Wood for guide boat ribs
- Thread starter Gary Jacuk
- Start date
Michael Grace
Lifetime Member
Looking pretty spectacular, Gary!
Gary Jacuk
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Okay, so I have returned. Normal life got in the way a bit and had to get on some other chores and responsibilities, including a sick dog (he's recovering, but ask me about CBD oil and other medication). Also tried for some vacation, but said dog upset those plans......besides, why do you need to go on vacation from being retired?
So, I've been sanding and filling, and sanding and filling on the boat. Gotten to the point where there are some pin holes that just won't take filler and it's making me goofy (goofier?) so I'm giving up and hoping the varnish will fill them up. Couple of things I would do differently that perhaps would have helped.
First I would have cut my coves a few thousandths deeper so there was less sanding to do to get a tight joint. The sanding took out a number of screw heads and so I spent a lot of time replacing and resetting screws for the strips. Helpful hint..... a dremel tool with a small metal cutting disc allows you to cut a new slot in the screw you just sanded down so you can get it out and replace it with minimal damage.
Second, I was so concerned about having to sand all that epoxy squeezing out of the joints that I ended up with a lot of spots to be filled where I didn't get any squeeze out at all. The joint isn't starved, but i had to do a lot of filling to level things out. I'm very tired of mixing epoxy !!!!! At least summer has arrived here in the foothills and epoxy sets up a lot faster. Close to 100 degrees today.
Otherwise, the stems are installed and need a bit of final shaping and I'll be ready to put a protection coat of varnish on the outside, then on to the gunnels and sanding the inside, which I hope will be easier and require less filling than the outside (that flat board on the outside of a cylinder thing I mentioned earlier).
Getting a bit impatient so I just wet down the boat to get some idea of what it will look like with varnish. Here's the pictures of the boat and one of the stems.
So, I've been sanding and filling, and sanding and filling on the boat. Gotten to the point where there are some pin holes that just won't take filler and it's making me goofy (goofier?) so I'm giving up and hoping the varnish will fill them up. Couple of things I would do differently that perhaps would have helped.
First I would have cut my coves a few thousandths deeper so there was less sanding to do to get a tight joint. The sanding took out a number of screw heads and so I spent a lot of time replacing and resetting screws for the strips. Helpful hint..... a dremel tool with a small metal cutting disc allows you to cut a new slot in the screw you just sanded down so you can get it out and replace it with minimal damage.
Second, I was so concerned about having to sand all that epoxy squeezing out of the joints that I ended up with a lot of spots to be filled where I didn't get any squeeze out at all. The joint isn't starved, but i had to do a lot of filling to level things out. I'm very tired of mixing epoxy !!!!! At least summer has arrived here in the foothills and epoxy sets up a lot faster. Close to 100 degrees today.
Otherwise, the stems are installed and need a bit of final shaping and I'll be ready to put a protection coat of varnish on the outside, then on to the gunnels and sanding the inside, which I hope will be easier and require less filling than the outside (that flat board on the outside of a cylinder thing I mentioned earlier).
Getting a bit impatient so I just wet down the boat to get some idea of what it will look like with varnish. Here's the pictures of the boat and one of the stems.
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Gary Jacuk
Curious about Wooden Canoes
So I've been plugging along on the boat although progress seems a bit slow right now. Got the outside done satisfactorily and put on just one coat of varnish to protect it while I work on other stuff.
Sanding the interior is just a chore. I've dug out every sanding tool in my arsenal, as you can see in the picture, and it's still a chore, so I started other parts and switch back and forth to keep the frustration level at a minimum. Short of finding a couple of strong backed weak minded 20 year old apprentices this will take some time. I'm reminded of the description of a baseball catchers equipment as "The tools of ignorance"........sanding tools are a close second.
I made some cradles for the boat so I could flip it to do the aforementioned sanding and to do other stuff. I spliced some lengths of walnut for the gunwales (where did that word originate...is it something to do with mounting cannons or other armaments?) and spent some pleasant time with a sharp little block plane shaping the looooooong bevels. Presently puzzling out the best way to cut the compound angle accurately where they join the stems. Any ideas? So far I'm going with a story pole and using a luthierie technique we call "flossing" to get the final fit. Basically cutting the end of the gunwale close to final length and angle and then holding it tight to the stem and pulling a piece of sandpaper (grit to the gunwale side) between the stem and gunwale until the fit is correct. So far so good.
P.S. Wishing the U.S. women well in today's soccer match. I finally figured out soccer is like hockey without the ice and sticks and padding, but with teeth.
