Canoe

Joined
Nov 15, 2019
Messages
52
Points
58

Location
Colorado, USA
I say do a group build that is quicker, a bit more fun, and accessible to beginners and lends itself to more creativity. Give it a formal starting date and deadline (achievable as it is a quick build) and then have a member vote for best in show! Lots of opportunity for bashing and finish! Perhaps the Bear Mountain Kits as a basic starter, and then people do whatever they want for the final presentation. It could be very fun.
 
They are sure fun to make...
But I am not surprised that there is little interest in such a project here for the members at large ... for whatever reason.

Personally, I made 100's of miniature canoes through the past 2 decades plus, even designed and sold a kit back in the days.


So here is something that could motivate interest:

Untitled.jpg

The 50 + page manual included many illustrations...

Typical page:


Untitled2.jpg

Untitled4.jpg

Untitled1.jpg

Here is the completed canoe built from my kit (built from red cedar). By the time the kit was designed, I had already built many.
This is the "luxury model" with brass fastening simulation.

011 finished model.jpg

And the traditional look:

canoegreen1JPG.jpg

And here are some of the pieces built in the past couple of years (built out of cherry):

canoes 001 copy a.jpg

And yes, it is a good way to become creative...

Regards.
G
 
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I say do a group build that is quicker, a bit more fun, and accessible to beginners and lends itself to more creativity. Give it a formal starting date and deadline (achievable as it is a quick build) and then have a member vote for best in show! Lots of opportunity for bashing and finish! Perhaps the Bear Mountain Kits as a basic starter, and then people do whatever they want for the final presentation. It could be very fun.
A very good idea, fast build and (not) dirty - this could be really a fun group build and could bring modelers to jump into scratch building
They are sure fun to make...
But I am not surprised that there is little interest in such a project here for the members at large ... for whatever reason.

Personally, I made 100's of miniature canoes through the past 2 decades plus, even designed and sold a kit back in the days.


So here is something that could motivate interest:

View attachment 155268

The 50 + page manual included many illustrations...

Typical page:


View attachment 155272

View attachment 155281

View attachment 155269

Here is the completed canoe built from my kit (built from red cedar). By the time the kit was designed, I had already built many.
This is the "luxury model" with brass fastening simulation.

View attachment 155270

And the traditional look:

View attachment 155278

And here are some of the pieces built in the past couple of years (built out of cherry):

View attachment 155271

And yes, it is a good way to become creative...

Regards.
G
And Gilles example (and experience) is pushing this idea and suggestion very well.
Beautiful models you are showing us here - and makes a lot of appetite.
Based on your experience with such a model, how many hours you think a "beginner" in such a model would need for making a good model?
I am asking because of the "fast" and not the "dirty"
 
Im surprised there isn't much interest honestly. They are fun to build and the possibilities are endless. Especially for those guys who have weathering skills, or can bash and expand on the original platform kit. As the proposed kit is just plain, people can really go nuts and there is not endless years-long commitment.

One could dispense with the historic confines of period shipbuilding and really be very creative with materials and representation. Oars or not, seats, ribs etc.
 
Well! I am also a "fine-art photographer": I print my own work, which is displayed in my Bed & breakfast / Gallery as well as other venues (Galleries) in western Nova Scotia.. And during the winter, I work at getting Lobsters ready for market.
One of the reason I relocated here, from the Canadian west: the rich maritime and ship building culture, and the clean fresh air.


A very good idea, fast build and (not) dirty - this could be really a fun group build and could bring modelers to jump into scratch building
And Gilles example (and experience) is pushing this idea and suggestion very well.
Beautiful models you are showing us here - and makes a lot of appetite.
Based on your experience with such a model, how many hours you think a "beginner" in such a model would need for making a good model?
I am asking because of the "fast" and not the "dirty"

I have never built the model linked in @Ophotn original post.
It takes about 30 hours for one 17-inch basic model built by a novice: when I launched my kit (it was never mass produced), as a test, I had a couple built by some friends who had never built anything like this before. I have been thinking of resurrecting this kit but having problem finding a supplier for the wood at a good price.

From the basic model (shown as the traditional green in my previous reply), the "sky is the limit" as far as being creative: although they all have the same basic shape, every canoe becomes a one-of-a-kind piece.

Im surprised there isn't much interest honestly. They are fun to build and the possibilities are endless. Especially for those guys who have weathering skills, or can bash and expand on the original platform kit. As the proposed kit is just plain, people can really go nuts and there is not endless years-long commitment.
One could dispense with the historic confines of period shipbuilding and really be very creative with materials and representation. Oars or not, seats, ribs etc.

Yep! Canoes do not have the high profile for what would be considered model-building: nothing fancy and no guns.

G

001 tools.jpg
 
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Gilles,

Are your instructions for scratch building available somewhere? I would say that as a group build it would be better to stick with a kit as a platform, rather than have the entire thing scratch built. This would broaden the pool of people who might participate. Anything beyond what is included in the kit would be at the pleasure of the builder. I still think its fun to have a competition associated, which means there has to be a minimal standard somewhere.
 
Gilles,
Are your instructions for scratch building available somewhere? I would say that as a group build it would be better to stick with a kit as a platform, rather than have the entire thing scratch built. This would broaden the pool of people who might participate. Anything beyond what is included in the kit would be at the pleasure of the builder. I still think its fun to have a competition associated, which means there has to be a minimal standard somewhere.

@ ophotn Funny you should ask and even more funny you would have started this topic on Canoes, I have been working on revising / updating my "Canoe model building instruction booklet" for the past couple of weeks (since I am having a bit of a break between some translation work) with the intention of possibly reviving the kit in the near future, once I find a source for the lumber at a reasonable cost.
At this point it is not quite ready ....
I should also say that the shape of the canoe is more or less the result of being creative, so beside the fact that they have a long history, this model is not historically correct and does not fully represent a particular type of canoe.
G.
 
