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Cedar strip canoe build
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20-03-2021 4:47pm#1Join Date:Posts: 6045
So today boy's and girls I am going to start building the Rob Roy from the book canoecraft.
Also known as the poor man's yacht so it might be ok to post here instead of "canoeing and kayaking" I will post a link there. 🙂 I don't think I will be adding sails as I'm likely to capsize enough without it.
John "Rob Roy" McGregor was nicknamed after the outlaw but was in fact a barrister born in 1825 he survived two shipwrecks before he was 18 months old "must have been where he got his love of water from" he studied mathematics at Trinity Collage where he was also an oarsman. After leaving the army in 1865 due to an accident he designed the canoe and had it built by "Searies of Lambeth" it had to be small enough to fit inside a 15 foot German railway wagon as he planed to travel Europe. He set off in his flannel jacket, matching trousers, canvas shoes toped off with a straw boater he also carried a spare suit for Sunday and evening wear. On return from his trip he wrote a best selling book "A thousand miles in the Rob Roy canoe"
To start off I have to make a strongback, it's like a skinny table to build the canoe on .
Strongback not good for my weakback
Using the old Inca saw to cut some scrap wood for the stem. That dust cost a fortune .
At night "Lofting the plans" 🙁 in the book you are given measurements of half a mould in feet, inches,8's and 16's I had to print out the image of a ruler to keep my head straight 🙂 I also used graphed dressmakers paper to mark out the mould, you can just do one side and flip it over when it's on the wood but I am drawing both sides on each sheet. Well thats where I am now it will be a while before I get all the moulds drawn up and put on the MDF. Till the next time keep sane engage your brain.
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
HeidiHeidi wrote: »
How's the cruiser doing?
Cruiser is doing fine Im glad I fitted the solar panels batteries are 100% I also have friends living on a barge beside her keeping an eye out, I'm expecting a lot of damp when I do get back down
I love this pic!
It's like looking inside my head
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
Off to a great start, lofting looks like serious business.
What timber are you using for the boat?
Will you be building it all outdoors? Rain would probably be very bad for this?
Looking forward to seeing it progress.
I will be using western red cedar for most of the strips with a bit of ash and what ever else I have lying around maybe a bit of fancy wood for the decks
Yep its outdoors under a leanto where I built the other boats.
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
What will she weigh when complete?
According to their web site 25-40 lbs https://www.bearmountainboats.com/products/rob-roy-solo I'd say a good bit of that will depend on how much epoxy I put on it
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According to their web site 25-40 lbs https://www.bearmountainboats.com/products/rob-roy-solo I'd say a good bit of that will depend on how much epoxy I put on it
Interesting. I would have thought it would be a lot heavier than that.0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
Plans all drawn up and transferred to MDF using carbon paper.
All cut out and put on the strong back.
Steam bending the stems, I used Ash and Mahogany and a bit of strapping on top to help stop any snapping . I had to tape a bit of wood to the PVC pipe as it started to. bend with the heat.
All went well.
I think
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
Strips all cut out, not much of a colour difference between the planks but I will try to match up what I can. I am glad I bought this timber when I did as it is almost impossible to get now and when you do the price is through the roof.
There is no such thing as scrap wood it's just wood you haven't found a use for yet 🙂 these are bits of planking from "old's Cool" that I am going to use to make a Robo bevel.
The cutouts have magnets that will hold a 6mm veritas shoulder plane.
Most canoes are built with bead and cove planks but with this plane I am going to shape every bottom plank to take the next one it's a bit more time consuming but should give a better finish. The cat is handy for picking up wood shavings
Just checking out the first plank before I start.
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
Still potting away building up strips.
For the sharper bends I am using plastic brad nails these can be sanded and hit with a plane without any damage and are almost invisible when in.
I'm also using a hot glue gun to hold the planks together the blobs of glue can then be easily knocked off when the wood glue is set.
Getting close to the top so for now on I will just build up one side.
I still have to shape the bow and stern it might be a bit lower than the plans as they can a bit like a sail and the Ree can be a windy place.
Half done now so I will run a line down the centre and mark it out to be cut.
Now I will start bring up the other side and try to match in the planks.
That's it for now, I think cedar dust is my new "Man Glitter" it smells so good 😁
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
The last plank fitted
this is known as the "Whiskey plank" as it was often toasted by boat builders to mark this milestone, with my luck I will be toasting the two main bodies of water I will be using her on with a Lough Ree Whiskey and a Lambay Whiskey just to be sure to be sure
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
Bow and stern fitted and shaped.
Sanded down the hull with 80 grit 120 and 240.
I put the 6oz fibreglass on the night before and let it settle over night.
The first coat is put on with a squeegee forcing the resin into the weave the next 3 coats are put on with a roller with a 3 hour gap between each coat.
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
The flip.
Lots of sanding and planing so much so that the dust turned my hair grey and formed wrinkles in my skin.
6oz fibreglass cloth laid out.
3 coats of epoxy, this will all get sanded down before I start varnishing .
Next job is to fit the gunnels and the yoke a me bob.😀
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Join Date:Posts: 6045
Fitting the rub rail and gunnels.
The spacers are so you can tip the canoe up to empty the water.
I used bookmachted splattered maple for the stern.
And birds eye maple for the bow.
And today I'm working on the Yoke "the part you use to carry the canoe on your shoulders" and making a seat/backrest.
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