I'm Going to Build a Canoe

[The_Stig]

Okay folks, I've spent a long time thinking about this and although the workshop still isn't organised from the move I'm listing my intentions to build a cedar strip canoe.

I've paddled fibreglass models for years and at present I've got no intention to build any more furniture as our new house is a lot smaller, therefore I think its time to get my head in a few more books and then banish myself to the workshop for a few months.

As and when I've got all the workshop square and the materials ordered then I'll start keeping a blog with progress on the project.

 

[Ironballs]

Look forward to it, are you going down the full mahogany route or a bit of a Ray Mears birch bark?

 

[The_Stig]

I had a look at some birch bark ones and even at some glue stitch models but in the end I figured something like cedar with a few strips of ash for contrast would look good.

 

[ondablade]

I'm sure you have found them, but there's some really beautiful work being done in the US in highly finished wood kayaks (Canadian canoes as well) for lake use. Plenty of info and plans available too. Many are almost too nice to use.

I've a friend starting the build of one of those nifty post war style laminated wood and lacquer speedboats you see in films of Venice and the like, the same sort of deal, but on a larger scale. He's an American married to a local lady with a woodworking business.

The plan is a large US V8 engine mounted inboard, i'm looking forward to seeing it...

ian

 

[WoodAddict]

Sounds like a nice project. I've got some plans for an 8ft dinghy that I'll be starting soon. I wanted to have it done for easter but I'm only just moving house this week.

 

[Oryxdesign]

I want to do this too when I get the time. I think I am going to go down the cold moulded route though. Stronger/lighter.

 

[The_Stig]

Years ago I had access to an Enterprise sailing dingy but unfortunately I didn't have time to do anything with it :-(

I was thinking of something that I can use on the canals and maybe just maybe take up north on holiday as I love camping so a week on the lochs would be nice.

 

[ondablade]

These guys in Denmark are arguably the masters so far as performance kayaks are concerned: http://www.struerkajak.com/Internationa ... Story.aspx

Their boats are competitive even today with all sorts of fancy composites about. Back when i raced kayaks as a young guy in the early 70s you had to have one of their boats to be competitive in sprinting - and a K1 (single seat racer) cost over £1,000 so i hate to think proportionately what they would cost today if this was maintained.

The story is interesting - Struer is a small town in Jutland in the far north of Denmark which also happens to be the home of Bang and Olufsen hi-fi. They built up a pool of highly skilled labour in working veneer back in the early days of radio when this was how cabinets were built.

Even today the factory builds fancy wooden enclosures for some of its high end products.

So far as i know they vacuum bag layers of veneer in moulds, but i don't know any detail...

ian

 

[druster]

A mate of mine built a cedar strip canoe a couple of years ago, very nice it is too,
he got all of his materials from robbins timber in bristol I think they have a recommended book for ideas too. they sell cedar strip wood for this purpose but you could make your own with the right machinery. they also sell all of the epoxys as well. they are not cheap but as a one stop shop are quite good.
their website has prices on too!

 

[KeithS]

Hi
Arealy good book on the subject is
The Strip-Built Sea Kayak by Nick Schade, gives you detailed instructions
for building cedar stip Kayaks in 3 diff layouts.

 

[JoinerySolutions]

Check out Song of the Paddle, it is a canoe forum and has a section on home builds, very informative, and may be of serious use to you. They are a friendly bunch too... much like the people on here
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?27-Self-build-Canoes