First Build: Seat Options

[Steve Felsheim]

Hello everyone,

I am building my first canoe. Its a Wee Lassie 2. Looking for opinions, options and thoughts on a seat for her.

The Wee Lassie 2 has the seat very low in the hull mounted a bit off the bottom.

I really like saddle/tractor style seats in canoes, and would like to build something similar.

Thoughts? Pictures?

Here are some pictures so far. One more coat of epoxy before I flip it and start on the inside.

 

[Rob Stevens]

Tractor seats can be comfortable for the bottom, but better to have a back rest for double-bladed paddling. This example in flame birch by Ralph Kohn (RIP).

 

[Jim Dodd]

Yes, a back rest is good. Make it pivot, and you can use it as a kneeling thwart !
The Wee Lassie II design, ( Mac McCarthy) is a shortened Arkansas Traveler, a H. Rushton design, with the exception of the stem shape.
Anyway I use a back rest and a cushion. If you choose a seat, make the front edge, higher than the back. You test, but one I did for a customer, the front edge was about 1 1/2 - 2" higher than the back. It was a woven seat.

Here is a few pics of the latest one I built for a raffle.

Jim

 

[Steve Felsheim]

Perfect. I love that back rest. I will be doing that. If you have any images of a seat that would great.

 

[Dan Miller]

The Wee Lassie design is a shortened Arkansas Traveler, a H. Rushton design, with the exception of the stem shape.

Not really relevant to this discussion, but no, its not.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Not really relevant to this discussion, but no, its not.

I apologize for my mistake ! In my earlier post it read "Wee Lassie" It was meant to read " Wee Lassie II. A Mac McCarthy design.

Years ago I lofted the Arkansas Traveler, from the Adirondack Museum. The Traveler's stations were to be set at 1'4"

I also purchased Mac's Wee Lassie II plans from him.
I then over laid the plans and the stations matched.
Mac changed the stem forms, by rounding them more, and shortened the form spacing to 1'.


I just corrected my post ! Thanks Dan !

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

Perfect. I love that back rest. I will be doing that. If you have any images of a seat that would great.

I searched my Photobucket, and no. I didn't have a digital camera, when I built the first one, but I still make the seats to the same design.
I can show images of those.

Here is a fairly close up of my frame. I use nylon Snow Shoe cord. for a simple lacing.

Here is a pic of the seats I make, in my latest build.

Here is a pic of my seat frames. The middle of the seat is a 1" drop. I mortise the frame before cutting. This saves a lot of work later, and adds a lot of strength !

Here is another pic of my son's Traveler, "Iowa Traveler", a shortened Arkansas Traveler.

 

[Dan Miller]

Years ago I lofted the Arkansas Traveler, from the Adirondack Museum. The Traveler's stations were to be set at 1'4"

I also purchased Mac's Wee Lassie II plans from him.
I then over laid the plans and the stations matched.
Mac changed the stem forms, by rounding them more, and shortened the form spacing to 1'.

We'll just have to blame Mac for confusing the issue.

By the way, your shop is way to clean.

 

[MGC]

As I was looking at the photo's I thought "that shop is absurdly clean"...I may need to point that out..and then I read this.

By the way, your shop is way too clean.

I can't even keep the top of my workbench that clean! Good eye Dan.
Jim, you have some explaining to do

 

[Jim Dodd]

By the way, your shop is way to clean.

Ha ! That's the Nokomis Wood workers shop, part of it ! Here is the Main shop, the "Red Neck Shop" is behind that clear curtain doorway. on the right. That is where a canoe was built, it was raffled off.

A local guy with a lot of funds, started a wood working club ! He bought the building, the club has almost half, equaling 5,000 sqf. He also put to date, nearly $30,000 in tools and renovations ! Pretty AWESOME ! A retired shop teacher, and a retired lineman, set the shop up with high quality tools.
For $300 a year membership, we have full access 24/7. We even have a high tech security system. It's of course heated, at 60* or higher.

I'm retired and put in a lot of time there.

Yes ! The Shop teacher has instilled Cleanliness in us all ! I am more than greatfull !!!

The canoe hanging is my son's until his house is ready ( mid Febuary) to move in.
The canoe on the stands, was there for our open house.
We currently have 30 members. 40 is our goal !

Sorry for getting off topic !

My shop at home is terrible ! I try and crop out the mess when I take pics, but that's hard.