Maker Faire 2020: Introduction to DIY Foldable Coroplast Boat

[@TrishCanyon8]

BRILLIANT! I built and lived in a Coloplast shelter for 6 months. It was awesome.

[@DIYUSA]

Excellent, I have always want to build one, but my wife will be very upset seeing a strange shed at the back of our small yard 😄. I probably will build a foldable one for camping in the future.

[@josephlai9759]

Your creative spirit is so evidently a great source of joy, energy and adventure in your life. I can see it in your eyes. Thank you for sharing the gift you have.

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for your kind words. Your feedback is an excellent encouragement for me to keep making and sharing fun stuffs. I really want to inspire others not to wait till retirement to work on what they want to do. I have not been successful in balancing my family and work life. On the other hand, I still feel blessed to be able to retire at 62. Cheers!

[@mattdjmorris]

Love your approach and willingness to share. Keep on innovating!

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching and your support! Cheers!

[@ElDocThor]

Much respect sir. You are an inspiration, I hope to be half as accomplished as you in my life 🙏🏼

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for your comments. There is always someone much better than me, such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs... The important piece of my life is to try my best to do what I can. Share my learning hopefully others will out perform me. I can never be like Bill and Steve, but I am happy with what I have. I am only stating in this tiny KZbin soap box. You can do it and can have much more impact to the society than I can. Thanks for watching my channel....Cheers!

[@RobertBeriault753]

the waterline makes it look as if it is heavier at the front than at the back. Perhaps you could move the aft seat rearward. It would also make it more comfortable for the aft crew.

[@DIYUSA]

Yes, you are correct. We didn't pay attention (aware of this problem) until we watched the video. I don't have this boat any more :-) I recycled the hull/coroplast and built this new two seater this year. A much bigger boat kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKanqZt3ZZWJn80

[@speleokanu4720]

Marvellous, I have a ONAK 2 seater canou since 2018. Love it and pimped it. I like to have a faster single more racing style cayak as a folding boat. You insparate me as engineer , wonderful. I have plenty of cayaking experience on rivers WW grade 1 and 2 . Ahoi !

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for your feedback. I have built a few more better kayaks since I published this Maker Faire video. You can find the kayak plans at www.DIYUSA.org The DIY videos are on youtube channel. I am building this one, which should be much faster than all the other boats I have built. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGSTgXStgcZpmMU Cheers!

[@nguyenhop]

Great smart idea, so nice and useful, thank you

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for your feedback. I have newer designs, which are more compact and easier to build also. The boat plans are free. You can check those out also: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3OvqYSrZ657r7s kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zqi9gJRjfMtraJo😀

[@coburnlowman]

This is awesome 👍!!¡!! I cant believe you're not getting more traffic on this buid. Getting a kayak on my vehicle isn't very easy anymore. Age is a bummer

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for your comment. I am also a senior citizen at age 70. One of the reasons I design/built these boats is weight. My latest design is lighter than a similar one you can buy in the market, around 14 lbs. A few months ago, a few friends of mine, the oldest one is 75 decided to build my Gen 23+ kayak. I have created tutorial and plans for those who are interested to build one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXvSopelo6eBbsk

[@amphayxayamo5450]

Thank you for sharing your designs and instructions. I've watched all your videos and became inspired. I'd like to try making one for my oldest son next month for lake fishing. I've been replaying the part where you showed your plastic sheet roller and trying to locate the skate wheel that you are using but unable to figure out the exact brand and size online? Thank you, Lek

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for your support and also considering building one. It took me more than 20 years before I built my first boat 🙂 The size of the wheel doesn't matter much. You can use a 1", 2" or larger (diameter). The one I use is about 3" in diameter. My friend built his Gen 14 use a 4"-5" diameter wheel as shown in this article makezine.com/projects/origami-kayak/ . The width of the wheel is important. I suggest the beveled edge, i.e. the pointed area that touches the coroplast (which is rounded) would be approx. 1/4". With this thickness, it will not 'cut' into the coroplast when you roll the roller on the coroplast. Please let me know if you have other questions!

