Another attempt!!

**Wild Dingo** · 12th June 2007, 04:17 AM

At canoe building... I must admit right off the bat that Ive now had 5 attempts at building canoes and succeeded only once in completing the thing... the 4 "failures" were strip plankers while the one success was a ply 6 hour canoe... which took 16 hours but was used abused and well travelled for 5 years so a complete success

Now to this Work In Progress... I will try to lay it out in both word form and in pictures

So to start we must venture back in time 5 years when I didnt own a shed and have very few tools but a major passion for boats of all sorts... and not being the sorta bloke that sits on his hands and twiddles his thumbs for long decided to build a canoe... so I ventured forth and got hold of a book called Building the featherweight canoe by Mac McCarthy from the local library... and seeing that I know myself as well as I do I figured it would take me a damned sight longer than the library loan period of 2 weeks to build I scanned and copied the book from woe to go... then I emailed Mac and got his permission which was given happily and so we got stuck in

Now the house we had at the time also had issues with water ingress... so we were in the process of moving into a 6 week stay at a holiday house paid for by the building company while they "fixed" the issues and so without a shed and only a house with 2 living rooms I decided to start to in the front living room... now this was also started just after Christmas... so just after the invasion left for wherever they came from leaving behind their usual mess and destruction moved and tossed into corners to make room gear so the pictures that follow are of the construction of the moulds and initial building boards in the living room

THis is my then 15 year old now 20 year old eldest son Aaron using the surform on the moulds

Here are the boards... You will notice in the last shot here the look of absolute wonderous love on her highnesses face as she looks adoringly at me holding the camera?... not.. I was in big doodoos over the dust

And a dry run of the moulds to the then unfinished building board

AND THEN WE GOT A SHED!!!

And at the time I set it up on a couple of cheep saw horses to just look at them

continued...

**Wild Dingo** · 12th June 2007, 04:28 AM

Moving along... Id not only got a shed but also a few tools and a nice table saw which gave me the shytes pretty damned fast since the fence was wonky and the motor wouldnt stay down where it was meant to without a couple of damned bricks hung of it to hold it there but I was persistent if nothing else

And I started cutting strips

Then epoxying them together on the floor

And then began stripping the moulds to make a canoe hull... Ramps Im sure will recognise the stem timber here as Jarrah right? RIGHT!!

Okay so the sides

Now what some will also notice is the strips of masking tape bound around the moulds right? yeah right I sorta had these useless clamps and the moulds cutouts kept breaking and so with at the time no better knowledge or experience I used what I had... ala masking tape

Now the thing was.. that at the time not only did I use Jarrah for the stems ut I also if you know your timbers used Tuart for the strips... pretty dumb I found out after but there you go

But I did have the right idea... I used the whitish timber of the Tuart offset by a strip of Sheoak for the feature... my one and only redeeming thing I did on this particular attempt... which by the way failed miserably

Continued

**Wild Dingo** · 12th June 2007, 04:47 AM

So after a couple more failed attempts due to moving flooding working away and such I dragged the whole shootin match back out and recut the moulds and made a new building board and started again... I WILL build 2 canoes if it damned well kills me!! or Im friggin 90 when I finish!! One way or the other I WILL DO IT!

So... after tossing up which way to go with the building board I decided on a couple of 4x2 10ft lengths of pinus crapiata with blocks every foot in a ladder fashion screwed together with the long lengths 7in apart then an 1in thick peice of mdf slapped down on top 5in wide... thus for some stupid reason unknown then or now creating a gap an inch either side...

I then grabbed a couple of those work/vice/bench/table thingys and laid the board on them and clamped them up tight... no movement goodoh he mutters!

So after making the moulds to size again this time using 1/2in ply I screwed down a length of 1/4in Jarrah along each moulds sheer line for the first strip to rest on (this strip will be screwed to the moulds the screw holes being hidden by the gunwales)

And so standing the moulds in place on the boards I had to decide on the best method of keeping them in place... and settled on a couple of offcuts screwed to the mould and the sides of the building board...

The end two moulds before the stems were too small for the offcut treatment so I made a couple of simple stands with some offcuts of the ply so the Jarrah sheer would fit between the stand and screwed them to the mdf top of the board and then to the mould itself...

Now since those pics were taken yesty Ive actually completed this segment

I have finished screwing the moulds and stems in place and have screwed a mess of 1in screws spaced 2in apart around the moulds edges an 1in inside the edge... so its done for now

Next step will be to cut some strips again this time fortunately I have timber in long enough lengths so I dont need to scarf and epoxy them together... then the next job will be to route them and then to fitting the strips to the moulds... Im expecting to get to that point in about 3 days time... docs in Rockingham tomorrow so thats pretty much buggared but then full steam ahead the day after so Im thinking I will be up to stripping on Friday

I will however go out there when I get back tomorrow arvo and take some shots showing the finished moulds on the boards and of the screw locations

Ive decided to do this as a work in progress here for several reasons one of which being the need to show you blokes that the fishing line clamps do in fact work VERY well... so I will be going this route for this build and so even if I again have to stop and put it away again you will be able to see that it works and works well leaving very VERY tiny holes that will disappear once the finish sanding and fibreglass epoxy coats are done. \

So for now thats it... I will update this tomorrow and hopefully again over the next few days and weeks until its done and puddleducking around in the Australind estuary alongside Ramps's 16ft baby!!