I would be interested in a kit or group build. Recently, I picked up a couple of canoes and a couple of kayaks on Ebay. All were made by Midwest Products. After looking at your Facebook page, these do not compare with yours by any means. I have also purchased your ANCRE translations and looking forward to more in the future.
 
COME$ ON GUYS LET US KEEP GOING, SO MANY GREAT IDEAS STARTED BUT FEW COME TO LIFE JUST DO NOT LET IT BDIE, KEEP TALKING MORE WILL GET INTERESTED IN IT. GOD BLESS STAY SAFE Don
 
Not that what I am doing should absolutely be used as there are other feasible options out there with available mass-produced kits.

As I wrote earlier, I have been updating what I wrote, printed and included in my kits years ago . Because the software I used then is now obsolete, I have had to retrain myself in the use of a different book design software I have not use in a long time either.
Here is a sample of a draft copy (more editing required) I have been working on to make it look somewhat "decent". Just to show @donfarr that I am not sitting idle... but it is quite a lot of work and patience is required: the idea of a possible model canoe building project was just brought up a few days ago. I also need to add a few things that were not included in the original manual and the whole booklet will also needs to be further edited as I usually have to do a couple drafts before the final version: just to make sure it is done right.

Link to part of the document (in a reduced format).

In any case, there is still the lumber issue to work out, although there may be some options, but do not wait for me.... or for what I am doing, which was kind of planned regardless of what was originally proposed by Ophotn.

Regards.
G.
 
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Hi GILLKES YOU ARE THE LAST PERSON THAT THIS WAS INTENDED FOR, NO WORRIES ABOUT YOUR TIME AND EFFORT, I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE GROUP PROPOSAL FORE A NICE QUICK DIFFERENT KIND OF BUILD, MANY GREAT AND GOOD IDEAS HAVE BEEN SUGESTED ON SOS BUT HAVE DIED BECAUSE FOR VARIOUS REASONS, A KIT IS ONE OPTION SO IS A SIMPLE SCRATCH BUILD, I KNOW OF A FEW KITS OUT THERE BUT NOT MANY, FOR ME AS I HAVE NO INTENSION OF GOING OUT AND BT.V. IS CRAP ONLY TERIBLE NEWS EACH AND EVERY DAY, NETFLIX AND OTHERS IS WHERE I WATCH IN MY LISURE TIME, SO LOTS OF SMALL PROJECTS FOR ME TO KEEP MY INTERESTS GOING, SO PLEASE PARDON ME FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDING GILLES EVERY ONE SHOULD BE LIKE YOU GREAT IDEAS AND A WAY TO EXPRESS THEM. GOD BLESS AND BE SAFE Don
 
No problem Don, Just letting you know what is happening on my side.
The English version of the book on Le Rochefort is planned to be available at the end of June from Ancre.
Between the Pandemic and the Protests, take care and stay home.
G
 
THAT IS FANTASTIC, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT ONE, THE LE ROCHEFORT IS AWAITING FED-X OPENING UP FOR PRINTING RIGHT ONLY FOR PACKAGES, AS I AM NOT GOING TO MINGEL NI WILL WAIT AND SOMEONE WILL TAKE IT THERE, SO I MAY JUST START ON THE STERN AS ALL OF THE PIECES ARE CUT WILL SEE AND YES THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE KEEP ME INFORMED. GOD BLESS STAY SAFE Don
 
Not that what I am doing should absolutely be used as there are other feasible options out there with available mass-produced kits.

As I wrote earlier, I have been updating what I wrote, printed and included in my kits years ago . Because the software I used then is now obsolete, I have had to retrain myself in the use of a different book design software I have not use in a long time either.
Here is a sample of a draft copy (more editing required) I have been working on to make it look somewhat "decent". Just to show @donfarr that I am not sitting idle... but it is quite a lot of work and patience is required: the idea of a possible model canoe building project was just brought up a few days ago. I also need to add a few things that were not included in the original manual and the whole booklet will also needs to be further edited as I usually have to do a couple drafts before the final version: just to make sure it is done right.

Link to part of the document (in a reduced format).
https://b5924c98-1fc1-4360-a1f6-219bb53ea82b.usrfiles.com/ugd/b5924c_2186e1d3e4744ee9a74b9f99fa889c35.pdf
In any case, there is still the lumber issue to work out, although there may be some options, but do not wait for me.... or for what I am doing, which was kind of planned regardless of what was originally proposed by Ophotn.

Regards.
G.
Many thanks, Gilles. While you consider this project for beginners in mind, I think it should be an awesome project for anyone testing personal skils in a scratch build. Thumbs-Up
 
Well! I am also a "fine-art photographer": I print my own work, which is displayed in my Bed & breakfast / Gallery as well as other venues (Galleries) in western Nova Scotia.. And during the winter, I work at getting Lobsters ready for market.
One of the reason I relocated here, from the Canadian west: the rich maritime and ship building culture, and the clean fresh air.




I have never built the model linked in @Ophotn original post.
It takes about 30 hours for one 17-inch basic model built by a novice: when I launched my kit (it was never mass produced), as a test, I had a couple built by some friends who had never built anything like this before. I have been thinking of resurrecting this kit but having problem finding a supplier for the wood at a good price.

From the basic model (shown as the traditional green in my previous reply), the "sky is the limit" as far as being creative: although they all have the same basic shape, every canoe becomes a one-of-a-kind piece.



Yep! Canoes do not have the high profile for what would be considered model-building: nothing fancy and no guns.

G

Is that a Handy Andy Pliers there?
 
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