My first home made canoe. large pics.

[davesrb]

Well I finally finished a project started a few years ago. I built it from a set of plans. This is a wood and epoxy composite (build from wood and coated/impregnated with marine epoxy) Just took her out for her maiden voyage. She handles great and weighs 28 lbs. I probably have 50 hours and $300 in this project. Well not counting the paddle. I kayak a lot and prefer that type of paddle.

Davesrb

[torquemada055]

She's gorgeous, You have real skill in building something so nice.

Hopefully it will inspire my son as he likes to work with his hands.

[XHardrock]

Fine looking craft and excellent workmanship, I'm envious of both.

[shortround]

Very nice. I'm always impressed by some of the talents displayed on this board.

[adam762]

Oh, MAN, is that COOL!!! I am SO envious! Really, really neat stuff. I've been wanting one (a canoe, that is) for some time, and seeing that totally sets me off. Tell me, where did you get the plans, 'cause I MUST make one.

That is a project to be proud of for a lifetime.

[LAFAL]

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Incredible job.

[davesrb]

Originally posted by adam762
Oh, MAN, is that COOL!!! I am SO envious! Really, really neat stuff. I've been wanting one (a canoe, that is) for some time, and seeing that totally sets me off. Tell me, where did you get the plans, 'cause I MUST make one.

That is a project to be proud of for a lifetime.

Thanks for the kind words! This was a fun project.

Try www.boatdesign.net for tons of books and plans. I think they even have kits that are pre cut wood that you just assemble if you don't have wood working tools. I bought a book on strip built canoes 10 years ago. I took me 7 or 8 years before I got around to starting a build. I passed the book on to some friends a long time ago. If you like working with wood, it's an easy and fun project. The epoxy coating process is less fun and smelly as hell. I modified my plans considerably as I added some decorative touches. Just a few inlays and I substituted some different woods here and there for contrast.

Davesrb

[StoneyCreekMrMauser]

Nice canoe, bro! My uncle tried to build one many years ago but never got time to finish it. Sold it, he regrets doing so. Dad had a canoe for a few years and the fishing was never better! How's she handle?

[Scott S]

Not only am I impressed with the looks of the craft and your woodworking skills, I'm amazed that it weighs only 28 lbs. Smashing job, and thanks for sharing the pics.

[Stranger]

Awesome! Now that takes skill.

[jbgw]

AWESOME. That deserves to be sent in to WOODEN BOAT magazine out of maine. They drool over craftsmanship like yours. And deservedly so.

[tiblow]

That is really cool...very nice!!

Can you get a mount up front for a FAL though???

[MajHenryWest]

Beautiful creation.

If I had a big enough house I'd have one of those hanging as a piece of art!

Well Done, Sir.

[Blue Monster]

Sweet Mother!
To think... I make you wood?????

Poetry in motion
while at rest movement perceived
Wake leaves testament

[Azrial]

Wow! Super nice job!

[davesrb]

Originally posted by Blue Monster
Sweet Mother!
To think... I make you wood?????

Poetry in motion
while at rest movement perceived
Wake leaves testament

Wow! Thanks for all the kind words guys. I was pretty happy with how it turned out myself. BUT..this really wasn't that hard. I had full size plans for every dimension. It was just a matter of cutting accurately. The decorative inlay and the laminates of different woods were my personal touches. If you have access to woodworking tools, basic woodworking skills, and a lot of patience you can do this.
Rich, thanks for the kind words and the poem, but this isn't artistry like your stocks!

Davesrb

[gunplumber]

thats really beautiful.

I saw some lame romance movie years back where a guy built those - or kyaks, but was having trouble selling them. But a guy wanted to buy it from him IF he'd cut it in half lengthwise to mount as a decoration on the wall. The builder couldn't bring himself to cut it up for any price.

I'd be afraid to use it. Like a rifle stock that is "too nice for the field" I'd be limiting that gorgeous creation to calm lakes - no white water . ..

[davesrb]

Originally posted by gunplumber

I'd be afraid to use it. Like a rifle stock that is "too nice for the field" I'd be limiting that gorgeous creation to calm lakes - no white water . ..

The great thing about composite canoes is that they are pretty tough. If they do get scratched or gouged they can be repaired with more epoxy/fiber mat. That being said, this is definitely made for the bay, streams or the gulf on calmer days. i made no provisions for large foot rests or strap mounting for rough water. I have kayaks ranging from 12 feet (for whitewater and wave surfing) to 21 feet ( for distance touring) This was to satisfy my urge for a nice wooden boat for relaxed paddling and stream fishing.

Davesrb

[robmac]

Just awesome - really!

[frtyfivsevnty]

Damn that's nice!

[GOVTMOD]

Put a magazine in that thing!

[Dean P]

That belongs in a museum as a work of art

[Blue Monster]

Sweet wood always inspires a Haiku!
Even a crappy one

[fastfreddy]

Alright, you've inspired me!! My last wood project was a 36 string Paraguayan harp for the wife's Christmas gift. A canoe is the next project.

Anyway, I've done some searching since I first saw your post. I have a few questions.

Is this a strip built, stitch and glue, tape and glue, or other construction?

Did you build this over forms on a strongback or other sort of frame or jig?

Is there fiberglass cloth covering the wood? all over or just on the joints?

I've seen some kits, but they're all way way over $300 for plans and materials. Would you say the primary reason is that you cut out your own pieces?

Where did you get your wood? What kinds of wood did you use?

Man that looks to be a great project! Nicely done.

[ratas calientes]

Gorgeous. I hope you plan to post some photos of the build while it was in progress. Love to hear all about how it was done.

[RRotz]

hey dave, can you build me a platform bed!!??

[davesrb]

Originally posted by fastfreddy
Alright, you've inspired me!! My last wood project was a 36 string Paraguayan harp for the wife's Christmas gift. A canoe is the next project.

Anyway, I've done some searching since I first saw your post. I have a few questions.

Is this a strip built, stitch and glue, tape and glue, or other construction?
This is a strip build.

Did you build this over forms on a strongback or other sort of frame or jig?
Yes, you build strongbacks to establish your shape.

Is there fiberglass cloth covering the wood? all over or just on the joints?
Fiberglass cloth and West System epoxy. covers both sides.

I've seen some kits, but they're all way way over $300 for plans and materials. Would you say the primary reason is that you cut out your own pieces?
Yep! Pre cut kits are MUCH more expensive.

Where did you get your wood? What kinds of wood did you use?
Bought most of my wood from a local boatyard that rebuilds yachts. i used white cedar, red cedar, mohogany and ebony.


Man that looks to be a great project! Nicely done.

Thanks!
Davesrb

[denny]

Beautiful work - Want to finish my Fal Butt???
Really - You have great skill and I know awsome patients.
Thanks For gracing us with the photos.
D.

[phillip]

Sweet!

[andresere]

Originally posted by gunplumber
thats really beautiful.

I saw some lame romance movie years back where a guy built those - or kyaks, but was having trouble selling them. But a guy wanted to buy it from him IF he'd cut it in half lengthwise to mount as a decoration on the wall. The builder couldn't bring himself to cut it up for any price.

I'd be afraid to use it. Like a rifle stock that is "too nice for the field" I'd be limiting that gorgeous creation to calm lakes - no white water . ..

"Must Love Dogs" John Cuzak and Diane Lane (woo woo). Before anybody starts anything, it's my 18 y/o daughter's favorite movie, so, like the "Little Mermaid" (when she was much younger), I have seen the movie eleventy- billion times. One disadvantage to DVDs; they don't wear out like the "Little Mermaid" VCR tape did. I was never so hard-pressed to say "Aw, that's too bad".....
Seriously, that is one nice boat ya' got there. You ought to give making a laminated paddle out of matching wood a try. I know you like that kind of paddle, but make it out of contrasting wood. If ya' did the boat, you can do the paddle.

[maddawg308]

Excellent looking canoe!

My first and only canoe I built in Scout camp, outta lashed-together twigs, string and a ripped up tent canvas. It floated, though it had a lot of water inside it by the time the 2-minute trip was over.

[golani]

Absolutly stunning wood work. Always nice to see some genuine craftmanship.

Nick

[Deltaten]

Day-um!!!
Absolutely inspirational! If THAT don't get yer WECSOBB (boat-buildin') gene hard, nuthin' will.
It's yer fault Dave! I've been cruising the boat plans sites again. If this is catchin' ; yer in trouble

Wow!
Paul

[StenMK1]

My word, that is really lovely work. You should be very proud!

[1006587]

Beautiful canoe. Is the outside glassed? I bet the hardest part is getting into the water. Everybody wants to admire your work and ask a ton of questions. 28 pounds, wow. That shows real care and attention to building. I especially like the varnished wood. I don't know why some build a wood boat with expensive Okoume then paint the whole thing.

