Pantry3cow
Curious about Wooden Canoes
How wide a strip would one be able to use with ease on a stripper? I've seen photos using wider strips and like the looks of them. Interested in your thoughts.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Wide strips
- Thread starter Pantry3cow
- Start date
Todd Bradshaw
Sailmaker
There are certain areas on most canoes where you could use very wide strips. Likewise, there will probably be other areas where you can't, due to required bending, twisting or edge set. There is no universal answer to your question and every boat design will be different. As to "using them with ease", I think you will actually find them harder to use. It is easier to cover curves and contours with narrow strips than wide ones. There is also a very real optical illusion which you need to be aware of when stripping. Due to the upward sweep of most canoe sheer lines toward the canoe's ends, even a side strip which is perfectly level, end to end, will look as if it sags downward toward the boat's ends. For this reason, it is a good idea to add a small amount of edge set (sideways bend forming a bit of upward sweep) to the side strips to counter this - also easier to do with narrower strips.
Kent E. Nord
Curious about Wooden Canoes
I've built 24' North boats using 1 1/2" , 3/8ths thickstrips, made the build faster, but for a tandem I've only used 7/8- 3/4. Depending on the technique, wider will work. Using the Moore style NO, using what I call the "MCA" _minnesota canoe assosiation) yes.
Michael Duffy
canoeist canoe builder
On my first canoe I ignored the width specified and used 1 1/2" wide strips which were used on my store bought canoe.
I didn't notice the wide strips were 1/8" thick. The work went fast until I approached the bend in the hull. I could not get the strips to bend, even with steam. After some thought and experiments I came to the conclusion it wasn't going to work. I ended up ripping the existing strips off and replaced them with 3/4" wide strips. Every thing went fine and had no need to steam any thing. Chalked the waste up to learning.
Mike
I didn't notice the wide strips were 1/8" thick. The work went fast until I approached the bend in the hull. I could not get the strips to bend, even with steam. After some thought and experiments I came to the conclusion it wasn't going to work. I ended up ripping the existing strips off and replaced them with 3/4" wide strips. Every thing went fine and had no need to steam any thing. Chalked the waste up to learning.
Mike
Gary Peterson
Curious about Wooden Canoes
7/8" is ideal for me, with a few 3/4" pieces for the tight-curve areas at the bilge.
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