Come to the Charlotte Maker Faire next weekend (October 10th) to see me and my 3D Printed Kayak at Discovery Place museum. I will not be bringing my large scale printer this time as the transportation logistics are tricky due to the size with the heated chamber. For more info check out: cltmakerfaire.org
Today I was featured on a segment for PBS Charlotte about careers in the additive manufacturing industry:
I have completed construction of a completely 3D printed, customized Kayak. The Kayak measures 16ft 8in [5.08m] long and cost around $500 to make. It is made of ABS plastic, machine screws, brass threaded inserts and a little bit of silicone caulk. That’s it. And it floats. And I can Kayak around in it. In order to print such large, solid sections of Kayak, I had to modify my home-built, large scale 3D printer to print the parts inside a heated chamber so they would not warp or crack.
The Kayak
The Kayak is comprised of 28, 3D printed sections. Each section has brass threaded thermoplastic inserts so the next corresponding section can be screwed into it. Silicone caulk is only used between the sections to ensure it is watertight. This design was initially based on the Siskiwit Bay kayak by Bryan Hansel, but heavily modified for 3D printing. The shape of the kayak was tweaked to optimize performance based on my height and weight. To reduce print time and material usage, the kayak is printed at a 0.65mm layer height. It features a 6mm thick hull with a built-in, internal rib/support structure to give it strength, yet be lightweight and use less ABS plastic. On the bow and stern of the Kayak I added attach points for cameras, handles and future add-ons.
Kayak Specs:
| Spec | Imperial | Metric |
| Length | 16ft 8in | 5.08m |
| Width | 1ft 8in | 0.52m |
| Total Weight | 64.58lbs | 29.29kg |
| • 3D Printed ABS Plastic Parts | 58.15lbs | 26.48kg |
| • Screws | 4.54lbs | 2.068kg |
| • Brass Threaded Inserts | 1.89lbs | 0.86kg |
| Print Time | 1012.65 hrs [42.19 days] | |
Largest section of the kayak (#15) on the build plate
Inside the Heated Chamber during printing
Inside of Kayak, bolted sections and structure
Sealing section joints with silicone
Kayak on the dock
Kayak on the water
Kayaking
Kayaking
UPDATE: The Kayak CAD and BOM is now posted here:
