ARGgghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......................

PLEASE DON'T DO THIS AT HOME!!!!

This is what we used for undercoat.

We didn't see the website warning about "extreme" weather,

although I thought it was just a tad cool with a slight nip in the air.

Q. Is -4 outside and +6 inside extreme?

After 5 weeks of waiting the undercoat is still "wet" (dry to touch but would wrinkle if pushed)

After some researching and advice from members at SotP Forum

and Selway Fisher we decided to remove the primer/undercoat and start again.

With blow-lamps and scrapers and a quick sand down it is all back to

square one and ready to undercoat again.

What a choice we have

mind's have gone blank

Eddie....now an expert at sanding.

Please don't ask if we washed the Epoxy Bloom off cause we did......twice

BRRRRrrrrrrrrrr...... it's FREEZING

Well we had a bit of a cold snap....

....It hung about for a while....

....but we under-coated the canoe anyway....

....to get rid of that ugly ply....

....looks all nice and uniform, just like it's been out in the frost....

.....and waited for it to dry....

....Working conditions are rather poor....

....we just wanted to get it rubbed down and painted....

Please note that Eddie Stalkperch's Bro is doing the sanding whilst I take the photos.

You can just make out the Cat Sh!t Box, but like I said before,

"I'm a canoe builder and not a photographer"

....Not to bad though, the sanding action kept us warm....

Christmas Day out in the Camper-van.

Not because we are poor, we did it "Just for jolly".

A tin of chicken soup, another of oxtail and some brown bread and butter.

Off for a tootle round Bosworth park (no battles today though, it's Christmas)

Back in time for tea and coffee and a nice mince pie.

Eddie likes Christmas

do you?

Regards HO HO HO

Eddie Santa

Now that's cold

Ah the good ol' days

Eddie remembers well

One in wood another in Pewter

A fine pair of paddles. A real wooden one, yes "they" do exist

and a much smaller Pewter one that also exists but totally useless for paddling a canoe.

Glad I've got mine,

it's come in handy a couple of times

Eddie

Fitting the runners and Gunwales

Fitting the runners and outwales.

I think the inwales have already been fitted, they must have been.

Nights of the low sun are upon us soon

Cold weather on it's way

Eddie is getting ready for winter

All trimmed up and ready for 2 coats of Epoxy inside and outside

There we go, all ready for paint to get rid of the ugly plywood!

To all my critics.....

....please take a hike or a paddle around Finger Mountain!

Nah, only joking.

Yes there are some people out there that will just want to poke fun and ridicule someone else's endeavours, whilst out there will offer constructive criticism.

All you have to do is work out who said what and when and how!

It's simple really and the best thing about opinions is their uniqueness....

we all have one and we are entitled to have one.

I think the section below explains it better, well that's my opinion!

Not sure now

Regards

Eddie

The thing about opinions is they are unique, and deeply personal. To know someone's opinions on issues is to know bits of the person's psyche. To tell someone their opinions are wrong, or stupid, is to tell them there is really something wrong with them, with who they are.
Now, that's not to say that opinions can't be changed. Of course they can, politicians strive to change our opinions, as do advertisers, friends, and families. They each appeal to a specific part of our psyche.
Usually it's that insecure part that tells us we aren't smart or rich or good-looking enough. We listen because we hope the person trying to change our opinion has the profound truth.
And sometimes they do. Sometimes we learn something new, something redeeming, which nourishes our mind and broadens our horizons. Something that challenges our thoughts and forces us to grow.
Sometimes all we learn is how the other person's mind works. The process of forming an opinion is as telling as the opinion itself.
It is just one more of the many facets of humanity worth celebrating. Our differences are what make us individual, INCLUDING our opinions.
The day we cease to respect the opinions of others is the day we cease to respect the individuality of that person.
And when we fail to respect fellow humans as individuals, do we not lose a bit of our humanity?




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Sunrise calculator

I thought this is a good idea.

All you need is a compass at nigh or during the day and you

can "predict" where the sun will rise in the morning

Oh dear, is that the time?

I'm off

Eddie

Calculate the sunrise and sunset at any time of year in the Northern hemisphere

The chart shows the position of the sunrise and sunset for the first day of each month. Simply point the N to north and read off the direction. For dates other than the first of the month, simply gauge how far through the month you are and go between the first of the month you are in and the next month, so the 15th is about halfway.

You could print/engrave one onto a polished metal plate to make a Heliograph/signalling mirror?

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The start of something BIG.......

.....like a very long portage for a put-in point  for a start!

I think things need re-thinking

Don't you?

Tell Eddie

Sth Witham welcomes careful drivers

and Mad Canoeists

Eddie enjoys Camping and the BIG outdoors.

Some more for another cartoon from Ickle Pete,

Eddie missing out again on the bleedin' obvious.

I think Pete does a great job,

What do you think viewers?

Answers on a Postcard to Eddie Stalkperch....

Get yer Paddles here

We had our own T-shirt printing business and did have some degree of success.

With time and distance separating us we have had to stop trading.

I will however put our designs on spreadshirt or cafepress or similar one day.

It is pronounced SHIRT CREEK......the "R" is rather important,

it stops it being.....erm......less rude....Ooooer Missis

Our Paddle

Made for us by TS Brown

But for now, here are some of our T-shirt designs....

I think they're rather cool

What do you think?

Eddie waits for your reply

Ashes to ashes

As a tribute to our Mum and Dad, sadly no longer with us,
we mixed up some of their ashes with Epoxy

and "encapsulated" them onto and into the bow...."front pointy bit".

They saw us through life,

guiding us and showing us the way,

keeping us safe and warm,

what more could you want from parents?

What more could you want from a canoe?

Ja te volim uvijek

We thought it a nice gesture.

Happy Days

Eddie

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Poxy Epoxy

We have used West System Epoxy for the stitch and taping, filleting an "painting two coats inside and out....

well pretty much everywhere really, on benches, garage floor, hands, knees and bumpsidaisy

and not forgetting the cat!

It's easy to work with and easy to mix up.....

......easy to sand down.......

and smmmoooooth as silk when done.

TOP TIP

remember to rinse the "bloom" off with recommended directions.

Always helpful,

as ever

Eddie

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Waaaayyyyy tooooooo long.......

OK, we wanted a traditional pointy canoe with pointy bits at both ends.

We couldn't find one short enough to be big enough if you see what I mean?

So we built a 12'6" Canoe and cut one end off.

It still carries loads of weight and fits into the garage for storage etc.

It also has an "Air Tight" buoyant-lockable-boot at the stern.

Going....

....going....

....gone....

It wont be wasted, it's going to be a tailor made, snug fitting

Wanigan/cool-box that fits under the front deck and, as it's lined with buoyant foam

It will help keep the canoe afloat should things ever go "tits-up"

"COOL"

Nice one....

Eddie

P.S. Please ignore the cat's sh!t-house btm right,

I'm a canoe builder not a photographer

; )

A Stitch in Time...........

OK, place the bottom board all nice and flat and even

and start stitching the chines with copper wire the next to planks.

It's a easy as fighting a 12 legged cat....

......but it soon starts to take shape....

....and looking canoe like.......

.....even with faulty stitching.......

(Not one of Eddies!!!!)

....Oooo it's a biggun....

....long too.....

....even on it's side.....

....it looks like a canoe!

Aren't we clever?

"Alive on the Ocean waves"

sings a very happy...

Eddie

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