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

Howdy Ramps,

Just so you know I'm keeping a friendly eye on how you are going!

Bl@@dy well!

And thanks for the very complete info on Paulownia - can I use what you have written for the FAQs on my website? If you are going to use it somewhere - you should tell me "no" - I'm quite OK with that.

Michael

Originally Posted by Boatmik

And thanks for the very complete info on Paulownia - can I use what you have written for the FAQs on my website? If you are going to use it somewhere - you should tell me "no" - I'm quite OK with that.

Mik
I'm not intending to use it elsewhere. I only put it up there for the ww/boatmaking community who have been so helpful to me and if it's in a more logical place where people are going to access it, it's fine by me.

Go for it but pls use the latest version where I've fixed the typos.

I'll add to it as I go through the finishing stages but feel free to use that as well.

Creviate exemptor Ramps!! Creviat exemptor!!! :eek:

Creviat being that he must also publish photos and complete diatribe of the build performance once its complete!! shyte mate you may as well get some free publicity!!

Think of it mate! A full several pages devoted to your wee canoe!! And all you have to do is build it and say how!! could be a career change in the wind ol son! :eek: gawd sometimes I even crack me up!

ahh yeppp ... I need/want the publicity????
I hate wtiting so consider yourselves lucky ... I'd prefer to just do but I feel I owe the boards something for all the help and effort those have given me.

Geeeeeez mate if you feel YOU owe the boards something... IMAGINE what I bloody owe them!!! :eek: 6 years of reading learning gaining knowledge and plans rackin other peoples brains driving them totally troppo... man Id need to write a a friggin book!!

Just a quick commentary on seats. I made cane seats for my canoe. Each seat took about six hours to cane from beginning to end. It sounds like a long time but it wasn't really. I found that when I got to the glassing and varnishing part of the canoe building that I had time up my sleave to make seats and paddles.

The cane seats are really comfortable. I've been out in the canoe for up to five hours with no issues. If you are making removable seats you can try both cane and a carved seat.

I have sufficient cane left over from my seat building to make at least one seat and at a stretch you might get two out of it. let me know if you want it and I'll send it over.

Originally Posted by Mattkk

The cane seats are really comfortable. I've been out in the canoe for up to five hours with no issues. If you are making removable seats you can try both cane and a carved seat.

I have sufficient cane left over from my seat building to make at least one seat and at a stretch you might get two out of it. let me know if you want it and I'll send it over.

Matt
I did look at your thread and what you did for seats, I also noticed that you had mentioned that you purchased from the US ... was it HH Perkins? The price of the cane isn't too bad but when you double it to get it here :eek:

Was it about $56 delivered? or did you find somewhere cheaper?

Thanks for your offer, I'd be keen to buy your surplus if you feel you don't need to do repairs in the furture, otherwise I'll just have to order some. I was after the plastic cane as It's supposed to look as good (your's does) and meant to last a lot longer than the natural cane. By your reports it's comfy too. I shouldn't need a lot as the seats I'm proposing don't look like they take as much as many of the std seats ... but that's just a visual guess. If I'm buying I should put it up on the boards to see if anyone else is interested as the postage prob won't be that much more if I get double the qty (I say prob ... hmm)

I am interested in making at least the bow seat removable as they are quite shaped and I would like to make it reversable. So as you said it could lead to a more shaped carved wooden "tractor" seat option in the future. If taking others out in the canoe I could give them different options of paddles and seats (paddle is compulsory, seating is optional). How cool is that?

Mate,

Send me a PM to get the deal underway. The cane I have was from HH perkins. It's the plastic cane and looks great. I've got both the chair cane and the binding cane. No need to buy it off me...Just pay for the postage...Can't be more than a few bucks. If you need some instructions on how to cane the seats let me know and I'll put them in with the cane. I will hit you up for a ride in your canoe when its finished and when I'm next in WA though.

Originally Posted by Mattkk

Mate,

Send me a PM to get the deal underway. The cane I have was from HH perkins. It's the plastic cane and looks great. I've got both the chair cane and the binding cane. No need to buy it off me...Just pay for the postage...Can't be more than a few bucks. If you need some instructions on how to cane the seats let me know and I'll put them in with the cane. I will hit you up for a ride in your canoe when its finished and when I'm next in WA though.

