Richard's 19" canoe [COMPLETED BUILD]

Status as of 9/20 with the bottom closed and an initial 80 grit sanding pass. I initially sorted out the Mahogany strips into three color sets: Dark, Medium, and Light. The lightest accent strip was ripped from an additional Basswood piece ordered with the stations piece. It had a somewhat more faint tan color than the other two.

Some open strip joints for repairs as sanding progresses. I got a fairly tight bottom herringbone closure from multiple dry fit and sanding passes which were facilitated by using the electric bending tool on dry mahogany to give the strip a curve matching the closure locations.
I have included a closer side view showing the very open grain that Mahogany has as well as a bow stem straight on of the strips alongside the stem station. I am not sure how well the open grain will fill in during the finishing process but with the multiple varnishing and sanding passes it may work out better.

Possibly a bit more sanding before cutting the stations off of the board and proceeding with the additional bow and stern raised stem risers with the modified pattern that I made for this one.

If I want diversion I will do the two seats and paddles after the thwart and midship yoke. PT-2Bottom Closed and initial sanding.jpgBotom Closed Side.jpgBottom Closed Side Mahogany Grain.jpgBottom Closed Bow side.jpgBow Closed Stem Vew.jpg
 
Try using a sanding sealer for the first coat. I use a furniture grade one. It fills pores and sands very easily to a smooth finish. All those little "hairs" that stick up after the first coat turn very stiff and sand right off. Then, dust can be removed by wiping a clean rag dampened with mineral spirits.

EJ
 
Try using a sanding sealer for the first coat. I use a furniture grade one. It fills pores and sands very easily to a smooth finish. All those little "hairs" that stick up after the first coat turn very stiff and sand right off. Then, dust can be removed by wiping a clean rag dampened with mineral spirits.

EJ
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind when I begin the pre-finish sanding process. I have separated from the board and the stations which I don't glue to all fell out except the stems. Several things to do before then: Short stems riser strips, outer stems and then trimming them down, outer gunwales, and some more sanding on the interior. PT-2
 
This is looking very good. I really like the carefully picked tone gradient in laying the strips down: from dark to light.
Planking is tight and symmetrical.
As for the texture of the wood, the sanding filler is a good idea.
I found that it was impossible to fill the the grain when varnishing this wood even applying as many coats as I do, and more just to take care of the pores. The first 3 or 4 coats were applied and sanded down only to be sanded to almost bare wood again.

If you have some hairline gaps between planks in some spots, the best way to fill them is to apply some glue to the gap, immediately wipe out the excess and lightly sand the area in circular motion: it will fill the "crack" with dust much better.
G.
 
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This is looking very good. I really like the carefully picked tone gradient in laying the strips down: from dark to light.
Planking is tight and symmetrical.
As for the texture of the wood, the sanding filler is a good idea.
I found that it was impossible to fill the the grain when varnishing this wood even applying as many coats as I do, and more just to take care of the pores. The first 3 or 4 coats were applied and sanded down only to be sanded to almost bare wood again.

If you have some hairline gaps between planks in some spots, the best way to fill them is to apply some glue to the gap, immediately wipe out the excess and lightly sand the area in circular motion: it will fill the "crack" with dust much better.
G.
I appreciate you eyes for small details. Also for your endorsement of the sanding filler suggestion which I will definitely apply. I remembered your wiped glue and sanding for small strips' gaps but hadn't picked up on the circular sanding motion. That bandage approach was well used in the first canoe and will not be as often needed with this one. PT-2
 
I appreciate you eyes for small details. Also for your endorsement of the sanding filler suggestion which I will definitely apply. I remembered your wiped glue and sanding for small strips' gaps but hadn't picked up on the circular sanding motion. That bandage approach was well used in the first canoe and will not be as often needed with this one. PT-2
Oh yes. . . I forgot to mention that below the bottom light accent strip I went back to a darker tone for the bottom which would normally be seen in a shadowed manner. I thought that it would psychologically and visually hold the bottom down. PT-2
 
Great job on your canoe, PT-2!!
Here is the Tuesday 9/22 status of the second, Mahogany canoe. After the additional strips at the bow and stern stems and adding the four laminations of the outer keel, I trimmed/sanded things down to the top of the outer wale and after another brief interior course sanding applied a coating of sanding sealer, inside and out. The bow stem straight-on shows how much finish sanding and some repairs will be needed to get the rough surface and grain down. The closer photo view shows what I could not see and the sanding sealer which will be "removed" with further fine sanding. While the sealer was drying I cut the ribs for installation alongside the interior keel strip now in place. When it was wet with the sealer the difference in the Mahogany tones really stood out, probably more like the finished oil based poly that I will use this time instead of the water based. Not the precise production that our more experienced group builders produce but a step up from the first canoe which is the direction that I was looking for. Still more to be learned as I go. 9.22 Side.jpg9.22 Bottom.jpg9.22 Inside.jpg9.22 Bow Stem Sanding sealer applied.jpg
 
Looks very good. I especially like the contrast of the mahogany stripes. Very fine surface appearance.
Are the outer stems already completely adjusted, or do they need to be sanded ? Seems like a step at the transition to the base of the hull. Or does it stay like that ?
 