[@benskai2475akurfishing]

very innovative and genius senior

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks, I have build different kinds of boats. Hope the videos on my channel will inspire you to build one too! Cheers!

[@benskai2475akurfishing]

@@DIYUSA thank you senior I will try it easy easy what I catch can be applied in my work later

[@HK-cx3ws]

Thank you! This is exactly what i was looking for. I am hoping to build it with my 4year old son

[@DIYUSA]

That's great. I built my first boat because my daughter agreed to kayaking with me. If she was not interested, I wouldn't have built any boat :- ) Thanks for your feedback and it is a fun project.

[@gerald.lim3]

I made a coroplast boat 5 years ago for duck hunting, but was limited to a standard 4X8' sheet, so it's a small boat. Your fusing method is SO helpful, THANK YOU! Now I can make a nice big boat! Now if only you can invent a method to make paint stick to coroplast.......... :-)

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Most people, including myself have a very difficult time to find a larger coroplast. That's why I have been trying to solve that problem and looks like fusion is a low cost and workable solution. There is ultra-sonic welding equipment but it is not something a hobbyist like me could afford. My friend Nat recently come up with a very user friendly way to fuse the sheets and I have detailed that technique in this video series. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gau2Z5ynhtOGeaM Now, a good news. A magazine sponsored Nat (a very talented and trained boat builder) to build a foldable kayak using the 4'x8' 4 mm coroplast sheets. I provided the kayak plan. They will publish the design guide in Jan 2021. I will then have videos in building that kayak. Please go to my website to see a photo of that kayak... It is a very nice build. www.diyusa.org/blog I have been painting my coroplast boats. It seemed to work for me. Will give you a link in my next reply... cheers.

[@DIYUSA]

This Krylon Fusion is recommended by a few people on the web. I have been using it and it works. www.walmart.com/ip/Krylon-Fusion-All-In-One-Spray-Paint-Satin-White-12-oz/584887487?athcpid=584887487&athpgid=athenaItemPage&athcgid=collection&athznid=308034044_collection&athieid=v1&athstid=CS020&athguid=ba392fe0-007-17649bc71e77e9&athancid=null&athena=true

[@warlax5658]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching. There are newer designs which are much better and easy to build also. You may check out my channel for more info. kzbin.info

[@DAxt-sc1hm]

Brilliant!

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching. Since I published that video, I have built 12 more boats and they are all very easy to build. You may check them out on my channel www.youtube.com/@diyusa

[@DAxt-sc1hm]

@@DIYUSA I am not too far from retirement. When I do, I look forward to attempting to recreate your brilliant inventions. Thank you so much for being such an inspiration to me!

[@DIYUSA]

@@DAxt-sc1hm Thanks for your feedback. Others inspired me to build boats. It took me 23 years before I started building my first boat. Glad I am able to ignite your interest to build one. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions: [e-mail] Cheers!

[@18magicMARKer]

This is great! thanks for sharing!

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for you feedback. I have built a few more boats which are easy to build, and better also. Please check that out on my KZbin channel!

[@Bikerbob59]

Cool builds.

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching. This video showed my earlier designs. There are newer 2020 designs in my channel (an example here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4XOhHWceJ2Hb9E ) and they are getting better and better! I plan to have more new builds this year, please stay tuned.

[@SAILFISHBRASIL]

Very good Job. Congratulations and Thaks for share!

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching... my newer Gen 12 is an easy boat to build also. Next month, Jan 2021, I will post a DIY video series using 4'x8' coroplast. We have finished and tested that design and the result is very good. Please stay tuned.

[@lilyanyan]

Option 2 is the better choice for sure. Keep your sweet wife and fold your boat up. I'm sure a lot of people don't have room for a boat as well, so this is a great idea.

[@randomhk8634]

That's amazing, do you have link for the first boat in the beginning of the video?

