Houston, We might have Aluminium!

It's been a very long time since the last post. I have been churning and contemplating which kayak model to go through with building. The Tom Yost inflatable Sonnet is the final choice. I think it will be most convertible and most cost effective to build. The last few months have mainly been spent on various uni course studying. School waits for no kayak project. A big chunk was spent preparing for the upcoming summer vacation project.

So many morning as I walked my dog, Pedro, along the cooks river I would tell my partner with longing eyes how the river looks so great today and how wonderful it would be to kayak in it's stinky waters.. Stinky waters just waiting for my pedal! She doesn't always get it but each to their obsession. Right? Partner M is being most patient with me, I must add.

So exciting news today, I have received this quote from the Aluminium Warehouse in Sydney, somewhere middle of no-where up north but who cares when you have a car, right? This quote bring the aluminium pricing to around 100AUD, including GST and everything.

Warehouse to me

show details 8:30 AM (2 hours ago)

Hi,

We have Tube15.88 @ $2.70 per metre +gst ( in stock)

                   Tube19.05 @ $4.76 per metre +gst  No stock, order in

   Tube 22.23 @ $4.90 per metre +gst ( in stock)

We have a cutting service that works out $1.40 per cut

Regards

Russell jones

  Exciting right?

I have had some obsessive net scrolling. The sponsons Tom Yost suggested here work out just too expensive for yours truly, tight-ass galore, as they work out to be around 100US$ including delivery.

Tom has also DIY sponsons instructions on his website and further exploring showed this idea here using "flowties" or arm bands, or swim sleeves to have ready set valves that you can fuse into the PVC. I was toying with getting Boston valves for all 4 sponsons but decided it was stupid expensive not to mention it will be harder to fuse with the PVC unless I got 4 old boats which doesn't seem reasonable at the moment. Better to save the money for other things, like aluminium. Flowties by the way are 8AUD on ebay. Bargain.

PVC choice was also cost influenced: A heavy duty white banner material that I picked up at reverse garbage in Marrickville for 20AUD for the whole role!
(What, just 20 bucks for the whole role???? Here you go, 20 dollars for you, 50 meter role 80GSM roll for me, no, no, don't need a receipt thanks, all good, see ya!! Car wheels screech on the way out and so forth)
That's enough for 7 kayaks. Or one kayak with multiple failed skinning attempts. I think at least one will work, right? :)

Lastly the problem of the notorious HH-66 or Bostik 1669, heat activated PVC adhesive. Had a quote for 75AUD for a 4lt tub but I know I can do better than that. So sitting tight, waiting to hear back on quotes and not doing my school work like I should be, but that too will come.

Speaking of school. Have applied to several summer vacation positions but I am not holding my breath. Don't they want me to start my work already and eventually cure cancer??? More updates to follow, planning to borrow most of the required tools from mates, hopefully getting timber scrapings from friends that work as carpenters as the frame timber won't be needed once the kayak has been skinned and once the skin has set and removed. See how we go, right? Still need to find work space for all this shinanegens. I am seriously thinking of using my 5meter room and just lay a ton of newspaper on the floor.

Maybe that will engage me into finishing the project sooner before my mom, aka new flatmate comes back to Oz from her planned vacation. :) Summer never seemed this exciting and now I truly must go back to my school work before I want to kill myself.

No pretty pictures, such a boring post. Oh well.