Redbird: a strip-built canoe ... the Journey

**Ramps** · 15th August 2006, 11:36 PM

I have decided to follow in the footsteps of the renown Midge (can’t guarantee the same degree of wit and articulation …is that a word) to record the process, pains, mistakes and joys of building my first boat. Yes, Yes I realize that the Midge was one of the first builders of this great design and mine isn’t. Mine is a strip-built Canadian style canoe called a Redbird as per Ted Moores’ book Canoecraft with the predominant timber being Paulownia. I would have liked western red cedar but at two and a half times the cost I thought Paulownia would be good enough for a first try.

So do I start now … I don’t feel like I have anything to report. Yet I worked on the boat for the entire w/e. Well I guess that most of you know (especially the boat builders) that the venture starts a long time before the first plank/strip is laid. Some of you have been very helpful in my decisions and questions. Thanks for that and no doubt I will have many more in the process.

I’ve decided to put this thread up as I have learnt much from the trials and things that don’t go “according to the book” and the work arounds from other posts (thanks Midge and others).

Feel free to ask questions along the way, why I did what I did, why I am doing it this way, why am I not doing it that way. I know that there are many people out there that have much more experience than me (like nil for canoe building) and there are some terrific sites out there on how to do things “properly”. What I am going to portray is a run down from a first time experience to give others an insight into what to expect (and what not to do) if they are first timers.

The redbird: (Not my pics ... they're from the BearMountian Boats website)

Why did I choose the Redbird? Well I covered this decision making process in another thread but to keep it all together: I choose a plan from Ted Moores’ book Canoecraft. The canoe is big enough for the whole family and the one looks nicest to my eye. Not really a good way to select and there is pages of info on how to chose a design but there you have it.

Going back one step… Why Strip built? I was / am inspired to build a strip built sea kayak from Nick Shade’s book “Strip-built Sea Kayak” but was pressured from the family to build something they could all enjoy. So keeping the kayak in mind I thought I could “get some practice” using the same techniques to build a Canadian style canoe.

So here begins the next phase in my life…

**bitingmidge** · 16th August 2006, 12:02 AM

Ramps,

We're hanging out for the next post, just don't finish it before I get the Eureka done will you? I'd never live that down!

I've made a cup of hot chocolate, and I'm sitting back ready to watch!

All the best with it,

P

**Ramps** · 16th August 2006, 12:09 AM

OK OK Midge ... give me a coupla minutes to sort out my pix

Well what did I do on the first w/e of creating sawdust?

I turned 23 pieces of wood into about 140 pieces …. Excluding all the sawdust and offcuts.

Day 1:

Cut 2 sheets of MDF (I hate mdf

) into the pieces to make to the strongback.
Created a temporary table out of the strongback pieces. (pic 1)
Made zero tolerance saw top to prevent those skinny strips from jumping down the side of the blade on the old Mk 3 Triton WC. (pic 2)
Stripped the 42 x 19 mm Paulownia (pic 3)
Spent a couple of evening hours drawing moulds onto MDF

**Ramps** · 16th August 2006, 12:22 AM

Day 2:

Finished drawing the moulds onto the MDF (phew, that took a lot longer than I thought it would).

Note for next time: print all the forms full size (rather than half the forms and copy) then just stick the things to the wood as per Nick Schade’s instructions (saving … about 3 hrs?)

Jigsawed the moulds.

Shaped the moulds using spokeshave and block plane. (pic 1&2)

Assembled the three parts of the strongback. (pic 3)

Pic of the stowed paulownia strips (pic 4)

**Clinton1** · 16th August 2006, 08:55 AM

Watching with interest!

**jmk89** · 16th August 2006, 09:09 AM

I will be following this with interest...looking good so far.