I keep telling myself that I could cut the panel myself if I wanted to but I end up buying kits from these folks. www.clcboats.com Check out the Sassafras 12. I've been thinking about one of these lately http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=FS17 .

Wood and epoxy makes a super tough and stiff boat. Much lighter than plastic or fiberglass. Close to Kevlar in weight but much stiffer and tougher. The guys at CLC told me about a kayak that blew off a car at 60MPH. No damage found other than scratches. The owner dusted it off, smeared some epoxy on a deep scratch and set out for a week long trip. I don't abuse my kayak but I don't baby it either. A little touch up on the bottom and fill any deep scratches and away I go.

[davesrb]

Well a couple of my builds are back getting re finished. One, the brown sheer stripe, took a spill off the top of a car at 55 mph. You can see the damage even after the repairs. The Green stripe took damage even through the epoxy. The paddler beaches on oyster shell landings on a regular basis.







Sorry working with the cell phone camers today..

[Spartatus]

It belongs in a Museum of Contemporary Art.

To put it in water means that you would ruin the perfect finish on the stained wood.

I can see your boat being held in suspension for a public displayed that can be viewed from all angles.

Magnificent!

[totenkopf]

Very nice job. That boat is awesome.

[gunplumber]

I was meeting someone at Cabellas yesterday and was early so I spent some time in the aquarium area. They have a sunken canoe around which the fish swim. It is the "old school" wood type and being in poor condition, all the wood frame and plank construction is visible. I am just awed by that level of workmanship.

So are the horizontal pieces all cut in compound curves or are they steamed and bent into position?

I've been contemplating buying a kayak. Spent last week kayaking the American river in a plastic unit. But seeing some of these gorgeous wood creations left me . . .. just wowed.

[davesrb]

Wow, thanks for the kind comments. The construction of these boats is modified lapstrake. I make a strong back with forms to build the boat. The strips are hand beveled to fit tight and glued in place and hot glued to the form. Once built the entire boat gets a layer of epoxy, the exterior gets a layer of 4 oz fiberglass. More epoxy to level out the mat, then 8 coats at spar varnish. Depending upon the thickness of the wood these run from 26 to about 35 lbs when done.

I can kick one out in 80 to 100 hours depending upon detail and wood choices.

[Texgunner]

That's some beautiful work!

[brunop]

Originally Posted by davesrb

The Green stripe took damage even through the epoxy. The paddler beaches on oyster shell landings on a regular basis...

If the "paddler" isn't your mom, wife, or daughter, I'm hoping you are taking the Green Stripe away on a permanent basis.

I've been thinking about doing this for a while, and this just put me over the top. Wooden-canoe-for-two-by-next-summer or bust!

[Right Side Up]

Nice work.

I wish I had that ability.

[masman]

wow very nice

[davesrb]

Originally Posted by brunop

If the "paddler" isn't your mom, wife, or daughter, I'm hoping you are taking the Green Stripe away on a permanent basis.

I've been thinking about doing this for a while, and this just put me over the top. Wooden-canoe-for-two-by-next-summer or bust!

LOl! No, those 2 were the first boats I built for customers. Testing the waters to see if my hobby could become a part time business and working out my costing. I actually love that these boats got dinged up! This means they are being used as they were intended to be. Think of them as your FAL's: do you mind the brass kisses and occasional scratch or scuff?

This is the beauty of wood/ epoxy construction. You get a tough, light weight composite that also happens to be beautiful.

Now, sometimes it is easy to let your design get a little too complicated!

[Spartatus]

THESE BOATS are built by Americans for Americans are some of the best representation of American Craftsmanship that really can't be mass produced by high speed machines with low wage labor.

The artistry, care, attention to details, and the American feel can't be imitated.

How can I describe this?
There is a Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown that I found myself having a very early morning breakfast one morning at about 4:30 a.m.

I ordered a bowl of egg noodles, pork and shrimp dumplings, Chinese cabbage, and other assortment of fish balls and meat balls. Something was not right about the taste while all the ingredients were in the bowl just as they were supposed to be. Some 15 minutes after food came, the cook came out from the kitchen. He wasn't Chinese. He was an African American. He did not grow up in a Chinese home and does not understand the subtleties of the nuances of the Chinese cuisine.

In the same way, I believe, that American art forms including boat building can only be done by Americans.

I am certain that rich foreigners will pay handsomely for these boats! You have to market them as "customized" products made to order. You might want to think about this possibility.

