Pics 1 & 2

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Pics 3 & 4

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That looks well made. What's the bottom piece from or did you make it?

PD,  My compliments on the new yoke hardware.   The opaque silastic sleeve on the shaft is another nice touch.  Well Done.

MB

PD,

Is this most excellent clamp-on yoke a modification of your old yoke set-up by adding the cam lock?

I ask because that bottom piece is some serious metal and the angle is perfect on both pieces. That's hard to do if you're bending on a DYI hand jig?

That cam-lock system is so much better than having to tighten a twist-lock every time. Much faster too.

Thanks db, ST and MB!  It really works sweet.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.

So, here's how this went down.  I've been tired of portaging my Merlin II on my head with a seat pad down to the local put-in - ~80 rods and vowed to get something at 'copia.  Didn't like what I was seeing and I had some white ash planed down to 3/4" from another canoe repair job and the pads.  I was just going to get hardware, but $35 seemed a LOT for two star knobs, two carriage bolts and some bent chunks of metal. Then 'copia was cancelled, so I started looking around.  The hardware is wood working gear - hold downs for T-tracks like on a table saw or drill press.  That'll work!  THEN I see this cam clamp thing...hmmmm!  Put the two together...STILL cheaper than then the $35 kit.  So it's a hybrid of two kits. PowerTec pieces -   (You need to Login or Register - pn 71168 Hold Down Clamp $11.99 and pn 71165 Cam Clamp  $21.99.

The yoke itself was modeled after a picture of a Souris River yoke - clean, simple but my own measurements and design.  All cut with a table saw and saber saw....plenty of sanding too.  Drilled the holes for slots, connected with the saber saw and rounded the edges with a 1/4" roundover bit in a router. 

The 'sleeves' are just some silicon tubing I had laying around.  I was going to find some springs.  They're there to kinda take up the slack, keep things from jingling around and move the bracket away from the underside as you loosen the cam lever. 

I have added two things since the pics.  I replaced the rubber washers with some nylon ones - helps get rid of some of the 'play' and closes up the tolerances so it's more solid when you lock it down.  I also rubber cemented some old innertube rubber on the bottom of the ends of the yoke where it rests on the gunnel, which keeps the whole affair from sliding around needlessly and locks it in place better. 

Now I just flip the levers over to unlock, move it behind the seat....no adjusting necessary....well, maybe the width spacing...then lock it down when paddling.  Set the cams once and it really doesn't need more adjusting unless you put it on a different canoe. 

pd

I like how your mind works PD  [smiley=cool.gif]

Taking two kits and making a hybrid was genius.
That angle bend allows you to get so much more pressure on the gunnel compared to DIY systems I've seen where you're just pressing a flat piece against the gunnel.

  I'll wager that set-up will garner a lot of attention  when people see how fast and easy you're up and portaging at a put-in. ;)

Thanks ST.  I'm always impressed with how (or that...) my mind works.  Hope to figure it out someday.... :-?

We should share a good bourbon or rum sometime...maybe over a campfire...by a lake. 

pd

portage dog wrote on May 29^th, 2020 at 9:51pm:

Thanks ST.  I'm always impressed with how (or that...) my mind works.  Hope to figure it out someday.... :-? We should share a good bourbon or rum sometime...maybe over a campfire...by a lake.  pd

  That sounds so good right now.  :)

Engineering change #2 - I went out and got some good springs at the hardware store and replaced the silicon tubing.  I feel like I'm going be happier with those.  I tried a larger spring with the hose inside it, but it bound up too much. 

pd

Post trip update:  Used the new cam yoke on MP's Bell Magic for our 12 day BW trip in June.  It worked like a champ!  A breeze to put in and take out.  The springs kept the clamp open for putting it into the canoe and kept things from jingling around/shaking loose when just riding in the canoe during paddling. 

Bonus - I have my first order for a custom yoke.

pd

That's great pd.
Nothing better than when a DIY project passes the field test with flying colors.

Nice job pd.  Don't ya love it when a plan comes together.

Stay safe.......

Thanks for sharing! I'll have to look into making one of these as well. Far less hassle than the homemade yoke that I currently have.

