Canoe Build Log

Progress log.

6/14/09 - 2.0 hrs
Worked on the steel bands. Finished one side stations 4 to 0 to 4.
Need to make a decision for the ends.
Listened to the Science of getting rich - interesting.

6/15/09 - 1.0 hrs
Continued working on the steel bands. Opposite side. Still
thinking of reworking the ends.
Continued listened to the Science of Getting Rich.

6/17/09 - 45 min
Worked on rib bands more.
Found a 3/4" former that needs adjustment. This is keeping the
rail and ribs from lining up during the bend.

6/22/09 - 1.0 hrs
Still working on the former. Needs to be ground down more.
Pulled off some of the steel. Wednesday we'll use the spoke
shave and take off that 1/16".

6/24/09 to 6/29/09 - 3 hours
Working on the form. Removed the 3/4"board causing the
problem and replaced it. Shaping and testing ribs as I go. 6
more pieces of galvanized rib band to cut and I'll be ready to flip
the boat form over ant repair the ends.

7/2/09 to 7/5/09 - 4 hours
Work on form. Finished rib bands. As I was adjusting the rail I
shaped it to 1/2" a little narrower than the rest. I believe the
problem is with the 3/4" wood strips.
Brad from next door came over. Myself, Brad and Kat flipped
the form over.

7/6/09 - 30 min.
Pulled down all the ribs for the canoe. I have a lot of rib stock.
The ends look good. I thought that the round over had made
them too narrow.

7/11/09 to 7/12/09 - 5 hours
Set up steamer. Saturday, Kat and I steamed 6 ribs and broke
one. I found out that the poplar rail backer pulled away from the
plywood. Scott Kroger stopped by and we took the ribs and
rails off the form. I added more screws. Reset the rails and ribs
back on the form.
Sunday, Kat and I steamed 8 more ribs - two more broke. Rail
backer pulled away again. Need to fix it.

8/7/09 3 hours
Attached another part of the rail backer.
Steamed and installed 10 more ribs. Kat's side looks better.
After reviewing the canoe book I found out that we should have
been bending them to the gunwale while stretching them
release to about half way. Repeat this two more times. I will try
this on the next 10 ribs.

8/8/09 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Steamed and installed 27 ribs. #21 had to be bent 6 or 7 times.
All due to failure. I should have made a strap to help in the
bending. Next time I will. #21 split - de-laminated. I used
epoxy for the repair. It'll work ok.
Lots of fairing to do. Need to work a little at a time.
The planking is too thick, I'll need to plane it to 5/32". I'll check
the rest later.

8/10/09
Planking is the correct thickness
Used Kat's iron and a wet towel to re-steam the twist out off it.
I'll check to see if it worked tomorrow night.

8/11/09 to 9/3/09
Totaled ribs left
Repaired various areas with epoxy
Purchased silicon bronze screws for rails. Work much better
than the nails.

9/3/09 - Pop came down to work with me.
Showed him the trouble spots on the form.

9/4/09 - worked 8 hours
Tightened all ribs to for using shims and blocks.
Planed down all high spots on the ribs.
Found all the material for the seats and thwarts.
Pulled all planking down from the shelf.

9/5/09 - worked 8 hours
Started putting on the planking. The thinner planking works
better. Some was thicker than 5/32".
Planed all planking to 5/32".
Set up the cooker with a pot of water to heat the ribs.
Soaking both sides helped during bending and nailing.
Used Kat's Iron to steam the ribs in place.
Found out that we may not have planed the planking edges.
Planed the edges and the planks started to fit better.
Used the block plane to trim planks as we installed.
Installed 7 rows of planks.
Discovered that we need to half ribs - and to think that I threw
out all the 21's that I had broken. Those would have worked
well.
Discussed where to put bolts in the wall to attach the come
along to tighten the canvass.

9/6/09 - worked 6 hours
The plan calls for 5 rows of planks before the goring. As we
installed the 5th row it became apparent that we were going to
trim most of the plank away. Stopped at the fourth row, studied
the plan then changed direction and started the goring. Didn't
have the right length. Pieced in the goring. Went very well.
Planks have some gaps that we will fill with epoxy and filler.
Dad will make and do the following
Make the canvass clamp.
Make the clothes pin.
Dad is going to look for the mahogany for the deck - or we
will use red wood.
He also took the plans for the paddles and the building
information.
Stas' to make the following
Make the temporary tharts.
Make the seat frames.
Review the seat caning book.
Put attach points in the wall for the canvass stretching.
Research and purchase spar varnish for the inside.
Purchase the epoxy filler.