Looks very good. I especially like the contrast of the mahogany stripes. Very fine surface appearance.
Are the outer stems already completely adjusted, or do they need to be sanded ? Seems like a step at the transition to the base of the hull. Or does it stay like that ?
There was and still is sanding to be done. I cannot completely avoid the bottom transition stem to bottom as I went through some of the strips in that area and am using the 1/4 inch stock as a cover. Although this was a second canoe I again did not really solve the strips in the stems areas which become twisted as they track the stations. . . at least under my hands. I will not do Mahogany again as it is too hard and brittle. I have to use my electric bender to give the ribs a hint of where they need to conform. I overcut the number anticipating this problem of breakage which happed a number of times even with a lot of soaking!!! Thanks for your color contrast observation as the accent strips are much more evident than the transition of general bands from lighter to darker. PT-2
 
Great job on your canoe, PT-2!!

Well now, in my older years I know that posted some photos of the 17-inch Mahogany build before today but I don't know where they went/are. . . not in this thread of items.
Anyhow here are five views showing the status as of Thursday. The blue tape is where I have transferred proportional locations from plan views of Old Town Canoe onto this 17 inch version.
Outer gunwales, ribs, and inner gunwales after shaping scraping and sanding set; inner keel and side floor boards set. While glue was drying I made the yoke and paddles. Using extra strips of the rib stock I laminated those together face to face to make deck stock which has been cut out and fitting sanding is in progress.
I had to keep middle station 2 in place while setting the ribs which gradually strengthened the hull to minimize the inward collapse when 2 was removed and the five midships ribs were then placed. There was still some inward creep so I had to trim down the yoke to get it mounted to stabilize the hull thwartships.
Next will be some interior initial varnishing and making the two seats which I will mount on short side ledgers and simulated rod hangers if I feel confident about those. I have decided not to do faux brass hull nails as the ribs were not as precisely placed as I wanted and I think the hull is too thin to risk the drilling and setting on the stripping. I may possibly do those for outer gunwale attachments and in the nose of the stems.Canoe 9.24 Status A.jpgCanoe 9.24 Status Yoke and Paddles.jpgCanoe 9.24 Foeward Port Quarter.jpgCanoe 9.24 Status Longitudinal View.jpg
 
Hello Richard,
Overall the mahogany canoe looks good.
In regards to the ribs:
- By now I hope you understand why they are installed in halves from the center of the vessel. Doing in this way is not doing it properly as, really, they should be in one piece running across the entire hull. As a result the construction sequence is altered compared to building the real thing. Of course installing the full length ribs once the model is planked is possible, it is just much more difficult for at least 2 reasons: bending them to shape and their alignment at the same time.
- Water normally works well to bend the strips: hot water. For stubborn lumber such as mahogany keeping them submerged longer is probably the answer. Personally, as I wrote earlier, I quit using this lumber but, for lumber that is difficult to bend (cherry can be one of them depending on what direction it was cut), I normally dry fit the rib before applying glue. For ribs than seem to be more difficult to bend directly in the canoe, I use a 1.5" (4 cm) diameter round form to pre-bend them: If it does not fully bend over a quarter of the form (1/4 of full circle), that rib is discarded as it will usually break: that is true for at least the ribs located in the middle area of the canoe. the bend is less for the rest of the ribs (towards the stems).
- I am sure you noticed that some of the ribs spring back after installation. This can occur at any location along the canoe wall: due to the strip's wood grain. For that I usually end up holding it by hand longer (have done that many time and sometimes it will take several minutes: even with CA and especially if the surface is not smooth).
- If the lumber used is less likely to easily bend, even with a thickness of 1/32" (0.8 mm), one option is to further sand the thickness down to ease bending in the area of the more pronounced curve, keeping the foot (at the inner keel) and head (at the gunwale) of each rib at their original thickness. The only problem with this option is that You would pretty well have to do the same with every rib to be less noticeable once everything is in place.

The shape of this canoe is quite elongated. The canoe does springs back a little once the stations are removed even after having installed the outer wale: that is actually the reason why the outer gunwales are glued in place prior to removing the stations: it decreases the amount of spring back and limits narrowing .

