Alex1 wrote:
I was reading about a canoe constructed from paper and covered with fibreglass. Seems like a really cheap method; rent a canoe for a mold and away you go.
But...is this method functional? If it is, how come I've never seen one...maybe I answered my own question? Anybody...?
There've been a number of experiments done in using alternate materials for construction of canoes, most notable is probably the concrete canoe challenge students in university engineering programs sometimes participate in. Most of the paper canoe processes didn't involve fiberglass.
You wouldn't need to use paper to replicate a rented canoe, there'd be better ways of going about that if it was your goal. Using paper in a fiberglass boat would be counter productive. The paper has virtually no structural strength, it would mearly soak up more resin and make the boat heavier. In a wood strip/ fiberglass canoe, the wood seperated the layers of fiberglass which contributes signifcantly to the strength of the finished product. To understand how that works, just think of the difference in strength between a solid rod of metal and a pipe. For the same amount of material, the pipe will be much stronger than the solid rod.
That said, there've been a lot of fiberglass boats that have used paper as a decorative element in the layup. Old Town used to have one hanging in the factory where they'd used psychedilic paisley wall paper in a clear pigment. I've seen kayaks laid up with photos and stories from magazines embeded in the fiberglass.