Foam Cross Sections Complete

I cut out the finished cross sections for Paige's kayak last night. I ran out of time the prior evening, so I had to wait. I wasn't sure what would be best for cutting the foam board - my thoughts were either a Xacto-type knife or using a good ole utility knife. My concern was that the foam board would be too much for the Xacto, but I wouldn't have the precision and control using the utility knife. Ultimate, I used both - the Xacto for the curves and the utility knife for the straight lines. My wife does a lot of scrapbooking, so I used one of her cutting mats to protect the floor and table where I cut.

Each of the cross sections turned out pretty well. Looking back at them now- I can see a billion things that I don't like about them. In my picture gallery, I have individual pictures of each.

I can honestly say that I'm not sure if doing the frames in foam board has helped or hindered the process. The cut outs were not nearly as clean as I was hoping- the sandwiched foam itself tore out a handful of places. And, note to self- work on cutting perpendicular to the table top (most of my cuts were at an angle, sometimes significantly). I've seen that most other people draw the cross-sections out on paper and then transfer it to wood. If you've done it this way, could you add a comment for how you transferred the layout from paper to wood? If/when I build the next one- my idea (probably stolen from somewhere) is to draw it out on paper, glue it to the wood and cut it out that way. No matter, doing this on foam board has been a good experience.

As I was drawing the cross sections, #2 seemed impossibly small for her legs to fit through. Once I cut it out, it seemed comically large for her legs. And, giddy with excitement- I had to have her try on the cross section for fit. I even propped #1 up against her toes for a full look. (I thought briefly about setting up #3 and #4 behind her and having a "full" kayak... but, Mom was calling that it was time for bed.)

I'm SUPER excited to start the cross sections in wood. As with everything, my ignorance has me concerned. Everything that I read says that I need "exterior grade plywood"- but, a quick glance while we were walking through Lowes says that there are a handful of different "exterior grade plywood"s. So again, any specific input is greatly appreciated (he says begging-ly)! And, I've confirmed with my father-in-law that he can rip a 1x6 into 3/4"x3/4" strips. It'll just be a matter of buying them up near him and bringing them home one weekend.

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And finally, I got e-mailed by Kelly T in Canada. He sent me links to a post of his on WestCoastPaddler.com that has pictures of his 2nd Sea Flea build. He built one for both of his kids - they look great!