Thanks

Can't do any better than that deal better bring a big bag so I can load you up with nice pieces of WA sheoak when you come over.
I've ordered the Green Valley plans fo the seat so I thnk/hope they will have instructions for the weaving process included.

Look forward to a pddle with a fellow canoe builder but I fear the Dingo may get in first!

PM awaiting you

Day 19

Beaut home for half a day with a sick daughter (shouldn't be happy about the sickness but an extra half day on the canoe right? wrong ... lawns need mowing, "gardens" need brush cutting. I'll get those done first. 1/2 hr Lawns done right, brushcutter, fill it up (hasn't been used for 18 months or so) starts, you beaudy but every time I accelerate it cuts out, bu99er. Time to check filters, will cleam then later, whack in some newies ... no better. Check spark plug, looks OK, replace anyway... still no better double bu99er. pull apart carby looking for blockages, everything looks great & clean, check dangly thing in fuel tank which also has a filter, tried running it without, still no luck ... time to pick up daughter number 1 from school. hmm... Think it's time to take it in for a service for the first time in over ten years. Successfully lost about 2hrs.

Back from school I abandoned the garden ... had to get some therapy ... for medicinal purposes of course

An hour and a half later and I have carved the slot for the second stem (see pic) and done a fair bit of fairing

Discovery of the day: The spoke shave does a fantstic job on those flat flexible parts of the hull that seem to bend away from the block plane as well as those more tricky areas with most twist and curve near the stems (see pic below but beware darkside stuff) yeah I know what some of you are saying ... welcome to the real world ... where have you been. I'd really only used the spke shave in those areas where nothing esle worked and I was getting desperate and they do an adequate job ... but after touching up aome areas near the stems I still had a spokeshave in my hand and had a go at one of those flexile flat spots ... boy was I amazed.

Uhh ..Hang on! the "attach files" section is below but no button so you will just have to wait till the guru's have sorted out this glitch ... after editing it's back...

Originally Posted by Ramps

Discovery of the day: The spoke shave does a fantstic job on those flat flexible parts of the hull that seem to bend away from the block plane as well as those more tricky areas with most twist and curve near the stems (see pic below but beware darkside stuff) yeah I know what some of you are saying ... welcome to the real world ... where have you been.

Spoke shaves are just about the nicest tool to use that I can think of. The only reason I keep building stuff with curves is so i can use them more!

P

Day 19

OK I heard you dingo.

An entire Saturday

Finished shaping the ends of the strips to fit the stems on. Wasn’t too happy with my efforts but having no alternatives I mixed up my first lot of epoxy to stick the stems on. Doused the strip ends with neat epoxy to fill up the end grain. And waited for it soak in (like the book said).

Paulownia … the end grain doesn’t soak up epoxy (like almost none) like the wrc does.

Well I mixed in the filler and sanding dust that I diligently collected to approximate the colour of the wetted wood (yeah right … I sorta guessed what the epoxy mix was going to end up like when cured and what the timber would look like with 3 coats of epoxy, one layer of glass and at least one layer of varnish !!!!)

Shoved it on the front and back bits and screwed them down until the peanut squirted out all over the place.

Went back to sanding and planing


Day 20

A couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon

Pulled the screws out of the stems, the extreme waxing (blowtorch, paraffin, lotsa drips on the square drive screws before driving them in) worked very well.

More shaping & sanding and got stuck into the stems again shaped up nicely under the planes and spokeshave (had my doubts for a while).

Thinking with a final shaping of the stems and a final sanding that I will be able to start the glassing tomorrow.

For that inquiry Dingo have another day and a few pics just to keep you up to date.

Day 21

A public holiday Monday … bonus day

Well after the final sanding (and a bit of touching up here and there … and a bit more filling) and a bit more final sanding.

I cleaned up the area vacuumed the canoe, vacuumed the floor etc … the watched the wind blow in a bunch more …. Hmm

Finally the next stage. My lovely wife assisted me to roll out the glass … looking good … I tugged it down my side a little to cover the canoe and asked how much the overhang was on the other side. “It doesn’t cover it” What!!! They sent me 1m wide glass not the 1.4m. $#!+:mad:

Well at least it gives me a chance to clean up and the dress that pine for the neighbour who’s building some shelves.

Hi,
I am still watching your progress with awe! - and enjoying the posts.