Sanding, the most difficult is sanding the inside: as is the case in the construction of any vessel. Laying the strips while planking is most important: from the first to the last strip, especially in the most curved area.
Again, building the real canoe is better done using "bead and cove" machined strips. Building the model, in some cases it become very difficult to perfectly follow the forms (stations) around the "mid ship" area. I usually do not worry to much about it as long as planking stays symmetrical on both side. If the strips are not so tight against the stations, it will also reduce the overall spring back. I personally like to have the planking strips rest again the stations but not in a really "tightly pulled against" way. The best way to achieve this is use the forms as a guide while letting the planks curve in a more of less natural way even they they end up a couple 10th of a millimetre away from the stations, without pulling sideways on the planks tightening the stations in a "stem to stem" direction: especially from station 3 to 7. Around stations 1 and 2(s) is the area where the spring back will be concentrated, although it will obviously have repercussions over the entire length of the vessel.
Spring back is not limited to model building, the same happens in building a real (full size) canoe.

G.
 
Hello Richard,
Overall the mahogany canoe looks good.
In regards to the ribs:
- By now I hope you understand why they are installed in halves from the center of the vessel. Doing in this way is not doing it properly as, really, they should be in one piece running across the entire hull. As a result the construction sequence is altered compared to building the real thing. Of course installing the full length ribs once the model is planked is possible, it is just much more difficult for at least 2 reasons: bending them to shape and their alignment at the same time.
- Water normally works well to bend the strips: hot water. For stubborn lumber such as mahogany keeping them submerged longer is probably the answer. Personally, as I wrote earlier, I quit using this lumber but, for lumber that is difficult to bend (cherry can be one of them depending on what direction it was cut), I normally dry fit the rib before applying glue. For ribs than seem to be more difficult to bend directly in the canoe, I use a 1.5" (4 cm) diameter round form to pre-bend them: If it does not fully bend over a quarter of the form (1/4 of full circle), that rib is discarded as it will usually break: that is true for at least the ribs located in the middle area of the canoe. the bend is less for the rest of the ribs (towards the stems).
- I am sure you noticed that some of the ribs spring back after installation. This can occur at any location along the canoe wall: due to the strip's wood grain. For that I usually end up holding it by hand longer (have done that many time and sometimes it will take several minutes: even with CA and especially if the surface is not smooth).
- If the lumber used is less likely to easily bend, even with a thickness of 1/32" (0.8 mm), one option is to further sand the thickness down to ease bending in the area of the more pronounced curve, keeping the foot (at the inner keel) and head (at the gunwale) of each rib at their original thickness. The only problem with this option is that You would pretty well have to do the same with every rib to be less noticeable once everything is in place.

The shape of this canoe is quite elongated. The canoe does springs back a little once the stations are removed even after having installed the outer wale: that is actually the reason why the outer gunwales are glued in place prior to removing the stations: it decreases the amount of spring back and limits narrowing .

Sanding, the most difficult is sanding the inside: as is the case in the construction of any vessel. Laying the strips while planking is most important: from the first to the last strip, especially in the most curved area.
Again, building the real canoe is better done using "bead and cove" machined strips. Building the model, in some cases it become very difficult to perfectly follow the forms (stations) around the "mid ship" area. I usually do not worry to much about it as long as planking stays symmetrical on both side. If the strips are not so tight against the stations, it will also reduce the overall spring back. I personally like to have the planking strips rest again the stations but not in a really "tightly pulled against" way. The best way to achieve this is use the forms as a guide while letting the planks curve in a more of less natural way even they they end up a couple 10th of a millimetre away from the stations, without pulling sideways on the planks tightening the stations in a "stem to stem" direction: especially from station 3 to 7. Around stations 1 and 2(s) is the area where the spring back will be concentrated, although it will obviously have repercussions over the entire length of the vessel.
Spring back is not limited to model building, the same happens in building a real (full size) canoe.

