Re: End Pours

Posted by LeeG on Jun 5, 2006

that V business was for a Merganswer/Shearwater as a way to join the deck/hull at the ends with internal tape and do an endpour at the same time. Not related to a Chesapeake.

If you built the Chesapeake as instructed with the sheerclamps cut 4"-5" short of the ends then you HAVE to put in large enough endpours to fill that gap. Tilting the kayak upside down and on one end will reduce the amount of epoxy nesessary to fill that gap and provide an anchor for the rudder as well as through hull toggle holes as opposed to filling the ends vertically to the ends of the sheerclamp. 6-8oz per end is common.

Basically the deeper the endpour the amount of epoxy used shoots up immensely,,a 5" endpour probably uses 75% more epoxy as a 4" endpour.

If you're building for rough use you want to round off the bow significantly (2") and cover it with a few layers of light glass for a user friendly bow. A sharp point is NOT user friendly and no amount of endpour will prevent the plywood tip from chipping off with rough use and staining the wood. I know this is unrelated to your question but relates to how you use the kayak and finish the ends. If a friend has to grab your 180lbs in a 50lb kayak carrying 75lbs of gear and what he has to grab safely is the bow of your kayak he'd really appreciate a rounded bow and not something that comes to a point.

My $.02 is to extend the sheerclamps to the ends and cut them at an angle so the side panels can come together when stitched up. The amount of epoxy needed to make an endpour wouldn't need to be more than 4oz at either end.

If your rudder is a through deck spindle installation you should cut off an inch of the stern and round over before glassing the exterior. In that case make sure there's a thick enough fillet in the stern to accomodate that cut. With a Feathercraft rudder and rough use if you don't shorten the stern you'll have very little on either side of the spindle to anchor into the hull. Some folks have experienced the spindle ripping out with the spindle sitting too close the stern/side.

In Response to: End Pours by Brad Shook on Jun 5, 2006

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