10/1/09 - 8 hours
We realized that we did not have enough planking. Re-sawed
and planed more planking.
Finished planking on boat.
Dad made the paddles and brought them down.
I found another book by Gil Patrick - building a Maine Guide
canoe with more paddle making.

10/2/09 - 8 hours
Removed the boat from the form. Looks awesome.
Installed the temporary thwarts.
Made the framing blocks.
Glued up stock for blocks to attach the stem to the rails.

10/3/09 - 5 hours
Installed blocks. We went to Menards for stainless steel
fasteners and Dap non hardening putty.
Figured out who is doing what until next time.
I will take the canoe to Dad's shop for the winter to work on it.

11/26/09
Take canoe to Pops shop - Thanksgiving Day

11/27/09 - 8 hours
Finished the planking and installed the half ribs.
Next time we do not want to round / shape the outer portion of
the stems. Planking fits better with the stems flat. Then per
Rollin sand through the planking to the stem.
Next time use 4" planks. This will help on the bottom and make
for less seams.
Mixed epoxy incorrectly. Too much hardener will not harden.
Mix is a three to one / resin 105 to hardener 205.
Set more nails

11/28/09 - 1 hour
Trimmed planking
Started sanding top rail.
To Do
E-mail Rollin. Ask about the canoe filler. Shelf life
E-mail West System. Mix too much resin. What will
happen.
Answer from Jim Watson <JRW@gougeon.com>: Nothing
wrong with being conservative with expensive stuff like epoxy.
The mix ratio of 105 and 207 is 3 parts resin to 1 part
hardener. However your mix ratio is hardener rich which is
the worst was to error. Too much hardener will not cure. A
quarter is .47” radius and a half dollar is .6 radius which yields
a mix ratio nearly twice needed. To get the correct ratio using
the strategy you tried you need a circle with a 1.1” radius for
resin and another with a .6” radius.

12/01/09 -
Pop set more nails. Sanded a spot - canoe tacks came up
shiny. Need to set them deeper.
Wet hull and set all nails deeper.

12/27/09 - 6 hours
Finished sanding hull outside.
Set a few nails
Added a few filler planks to sheer line.
Filled gaps with epoxy and filler.
Rolled hull with epoxy - no filler.

12/28/09 - 3 hours
Sanded rough areas.
Filled a few more seams.
Touched up epoxy.

1/1/10 to 1/29/10 Dad - 11.0
Fair hull
Sand inside
Varnish
1/30/2010 - 10 hours (dad and me)
Canvas on canoe
Uncle Chester stopped by.
We had wrinkles in the canvass. Wet the canvas and it shrunk.

3/7/2010 - 6 hours
Fill the canvas

3/29/10 - 20 min
Order bolts and bedding compound from North-Woods Canoe Co.

4/5/2010 - 20 min
order paint from Kirby Paint Co.
http://www.kirbypaint.com/
4/15/10 through 4/23/10 - 15 hours Pops
Final shaping of thwarts
Finished the cargo rack
Spar varnished thwarts and cargo rack.
Sand filler / 1st coat primer / sand / 2nd coat primer

4/24/10 - 9 hours (dad and me)
Sand hull.
First coat of #21 red hull bottomside
Soaked cane
Wove first seat.
Sand first coat of paint and apply 2nd coat.

4/25/10 - 5 hours (dad and me)
Paint still needs to cure more
Started second seat - almost finished.
5/3/10 - 10 min me
Ordered paint for the stripe
Kirby Paint - #38 Irish Green - 1 pint

5/4/10 through 5/15/10 Pops
Worked on rails and outer stems
Created more bending jigs
Attached gunwale. Missed center line. Just needs to move aft
4 inches.

5/16/10 - 4 hours
Tape off area for green stripe
Paint first coat of green stripe
Worked on seat cane. Just need to finish the binder cane.

5/17/10 thru 6/5/10
Finished binder cane - me
Final attachment of gunwale, made decks, keel - Pops

6/5/10 - 6 hours
Brushed knots on seats with epoxy to prevent them from coming
apart.
Attached outer stems, and keel. Used bedding compound.

6/6/2010 - 6 hours
Installed seats
Replaced temporary bolts with silicon bronze hardware.
Trimmed all screws that came through the stem (2" were too long).

6/7/2010 to 6/23/2010
Added tie down points.
Installed decks.
Varnished decks and missed areas.

6/23/2010
Stem band order did not go through. Re-ordered the stem
bands.