I've used a couple of different clamp-on portage yokes and didn't care for the way they slipped.  So I made my own.
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Always nice to see different ways of doing the same-thing. Thanks for posting.  8-) 8-)

Nothing to see here folks...(well, hopefully yes....) just working on figuring out this posting pics thing.  After a year of COVID quarantine, I should have had this figured out already.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/ymh5qWNt.jpg[/img]

Daaaang! That was easy.

Imgur is the way to go or at least the best/easiest I've found.

Upload your pics to an album. Click on a pic and on the right you see a list of options to copy.

Copy the one that says "message boards and forums", click on Copy, then paste in your message.

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Can't get much easier than that.

Okay...so I've been yoking around this fall/winter with some new stuff.  On my trips last summer with Magic Paddler, I noted his homemade Placid Rapidfire portage yoke was looking a bit ragged.  He's posted some pics here before, but here's a reminder and what it looked like last summer. 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/YFIUFAmm.jpg[/img]   (You need to Login or Register   (You need to Login or Register

Having loaned me his Magic for the trips, I figured I'd take a shot at tackling a new one for his Rapidfire.  This was a bit of an engineering challenge because there are no flat, horizontal surfaces to clamp to, just a crowned top and a 37 degree inside bevel.  I took a bunch of photos and measurements, then at home, I made a mockup of his gunnels to work from.  After a bit of trial/fitment/retrial process, here's a few pics of how it came out.  I was able to send it to him for Christmas.  It fit amazingly well and very solidly.  MP tried it out in his yard and is quite pleased with it.  He's looking forward to putting it to a real test once the waters thaw out.  I did make a minor mod to it at his request to fit his mounting preference - not reflected here. 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/irfXvsgm.jpg[/img]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/3PYDg0Em.jpg[/img]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/CrDrEXYm.jpg[/img]

And mounted on his canoe.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/izgJGZBm.jpg[/img]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/vwh0eYdm.jpg[/img]

The wood is cherry and the pads are EVA foam block.  I was having a hard time sourcing some reasonably priced foam from suppliers, then I found this purple yoga block at Walmart for $6 that was of decent firmness.  The clamping hardware, you've seen before.  Even using hardwood, it weighs in at 36 ounces - 6 less than his old model.  Stronger, prettier, and lighter - how can you beat that! 

pd

So, I noted the yoke I made originally weighs in at 3 lb. 8 oz. - very sturdy, but no light weight.  Magic's Rapidfire inspired me to see what I could do for my Merlin II at home.  Since it has 'normal' gunnels for clamping purposes, it worked out a bit easier.  I used some EVA foam from a kayak roof mount block kit this time and it came out at just 24 oz. - a whole 2 lbs. lighter than the first model.  Now I will admit it's just a bit too light for taking into the back country, as the thin yoke has some flex to it.  I'm afraid it would snap if taking a huge Quetico step off a ledge or bolder when the weight/momentum of the canoe comes down on it.  I'll just use that one at home and maybe I'll make slightly thicker yoke for trail use.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/dok4fWem.jpg[/img]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/AH3YTOVm.jpg[/img]

pd

pd,

I think you've found a cottage hobby to pay for trips once you retire!  ;) ;D

You have excellent McGYVER skills!

What would happen if you cut out a sheet of carbon fibre and laminated to the bottom of that lightweight yoke to stiffen/strengthen it?

ST,

Thanks for the compliment!  I'd certainly be willing to help out any fellow QJ'ers looking for a custom yoke solution. 

No doubt adding some carbon to the MII yoke would do a lot to stiffen it up - and look great against the cherry.  Even some Kevlar or 'glass would help out, without adding much weight.  I may 'glass the blade of a new paddle I just finished when the weather warms up, so maybe I'll throw some on the yoke too.  The paddle is cherry, some 225 yr old plus white cedar I came across and scavenged and some white ash on the outside.  Here's the paddle, oiled for now.  22 ounces.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/1hDNNQlm.jpg[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/4MmeVkrm.jpg[/img]

pd

pd -

Exceptional work on the paddle.  It has developed quite nicely.

dd

Great stuff pd! 

i'm finally getting this modified yoke design setup. Only 2 years later. It's a record for me. I'll post up some pics when I get it done...but first I have to set up an imgur account.....hmmmm....could be awhile...