Jeremy

**Daddles** · 16th August 2006, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by Ramps

I why I did what I did, why I am doing it this way…

Well? Why? (insanity is used too often on this forum to be acceptable as an excuse

)

Richard

ps, your workshop is too neat

At least there's sawdust on the floor, not like Midge's ... oh that's right, he's too busy drinking hot chocolate

btw, get used to slaving for months, seeing no progress, then a sudden quantum change in how it all looks

**Ramps** · 16th August 2006, 11:32 AM

Dust wasn't on the floor 12hr later ... magic vacuum cleaner took it all away ... think they called it a tornado :eek: ... hit the other end of our street missed us.

Oh by the way "the workshop" is the carport hard building a 5m+ canoe in a 3x3m shed

**KJL38** · 16th August 2006, 04:19 PM

Glad to hear the tornado missed you. It wasn't the first one to ever go through Australind as this quote from "The Bushman" shows
"A
singular storm visited the district of Australind in the night of the
17th June, 1842. It crossed the Leschenault estuary, and entered the
forest, making a lane through the trees from three to four hundred
yards wide. In this lane, which extended for many miles, nothing was
left standing but the stumps of trees; whilst the trees on either
wide of the land stood up like a wall and were perfectly uninjured."

Very interested in seeing how the canoe build goes, are you still going to plane the strips rather than bead and cove?

Kelvin

**Ramps** · 16th August 2006, 04:37 PM

Kelvin
Hand planed rolling bevel is the idea at the moment ... maybe if I don't like the process or the prodcut I can give a pros and cons for the methods when I tackle the kayak. Got a price at teh WW show on the w/e. $43 each... $86 total and they would have to ordered in. Don't mind paying for them if it's the best way to go but after much reading I'm not convinced so shall try without.

Interesting about the tornado ... was wondering if it was global warming that was causing them more often ... perhaps not

**Ramps** · 16th August 2006, 11:47 PM

Day 3 (Couple of hours in the Evening after work)

Assembled the strong back making sure everything was very straight and whacked some legs on (see pic )

so far so good

**Ramps** · 16th August 2006, 11:49 PM

Day 4 (Couple of hours in the Evening after work)

Drilled 2” (that’s metric inches) holes in the two stem moulds so the steam bent stems can be clamped ( see pic )

Small issue here: bl**dy MDF wouldn’t drill with the forstner bit bogged the el cheapo bench drill down. Tried the hole saw … this was worse … fibres just clogged the tee and bogged the drill again. Right I’ll use my super heavy duty Metabo slow speed break-your-wrist-before-stalling drill. Just got further but still bound up the drill bit.
Need something with low contact minimal friction .. hmmm… Dug up an old el cheapo “hole saw” that looks somewhat like a bent piece of sharpened metal clamped to a drill bit …. A bit this side, flipped it over and a bit that side … success … phew.

**catbuilder** · 17th August 2006, 09:09 AM

Hi All

Just a quick note. There is whats called, I think, a end mill bit or mill end bit, used for drilling the holes in cupboard doors for the adjustable hinges used in kitchens etc.. The last time I looked they were $30+, but they do a great job in mdf/chipboard, I think for the hinges they drill something like a 38mm hole.

Sorry for interupting.

Matt

**steck** · 20th August 2006, 04:58 PM

Hi,
I am enjoying reading about your canoe making. I will keep following this thread with interest.
Thanks for posting!

**Ramps** · 21st August 2006, 12:10 AM

Thanks catbuilder, I did think of one of those but I look as I may I just could seem to magic one up out of the shed

(prob cos I've never bought one

)

I think I'd better catch up a bit here

Day 5 (Couple of hours in the Evening after work)

Assemble steamer

Decided to use predominantly Paulownia for the stems with a couple of Jarrah on the outside to take the knocks of the landings etc but thought the Paulownia would be easier to shape and bend.

Cut some strips of wood for the laminated steam bent stems

Retained all the Paulownia strips, chucked out most of the Jarrah ones due to knots, faults and bad grain.

Found some good straight grained Jarrah and cut a few more strips

Everything great so far … according to plan

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