[gunplumber]

My brother is a luthier when he's not a master cabinetmaker. I've discussed with him his "problem" of quality. He is as OCD in his guitars and ukes as I am with guns. But he hasn't learned when good enough is good enough. Now from a spritual standpoint, I agree - my own work is NEVER good enough. I always strive to make the next one better.

But my brother obsessives over an imperfection only he can see, and then only with a 10x loupe. So he puts 200 hours into a job for which he opnly can charge 100.

The good thing is that your typical burger flipper isn't in the market for a wood kyak or canoe. It is going to be the well-heeled client from the start.

For me, even the guy living in a trailer wants a nice rifle - he just doesn't want to pay any more than for a century.

I have no idea how you compare to other boat builders - whether you are on the low end of wood boats or the high end. But I do know that it takes the same effort to sell to someone who is loaded, as to someone who is not. So it only makes sense to me to keep your work as high end as possible, and charge accordingly, and market to those who who don't notice or care about the higher price. They want what they want.

Your first step is going to studying photography. Get yourself a good SLR and learn a bit about lighting. There is a thread on it on the files, although it is more about close up gun photos. People aren't attracted to your boats so much as the pictures of your boats, and while your pics are adequate for internet banter, they have a lot of room for improvement. I did a search on wood kayaks to show you an example of outstanding photography and I couldn't find one. Lots of builders out there and their photography sucks.

[davesrb]

Originally Posted by gunplumber

My brother is a luthier when he's not a master cabinetmaker. I've discussed with him his "problem" of quality. He is as OCD in his guitars and ukes as I am with guns. But he hasn't learned when good enough is good enough. Now from a spritual standpoint, I agree - my own work is NEVER good enough. I always strive to make the next one better.

But my brother obsessives over an imperfection only he can see, and then only with a 10x loupe. So he puts 200 hours into a job for which he opnly can charge 100.

The good thing is that your typical burger flipper isn't in the market for a wood kyak or canoe. It is going to be the well-heeled client from the start.

For me, even the guy living in a trailer wants a nice rifle - he just doesn't want to pay any more than for a century.

I have no idea how you compare to other boat builders - whether you are on the low end of wood boats or the high end. But I do know that it takes the same effort to sell to someone who is loaded, as to someone who is not. So it only makes sense to me to keep your work as high end as possible, and charge accordingly, and market to those who who don't notice or care about the higher price. They want what they want.K

Your first step is going to studying photography. Get yourself a good SLR and learn a bit about lighting. There is a thread on it on the files, although it is more about close up gun photos. People aren't attracted to your boats so much as the pictures of your boats, and while your pics are adequate for internet banter, they have a lot of room for improvement. I did a search on wood kayaks to show you an example of outstanding photography and I couldn't find one. Lots of builders out there and their photography sucks.

Yeah, it can be hard being a perfectionist. I had to break myself of many of those habits with my decorative concrete work. Most client are not willing to pay the difference it takes to go from "very nice" to "damn near perfect"! They want it, but not at twice the price.

I am by no means anything close to a master boat builder. At this point I have to rely on the designs of others to loft from. I have the tools, patience, and enough wood working experience to turn out a very nice boat with fair lines, good joinery and fine detail. Beyond that, my experience with many thousands of feet of urethane, polyurea, and epoxy coatings in the flooring industry have given me the ability to apply a very smooth, THIN, glossy coating with very few imperfections. When followed up with multiple coats of spar varnish, and all the hand sanding it requires between coats, the boats have a yacht quality finish. As to where I would be in the spectrum of boat builders, again thats a hard one. I have seen some custom made boats from well respected builders that I was not very impressed with, while I have seen home built boats that blew me away. My boats to start will be in the lower to mid range for semi custom built: canoes $275 a foot to 16 feet, kayaks $400 a foot up to 21 feet. Master class builders boats start in the $8k range for small boats and increase dramatically from there. Look at Joe Greenly for some amazing Master built boats ;
http://www.redfishkayak.com/kayaks.htm


As to the photography, yeah I am more than aware of my limitations! Luckily we have a close family friend who is a retired professional advertising photographer who can take care of me in that regard.

Dave

[RG Coburn]

Wooden watercraft just handle different that glass or aluminum. Something about it just is more in rhythm with the water. Once fished off an old woody in Lake Superior.Thing handled and steered like nothing I have piloted since.
I can't descibe it. It was like putting on old leather shoes or something.
That is a seriously nice canoe.