The 10' Pack Canoe 26 July 09

[cs]

Just so you don't think that I left it on the wayside. Today I finally managed to get the last strips glued in place. Next I will be able to start cleaning it up and getting it ready for glass. This would be a great canoe for someone of better skills than myself to build. It has a lot of hard twist in it which can make it a challenge for stripping. But I have stripped it and if I can, anyone can.

Here are some pics. Please don't judge me too harshly.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/3758912929_19bd9a0c4e_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2624/3759704690_dd29bceca1_b.jpg

Chad

[Canoez]

That doesn't look bad for twist or much of anything else. She seems fair and that's good! Take a sharp block plane to start fairing the hull. Work sorta diagonally across the strips and be careful of tear-out. (Tells you to change direction or to sharpen your plane again.) Once that's done, a quick longboarding, and and 80 grit orbital sand.

Before you 'glass, be sure to take a damp rag to look for glue spots. Get rid of those and the raised grain and you're good to go.

[Scot L T]

Looks good. You'll be most proud the moment it hits the water.

What/who is the design? Is it similar to the pack canoe in Rollin's book?

[cs]

I can't remember the book. Paul Pless gave it to me. It is about skin on frame canoes. I'll look later and see which one.

Chad

[cs]

and the clean up starts

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3436/3766786807_e3ca954678_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3539/3766784295_7dc7b0daa7_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/3766781027_d66eff4fe8_b.jpg

Chad

[erster]

NIce job! I hope that you will get it all sanded so you can get it sealed before you leave.

[cs]

my plan is to finish it before I leave, at least the glass on the outside and inside.

Chad

[WoodenPontoon]

Looks Great! It's always amazing what a little sanding can do to improve the beauty of a stripper!!! Good Luck with the glassing!

[neilm]

Awesome! Good job.

[Iceboy]

Looks good Chad. Can't wait to see how she floats. Jim...

[cs]

Oh I never fully quit on her, just slowed up real slow for a bit. Got kinda busy for a while and couldn't dedicate enough time. Of course now all I have to do is be a supply sgt, so I have more time.

Chad

[cs]

Man I just sit here and typed a whole long thread and than accidentally hit my back button and lost it all, so I have to start over.

The history of this work started from The Wood & Canvas Canoe by Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Turlow which was given to me by Paul Pless. The design is the 10' Pack Canoe and was not meant for stripping, but I made it so. I put the offsets in AutoCAD for each station and offset that 1/4" to allow for the thickness of the strips. I than plotted out each station full size and used that to create my stations in 3/4" plywood.

Today I have finished the initial clean up and will start the final clean up. By this weekend I plan on glassing the outside and getting her off the molds so that I can start on the inside.

Now some may think that the canoe doesn't have that much twist in it, but don't let the looks fool you. Some of the strips go from vertical to horizontal and back to vertical, all in less than 10'. I tried to use one strip contionuous end to end and would have probably been better off stripping from each end to the middle. As it stands I have proved once again what a wood butcher I be, but there it is. I plan on finishing clear and I will always have a reminder.

This first photo shows the end I started stripping on and it turned out reasonably well. The twist really hadn't started taking effect yet.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2576/3782001619_218b3b3e7d_b.jpg

As I got to the other end and it had went through its 90 degree twist one way and than the other, I started having problems. Now this next photo may not be for the quessy, but I will show you anyway. It clearly shows where I had to do some filling and it also shows where I had to redo some strips and even these strips had issues and split out.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2503/3781999393_f17743d0c1_b.jpg

This last photo shows more of the overall lines.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/3782004803_29788dfce8_b.jpg

Chad

[Paul Pless]

I think it looks good Chad. :) Glad you found a use for the book.

How many boats does this make that you've built now?

[Scot L T]

I think you've done a fine job. The next one will be a breeze because of all you learned on this one. And once you're on the water floating along some gentil quiet water....you will never see any of the "issues".

Everyones early opus of boats have what the musicians like to call "Blues Marks". It shows that it is hand made, not by some stupid machine off in some distant land and most of all, that it is loved.

I think it is interesting that you used Rollin T and Jerry S's design. Way to go. I've often thought one of those would be fun but I didn't want to go to all the trouble of making the big solid W/C form just to try it out. Wonder how it would be in lapstrake??

[George Jung]

Looks good, Chad. Fun, isn't it?

I'm finally getting something done with my Storm LT kayak - just getting up to the football. Need to order some fiberglass and epoxy - what are you using? And what wood did you build with? I'm using WRC from Menards (I can't believe how difficult it has been to find decent wood! ) and ash for the ends and accent.

Congrats.

[cs]

Well Paul I've built two plywood sailboats (one of them stitch & glue) and couple of S&G canoes (one my own design) and this makes my second stripper. Nothing special yet although this stripper seems like it will be, at least to me. When I get back I will try and start my Newfoundland Trap Skiff and finish the restoration of the Balboa.

George I used Western Red Cedar for the strips. The stems are made of laminated white oak. The WRC I bought through a local millwork company and it cost a pretty penny but it is worth it.

Chad

[Richard Jones]

After many boats, I'm finally building my first stripper canoe. Also 10' long. ( for my 120lb. daughter ) I found that at that short length, the 1/4" strips have some wicked twist at the ends up by the keel. Even with "stealers", it was tough until I planned down the last 3' to a little under 3/16". That solved it. Hope I didn't cheat! Of course, the problem probably lays in the fact that I designed it myself.... Hope you have many years of pleasure with your new craft. It looks great.