Oh... finally... the design is the Wee Lassie from Mac McCarthys book "building the featherweight canoe" available from libraries... its 12ft so amply small enough for a child to use and yet large enough for a bloke of my stature to muck about in... I hope to start on the Wee Lassie 2 after this one (14ft) and then its up to a 16fter and Ive also got plans for 18 20 and 22 foot canoes but Im getting way ahead of meself

Cheers!

**bitingmidge** · 12th June 2007, 08:21 AM

Ding,

It's lovely to see you back with moulds assembled.

I did build my Wee Lassie moulds at about the same time you did. If you care to go back to the first post or so of the Eureka thread, you'll see the strongback we used for the prototype was actually for the Wee Lassie.

Now it, and the moulds are still sitting in the garage roof waiting patiently for the Eureka's completion.

I'm not sure if it's something in Mac's book which causes mass procrastination, or what, but that's been the effect!

Do you want a race?

P

**jmk89** · 12th June 2007, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

...
Next step will be to cut some strips again this time fortunately I have timber in long enough lengths so I dont need to scarf and epoxy them together... then the next job will be to route them and then to fitting the strips to the moulds... Im expecting to get to that point in about 3 days time... docs in Rockingham tomorrow so thats pretty much buggared but then full steam ahead the day after so Im thinking I will be up to stripping on Friday

...

So I take it that the "timber" will not be tuart!! What are you going to use, Shane? If you are going to use the fishing line trick, I suppose it won't be pawlonia or balsa either!!!!

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

Ding,

...
Do you want a race?

P

Well Midge, as an unbiased observer, the question is whether the race is for you to finish Eureka or to build Wee Lassie from scratch!!!

Either way, I suspect that Ding (so long as HBH doesn't pull him off this job to do other things) will finish first (How's that for upping the ante???)

**Wild Dingo** · 12th June 2007, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

Ding,

It's lovely to see you back with moulds assembled.

I did build my Wee Lassie moulds at about the same time you did. If you care to go back to the first post or so of the Eureka thread, you'll see the strongback we used for the prototype was actually for the Wee Lassie.

Now it, and the moulds are still sitting in the garage roof waiting patiently for the Eureka's completion.

I'm not sure if it's something in Mac's book which causes mass procrastination, or what, but that's been the effect!

Do you want a race?

P

Agreed I reckon theres something about the way he writes an puts in the areas of pictures of the paddling around the Adrionics (I dont have a flamin clue how to spell that word!

) that just makes yer start to day dreamin...

However... do I want a race?... in the words of some mad drunken git "BRING IT ON!!!"

However I reserve the right to stop for months or years at a time to get my breath back to sort her highness out and for whatever other reasons may pop up from time to time!... Mate... as you are well aware when it comes to WIP of canoes boats and other things related to water its meant to take YEARS to finish!

Sooooo... Tuart? mmmm could do... NAH!!!

Im not sure what the timber is called thats been stacked beside the Sepiature out there between the Meranti and the Kapur just next to the Jarrah but the end grain looks like balsa or some other such light wood... and the planks are heavy but not HEAVT if you know what I mean? Any 15ft plank of 10in x 1 1/2in is going to be heavy... but these few are not so heavy so its gonna be that stuff and we will see how we get on

When I got the Sepiature Kapur an Meranti there was a few planks of this unnamed stuff among them and it sure was a surprise to pick it up and blithely toss them on ones shoulder after the weight of the others

Anyways!! to the pics!!

**Wild Dingo** · 12th June 2007, 08:46 PM

Okay as promised yesty half past whatever the heck time it was I posted all the above here are the pics of the moulds and building board completed... ahem only one thing I realized I have left to do... get some duck tape and stick it around the moulds tops where the strips will lay

But will manage to get that done tomorrow hopefully and if not Ive got a swag of that electrical tape you can see on the ends of the sheer supports

Anyways the pics Shane the pics mate

1) A shocking pic of the underside showing hopefully the ladder method underneath the building board
2) The stern end showing the building board to stern mould offcut join
3) The bow end showing the mould 1 to end mould offcut join

Note both ends have the both offcut joins... very strong

4) The screw layout... done on each mould the entire length
5) A shot showing the mould to building board offcut joins

All these joins are screwed and glued in place to the moulds and screwed to the building board... this will make removal pretty easy simply unscrew the join offcuts from the board and lift flip and support then take out the moulds... easy as... well thats the theory anyways

**Wild Dingo** · 12th June 2007, 08:56 PM

Strewth I musta been snonkered when I started this WIP... Ive just noticed Ive put in the design section INSTEAD of the building section gawd talk about a flamin doofus!!

