A very short video showing progress to date. Work is on hold a bit waiting for some more sinew to complete the lashing

Note the lovely assistant.

So it's been a while since my last post. I was busy working for about 4 weeks, and then had a couple of weeks pass when life just stopped me from getting into the shop. But I'm back now, and so I can bring you up to date.

First off, thanks to the generous support (by way of my 60th birthday present) of some very nice people, I was able to acquire some nice new tools.

What could be in this box?

That very nice (though battered looking) box contains a very nice 12" Delta drill press. A tool that is very useful for all sorts of things, including kayak building. I opened it up, set it up, and attached the nice mortising attachment that my brother gave me one day, I think because he does not have a Delta press. Here it is all set up:

 So now I have almost all the tools I need (though I will need to buy a fabric cutter called a hot knife soon).

Anyway, after some work I managed to put the basic frame together:

Sorry for the somewhat low quality pics. I am learning that the iphone does have certain limitations as a camera.

Anyway, this past weekend we had some friends come to visit. Sam (he whose blood already has stained the frames of my boat) gave me a hand fitting most of the stringers and frames in place. No blood was spilled and we ended up with something that is really starting to look like a boat.

Still a few stringers to fit, and then I have to build the bow and stern assemblies. After that I will check to make sure everything is aligned. And then we can start the rather long process of lashing.

I am having fun! Best birthday present ever.