Building
a kayak from driftwood and scraps
It's no secret that I love power
tools. Like any fine instrument a quality power tool is an
extension of the mind of the sculptor. For me, sliding a carbide
steel miter saw blade down a perfect pencil line evokes deep
satisfaction. My work is clean, probably as clean as it
will ever get. Yet, after building dozens of kayaks I felt
the need to cast aside the precision steel and milling equipment.
It was with uncertainty that I contemplated building a kayak with hand
tools out of found wood. To help with the project I
collaborated with Kiliii Yu, hunter, forager, and native skills
expert. http://www.dancinghawk.com
Together over the course of four days we constructed this kayak from
wood we found on the beach and in the scrap piles of my wood
shop. We even made tools on site; a mortise chisel from an
old screwdriver, a drawknife from a carving knife, and a drill bit from
a sharpened bronze nail. Camping in beautiful lowland meadow on a
narrow
spit between Nehalem Bay and the Pacific Ocean, Kiliii (also a
professional photographer) taught me how to use my digital SLR
camera. In a not so traditional manner, we shot seals and deer.

























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