"Wow! That is a sharp looking boat. Excellent finish work and paint. You should be proud of that thing. I'm bummed I won't be at the boat show to see it. Love the dry storage and the varnish. Really nice finish work. I am impressed!"
Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
chris towles's Discussions
Started a blog for my build..
4 Replies
So I started a blog. Mostly to document my build, but also just to share pictures of life as it goes by here in jackson wy. Expect boat building, bc skiing, ww adventures, fly fishing, backpacking,…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by Terry E Walsh Mar 30.
Mckenzie design differances
20 Replies
So I am in the planning stages of my next boat. It will be a 17x54 decked mckenzie with a few modifications. I plan on higher sides 26" ish at the locks. I also want a flat spot 3'ish under the…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by lhedrick Aug 18, 2011.
Dealing with mold on oiled interiors
9 Replies
So I have been fighting mold issues with my boat since last year when I restored it. It was starting to get mold spots before I even finished the boat. This winter I left my kayaks flipped between…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by chris towles Jun 5, 2011.
WBP on an iphone
2 Replies
i use an iphone, and generally have difficulty navigating the site on it. it won't allow me to respond to messages or threads, and i can't load the page directly..the main page is a mishmash.…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by chris towles Apr 22, 2011.
chris towles's Page
Latest Activity
chris towles replied to AJ DeRosa's discussion 13th Annual Snake River Wooden Boat Show
"Have fun out there, won't be able to make it this year. Last minute river trip came up and I'm headed to the Selway. Really bummed because I has excited to see the trapper, as well as the Steele boat that Dutch brought home last year and a…"
chris towles replied to Mike Burton's discussion No real plans "Drift Boat Build"
"Sorry..I meant clear fir. IPad likes to try and autocorrect me. I am not using any fins on my boat but I am making it out of foam. Here's a few pics of my freeform hull coming together the last few days. Im still dialing in the lines full scale…"
chris towles replied to Dan Revell's discussion 1979 Keith Steele FOR SALE
"That's a nice lookin boat!"
chris towles replied to Mike Burton's discussion No real plans "Drift Boat Build"
"Sounds like a good plan. That is going in with no plans. It's kind of fun. I'm shaping the hull of a boat I designed right now. It's been a year and a half of building models to refine the lines and now I am doing it full scale. It is…"
chris towles replied to Guy Fredrickson's discussion Guy's Wooden Drift Boat Project
"Just an FYI. The blue tape will bleed and you won't get the tight lines you are looking for. U need to buy the expensive tape for that.
And old sign painters trick...
Before you hit the side with primer, take a blush and lightly brush the tape…"
chris towles replied to Guy Fredrickson's discussion Guy's Wooden Drift Boat Project
"If u haven't already epoxied the chine battens I would advise considering oil. That epoxy varnish on those Chines will barely make it to the boat ramp before rocks and trailers chip and destroy it. Then you have water coming in contact with…"
chris towles replied to Rojo's discussion How much epoxy?
"Rojo, for 6 oz or 9 oz cloth ranks has the best price. They also have good prices on heavier glass. If you want the 18oz biax, you can get it form raka also but it's cheaper at fiberglass supply. You only need like 5 yds tho so just do the math…"
chris towles replied to Rojo's discussion How much epoxy?
"I've used west system for fiber glassing since the late 90's. over the years the only resin that ever was messed up was when I tried to measure using pumps instead of measuring by weight. I ran out of hardener mid layup and had to run…"
chris towles replied to Richard Bunse's discussion Best paint to cover an old oild driftboat
"So the full boat was oiled, and You want to paint over oil on the outside? But leave it oiled on the inside?
Any oil based paint will paint over that oiled surface with prep, use a good one cause the boat will be in harsh environments. Sanding is…"
chris towles replied to Rojo's discussion How much epoxy?
"a gallon will not get you there.
For a hand layup you will want a 50/50 resin to cloth ratio. Get your pieces precut, then weigh them on a kitchen scale and you will need need that much resin. I am building a foam stitch and glue 17x54. I just laid…"
chris towles replied to Rick Newman's discussion Finally painting my boat
"And she makes it to the river! Nice job! Love seeing the finish work and your attention to detail, might not have been as fast a process as you wanted, but the end result was worth all that hard work. Glad to see the boat on the water. And…"
chris towles replied to CJ Watson's discussion Building outdoors
"I built my last boat outside in the driveway with nothing but a 10x10 sunshade and a boat cover for protection. It was not easy but I got it done. Rainy spring made working on the boat an on/off endeavor. I named the boat rainy day for a reason. I…"
chris towles replied to Josh Wieschowski's discussion My First Build (Freestone Guide)
"Fair enough. That's nice work you've done there. As a musician, I always want wood like that to make instruments and sing. I am a bit of a collector in some ways, here's a few of mine that have nice maple. Little OT, but we are talkin…"
chris towles replied to Josh Wieschowski's discussion My First Build (Freestone Guide)
"Wow! Nice work! Don't you know that AAA grade maple should be saved for guitar necks :)"
chris towles commented on Chris Olsen's photo
IMG_1117
"May I ask why? From the pics the transom looks fine. Whole boat really.. Mabye there is rot I am not seeing, but unless the thing is really too rotten to salvage and is leaking heavily I would leave it be. More epoxy or bedding compound likely would…"
Profile Information
- About Me:
- kayaker and recently turned wooden boat fanatic
- Boats I own:
- 16' ken hankinson with front and rear bulkheads, and dry boxes
chris towles's Photos
Comment Wall (2 comments)
- At 10:10am on April 20, 2011,
Dan Burr said… - Chris, I still have the oars, I'm not sure what they are worth, both sets are 9 footers and in good shape, I'll do some checking on prices, if you know what you are willing to pay let me know.
- At 12:11pm on May 4, 2010,
Scott Hepler said… - Chris, congrats on the new boat. You might visit montanaboatbuilders.com and look through the "gallery" pics. There is a couple of "down shots" of his Kingfisher there. You could get good visual of the layout of the boat for the fishermen in both ends of the boat. You could also get a pair of dividers out and do some "measurements" to get the proportions close.
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