When I get a moment I take notes on how I will build the Thuyền thúng Coracle from paper. While my list keeps changing the main game is to start collecting the stuff I need. In the meantime I experiment....and takes notes. (none of which I can share here unless I photograph them).
My short list of ingredients:
- Kraft paper. I've located a cheap supply.
- Sand (for the mould/plug)
- Agricultural water pipe for the rim
- Wallpaper paste.
- Bamboo skewers
- Plastic ties and rubber bands
- Deks Olje #1 and #2 sealant and/or acrylic elastomeric coating
- Milk crates x 2
- Old second hand body boards
- Sandpaper
I had a 'breakthrough" today when I realized I could do a lot with old body boards , cut , 'nailed' and glued together, inside the coracle for buoyancy support, flooring and 'furniture'. "Buoyancy" is in case the craft decides to sink.under me as I need to mark the spot where I go down....And these board, every family has them, we have three, left over from when the kids were growing up.I can also purchase second hand ones from Opportunity Shops.
I also ordered The Cardboard Boat Book as a bit of engineering savvy with permeable material technology wouldn't go astray.
One final point in regard to Cardboard Boating. On his website Dave Friant says this:
How are the boats protected from water damage?
* The construction process includes covering and sealing all exposed seams of cardboard to completely seal the boat from water entering inside the cardboard layers. Once the seams are fully protected, the boat is coated with a rubberized waterproof coating material. When the sealing and coating is done properly the cardboard is protected from water damage.
* We have boats that are 23 years old and are still being used!
* The recommended waterproof coating is an acrylic elastomeric coating used for waterproofing roofs, concrete, and wooden structures. I have had extremely good results with products from Ames Research in Oregon, USA. I have used both their 'Block and Wall' product and their 'Maximum Stretch' product.
* There are numerous products available on the market. Look for 'acrylic elastomeric coatings' when researching your options.
* These coatings can be colored with coloring made for acrylic paint. Take your coating to a local paint store and have them color your coating with whatever color you desire.
I will also be creating a Powerpoint and video of the production process so that my quest will go down in digital history. As a side effect, exploring the attributes of paper has encouraged me to get back into sculpture as my tendency to, always in the past , deploy a mixed media approach to my masks and puppets lends itself to paper crafting a lot of different items. I'm thinking political caricature heads, masks and figures. The beauty being that when you rely on paper and paste you don't have to keep up a supply of clay which is always a challenge as it doesn't come stocked in supermarket shelves.
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