Bob Easton

Unlike many canoes, this one has a flat bottom. It is very much like a dory bottom, flat, wide, and with a very slight bit of rocker (fore and aft curvature). One of the benefits of this sort of bottom is relatively high “initial stability,” meaning that it isn’t as tippy as a narrow round bottom or v-bottomed boat might be when you first step in to it. It’s also very easy to construct.

We won’t find boards wide enough for the full width, nearly 15 inches. So, we edge glue as many boards as needed to make up the width. Due to lumber availability, the 1:1 version will likely require 3 boards, and that is what I did for the model. These joints are probably the most critical in the boat. They are edge joins of boards that are 9/16 inch thick, and are fastened solely with glue. The edges have to mate as close to perfectly as possible. They will be a good place to use a #8 jointer plane.

The photo shows how I simply cut out parts of the drawings and rubber cement them to the actual parts for cutting. The technique minimizes a lot of measuring and the errors that come along with measuring.

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I shaped some very small parts today, the coaming support knees and the stems. Doubling up boards certainly reduces the amount of sawing. The bulkheads were doubled (opposing grain directions), and the perimeters were cut. Most are straight line facets. Tomorrow: the elliptical holes in the bulkheads.

A few of the parts are very small. Don’t sneeze. Some of the parts need to be made in multiples. The strategy for creating multiple identical parts is to glue boards together temporarily. Cut one pattern. Separate the boards. The temporary glue is rubber cement. It holds just well enough to get the job done. The same cement is used to affix paper patterns cut from the plans produced at the start of the project.

Most parts cutting is done with a jeweler’s saw that has teeth so fine as to be barely visible.

The mid-frame is made of seven parts, all quite small. These and many other parts of this boat are small both to minimize weight and to get them from narrow width (inexpensive) lumber.

The frame was assembled directly over the plan. A temporary cross spall is needed to keep the frame at the proper width until the planking is complete. On the 1:1 version, this cross spall is a single piece that can be unscrewed when needed. For the model, I made the cross spall in a layered assembly that can be readily removed. Trennels, made of bamboo, are substitutes for screws, adding both appearance and strength.

While waiting for glue to set up on the mid-frame, I started the bulkheads. Two methods are described for these parts. One method uses lightweight cedar laminated from two 1/4 inch thin layers. Why not a single 1/2 inch construction? Strength while remaining lightweight is the reason. Laminating layers with opposing grain directions adds more strength than if a single layer were used. The alternate construction uses 1/2 plywood as a heavier substitute. I chose the first approach. Here we see patterns applied to boards that have been edge glued together to get to the needed width.

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