: I thought I read somewhere that it was feasible to make kayaks out of fine
: papier-maché (of the type that was once used for making expensive
: furniture, not the stuff that we played with in kindergarten). Since
: traditional papier-maché takes on the properties of wood after it hardens
: (except you don't have to worry about it cracking or warping, since it
: doesn't react to changes in temperature or moisture), it would seem that
: this would be a workable material: it's cheap and lightweight, and when
: wet, it can be shaped (much like clay or mortar) around a mold to any
: desired thickness, and it gains the tensile strength of wood once it
: hardens. Am I on the right track here, or am I missing something?

A kayak has long, long curving lines. Wood does that, mush doesn't. Mush has short fibres, high water content and cracks if laid on thickly without drying betw layers. So takes a some time and work to lay up a thick layer(like is a layer of paper .01in or less?).

But mache is a great way to cover an existing armature cheaply. And do odd shapes.

Strippers or stitch&glue actually are using the same basic process as mache - a covered armature(strips on strongback), covered w bits of flexible material saturated w/ something that hardens up(glass cloth and epoxy) and needs a bit(?) of finishing. Only in our case the armature is then removed and the remains has become the structure.

But if you really wish to, you'll only be adding another step, the structure will mainly be the glass and it'll work. And you know, I do want to read the newspaper when I paddle!

-mick

ps the separated fibres also being water glued will be highly susceptible to water if yak damaged, so a little care is necessary.

(might be getting a double post here-ignore the other one-its got really bad language in it!!)