Building my first boat from home depot. maybe?

Alright, At first I wanted to splash my canoe hull but there are laws against it, and after thinking about it, it seems a bit like cheating. So I'm back after reading a tad more and still wanting to build my own boat (canoe to start). So here is my idea. Please let me know if it's possible and will work, and/or problems I will come across.

I was thinking about using the bendable pink insulation foam sold in 1/4 inch thinkness at home depot. Cutting it into several strips and using those wire ties to hold them together in a general canoe shape. (I forget the term at this moment) And then glue the pieces together with some type of adhesive-currently undecided.

At this point with a foam canoe I was planning on glassing it with the fiberglass squares they sell at home depot, 9x9 feet. Using matt in the middle, and cloth on the ends. And then doing the inside of the boat in the same manner. I chose matte for the middle due to it being stronger.
Will this work? I don't want a perfect boat, just a project to try glassing, and a homebuilt canoe to take out on some flat water lakes nearby.
Also, would I need support ribs to keep it from folding in? I only want it to hold 450. Can I produce this from shopping at the home depot?

I apreciate any help and/or insight.

bobby z

 

The pink Styrofoam works OK as a mould, ie. you cut and sand it until you get the desired shape, then lay the glass up inside it, then throw out the foam. As a core it's really not that great. If you want a cored hull, you'd be better off with something like Divinycell foam that will actually bond with the fibreglass.

I might suggest making a plug or mould out of the pink foam, to the shape you want. (Figuring out that shape is a big project in itself, so you might spend the $50 on a set of plans that you really like.) Coat its surface- some people just use clear tape, others go all-out with glass and tooling gel. Wax it a few times. Then lay up the hull over (or in) this form.

You'll get much better deals on the stuff you need from a fibreglass shop than from Home Depot, and you'll have much better selection. Mat fibreglass has no place in a canoe, really- it's very weak compared to cloth or roving, and much heavier. Two to four layers of a tightly-woven cloth in the 5-8 ounce range would be typical for this type of boat. (More layers in high-stress areas.) You'd be best off picking an epoxy resin instead of polyester; the extra cost won't be too much on a canoe, but epoxy's stronger, a lot easier to work with, and won't dissolve the foam.

Canoes generally don't have much in the way of ribs; some have longitudinal creases or semi-keels to stiffen the bottom, but the thwarts generally are more than enough.

 

thank you-now i have a better idea

well, I figured this would be a great learning project. So I got some foam and thought about shaping. Thought a while about it, and well, I already own a canoe. It may look like crap, but nothing a little paint and bondo can't fix. If I'm going to attempt to build a boat from a mold i decided to do something like this:

http://foxxaero.homestead.com/indsub_03.html

Perhaps a little smaller and for only one person, and of course, one that doesn't fully submerge. or submerge at all for that matter. Something that looks different. A little edgy. Anyway, I'll start shaping this week. Thanks for the advice.
bobby

 

Hey Bobby, we want progress pictures, please.

 

how would this work

Please excuse the crude drawings but I am not an engineer. However, please note that I am also not a high school or college student looking to get a good grade for some project. I'm legally an adult and seriously plan on building this. So with that said, here are a couple questions for the technical minded.




I am planning on using 5 layers of poleyster resin and homedepot fiberglass on the bottom and edges and three to four for the top sides. The bubble will most likely be made from "liquid plastic", which dried perfectly clear and will work well as a bubble.
So....

How much weight can this design hold in theory?

How much weight does it need to sink up to the bubble?

Do I need structural support such as wood to keep it from collapsing upon itself?

I'm planning on building it by fiberglass panels and connecting them via more fiberglass. I will use the pink home depot foam, then cover it with clear tape/wax/and maybe a little vasaline for luck.

I understand this may not be the most travel efficient craft. But if it floats and will be capable of turning (perhaps two trolling motors in the rear) I figure this is something that I want in my garage.

 

here is a link to my super detailed specs..
http://www.snuffyalpine.com/techdraw.html

(please be kind)

bobby z

 

Just remember that the resin that Home Depot sells is waxed resin. For layups you should use unwaxed resin.

 

I just wanted to thank everyone who answered some simple questions for me, and those who privately messeged me with some great advice. I went out and got a gallon of polyester resin non waxed from the boat shop and will begin the the one off mold today.

I'll post updates, however, it will be within a new thread with a more appropriate title.
I'm also leaving the bubble dome for last, as it will probably just become something like a targa top, as constructing the bubble dome may become too pricey for my lawn ornament project.

Thanks again.

Sincerely,

Bobby z