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching. That is my 2nd design and the video is here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4PZaHiPaLaUY5Ysi=n4ga8viS97inoKxp Now, I am on my Gen 23 which is very close to a product level design. My newer designs are all lighter 13-15 lbs, (under 10 ft) or around 20 lbs for the 13.5 ft long kayak. You can see more designs on my channel www.youtube.com/@DIYUSA/videos or go to www.DIYUSA.org Cheers!

[@robfullmer8274]

That was a great video! Now I know what I'll be doing this summer. But, where is a good place to get Coroplast sheets?

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching... If you are in US, you should be able to get that at Home Depot or Lowes. If you are in Portland Oregon, I have about 20 pieces (5'x10' 6 mm sheet) that I can part with (I am not making any profit...because I custom ordered from China and I have to get a min of 100 sheets and waited 5 months for the delivery :-).. $63/sheet, slightly cheaper per square ft than home depot but is better because of the UV resistance, also larger....If you get that from Home Depot or Lowes, you can most likely get the 4' x 8' only and you can either tape (see my gen 2 10' kayak tutorial on my channel) or fuse (mush better than tape) two sheets to make a boat. If you get that from Home Depot, it is better to get the 5 mm or 6 mm ones, but you have to buy 5 or 3 sheets min. I used 4 mm for the Gen 2 10 ft kayak. I called US manufacturers (for a larger sheet) and they don't sell direct. Their distributors also have a min. order, overall cost more. So I ordered from China. I usually conduct workshops in March and Sept. twice a year and help others build their boats (free service, I borrowed the space from my church). Unfortunately I have to stop this activity this spring due to COVID-19. Please watch my other videos because there are more useful info. I will place more boat plans in my site www.DIYUSA.org in the next few days. Enjoy your summer and stay safe and healthy! Cheers!

[@johnmessersmith8488]

Find a way I can Tex you photos ok I think youl like my new design ok John

[@DIYUSA]

@@johnmessersmith8488 Thanks for sharing the photos. That is a nice boat. KZbin is slow in sending me this notification. They didn't notify me until 4 weeks later. Looking forward to see your 'future' boats.

[@codybreneisen9380]

Thank you

[@DIYUSA]

You're welcome!

[@chriscampanelli110]

Do you have blue prints available for download, for the 2 seater?

[@DIYUSA]

I have a web site www.diyusa.org with boat plans and other boat building info. The plan for the two seater is www.diyusa.org/boat-plans (and scroll down the page). But I suggest you to build other boats instead, which will cost less to build and are much better. For the newer two seater, please use the G19 plan and watch the video series to give you an idea how to build that. Gen 19 gunwale can be made without heat fusion. You can use zip ties to replace the heat fusion. Please let me know if you need more info. Please use my email [e-mail] for future Q&A. Cheers!

[@tonyadolphsen7147]

So do you have a flat pattern of your 2 man boat???

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for asking. Yes, that boat takes 6 hours to build (using a 5' x 10' sheet). You can find the boat plan for this 2-man one and others here: www.diyusa.org/boat-plans Please let me know if you have any questions.😀

[@manp1039]

i would like to see your coroplast folding car cargo box design

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for the excellent input. I have been thinking of building a car top carrier. Making it foldable makes better sense because I use that only for camping trips. If it is collapsible/foldable and it will not create too much drag (when not in use) and will have less impact to the gas mileage. Will get this done before my camping trip, around end of June.

[@OnreinKalfje]

What kind of plastic is the corplast? Here we can only get them in polycarbonate, but I saw that it is usually HDPE in de US. Do you have experience with polycarbonate coroplast?

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for your question. I have a video talked about coroplast: kzbin.info/www/bejne/op2mg6GsZtB8bLs There are polycarbonate roof panels, one kind has channels. My friend used that to build his green house. This kind of plastic is very strong, clear and nice for boat building. Unfortunately it is not foldable. The one I am using is this type of coroplast www.homedepot.com/p/Coroplast-48-in-x-96-in-x-157-in-White-Corrugated-Plastic-Cardboard-10-Pack-WC4896-10/202489118 We actually used a few sheets to build this kayak makezine.com/projects/origami-kayak/ Cheers!

