Canoe plans

[rapidboy]

This might be worth a look.
Next door to the Ailwee caves visitor centre in Co.Clare.
The Ballyvaughan wooden boat school.

I visited the cave last year and had a look around the school.
Really great place ,you can spend a weeks holiday building a small boat or canoe under supervision by skilled craftsmen.
Really friendly atmosphere ,when i was there they had a family weekend ,building small boats from plywood.

From 8x4 sheets to the water all in a weekend.

They had hard chine ,wooden strip and GRP canoes all in various stages of construction when i was there as well as some new GRP sea kayak's for sale.
RB

 

[mr dazzler]

For some inspiring kayaks and canoes why not check harvey golden's site
http://traditionalkayaks.com

 

[Simon]

Hi Rich,

How's your canoe coming? ... I work about 50/50 with wood as a scenic carpenter and resins as a mould maker for film, GRP, PU and Epoxies .. any tips, techniques and suppliers you need to know of, let me know

I've had an itch, myself, that I might one day scratch :biggthump

 

[Simon]

a little bit of research before heading in to the garage has come up with ..

http://www.bateau2.com/free/cheapcanoe.htm

http://www.svensons.com/boat/

http://www.bateau.com/free/freeplans.htm

http://home.clara.net/gmatkin/design.htm

http://www.bigdamfish.net/freeplans.html

:biggthump

 

[Roving Rich]

Hi Simon (and anyone else who is interested)
The Canoe has kinda ground to a halt at the moment. We Dave (DG the bow drill master and top tracker :notworthy )and I were building them in a barn. But the barn is in use at the moment, so canoes have been relagated to the lambing shed which is dark and full of spiders....
We could definetly do with some help on the GRP side. The woven roving tape keeps curling up at the edges, and bubbles appear under it as it starts to go off. so it looks a bit of a mess with nasty white patches around the place.
The fillet between the chines was "glued" or filled with epoxy mixed with West systems filler stuff (not colloidal silica but another one) so again more patches under the tape My first 2 batches went off like Mount Vesouvious, foaming and giving off noxious fumes :yikes: nearly combusted !
Can we use sandings from the wood as a filler instead, as this would be a better colour, or/and can we add stain to the epoxy to blend it into the boat.
I read a bit on BB about making mozaic pins, so know there are ways and means with epoxies...
On the whole the one boat that is nearing completion is looking lovely and both of us can't wait to paddle it.
For the mean time i'll just carry on making me knives
Cheers
Rich

 

[Simon]

Hi Simon (and anyone else who is interested)
The Canoe has kinda ground to a halt at the moment. We Dave (DG the bow drill master and top tracker :notworthy )and I were building them in a barn. But the barn is in use at the moment, so canoes have been relagated to the lambing shed which is dark and full of spiders....
We could definetly do with some help on the GRP side. The woven roving tape keeps curling up at the edges, and bubbles appear under it as it starts to go off. so it looks a bit of a mess with nasty white patches around the place.
The fillet between the chines was "glued" or filled with epoxy mixed with West systems filler stuff (not colloidal silica but another one) so again more patches under the tape My first 2 batches went off like Mount Vesouvious, foaming and giving off noxious fumes :yikes: nearly combusted !
Can we use sandings from the wood as a filler instead, as this would be a better colour, or/and can we add stain to the epoxy to blend it into the boat.
I read a bit on BB about making mozaic pins, so know there are ways and means with epoxies...
On the whole the one boat that is nearing completion is looking lovely and both of us can't wait to paddle it.
For the mean time i'll just carry on making me knives
Cheers
Rich

I take it the mount versuvius was polyester ....... sounds like you way over catalysed it .. polyester is incredibly sensitive to heat and humidity ..... between winter and summer I probably reduce the amount of catalyst by a 3rd or more on average.. I have been fibreglassing outside on a warm summer's day and mixing up 2 kilos of resin and literally 2 or 3 drops of MEKP ... and it was still going off too quickly.

The other thing is that it is very mass dependent when it comes to gel time .. the thicker it is the more exotherm .. the faster it sets .. try to keep the resin moving when you are working .. every time I dip my brush in the bowl I give it a short mix . it helps prolong the working life of the resin

your bubbling . if it is polyester you are getting it with . is down to having your mix too hot .. so reduce the MEKP ... you can do small mixes as tests and note the reactions . so you then have an accurate way to gauge . make it slower than need be and you have plenty of time to work the bubbles out

with epoxy you have a far more accurate "clock" for working time/time to gel.. personally I would use epoxy all the way and keep away from polyester . it's so much easier to work with . get a slow one that gives you lots of time to chase the bubbles out with. I know that the professional glassers for boat building have their work inspected by shining a torch through their laminates to check for air bubbles ..... luckily we don't have to be quite so picky

http://www.wessex-resins.com/ .. good suppliers ... i prefer the Pro Set at the moment

and yes you can add wood dust to epoxy resin to make a filler ..

