the yellow Stanley 2 1/2" curved SurForm rasp. I grind the pointy teeth off the edge first. Not always easy to find - but worth looking for.

A curved, serrated gpapefruit knife is also usefull at the very beginning for major removal.

The trick I learned is to find where you "Sit Bones" are located. Place your minicell block on a low (coffee) table with a sheet of compiter paper on it. Carefully sit down and let your full weight go onto the foam. When you get up, you should see where you pelvic bones have indented the paper. Measure these two centers, they are the two low spots you'll carve into the minicell.

I pushed a 4" finishing nail through the foam at these locations so I could always know where they were as I removed the foam. I went to within a 1/4" of the bottom - to keep my center of gravity low. Essentially, you are carving the foam to resemble the seat in a good wooden dining room chair - if that makes any sense.

Test your progress a LOT as you go.

The most important tool is patience.

You can always remove more, but it's the devil to replace.

Once you think you're close - paddle with it for a few hours. Your bum will tell you if there is more to remove - and where.

Have fun - these can really be the best seats.

Mac

In Response to: kayak seat by mike aguado on Jun 13, 2005

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