[@mirbie43]

I want to build RC airplane from coroplast . I try different glue , but nothing really do a strong bong to join 2 pieces . OR with PVC . I want to use a glue call 3M’s Scotch-Weld™ Structural Plastic Adhesive DP-8005, but anybody has a better idea . I think the heating is better solution then gluing .

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for the question. Unfortunately I have no experience in building. RC planes. As for building boats, I like to use heat fusion because the bond is strong and I don't have to spend money for the glue. Also there is no wait time for the glue to cure.

[@mirbie43]

@@DIYUSA Thank you for your response and answer. Yes , I agree with you . The glue are expensive and they don't bond or fuse the plastic very strong. I have to find my way to fuse and bonds my RC planes . It's more complex

[@DIYUSA]

@@mirbie43 I agree building a RC plane is more challenging.

[@Romin.777]

Impressive. :)

[@DIYUSA]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@johncarey4186]

Yes very interresting.

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching. For many years, I have been watching and admiring others building their boats. Finally I have time and started building my own and keep on building more boats :- )

[@alexanderscholz8855]

Perfect!!! Thats Awesome or Ausgezeichnet!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks, glad you like this video. There are other videos in my channel showing you how to build different kind of boats. We have just finished building a kayak using 4 mm 4' x 8' coroplast. Will share that once I have time to create the videos.... please stay tuned.

[@johnmessersmith8488]

Awsome!!!!

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks John, Hope you are staying healthy and well in this New Year!

[@ferruhbyferruh]

👏👏👏👏🍀👍

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for watching, there are newer designs, much easier to build and perform better. The boat plans are at www.DIYUSA.org Cheers!

[@ferruhbyferruh]

@@DIYUSA 🤝

[@womplestilskin]

you ve got some good techniques but you have to start working on getting hull shapes that work for human power and don't drag so much along the water line. The transom can't be submerged and the rear should exit cleanly, just like the front. Even look at an ozracer, it's a simple shape but it doesn't waste energy dragging square parts through the water.

[@DIYUSA]

Thanks for your comments. You are totally correct. I am still learning how to use coroplast to build boats... Before you read my reply, please watch this short clip first.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5OYhnSBas16q7s I have a design similar to the Oz Racer. I call it a two seat-boat in one of my KZbin videos. When I worked on this Gen 8, I was experimenting different way of folding the boat + the bow design + simple fold lines (that means easy to build). As your have stated, it's speed is poor due to the drag. I bench-marked that boat with my friend's hard shell kayak, it is 50% slower :-) In the past two years, my design goals are: - easy to build (build a boat in < 10 hours), - low cost, - use simple tools. I attempted to use SW tool to design a boat, but folding coroplast limited what I can do hence I gave up. Besides, the sheet I have is 10' and it is not easy to create a fine hydrodynamic shaped boat. The designs I have so far are targeted for those who just want to spend limited time and money to build a boat that floats and also looks like a boat :-) That was my childhood dream but never realized until now. This year, I have been experimenting with heat fusion, which allows me to build much better boat (longer, can control the shape of hull much easier than by folding). My goal this year is to focus on better hydro-dynamic design (yet can still be built easily and low cost). I plan to modified the Gen 8, the one you commented on, to a modular/foldable seat-on-top boat using heat fusion. The transom will be like a kayak. I have just finished a 10 ft foldable kayak (yesterday), which should have less drag. I will water test it this coming Monday. Again, thanks for your comments, feedback...Cheers!

[@McFloT]

Get yourself a man who learns to make boats so he doesn't have to divorce you.

[@DIYUSA]

:-)

[@jimglenfield8522]

I'm about to build my first chloroplasts boat. I'm thinking of floating a bike a car with multiple pontoons my goals build an island series of boats I believe a frame work like a table or trampoline can float if kayak pontoons are on its legs I have many bottles I might fill cloroplast shell with empty bottles with tops any one want to help

[@DIYUSA]

Excellent plan. Love to see it!