Sanding the interior is just a chore. I've dug out every sanding tool in my arsenal, as you can see in the picture, and it's still a chore, so I started other parts and switch back and forth to keep the frustration level at a minimum. Short of finding a couple of strong backed weak minded 20 year old apprentices this will take some time. I'm reminded of the description of a baseball catchers equipment as "The tools of ignorance"........sanding tools are a close second.
I made some cradles for the boat so I could flip it to do the aforementioned sanding and to do other stuff. I spliced some lengths of walnut for the gunwales (where did that word originate...is it something to do with mounting cannons or other armaments?) and spent some pleasant time with a sharp little block plane shaping the looooooong bevels. Presently puzzling out the best way to cut the compound angle accurately where they join the stems. Any ideas? So far I'm going with a story pole and using a luthierie technique we call "flossing" to get the final fit. Basically cutting the end of the gunwale close to final length and angle and then holding it tight to the stem and pulling a piece of sandpaper (grit to the gunwale side) between the stem and gunwale until the fit is correct. So far so good.
P.S. Wishing the U.S. women well in today's soccer match. I finally figured out soccer is like hockey without the ice and sticks and padding, but with teeth.
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Gary Jacuk
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Dan Lindberg
Ex Wood Hoarder
Very nice Gary. Looking forward to seeing some launch pics.
Again, nice work.
Dan
Again, nice work.
Dan
Gary Jacuk
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Dan, Thanks very much for the kind words. It's not perfect, but the best I could do. Now that I can stand back and look and think, I'm most impressed with the idea that craftsmen in the mid 1800's without benefit of computers or CAD programs could design and build such a beautifully elegant boat. Truly amazing.
Gary Jacuk
Curious about Wooden Canoes
John Michne
Recovering stripper
Very nicely done, Gary. Congratulations!
Gary Jacuk
Curious about Wooden Canoes
John, Thank you for the kind words and most of all for your great book which was my guide through much of the project. I have had the original Durant book for years but it mostly left me dumbfounded as to how to build one of these most elegant boats. Your book filled the gaps and provided the answers and inspiration to move forward.
Gary Jacuk
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Launch Day !!
It's easy to see how one might think this, but take a step back. All of the truly classic watercraft, ranging from canoes and kayaks (bark, skin, etc.) to vessels of exploration (Endeavor, for example), warships (e.g. USS Constitution), whale ships (Charles W. Morgan), clipper ships (Flying Cloud), and all of the ethereal Herreshoff designs, etc. These were designed by hand, eye, and mind, without the aid of computer programs. One might argue that computers have been an impediment to boat design, rather than an asset.
Gary Jacuk
Curious about Wooden Canoes
" One might argue that computers have been an impediment to boat design, rather than an asset."[/QUOTE]
I would agree as these early designs were an evolution based on experience and knowledge at the time, and a guide boat is a perfect example of such a beautiful creation.
LAUNCH DAY
All went well for the most part. In spite of half the boat hanging out of our short bed pickup it made the 20 mile trip to the lake quite securely. The boat seemed to set well on the water and no leaks, which is a good thing. It handled well, as near as an inexperienced boater could tell and I will admit that rowing will take some modification and practice. It was hard for me to keep the oars properly situated in the oarlocks and I had a tendency to go very deep with the blades in order to clear my legs in the boat. Some work to be done. Otherwise, it was a treat to have it all come to such a good conclusion.
Thanks to our friends Cathy and Greg for the nifty cap for the maiden voyage.
Me with the nifty cap and the boat on our truck with a hitch extender......worked well.
First taste of water and no leak.
Me attempting to row.
The lovely and talented Miss Renee looking like she was born to do this.
I would agree as these early designs were an evolution based on experience and knowledge at the time, and a guide boat is a perfect example of such a beautiful creation.
LAUNCH DAY
All went well for the most part. In spite of half the boat hanging out of our short bed pickup it made the 20 mile trip to the lake quite securely. The boat seemed to set well on the water and no leaks, which is a good thing. It handled well, as near as an inexperienced boater could tell and I will admit that rowing will take some modification and practice. It was hard for me to keep the oars properly situated in the oarlocks and I had a tendency to go very deep with the blades in order to clear my legs in the boat. Some work to be done. Otherwise, it was a treat to have it all come to such a good conclusion.
Thanks to our friends Cathy and Greg for the nifty cap for the maiden voyage.
Me with the nifty cap and the boat on our truck with a hitch extender......worked well.
First taste of water and no leak.
Me attempting to row.
The lovely and talented Miss Renee looking like she was born to do this.
