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

Ramps,
A lot of the stuff I have read only shows the cane type seats in canoes. But I guess anything can be built, just depends on how comfortable it will be.
I haven't built one yet, still in the recon phase but the Bear Mountain forum is primarily full of canoe builders so it might be worth having a bo peep over there

Ramps, I am thoroughly enjoying your thread, seems like you're very eficient and one doesn't have to wait long for your updates. Have you estimated the overall weight of the canoe? Have you also considered a name for your canoe, something like, after your little helper?
Zelk

Slavo
I've spent many an hour on the bear boat forum ... you may have seen evidence of my presence there as well but I have by no way exhausted the information there. In saying that I have spent a bit of time investigating cane seat alternatives and have only found a very basic slatted seat (nothing like the woven strips like Dingo is proposing)

Zelk
Thanks for your encouragement. I put a fair bit of thought into the canoe during the week as the free w/e's are valuable and I like to be "prepared" for the next stage.

Weight is estimated at about 50lbs (around 23kg) built with WRC. As I am building with paulownia (about 30% lighter than wrc) I have potential to build it lighter. BUT by the time I do a heavier coat of epoxy (due to inexperience) and use heavy aussie woods for the trims I expect to to fall at about the 25kg mark. So providing the wind isn't too high I'd expect to be able to manhandle the canoe comfortably myself.

As for a name ... the thought had passed thru my mind and I would like to decide it soon so I could name it before embedding it in epoxy. And the thought of embedding my women's (2 daughters and wife) names in it would be a good idea (as this is for them ... the sea kayak at a later date will be for me ) ... still trying to come up with some good ideas.:confused: Got any?

Originally Posted by Ramps

(nothing like the woven strips like Dingo is proposing)

Mate I actually think it will work although I reckon if we steam them a bit it will come closer to gether than I achieved in that wee mockup... once sanded and finished it should no more hurt one's rear end than a cane one with a frame would

Mind you I DO like that one Slavo linked to! Man thats sooooooo friggin cool!

Originally Posted by Ramps

As for a name ... the thought had passed thru my mind and I would like to decide it soon so I could name it before embedding it in epoxy. And the thought of embedding my women's (2 daughters and wife) names in it would be a good idea (as this is for them ... the sea kayak at a later date will be for me ) ... still trying to come up with some good ideas.:confused: Got any?

"aahhh buggarit"? "goodenuff"? "Minescomin"? of course you could do what we did with the first boat we had that is to combine parts of the names to make a "word"... ie from Shane and Joanne (Jodys proper name that no one has called her since she was a nipper) we get "ShaJoa" could maybe work something out using their three names combined?

The best combination name was my parents' syndicate name for lottery tickets - thy were/are Robert and Judith and the name was RobJu (Robbed you)

Pardon me if I've missed it, but I think the niftiest canoe seat I've seen is at
http://www.greenval.com/index.html
It probably doesn't work any better than a plank of wood, but hey.... it looks pretty good to me, plans are $20.00 US and come with big wraps in the testimonials dept from happy purchasers.
Cheers,

P

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

Pardon me if I've missed it, but I think the niftiest canoe seat I've seen is at
http://www.greenval.com/index.html
It probably doesn't work any better than a plank of wood, but hey.... it looks pretty good to me, plans are $20.00 US and come with big wraps in the testimonials dept from happy purchasers.
Cheers,

P

No midge you haven't missed it. I have seen this and if I am to do a cane seat it would definitely be this one or one based on this design as it has a lot more class than the flat, square planc cane vareties that are out there ... hmm and I do like the idea of sliding seat as I know some of my friends are heavier than my wife and it would be good to balance the load ... I have also thought of integrating an adjustable height as well (even if temporary) in order to understand the best height for mounting in this canoe ... more hmms.

JMK & dingo thanks for the naming ideas ... how does "Shassie" sound (it's a combination of my two daughters names.

Thanks guys

Just remember the old dictum ramps 'cute has no place on a transom'. Alright, you don't have a transom but ...

The thing about a name is to do a 'doorstep' test. Go stand on your front doorstep, yell the name as loud as you can and see how silly you feel. Remember, one day, you will be standing on a pier, yelling this name to the world at large - a moments embarressment at home beats all those sniggers from the fishermen.

Richard

Originally Posted by Ramps

Shassie

Lets just go with that and say... "Snazzie Shassie"... I like it!! And so will the girls mate!

See I dont have a prob with Shassie... since my eldest is Yazmynn and gets Yazzie all the time it sorta sounds good... yellin "Oy!! YAZZIE" has never embarressed me even when among a crowd of 1000 people Ive yelled it no worries... Tiffany one of our other daughters has always been Flea or Fleabag cause shes so tiny... but shes an athletic kid and was a state champion runner for several years imagine HER embarressment when from the crowd of several thousand spectators comes this roar "GOOOOOOOOO FLEABAG!!" she also got Tooees Nickys Kneez (all one word) for an slightly different reason (ie: she was so short an skinny as a nipper her knickers inevitably ended up down past her knees every time she ran which was 24/7) but Ive not risked yellin that one out in a crowd :eek:

So I reckon "Snazzie Shassie" invokes fun loving good lookin happy thoughts eh?

