: Hello all,

: I've been lurking here for a week or so and find this board to be a treasure
: for information and ideas. I'm currently working on my fourth boat, a Cape
: Ann Expedition. The first boat was a Gilpatrick canoe, followed by two
: Pygmy's (Coho and Tern 17'). I can quit anytime, really I can.

: I'd like to build the coaming for the Expedition (ala Vaclav --
: http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/Wshophtm/Shop15.htm ) but I'd like to
: incorporate a carbon/kevlar fabric to add some color. Does anyone have
: experience using carbon/kevlar? I know it is a bear to cut and machine so
: I'm looking for tips on working with such a tough material. I suppose I
: could pre-cut the carbon/kevlar pieces but I'd rather do the cutting and
: and shaping after the epoxy work. Any ideas?

I made a carbon coaming, no kevlar, a little different from Vaclav's. I did not make the vertical part of the coaming from wood but instead used foam insulation board to make a mold directly on top of the deck. I used 3 inch wide biaxial cut carbon tape and wrapped it from underneath the deck, up and over the foam form. Eight layers of the carbon made a very strong coaming. I did not use a release agent or plastic wrap on the foam, I did not plan on using it again. After the carbon cloth cured, I dug most all of the foam out with a screwdriver and used acetone to clean up the remainder. It was actually very easy to do and did not take long. I added a fillet on the outside of the rim after the form was removed. A little tricky, but not bad. I ground up a charcoal briquet to thicken and make the fillet black. The fillet was just as black as the coaming. I have a few pictures on my website, though not much explanation.

Bill