DGentry Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 Hi, I've only posted a few times here, but I thought I'd share my latest creation, of which I am pretty proud. It's a Wee Lassie solo canoe, that I modified a wee bit. 10'6" long, by 27" wide, weighs between 16 and 18lbs or so. Stringers and wales are Alaskan Yellow Cedar, and the ribs and floorboard are Red Oak. Mostly it's all lashed, traditional style, but I used epoxy here and there, too. The skin is heavy duty 18ga vinyl, very tough. Actual build time was about 2 weeks, though I spread that out over a few months, for various reasons - not to mention I've been putting off building this for the last year and a half! Anyway, here are some pics. Questions and comments welcome! Dave Gentry And, yes, the boat is fully skinned and ready to paddle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbrewer Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrassier Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Very nice work! Are the ribs steam bent or laminated? They look to be 3/8" x 1" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_Potts Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Very Pretty! That's time well spent. If you get photos of the launch please share... She's going to be a jaw-dropper on the water with the clear skin - And you can watch the fish watch you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottWidmier Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Beautiful boat! I love the clear skin which shows off all of the wonderful work you have done inside. I have been thinking about skin on frame for some future boatbuild especially after lifting my dory off the top of the van a couple of times. You gotta love the weight savings! I would love to hear more detail on your build and your experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konrad Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 That thing is cooler than crap. Tell how you did the inlays at the bow and stern. And also, how does a person "skin" a boat like this? Korn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGentry Posted April 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Hi, and thanks, guys. This was a fun build, though tedious at times, mostly because I had to scarph every one of the stringers and the wales because my wood was 2' short. Typically I prefer to bash things with hammers, too, so the lashing was slow, at first, but then it became sort of a zen thing and it was done. The ribs are steam bent, 1/4" x 1 1/2", which is pretty stout (making for fewer ribs). I fine tuned some of the bends with a heat gun. Steam bending was not difficult, or much of a PITA. The inlay at the bow is just inlay - cut out one's design (this one was wood, about 5/32" thick), trace it onto the breasthook, route that out with a rotary tool to sufficient depth, epoxy in the design - with it standing a bit proud of the surface - then sand it all down flush. One might want to practice first, before carving into a boat . . . . The stern thingy is not inlay, rather its my "brand." An actual brand that you heat up and sear the wood with. It says "Handcrafted by David Gentry." Anybody can get one, with their name on it, in various designs. I lost the link, but you can easily Google it. Skinning with the vinyl is just like skinning a canoe with any fabric (kayaks are a bit different, as the skins are often sewn along the centerline of the deck). Drape the skin over the inverted hull, fasten along the gunwale, pull very tight at the opposite gunwale and then fasten there, moving from side to side, and fore and aft, evenly and in increments till it's done. The rubrail goes over the fastenings. SOF boats are the bees knees - with a very minimal investment of time and money one can build a boat that looks and performs great, and is so very light! They can be very, very durable, too. I'm now a big fan (clearly). When the weather cooperates, I'll be launching her and taking lots of pics, and I'll post some here. Thanks again! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 THat is such a nice boat. Excellent craftmanship. How is the plastic attached and sealed at the stem and stern? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konrad Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 Yeah, that's kind of what I'm wondering. How does that vinyl actually adhere? With adhesive? (that's difficult to envision). Or mechanically fastened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAR Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 I would think it's tacked or stapled, just like any covering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Luckett Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 It is very hard to see the skin from these pictures. Could you post some closeups? Beautiful framing, by the way. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucee Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Hi Dave, Your canoe is gorgeous. It must be a joy to paddle. Thanks for sharing the photos. Does the skin flex when in the water? How does the skin keep tight? Does the boat twist at all? Where do you get the vinyl skin? How is it attached to the frames? Sorry for so many questions but I've had it in the back of my mind to build a super-light canue like your someday. cheers, Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGentry Posted May 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Thanks again, all. The boat paddles just great! And I've even run it in a bunch of shallow water class 2 rapids (which is definitely not recommended if one isn't already a whitewater boater). She's agile and easy to paddle. No twisting, but my gunwales and keel are relatively substantial. The skin flexes a bit along the stringers, but doesn't contact the ribs. It is fastened only along the top edge of the gunwales, with SS staples. The skin can be sewn on there, instead. The sin is folded over, and glued together, at the stems, with HH-66 vinyl adhesive Close-up pics of the skin are similarly unrevealing, like taking a close up pic of glass would be. One can get clear vinyl, and the vinyl cement, at Mauritzon.com. Or you can get clear vinyl at WalMart or fabric stores, though I don't know if it's the same quality. Solid colored - but cored - PVC, or nylon or polyester fabrics are considerably stronger. Robert Morris' book "Building Skin on Frame Boats" is a useful reference, and there were a couple of how-to articles in WoodenBoat magazine about building a somewhat similar SOF canoe earlier this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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