This is a really cool seat that a couple of Melbournians put in a Eureka.

Bunnings washing line. Do a neat job and any old rubbish looks good!

It looked so good I asked them what it was.

They also suggest the advantage that it stops your bott sliding downhill if the canoe heels.

Just holes drilled in the seat frame with the cord threaded through. Sorry theres not a close enough view to see that they have staggered the holes a bit - one forward, one back so they are not all in line.

The reason they used this method was to save some weight. They were trying to see how far they could go. A shade over 17kg.

I'll have some more pics with perhaps more information up on my website this weekend

MIK

Day 16

Couple hours after work … good thing having to pick the kids up from school occasionally esp on a Friday when there is no work to supervise.

More strips Half filled the holes

sorry no pic today but I have decided to go with the Green Valley seat as per Midge posted above. Emailed Martin Step of Green Valley, nice guy with good suggestions and recommendations including a place to get cane (plastic) on the web in th US. So here's me thinking why shouldn't I look after our our guys, and guess what I've found out that there is sweet FA available here. A bit of natural cane at some unbelievable price. Then what do I look up on our mighty forum ... and guess what ... the same result. More on that later when I'm up to seats.

Day 17

At last a Saturday to work on the ‘bird. No! only half... in the morning there is some running around to do and I might be able to sneak a look at the timber auction in town in the middle of things.

Auction was good. Not in the looking zone at the moment but is was good to see what was moving for how much. Many slabbed logs were passed in (complete logs slabbed to 55-60mm thick). Sawn timber was a bit hit and miss but the dressed timber (but still with moisture content of about 15-16%) was all moving. Jarrah mostly, some Marri, small qty of blackbutt, tuart and wandoo. That confirms it I need that big bandsaw to resaw my own timber, reckon I could make my $$ back in no time … one visit to the auction .

Sorry to diverge there

Completely filled the holes. Last couple of strips just slipped in with little more effort than the previous 30 odd. I suppose it was relatively easy as I had no bead and cove to shave off and I had been doing this sort of shaping for quite a while.

Started adding small bits near the stems to build up the shape. While these were drying few at a time I pulled the staples (with help form other family members see pics 1&2 ) and started planing. Sounds like the Eagles won by the noise in the neighbourhood

This is a very enjoyable part of the journey turning the strips into a continuous surface. The most difficult part of the planing is on the large flat areas near the centre of the canoe where the thin timber wants to bend away for the plane almost regardless of how little pressure is used. As I was leaving her for the evening I notice how the shape was coming on and thought the curves looked almost sensual … almost (pic 3).

Day 18

Half of a Sunday

Put the last couple of part strips near the stems (pics 2 & 4) … that’s all the strips done with a few to spare. I had 90 strips of 3.5-4m lengths. Very little wastage … less than 10% at a guess. Quite straight grained with all up about 2 knots. Some were a bit bowed towards an end but there was often overhang to it wasn’t an issue.

Arced up the new random orbit sander (had to buy at least one new tool for this job) and hit the flat saggy areas as much to create a bit of sanding dust as filler as anything. Once it the dust bag was filled I emptied it into a clean jar and thru off the earmuffs and went back to the old Lie Neilson block plane … ah (pic 1).

All this fun I knew was coming to an end as I approached the ends on one side and realised that I needed to attach the outer stems. So the process of trimming endgrain, chopping a slot and fitting the outer stem. Got one dry fitted but not real happy with the final product. The keel strips didn’t got in well in the first place. Think I’ll have a go at fitting in another strip next to the stem for a better fit, won’t affect the strength but should look a bit neater. Have to have a go at the other stem next w/e with what I’ve learnt from the first. Then have to epoxy them in place … the first of using the messy stuff.

A good w/e but, like usual, didn’t get as far as I had hoped … fantasies.

Pics
1 smoothing
2 temporary "clamps" holding up the last coupla part strips near stems
3 scarf joins in strips ... bodgy "mitre block" works OK
4 Taking shape

You do realize I hate you about now dont you Ramps? I mean you do realize that!!

I mean that in the nicest possible way of course

Bloody mongrel git!! :eek:

Anyway enough about me... so yer reckon you'll launch her next weekend eh? goodoh let me know where and I'll come down with camera an take some pics!

So aside from the issue of failin to bend the Jarrah and going for sheoak instead how did the Kiri stripping go? (Kiri being the easier spelling and alternative name of the Pauliwannia stuff ) So you reckon it went easy as? what probs did it give you? hows it look... no I can see the pics but pics bloody well lie dont they!
Cheers
Shane