Wallops Island 12 build

[Abyssdncr]

Starting another one and figured the canoe would fit nicely in the inventory.  Plans showed up Wednesday.  Got stringer stock all ripped about an hour ago.  When the paint dries on the other boat on the sawhorses, I'll start cleaning up the saw marks and start cutting scarfs.  Fortunately, I got a couple of really nice 2x6x10 WRC to start with, so there isn't much to work around because of the wood quality, just the length issues to address.  When the mounting block patterns arrive, I'll start on the plywood.  

 

Looks like a fun little boat to build, and at 28" wide, should be plenty stable for the less adventurous of the household.  Looking forward to it!

[Action Tiger]

Sounds like someone is planning to be the major naval power on the pond...

[Abyssdncr]

Got the frames all cut out today. Time to clean them up and start scarfing. We have a group float trip planned for the 11th, and I hope to be able to bring it out then.

[Abyssdncr]

Stringers all scarfed and gluing.

[Abyssdncr]

All routed and sanded. Ready for the strongback.

[Action Tiger]

Sweet.

[Abyssdncr]

And just like that, it takes shape.

[Action Tiger]

Whoa! Smart choice to do the canoe first. Now you can paddle with the rest of the navy while you sweat and moan over your invention. Which project I think you should pursue.

Meanwhile, that is a snazzy little canoe, eh?

[Abyssdncr]

Yeah, I'm really liking the shape. I was tempted to cut seat rail slots in the forward center frame to give it the option of a forward seat for the little ones, but couldn't find the design capacity on the website, so I've resisted the urge...thus far. That's a lot of volume though, ought to handle 300lbs just fine. Should be great for a few folks I know who aren't quite ready to take the kayak plunge.

8 hours of lashing ahead of me know though, ugh... However, after all the hastle I just went through doing a screw and glue, I'll bear that cross gladly. At least you can adjust a lashing!

[Abyssdncr]

Middle three frames lashed. Cut all the stringer zip ties off the bow frame and lashed the bow tip to the keel stringer. Hope to get the bow frame and the stringers all fit to the bow tip tomorrow. Also hope to swing by the LLS to find some material suitable for breasthooks and thwarts. If nothing catches my eye, I still have some perfectly good cedar laying around.

Devil's in the details is rapidly approaching...

[Abyssdncr]

Alright, I could use some input now. What to do about breasthook location and attach method. I'm gluing the stringers to the tips. There's quite a bit of stress in that last little foot from the first frame to the tip making the final bend, but that also takes quite a bit of stress of the mid frames. I had to add a piece of scrap stock between the frame at the top to support it while I clamped the gunwale tips in place. That said, I'm pretty sure that the breasthook needs to solidly secure the gunwales together at the ends for the last foot so the frame doesn't collapse when I remove the support scrap.

However, the tip and first frame interfere with a simple cap with their per plans geometry. Modifying the tip is easy since its glued and I don't have to worry about messing up a lashing sanding it to shape. Less true with the frame there.

I suppose I could also clip the top two lashings on that frame and either sand flush with the gunwales for a cap style breasthook or I could trim half an inch off the top of the frame and bow tip between the gunwales and fashion a breasthook that goes flush between them. Then either lash the frame back up or epoxy. Epoxy would be less ideal for the frame though since the tips are already secured, and I wouldn't have the best access to the frame/gunwale joint.

Less sophisticated would be a simple plywood wedge of a breasthook that would just terminate before /at the frame, but I was hoping for a more elegant solution.

Semi-stumped now - whatcha think?

Here's my clamp blocks for the tougher stringer tips:

[Kudzu]

That surprises me but I have had very little feedback from builders on this boat. You need a couple of thwarts anyway, Sounds like they may need be further back than I call for?   You are in a better position than I to answer this but maybe you could move the twarts further back than called for? You could take some scrap and try it and let me know.

 

Sounds as if like I need to narrow frame 1 and 11 or either make it closed at the top, but that wouldn't look good.

[Kudzu]

And just like that, it takes shape.

 

Looking at this photo I can clearly see what you are talking about. Those Gunwale stringers are way to far apart!

[Action Tiger]

I think I would do a solid breasthook that stops short of the frame. You can stack laminate one from ply, which will give you the approximate bevel, which you can then work down, or fill with thickened epoxy.

The ends toward the center of the boat can be nicely rounded and chamfered, and it will look pretty slick.

The alternative would be a solid wood breast hook, carved to fit.

Either of these could be glued in and screwed through the gunwale, if that's the preferred method. They could also be lashed in.

A cap could also be employed in either style, to engage the gunwale inboard and on top.

Just thinking with my thumbs...

Peace,

Robert

[Action Tiger]

Rough sketch...

[Abyssdncr]

 

And just like that, it takes shape.

 

Looking at this photo I can clearly see what you are talking about. Those Gunwale stringers are way to far apart!

 

 

I'm not sure I'm following you here.  Everything thus far is per the plans...at least as far as I know.  What am I missing?

 

Edit:  Oh, you mean the tips of the gunwale stringers are too far apart...yeah, a bit...

 

I was thinking of maybe closing that top and then having a larger breasthook totally cover that frame, so it wouldn't be unsightly.  Alternatively, I might play around with the aft frame location for grins & giggles and see how far it would need to be moved toward the center to have my gunwales move into a better position so there isn't the need for mechanical clamping forces to get them held into position.

[Abyssdncr]

Rough sketch...

 

I like where you're going with that Robert.  I was mentally heading toward a much larger breasthook that would totally cover the first frame and be around 1.5' long with a curve cut out of it a la Wee Lassie, but stopping short of the end frame would be a helluva lot easier and still provide plenty of support to the gunwale tips.  I know you're the blade master, but I have an 8" benchtop disk sander that can chamfer the edges down quite nicely to make it a nice fit between the stringers.  Then, I'm confident that good ol' TBIII would be sufficient.

[Action Tiger]

Tools are tools, brother. I would use a surform plane on plywood, or, yep, an angle grinder with a flappy wheel. Plywood dulls blades fast.

Have fun. It's going to be great!

Peace,

Robert

[Abyssdncr]

With all the aesthetic appeal of 7th grade shop class, but it'll work...

[Abyssdncr]

Sanded down with a splash of BLO to see what she will look like, and I think that'll work.

With just the stern frame to finish lashing and the tip to go on the main structure, here's how the rest of it is looking:

Should get that sorted by lunch tomorrow, then on to the thwarts. Fore, aft, or around the mid frames for thwart location?

I might make up for being lazy on the breasthooks by doing a cedar strip floor. If I start ripping down a 2x4 for 2" flooring strips, how thick do I need to make them to support my fat butt? Also, is there any reason the flooring slats can't be all lashed at once per frame station vs. lashing each strip individually at each frame? Lastly, anyone ever do a strip floor and notch the strips out for the lashings like we do for the keel lashes and make it a solid floor so dropped fishing hooks can't skip through the cracks and get caught in the skin?