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Motor Canoe project


Chick Ludwig

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Well Drew, guess I've broken all of your bosses rules. I've been able to fix 'em all except the last one, "...keep your darn fingers outa the saw!"

Maybe Graham and Alan will go ahead and finish the plans, and maybe the kit.

 

rexaco, cool old pictures.

 

PAR, we're hoping for 65# for this one. Gotta be light enough for us old folks to cartop.

 

 

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Today's work was to get the outwales on, breasthook and transom reinforcement installed. Forward and aft bulkheads filleted in place. Now, to the pictures...

These slabs will become the breasthook and quarter knees. They are black walnut like the gunnels.

DSCN2729.JPG

 

Outwales glued and clamped in place.

DSCN2730.JPG

 

Breasthook.

DSCN2731.JPG

 

Transom reinforcement, and cleat for the seat top..

DSCN2732.JPG

 

Forward stowage compartment bulkhead.

DSCN2733.JPG

 

Turtler wanted to go turtlin' down at Fall Creek Landing tomorrow, so Miss Debbie and I said we'd take him. The quarry for the day is softshell turtles---we hope. Back to work Thursday. Y'all check back later, ok?

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Seems like it takes WAY to long to do some of these little jobs. But, better to take the time to do it right. Back in the day when I worked for several big yacht builders down in good old St. Pete. and Clearwater (Morgan, Irwin, Gulfstar, Hutchins...), we had a saying. "There's never enough time to do it right the first time, but always time to do it over". That's what us smartalecky younguns in the production engineering dept. said about the production line guys. Now that I'm doing the actual work, seems like I fall into the same bad habits as they did.

 

Anyway. here's the latest.

 

Quarter knees made and installed, and hatch framing in the rear seat.

DSCN2745.JPG

 

Forward stowage compartment top made. This compartment has a water tight hatch, so it is also a flotation tank.

DSCN2746.JPG

 

Seat risers. There will be caned canoe seats mounted on these. Seats come from Essex Industries. They have lotsa cool stuff. Check-em-out.

DSCN2747.JPG

 

Well, actually, in fairness to myself, lots of time was spent sanding, cleaning, moving stuff around, and the usual time wasters. Now it all sits for the weekend, then back to make the rear seat top and hatch, and begin work on the slotted inwales. Gonna look sharp, y'all. Oh, yeah, bottom stiffening. Still trying to decide if I need to double-up the bottom like the other canoes, ot just depend on an external keel and a couple of stringers. Decisions, decisions.

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Thanks Ken.

No Don. They are from Essex industries.

Well, y'all, the decision has done been made. i asked Summer breeze and Turtler what they thought about stiffening the bottom, and they both said doubler. So, todays job was scrounging through the plywood cut-off collection to find a couple of pieces large enough. I didn't want to cut up a new sheet for this. Sure 'nuff, found a couple of pieces left over from a previous project, so today's job was cutting them to fit and bonding them in. Then stacking spline weights, butter tubs full of old wheel balance weights, tools, and I don't know what all else stacked in to force the doubler into contact. Oh, and sticks wedging it down from the seats. ------ah, rats, I forgot the dang kitchen sink...

DSCN2754.JPG

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Sorry y'all, been busy with other stuff, so only pickin' away on the canoe. So, here ya go. Bottom doubler is done except for glassing the center joint. I'm gonna wait to do that until after the keel is on so the glass will cover the screw holes. Inwale is on. Just gotta radius the edges and blend it into the breast hook and quarter knees. Hatch is done. No, not tomorrow. We're gonna take the Kayaks down to Lake Adger tomorrow.

 

Comin' up next is the big flip, glass taping the outside seams, adding the keel. Won't be long now! Just a mess of sanding, varnishing, painting...

 

Only a couple of pictures today. Lookit at all the clamps holding the inwale in place. No screws. I think the poxy will do the job. If not it'll be really excited when I start removing the clamps and everything goes...SPRRROING!!!

DSCN2762.JPG

 

The hatch---wow, thrillsville! Still gonna pop a chunk of foam in there to hold Mr. Zuki up if Miss Debbie or I do sumpin stoopid. Nawww...

DSCN2763.JPG

 

Gosh, that garage sure is clogged up. Now, just how does a fella get ANYTHING done in there. I'll tell ya. Gotta move stuff around every time another operation has to be done. And, Miss Debbie really wants to pull Red in there. What? Who's Red? Oh yeah, Red is our red Honda Fit who is SUPPOSED to live in the garage.

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Gosh, Don, thanks. HEY, WAIT---"cover girl"? 

Anyway, here's a few shots of the finished gunnels. Still need a bit if detailing on the transom. But now, time to flip and glass the seams and add the keel.

Still haven't decided on a name for this li'l covergirl.

 

The seats are bolted in. They'll be removed to poxy coat and varnish the interior.

DSCN2769.JPG

 

I'm gonna try to steam bend walnut strips to cap the curved parts of the transom top so it will blend in with the gunnels. It that doesn't work, then plan-B will be considered.

DSCN2770.JPG

 

I'm pleased at how it all turned out. Even got some good joints!

DSCN2771.JPG

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Graham, thanks. That walnut is pretty heavy, but I sure do like the looks of it. The amount in the gunnels doesn't amount to enough to keep Miss Debbie from lifting her end---I hope. The doubler in the bottom, along with the pxy goo that bonds it in, adds a lot of weight, though. I probably should have just used stringers instead, like I did on Turtler.  At any rate, I can load it on the cartop myself if need be. Even if I have to set one end on at a time. I'll weigh it and let you guys know how close we are to the 65# hoped for.

 

Just checked the weight. 64# as best I can tell weighing each end on my electronic bathroom scales.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the "under belly" with all the seams taped. It will probably be Monday before i can get back to add the keel. Have a great weekend, y'all!

DSCN2772.JPG

DSCN2773.JPG

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Thanks guys. Color????? Well, I have some leftover red from Turtler. Lots of it. But, I get bored easily. And, I didn't like the way it (Sherwin Williams industrial enamel) went on. Definitely reacted to the poxy under it. I didn't use poxy primer. I'm trying to save weight on the canoe, so don't wanna epoxy coat the whole thing and prime with epoxy primer. I've had pretty good luck with rustoleum in the past. I want something that will touch up easily. This canoe's gonna get used and abused gettin' back in the shallow swampy areas chasin' the elusive turkles. Some folks suggest porch and floor paint, but I dunno if it will go over the epoxy and dry properly. The interior and gunnels will be epoxy coated, and then varnished with Captain's varnish. I know that will work well.

 

So, what about it? What do I use on the outside?

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