Anyways a couple more

1) The rear of mould 1 and 7 that join the stem and bow moulds the moulds were under sized to install the offcut type supports so I made these ply ones that worked rather well in the end fitting nicely over the sheer support
2) A closer shot of the offcut joins (and the leccy tape!!

)
3) REMEMBER THIS NAKED REARENDER SHOT!!
4) AND REMEMBER THIS NAKED FULL FRONTAL SHOT!!

For from here on there should be no more naked canoe moulds to be seen... she will be clothed over the next few days!!

Okay update tomorrow and continued through the week... strips tomorrow and hopefully the stem moulds will get their inners done... note to ramps "watch this space for Jarrah inner stems matey!!"

Then routing on Thursday and Friday should see us doing the strip planking tango

**Wild Dingo** · 13th June 2007, 07:13 PM

Rained out today... clouded over sooooo nothin done

Except with the house stuff had a good win there!

**Ramps** · 14th June 2007, 12:43 AM

Dingo
you old basterd when did you turn 50? I missed it
Maybe I can build a canoe before I'm 50 if I do then I win right?
Let me see a super light weight ( I reckon I can beat Macka) with tuart and Jarrah.
My next is a sea kayak ... OK after the house. I think I'll still beat you Dingo ... but let's call it a race!

We'll be watching.

**Wild Dingo** · 14th June 2007, 02:40 AM

Ramps yer young wakker!! Turned 50 back in February ol son... nice an quiet it were

Sooooo yer thinkin "oh here we go that ol phart dingo reckons hes gonna build a canoe eh? rightio he'll get the strips done sometime in 2009 an then turn it over sometime aroun 2010 then maybe in the water by ooooh 2020 I can beat that AND build me house have 4 more kidlets and still beat the ol galah" right?...

RIGHTIO THEN!! Thats two smartasses to beat the clappers outta!! damnitall boyo Im gonna flamin well make yer eat yer words!!

Your on!! so's that other reprobate midgey... flamin rampinmidgy's are such smartasses aint they!!!

Hey!! about the timbers mate I NEVER said I was gonna use Tuart again... Im not by the way... Im just gonna use this other stuff sittin out there bitin me on the ankles every time I walk past it... not too heavy.. well not as heavy as the other stuff out there anyways... and heck its only 12ft!! cant weigh too much even if I do make it outta Jarrah!!!

mmm speakin of Jarrah how about that?? gots plenty of the stuff make a right purty canoe... mmmm could be!!

Mind you I will get side tracked as Ive said before... Ive got a shyteload on just now and probably for the next 12 months or so... but Im thinkin get the strips done as quick as possible strip it up faster still then fibreglass the outside and then I can rest it so it settles of course as one must you know... no point rush rushin about... so I can do that then take a break right? RIGHT!!

Actually I was out in the phissin rain today tryin to figure out a nice feature strip... an couldnt quite get it down... then I thought mmmm ramps mmmm now theres a bloke with some sheoak he may want to share

but no I think Im gonna have a whirl at makin an arrow affair for the feature... well nothin like a nice deviation eh?

Cheers yer young wombat!

**Boatmik** · 19th June 2007, 01:02 PM

Just lovely to see it all happening! Did you get my email about the other?

MIK

**jmk89** · 19th June 2007, 01:22 PM

I fear that Dingo may not be working on this - he has a major sewage issue to confront. This is your chance M. Midge.....

**Wild Dingo** · 19th June 2007, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by jmk89

I fear that Dingo may not be working on this - he has a major sewage issue to confront. This is your chance M. Midge.....

Solved FINALLY!!... costs yet to be invoiced

But have only a small amount of time available as we get the house priced out as close as we can before we get the plans drawn up and submitted... so canoes gathering dust in the shed... again

Was hoping to get stuck in this weekend but looks like her highness needs me to take the effy for a run out into the bush to get some more firewood... well the trailer will get her firewood the effy will get some nice logs of some discription... although why Im bothering Ive no friggin idea!... The five trees straight out the back HAVE to come down so I will soon have 20odd meters of whatever the hell pine it is along with 17odd meters of straight silky oak another shorter silky oak a mess of camphor laurel and a nice eucalipt we think is a swamp gum but not sure... ahem... and dont care either!! Its all good!!

But well when the chainsaws are out and buzzin an theres some nice trees just waiting for me who am I to knock them back and disappoint them eh?

Actuall due to the sewer issue I will also gather a mallalucca (I think) from the back yard too!! not terribly big but enough meat to make some stuff from rather than just letting the water authority fellas rip it down and take it away to be mulched.

So getting into the shed... well Im hoping for maybe Monday... Tuesdays out back up to Perth to the specialist again

and if I get time a quick zap over to Carbetex for a few wee items of great need

sigh... it is but a wee little canoe... shouldnt take a major lot of time... sigh... maybe tomorrow arvo?

Mik... I dont think so I havent received anything from you email wise for some months... wanna resend them?

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