Canoe

B

Bob Hutson

Member
Was wondering if there were any canoe builders on the forum? Interested in doing a strip canoe and would love to see some of your work if so. Any tips or advice would be appreciated before I get started.

Thanks!

Bob H
 
Bob,
Not a canoe, but a cedar strip duckboat! (er, I mean decoy sled....wife said something about 2 duckboats was enough). I think a lot of the building techniques are the same. One major difference is the Bullfrog has a plywood floor, and suppossedly getting started with just strips can be challenging. Maybe someone with real canoe experience will chime in. I had a hard time finding high quality cedar, but was able to make due by picking through the pile at the yard. You also will want a cove and bead set to go with your router and table, as well as an 18 ga brad gun.

http://duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=26608;search_string=bullfrog;#26608

http://duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=38853;search_string=bullfrog;#38853

-Bill
 
Bob

I'll try to post some more later, but yes, I did a stripper in '98

canoe.jpg


I whole heartedly recommend Ted Moore's book Canoecraft. I also read Gil Gilpatrick's book, and have a VHS movie showing how to do it. I can check out the VHS and see if it is still good, but I am willing to give it to you if you'd like it. Of these three references, Ted creates the highest quality product, the video in the middle and Gil's book was rough, but fully functional. I'd like to believe my final product was somewhere in between Ted and the video.

Do you have any specific questions, otherwise I'll post some more construction photos later along with any tips I remember.

Chuck
 
I took the design of mine out of Ted's book, he has tables of offsets in the back of his book, featuring a good selection of his designs. Also, he sells full sized plans of these as well. I did a 'Redbird', but changed the stem piece (bow and stern) to be more of a plumb bow, rather than the heavy recurve that he had.

Here is the strongback, 2x6 lengthwise, with 2x4 cross members every foot. I used 3/8" plywood for the station molds, and 3/4" for the stems. I steam bent and laminated Ash to go on the inside of the stems.

strongback-1.jpg


I used 3/4" inch basswood (bought from a local mill), resawn to 1/4", then ran them through the router, putting a bead on one side and a cove on the other. Put the cove up, helps keep the glue from running while you staple the nexto strip in place. I used 3/4" (or maybe 9/16) staple through an electric staplegun. Also used a few 3 penny box nails where there was heavy bends.

stripping.jpg


hull.jpg


Remove all staples and nails once the glue is dry, scraped excess glue with a paint scraper. Follow with a block plane and a spoke shave. Sanded only to 100 grit. You want to leave something for the epoxy to grab. I did one and a half layers of 6 oz glass on the outside (did a football shaped piece from about the water line down, and then a full piece.

Toughest part is the inside, scraping and smoothing that out.

insidehull.jpg


I trimmed it out in white ash

bowdeck.jpg


Made my own seats

seats.jpg


It turned out to be 18foot long, about 35 inches wide, and I think 90 lbs. I have more pictures somewhere, but not scanned.

Let me know it you have any more questions, now or while you are building.

Best
Chuck
 
Chuck, WOW! You don't really use it, Do you?? I'd hang that in my carcuss room old dekes & stuff in it. That is a master piece!
As for doing a stripper, Well I won't go into details but you can imagine.

Gene
 
Last edited:
Chuck, WOW! You don't really use it, Do you?? I'd hang that in my carcuss room old dekes & stuff in it. That is a master piece!
As for doing a stripper, Well I won't go into details but you can imagine.

Gene
Click to expand...


That was back in the days when I was young and single...

I most certainly do use it! That would be like carving a decoy just to sit on a shelf!
 
How do you like the seat suspension? I'm redoing the woodwork on a royalex canoe, and the original seats were hung down like that, and it was weak. I dovetailed mine into the inwale, it's strong, and I can get my feet under the seat, and rest my but on the front edge. If I've got a squirmy person, or if it's the least bit rough, I figure I need to be kneeling anyway.
The way you have it, it looks like you could actually sit on the seat, and keep your weight fairly low too. I don't think I'd like a seat that low though, I'm not real flexable, and bending over to paddle with my fat gut would make it hard to breathe, when I really need to breath easily. I guess I'm a confirmed kneeler, but thought it would make a good discussion. You skinny guys may have a different outlook.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top