G.
Thank you for your detailed information. My shortly after starting with soaking only use of the electric bender with its rounded head was some help to dry fit a close approximation for the locations but the drying out in that portion required some remoistening before using the CA glue. With my fingers and hands I got my index and thumb solidly glued together several times which was then a problem to complete the setting and then getting my fingers apart again. This Mahogany is definitely a different monster than the prior cherry and the results are visible when a close examination is made.
Live or is it build and learn to move forward with successive canoes and the Bluenose pending for some revisiting of what it is and to be refined before proceeding.
I'll post a few photos later.
Rich
 
Thank you for your detailed information. My shortly after starting with soaking only use of the electric bender with its rounded head was some help to dry fit a close approximation for the locations but the drying out in that portion required some remoistening before using the CA glue. With my fingers and hands I got my index and thumb solidly glued together several times which was then a problem to complete the setting and then getting my fingers apart again. This Mahogany is definitely a different monster than the prior cherry and the results are visible when a close examination is made.
Live or is it build and learn to move forward with successive canoes and the Bluenose pending for some revisiting of what it is and to be refined before proceeding.
I'll post a few photos later.
Rich
Not much progress Friday to tend to other demands. Sanded the laminated decks to thickness then cut them out and sanded their sides and installed them with the inwards facing curved trim strips all of which are awaiting additional shaping/sanding. I also added the thwart aft of the yoke and made the seat frames which will receive a tan tread lacing Saturday. Made a mistake and put on a thin coat of water based poly instead of a second coat of sanding sealer after the first one and a round of light sanding. The Poly will be taken down beginning with 320 and again beging the coating series. Have decided that the lighter finish water poly is better than a darker oil based poly as he wood is dark enough and I like the tone given by this accidental first thin coat. Inside will be coated after side supports for the seats are placed.

It is frustrating to see the inner wales which when dry fitted somehow turnout not joining at the stem ends. Somehow the clamping process that I tried distorted the hull but I don't really know how one shortened up leaving a gap.
At least paddles are simple to make and I have my old paddle at my side, with one side of the blade broken off somehow years ago, to guide me along.
Overall not what I would like to be producing but with my eye problems there are small things coming along which I cannot see when doing the work. Save your eyes guys. It is not something that you will like to be losing as with the recurring fog banks that roll across my working eye when I least need that to happen when trying to set something in a glued position. I can say though that I like the time spent although the yard is calling for attention with Autumn coming on and the leaves beginning to come down.Canoe Friday Bow.jpgCanoe Friday Stern.jpgCanoe Friday Stern Deck.jpgCanoe Friday 1st Thin Coat.jpg
PT-2
 
Not much progress Friday to tend to other demands. Sanded the laminated decks to thickness then cut them out and sanded their sides and installed them with the inwards facing curved trim strips all of which are awaiting additional shaping/sanding. I also added the thwart aft of the yoke and made the seat frames which will receive a tan tread lacing Saturday. Made a mistake and put on a thin coat of water based poly instead of a second coat of sanding sealer after the first one and a round of light sanding. The Poly will be taken down beginning with 320 and again beging the coating series. Have decided that the lighter finish water poly is better than a darker oil based poly as he wood is dark enough and I like the tone given by this accidental first thin coat. Inside will be coated after side supports for the seats are placed.

It is frustrating to see the inner wales which when dry fitted somehow turnout not joining at the stem ends. Somehow the clamping process that I tried distorted the hull but I don't really know how one shortened up leaving a gap.
At least paddles are simple to make and I have my old paddle at my side, with one side of the blade broken off somehow years ago, to guide me along.
Overall not what I would like to be producing but with my eye problems there are small things coming along which I cannot see when doing the work. Save your eyes guys. It is not something that you will like to be losing as with the recurring fog banks that roll across my working eye when I least need that to happen when trying to set something in a glued position. I can say though that I like the time spent although the yard is calling for attention with Autumn coming on and the leaves beginning to come down.View attachment 181421View attachment 181422View attachment 181423View attachment 181424
PT-2
Saturday was a weave the seats day and dry fit for installation when the interior is ready to receive them after some more finishing work. I also am showing my adaptation of one of my trusty compasses with some bent copper wire that can be held in place with painters tape. By reversing the wires arc it can be used to determine thickness but limited to straight withdrawal, of course both depend upon measuring the wire points gap with a good ruler.Canoe Bow Seat Dry Fit.jpgCanoe Stern Seat Dry Fit.jpgImprovised Measuring Compass Adaptation.jpg
 
Saturday was a weave the seats day and dry fit for installation when the interior is ready to receive them after some more finishing work. I also am showing my adaptation of one of my trusty compasses with some bent copper wire that can be held in place with painters tape. By reversing the wires arc it can be used to determine thickness but limited to straight withdrawal, of course both depend upon measuring the wire points gap with a good ruler.View attachment 181586View attachment 181587View attachment 181588
JImsky, Your are a faithful follower it seems. Thanks for looking at my work and comments cast about the SoS shores. PT-2
 
It is my pleasure, I am still past due to my canoe build...but Alert build put all other builds\projects aside, for a while...
 
