I suck! HOW long did it take me to saw off a measley piece of plywood from the bow-end riser? (and you should see the finished product.) Brings a new meaning to the phrase, "hack job." Or perhaps restores the originally intended meaning. Anyway, so maybe the tool (a big, large-toothed saw) isn't exactly optimal, but still... I can see that this boat building thing is going to be an uphill battle.
Need to go buy a few more tools (in particular, a "Japanese pull saw"). I assume I'll slowly get better at skills like this - hopefully soon enough that the finished kayak doesn't look awful. But, I'm having fun. The whole time I was cheerfully cursing my incompetence, and thinking what a grand adventure this was going to be.
Earlier tonight I went to Robert's, and he very graciously let me borrow a TON of spring clamps (60? 70? :-) as well as some other random useful stuff that he and Wendi used when they built their Kings.
Also, I measured out lengths along the strongback and screwed the blocks (which will hold the risers which will hold the stations...) down, after aligning them all carefully. My little battery-powered drill is proving to be quite close to useless (it had to be recharged three times during this endeavor).
The most important tool so far: my stereo, which I set up down in the basement (but sorely missing it in my bedroom in the mornings).!
Posted by mel at July 21, 2004 11:45 PM