> I was at a Utrecht art materials store today and found three extremely
> heavy duty canvas materials which would be ideal for covering skin on
> frame kayaks.

> There are two reasonable priced cotton cloths. The heaviest in their CD10,
> which is a #10 cotton duck with a weight of 14.75 ounces per square yard.
> A thinner material is their CD12, which is a #12 cotton duck, with a
> weight of 11.4 ounces per square yard. The CD10 is THICK ! They sell
> thinner materials, as well, and from the feel of the samples, I would say
> that their 10 ounce duck is similar to the material I buy at fabric
> stores, and that the CD12 is about the same as the `heavy' material I get
> from Clarkcraft. But I`ve not run into anything like their CD10 before. It
> looks like real tough stuff.

> The prices were pretty reasonable. They sell these in precut sizes, and 6
> yard packages of 60 inch wide fabric are:

> CD12 --- $44.94

> CD10 --- $50.94

> They also had a linen fabric that was even thicker. This was their 76D
> Linen, which is a whopping 17 ounces per square yard. It is outrageusly
> expensive, of course. I saw a 6 yard piece of this that was 119 inches
> wide (about twice the 60 inch width of the cotton canvas) for a mere
> $581.94. While that would nicely cover two boats, that's still about 6
> times the price of their thickest cotton fabric.

> You can get more info on shipping methods and costs and sales tax (if any)
> from their website. www.utrechtart.com

> The direct URL for the cotton canvas is:

> http://catalog.utrechtart.com/display_prod.cfm?p=w67 178&g=w67178 Six
> yards should be enough for a 17 foot Walrus. The skin is probably the
> biggest single expense on one of these boats, other than the building
> forms, so this may help people who are trying to price-out one of these
> boats.

> Utrecht also makes and sells a material that might be ideal for priming
> and filling the weave of these canvases. It is their Oil Priming White,
> which appears to be a simple mix of white pigments (from titanium and
> zinc) in lonseed oil. Since George Putz recommends a similar type of paint
> in his book I'm tempted to try this ready made product rather than use a
> house paint or mix my own. It is under $16 a quart. When I get a chance
> I'll try this and report back.

> Finally, they also have calcium carbonate powder (marble dust) which I
> want to try as a filler material instead of the powdered chalk that Putz
> suggests using. Four pounds of this is $2.79. I'm wondering if this could
> also be used mixed with epoxy.

> I hope this doesn't sound too much like an ad for these guys. I'm kinda
> enthused because I've been looking for a place that would sell really
> heavy canvas in small quantities, and just want to pass this info on.

> Paul G. Jacobson

Paul, I may someday build a skin on frame. A friend moved south and left me his Upholstery sewing machine as well as bolts of several cloths. many are marine materials such as Sunbrela a marine canvas (synthetic). I wonder if any would be suitable for a skin on frame. I have made everything from paddle bags to kayak travel cover, etc.,etc. with the materials.

Where do I find info on the Putz Walrus. What materials are needed?

Larry