It is my pleasure, I am still past due to my canoe build...but Alert build put all other builds\projects aside, for a while...
Sunday, a day of rest, I committed to a "trial run" of the faux brass nails along the outer gunn'ls. The strong grain of the mahogany sometimes took the bit off of placement and track. These photos show the additional filing and sanding needed to clean those up. When zooming in I can see the really porous and gaping mahogany that is not apparent to my magnifiers and touch. The two photos are just about the same. No point in taking anything really close as zooming in on my jpg when I open it tell the rough/porous grain Outer Gunwale Bow Nailing A.jpgOuter Gunwale Bow Nailing C.jpgstory. I'll keep working on that but in comparison with the light basswood accent strips it is night and day in difference that from what Gilles has said from his experience that he was not able to eliminate. I'll see how it goes with additional and finer sanding between the varnish layers and keep checking with photos that I can zoom in to evaluate the progress. On the nailing side, I am not going to put in the time for full hull fasteners.
Considering another "nature" type of presentation but of a different setting, maybe a marsh if I can find some small flora. PT-2
 
Sunday, a day of rest, I committed to a "trial run" of the faux brass nails along the outer gunn'ls. The strong grain of the mahogany sometimes took the bit off of placement and track. These photos show the additional filing and sanding needed to clean those up. When zooming in I can see the really porous and gaping mahogany that is not apparent to my magnifiers and touch. The two photos are just about the same. No point in taking anything really close as zooming in on my jpg when I open it tell the rough/porous grain View attachment 181753View attachment 181754story. I'll keep working on that but in comparison with the light basswood accent strips it is night and day in difference that from what Gilles has said from his experience that he was not able to eliminate. I'll see how it goes with additional and finer sanding between the varnish layers and keep checking with photos that I can zoom in to evaluate the progress. On the nailing side, I am not going to put in the time for full hull fasteners.
Considering another "nature" type of presentation but of a different setting, maybe a marsh if I can find some small flora. PT-2
Following some drying time after the last finish coat I decided to set and glue in the seats. I am happy with the tan thread that I used as it works well with the overall browns of the canoe.Canoe Seats Set.jpgCanoe Bow Seat.jpgCanoe Stern Seat.jpg
 
My wife, son, and I went out to a local reservoir which is being drawn down for the winter to gather some small marsh type items for the second canoe presentation diorama which I will try to make marsh. On return to our car I spotted this old piece of a branch or root and decided to use it to show what the canoe appears as after four or maybe five coats and light sandings (which do not really do anything to reduce the deep grain). I may use it again with better outdoor lighting and proper black cloth backdrop. The present idea though is not the root but a marsh. I apologize for the repetition of similar photos but decided to put them up anyway. I can zoom in on my side but don't think that you will be able with these unless you save them and poste into another document which may be zoomed. On a more light nature I will also attach a video of building a real birch bark canoe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFSjKRnUzVo
Four Coats and a trial presentation.jpgFour Coats and a trial presentation B.jpgFour Coats and a trial presentation C.jpgFour Coats and a tiral presentation D.jpgFour Coats and a trial presentation E.jpgThere is a backyard challenge if you have access to the right trees. PT-2
 
Great job on your canoe, PT-2!!
Following and during the last finish coats I bought a 2-inch thick green foam floral base board to shape into my marsh diorama; went to the local reservoir lake to get some small plant materials to spray with acrylic to fix them; then making not of the large cat tails and rushes went home to use some dead Iris leaves to shred into small strips for faux rushes, and cut up two cheap bristle paint brushes to make into marsh grass. The cut off bristles are place between two coffee sticks, the ends glued, and then can be cut into smaller clumps when dry. I'll attach some photos of the "build presentation progress" of materials assembly/prep. After the new insertion procedure when I tried to delete the thumbnail it deleted the full size as well... I went back to reattach that but I don't know how to delete the duplicated photos!!!!!! Please ignore what you will recognize as a prior photo already seen and proceed, trying to keep the process in mind and order. :confused: I still cannot find where to put the cursor between or after photos to add comments captioning each photo!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for my mess inflicted on your time. I will begin to "plant some of the faux flora and also determine how much resin will be needed for the water in front of the marsh beach. Possibly by putting a temporary front frame to support a plastic wrap tub and pour some water in to determine the volume. Hopefully it will not leak. PT-2
Paint Brush Marsh Grass Items.jpgPaint Brush Marsh Grass Items 2.jpgMarsh Bullrush Starting Iris Leaf.jpgMarsh Bullrush WIre Brush Separation.jpgMarsh Bullrush Starting Iris Leaf.jpgMarsh Bullrush Iris Separated Leaf Wrapped.jpgMarsh Bullrushes TIed and End Glued.jpg
 
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