one of these tools might help

http://www.resin-supplies.co.uk/rollers.htm

 

[dtalbot]

a little bit of research before heading in to the garage has come up with ..

http://www.bateau2.com/free/cheapcanoe.htm

http://www.svensons.com/boat/

http://www.bateau.com/free/freeplans.htm

http://home.clara.net/gmatkin/design.htm

http://www.bigdamfish.net/freeplans.html

:biggthump

Oh,
that bateau2 one look within even my limited skills, must try it when I'm no making knives or longbows!
Cheers
David

 

[mr dazzler]

All right Simon?
Was just wondereing-supose I wanted to create a canoe or other small boat out of thin ply boards, rather than skin on frame, what would be a good waterproof glue to use?

I was amazed to find "Sampan" means "3 boards", (cos thats basically what they made up of) And how they similar to ancient punt type craft used in this country. :z:

Have you seen the excellent boat museum at Lowestoft; good spot to look at.
You have any experience with skin on frame building?

PS why not check out this superb sequence of photos at
http://www.vietnamboats.org/sewnplankalbum.htm

Mr D :wave:

 

[Simon]

All right Simon?
Was just wondereing-supose I wanted to create a canoe or other small boat out of thin ply boards, rather than skin on frame, what would be a good waterproof glue to use?

I was amazed to find "Sampan" means "3 boards", (cos thats basically what they made up of) And how they similar to ancient punt type craft used in this country. :z:

Have you seen the excellent boat museum at Lowestoft; good spot to look at.
You have any experience with skin on frame building?

PS why not check out this superb sequence of photos at
http://www.vietnamboats.org/sewnplankalbum.htm

Mr D :wave:

LOL .. haven't made a boat yet .. so no experience, as such ... although I have made frames of all shapes and sizes for set and scenic stuff .. and a few prop boats .. and a submarine

as to glue . It'd be either a polyurethane or an epoxy .. probably use the epoxy laminating resin, thickened.

 

[Roving Rich]

Hi Dazzler, that is exactly what iam doing, its called "Stitch and Tape" boat building.
looks like this at the moment :

I bought a set of plans from Selway Fisher so i am building a Prospector.

So far its quite straightforward, but takes alot of time ! and we still have quite a way to go, and a second boat to build.

Simon - We are using Epoxy. West systems, with pumps on each bottle (genious whoever thought of that one ) so the mix should always be correct. The volcano effect was when i mixed in the filler stuff

Wish me luck, got my BCU 3* canoeing test tonight :roll:

Rich

 

[Simon]

Weird ... usually epoxy is very stable :?: and a very low exothermic reaction ..... shouldn't heat up much at all

what's the setting/gelling time on it?

and what was the filler?

 

[dtalbot]

Not quite skin cover but the guys I keep plugging at the www.greenwoodtrust.org.uk do a coracle making course two or three times a year.
Cheers
David

 

[mr dazzler]

That looks very good Rich, just from that little picture its got nice form, like a viking boat. I expect it will flex a little when its finished?? :?: Good luck with the completion (and test) :wave:

 

[dtalbot]

I've had a good look at the CheapCanoe plans from Bateau2, just need to find enough room to build one now!
Cheers
David

 

[Roving Rich]

Me Dazzler - Yeh we are very pleased with the shape, we cut the sides down a bit, as it resembled a super tanker before. The result is a nice smooth line though.
It is flimsy, it has taken the shape well, but is made of 4mm marine ply, and the bottom sections flex so i need to come up with a cunning plan for reinforcement...

Simon, your help and advice would be greatly appreciated, and you are only a stones throw away

Cheeers
Rich

 

[bothyman]

Anyone building a Selway Fisher canoe may find this group helpful, :wave:

>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFD_builders_sailors

 

[Simon]

Simon, your help and advice would be greatly appreciated, and you are only a stones throw away
Cheeers
Rich

LOL ):

I'm afraid it won't be any time soon as I am rather busy ... but i am sure I could be persuaded one weekend with a lure of beer .. just not any weekends for the next few weeks though

sounds like you need to fit some ribs in and perhaps a former to stop that flex :?:

 

[Roving Rich]

Yeh we figured on adding plywood ribs across the bottom 2 planks to stop the flex ):
Just gotta find the time and a barn....

Rich

 

[PeterW]

I Started to build this Ultralight about 12 months ago, then ran over it with my land rover...

Its on the cards for this winter, when I've got the garage heating sorted out...!!!

Cheers

Peter

 

[TheViking]

I Started to build this Ultralight about 12 months ago, then ran over it with my land rover...

Is it only 3 mm. thick?? When my dad and were paddling in Sweden last year, we had Inka's aluminium canoes... When the big streams came and we sailed over rocks, it sounded like the canoe were being teared apart! :shock: 3 mm. is pretty thin IMO??