Make a Fiber Kayak

This is an article to explain how to build your own fibreglass kayak to avoid paying for a new kayak from a manufacturer or sports equipment supplier. An advantage of making a fibre kayak is that you can make it according to your tastes, customize it and choose your own color. The shape will depend on the shape of the mold you buy. Get started at step number one below.

Steps

1. Make sure you have the necessary materials. Go to the section "Things You'll Need" to see all the items that you need.
2. Cover the mould with stripping wax then wait about twenty minutes. While waiting, prepare resin. Mix about three percent of hardener in the resin.
3. Ensure the mould is covered with stripping wax. Cover the two half moulds with the gel coat. The gel coat can color the kayak and also provides the finishing touches to it.
4. Coat fibreglass with resin and then cover the two half moulds with the coat fibre in the following order : begin with a layer of roving and fenish with roving. Between each coat of roving you must alternate with a layer of fibreglass mat, the roving acts as finishing. Wait about twenty four hours for to take place.
5. Assemble the two half moulds (the hull and the deck with a plan of joint made with resin).
6. Put inside the kayak the seat, the footrests, the buoyancy bag and the handle.
7. Fix the seat, and the handle with screws and you must put a silicone seal to water tightness the interior of the boat against water.
8. See the different parts. Draw a sketch of the location of each components of the kayak. That is the last step to the process of building your boat.
9. If you purchased the mold you can create as many kayaks as you want.

Tips

• The advantage of fibre kayak is lighter than polyethylene kayak, but it is more fragile than polyethylene kayak and it is easier to build a fibre kayak than a polyethylene kayak.
• You need to know the mould is expensive but when you have this, you can build as many boats as you want.

Things You'll Need

• fibreglass mat
• roving
• epoxy glue (resin)
• gel coat
• a hardener
• a mould
• a seat
• a buoyancy bag
• a handle
• footrests
• screws
• silicone

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• Prepare for Sea Kayaking
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See also

• Restore a Boat
• Install a Boat Captain's Seat
• Load Two Hobie Kayaks on Roof Racks
• Camo a Boat
• Become a Boat Builder
• Build a Boat Blind
• Build a Plywood Boat
• Build a Kayak from a 55 Gallon Barrel
• Make a Kayak
• Make a Boat Buoy Easily

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