Thread: New canoe project

When I could see the home straight with regard to the hull I really started to get excited. The lines of the canoe are really quite beautiful, and I think this will be one of my more "prouderer" projects (you all know what I mean...)

I followed the recommendations on the greenvalley website, and filled the one side of the football first. once I was over the halfway line, I stretched a line down the centreline, and drew a line exactly central. I slowly worked my way down with a Japanese pull saw, and was quite surprised with the result. Look, it was not perfect, but it was not too bad. I used a l9ong sanding block, and a surform plane to clean it up a bit more, and that was that. I will be honest here, it was not as straight as I would have wanted, but it was a difficult area to work on. I am 6'4" and I was on tippy toes. So any shorties out there, be very careful of the height your strongback is set. It is not bad when you set up the moulds, but when you have to lean over a completed hull, things get a little more stretchy. If I had made my strongback lower by four inches, the gunwale would have been uncomfortably low..... so who knows the best solution? Maybe a variable height strongback??

Last Sunday was the day. Yup... this was it... the day the ball would be closed come hell or high water!!!

My wife was helping the neighbors in the garden, and the kids were bored....so they came by to help. It was great having a couple of enthusiastic kids around. They were keen to do anything, from sanding, to helping carve the paddle. The closing of bottom proved to be a real pain. Each strip had to be shaped to fit snugly to the opposite strip, trying to keep everything in line. The tie down strap helped here as well. Some of the final cuts on the strip (20mm wide) were 150mm long, tapering down to nothing. Coupled with the fact that I had no spare strips, and at this late stage was scarfing strips to make the 600 long, and picking up offcuts from the floor... well you can imagine.

At six o'clock SWMBO came back as I was just about to fit the last strip. Curt and Mitch waited around till the last strip was gently tapped home before the final photo.... It was done the hull was complete.

I woyuld rekon, that to this stage I have spent somewhere in the region of 160 hours on the canoe, and would expect to be somewhere nearing halfway. I have another day on it tomorrow, and am starting to think of a name..... any ideas??

I will be back soon, thanks for joining me in my ramblings.....

Bradders

Bradders
Great to see
It's definitely a milestone ... that completed stripping stage.
After you have given it a sanding it's hard to keep your hands of the product ... the shape and the feel are almost sensual.

Yeah I remember that feeling of "Oh ????? that is big ... I do hope I can transport it on the top of the car" and the Redbird is two foot longer than the Mattawa!

Looks like you have done very well with the straight line down the keel line, I didn't trust myself with that method and I was very happy with the infill method that I ended up doing ... and would do the same again ... I found I liked the look and not difficult to do but then again I didn't bead and cove.

Good work, your's should be good for the beginning of summer ... mine didn't get there til mid summer.

I'll be watching closely, good pics and good commentary

Just stopped in to say peel ply is a major PITA ......I have never used it, and it is too late to get advice now... better get out there and make the best of what may be a baaaaad situation!!!!

More later.

What went wrong with the peel ply. What grade did you use the heavy or the light. The light on is the hardest to use. When you get it right it sure makes sand and filling easy.
Best thing since sliced bread.

Regards

Lewy

Bradders
how did you get on with your f/g purchase
If you still want to call feel free ... I'm in tonight and tomorrow night

Well here i write and say that the perfect finish i was hoping for on my canoe is no longer possible. I used peel ply without proper instruction, and have come out with an almighty mess. I have salvaged it to the best of my humble ability, but I dearly wish that I had never seen the stuff!!! Lewy, I used the light grade, and it made ripples all along the length of the canoe. I have sanded them down while the layer of resin is still green, and put on another coat, but I now have tiger stripes on the hull. Note to self.... LISTEN TO THE VOICE IN YOUR HEAD DAMMIT!!!!!!!

I could have taken it off before the cure last night, but kept on in the hope that it would come good...

Anyhoo, I have many pics to add to detail my journey thus far, and will add them as and when.


Cheers all, from a decidedly dejected Brad

Brad,
Thats exactly the problem I have experienced, fortunatley where it didnt matter. I used the heavier grade on the outside of my hull guide by my brother who manages a vacuum infusion factory in NZ.

Regards

Lewy

Originally Posted by Thickasaplank

Well here i write and say that the perfect finish i was hoping for on my canoe is no longer possible. I used peel ply without proper instruction, and have come out with an almighty mess.:

Forgive my ignorance but what is peel ply?

I ask as I'm about to embark on building a strip kayak (Guillimot Expedition)

PS the rest of this thread has been most informative, I hope to return the favour when my project kicks off.

Thanks

Hoppoz

Sooooo Bradders wheres the pics mate??? ANYTHING CAN HAVE A POSITIVE SPIN MATE... give us a gander betcha I can find something GREAT about it!!

A tiger stripped canoe??? FRIGGIN AWESOME!!! man the only one in captivity and me ol mate Bradders has it? YOU BLOODY LITTLE RIPPER!!

So come on when can we go for a paddle mate? HUH?? HUH???

Come on Bradders me ol china dont give up yet... give us a chance to show some positive affermation an inspiration and help you pick yerself up outta the doldrums and get stuck into your now UNIQUE canoe!!

Dont worry about the peal ply thing mate I have no idea meself... but then Id just use propa ply meself... but hey thats just me some fellas gotta be fancy pants about everythin use special gear nob it up you know... but me Id just have used ply meself

Cheers
Shane

Well I have been decidedly tardy in my continuing of this thread. I have managed to salvage the canoe from the dreaded tiger stripes, and will fill in the details soon, I would just like to answer the question on peel ply. peel ply is a nylon cloth that is placed over the wetted out fiberglass cloth. It serves two major purposes in that if used properly, it will greatly reduce the need to sand, as it smoothes the surface. I have used it on flat surfaces recently and am happy with the result. the second, and in some instances the most important, is the fact that the peel ply, when removed leaves a microscopically rough surface, devoid of any shine. this surface is perfect for the subsequent bonding of secondary layers of cloth with no need to sand the surface. If any of you ever build a kit aeroplane, many parts that are prefabricated will have peel ply on them. This will be removed just before the piece is bonded resulting in a strong and efficient bond. I found that the compound curve of the hull is not conducive to the use of peel ply. I hope this helps.

I will be in touch sooooooon

Thanks for the info on Peel Ply, I suspected that it may have had somthing to do with the glassing, but have learnt the hard way to never assume, as it only makes an Ass u & me or more specifically ME!

Sounds like you have some sanding ahead of you, I look fwd to seeing your next up date.

On my project I have just selected a number of 6m lenghts of WRC that should get delivered next week, now I have to work out the best way to turn it into strips.

Hoppoz

Hey Thickasaplank
Wot's happened to the thread. It can't be all over! It's too interesting! I'm about to embark on a new boat strip plank project and would love to know where yoy're at with the Paulownia canoe.
Rgds
Dry Water

ere ere I agree ....

c'mon thickas ... do the Oz day thing and get in the spirits ... let us know how you're going