Raven, part 2

[memaquay]

Well, I decided I would build another Raven. Lots of rumination, was going to go with a 15 foot Pal, but I always really liked the Raven, so I will try to build this one a little lighter.

Someone posted a video by Nick Schade, I believe, where he had cut his stem strips into 1/8 inch strips and simply glued them and wrapped them in saran wrap and bent them on the forms. No steaming needed. I really wanted to try this, so yesterday I cut a bunch of 1/8 inch strips out of cedar, and today I got out the saran wrap. Did the inner and outer for the bow at the same time. So far, so good. A little bit of cracking on the outside piece at the hard bend, but I put a clamp right over it, and it seems fine now. I'll pull them off on Monday, and if it works out, I will do the stern stems then too.

If it works, it will have saved me a considerable amount of time. Took me about a half hour to cut 30 1/8 inch strips, and about 20 minutes to glue and clamp the bow stems today. The saran wrap idea is actually pretty cool too, it holds all the strips in alignment during the clamping procedure.

 

[scratchypants]

Love me a build thread. I did my Freedom's stems that way but used a heat gun to help them along.

 

[Roybrew]

Did you use wood glue or epoxy?

Looking forward to following along.
Roy

 

[Woodpuppy]

Yay, subscribed!

 

[memaquay]

So this isn't one of those build thread where I will Wow you with my fine wood working skills. This is exactly the opposite, where you will be saying "Wow" as you observe my wood butchery.

I was given about 35 full length bead and coved strips this summer. I didn't measure them, but I figured they looked wide. Yesterday before I started planking, I measured, and they are 1 1/8 inches wide. This is not ideal for the Raven, but it is nothing a guy with no standards can't work around.

The 1/8 inch "no-steam" stems worked fantastic, they were rock solid when I took them off the forms. That will be my new process for future builds, saves a lot of time.

Friday ended up to be a snow day at work, so I was looking forward to spending the whole day stripping.

Anyway, the first wide strip went on the Raven beautifully. It's been so long since I used full length strips, I forgot what a pleasure it was to work with them. However, all the joy ran out of Mudville with the application of strips 2 to 6. The width made them almost impossible to work around the sharp knuckles, but if you are a guy who always looks for the beauty in ugly things, then the result was almost pleasing.

And for those really hard curves where the staples were more decorative than effective, there are always drywall screws.

I was making great speed, I went 8 strips up on one side, then switched to the other side, got the first strip on, then started the second. The second is the hardest, the width just doesn't want to work with the form, and just as I was applying the correct amount of twist force, backed up by the appropriate amount of profanity, and coerced by the perfect drywall screw angle, the power in our entire region collapsed. In fact, as I sit here 19 hours later, typing this, thanks to my recently acquired generac system, the power is still out over a large section of Northern Ontario. This is a fairly common occurrence up here, but I can tell you, when you are balls deep in an intricate drywall screw application, and you are suddenly floundering in the dark, and the newly acquired gorilla wood glue is drying in an unexpected record time, all semblance of tolerance for the norms go out the window. Thankfully, the kids had gone home, as the torrent of invective that split the blackness would have made my old longshoreman grand dad blush.

In any case, I finished stapling and screwing using the Braille form of canoe building. I will see the results on Monday, and am looking forward to setting a new pinnacle in the ugliest stripper ever built contest.

Stick around for more tips on how to build ugly things quickly, and then cover them all in paint.

 

[Traveler]

Stick around for more tips on how to build ugly things quickly, and then cover them all in paint.

I’m definitely in

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Someone posted a video by Nick Schade, I believe, where he had cut his stem strips into 1/8 inch strips and simply glued them and wrapped them in saran wrap and bent them on the forms. No steaming needed. I really wanted to try this

The 1/8 inch "no-steam" stems worked fantastic, they were rock solid when I took them off the forms. That will be my new process for future builds, saves a lot of time.

For future reference, here is the thread in which the OP has the video by Nick Schade:

Video: Nick Schade instructional for bending laminated stems on strip canoe

I have no idea how basic this is, but I found it interesting to see an alternative to steam bending.

www.canoetripping.net

 

[memaquay]

I've been making fair progress, the bead and coved strips went right up to the bottom of the canoe, then there was some `16 foot clear cedar that had been included with the strips, so I ripped it up. Didn't bother beading and coving it, and I'm pretty happy about that. It is much easier to plank the bottom of the canoe with straight strips, especially after cutting the centre line. Should have it all filled in by the end of the week.

My wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas, so I steered her toward buying a pre-made seat and a removable yoke, I really don't want to fuss around on this build, just want to get a functional boat on the water for June. So far, it has cost me 30 bucks in glue and 10 bucks in staples.

 

[Odyssey]

TBH mem, I don't often follow stripper builds, because I'm just not that into carpentry. It's one of those necessary evils we home DIYers do just to save money, and time, and money, and of course to impress the wife. Like foundation repairs. Toilet plumbing. Hanging new doors... But I gotta tell you, I love every time you pick up your swear thesaurus and a ballpeen hammer to run to the shop for another canoe build.
If these weren't sold out, I'd rush a couple cans your way.

 

[memaquay]

Lol Brad, that's a new one to me, Figgy Pudding Spam. I should probably change my profile pic now, as I am off the Spam, Klick, and mystery meats in general, but I would certainly try Figgy Pudding Spam. It would probably be just as disappointing as the jalapeño Spam, but perhaps my jalapeño taste buds have been for ever destroyed by your arse-lip burning jalapeño Bannock.
The guys in the shop were looking at me funny today when I was smashing the end of a strip in with a wooden mallet, but sometimes finess ain't everything.
I'm having a ripper of a party at my place on Saturday, probably be some bolonie cake with lots of beer to wash it down with if anyone is in the neighborhood. The entire Trans Canada #11 highway was closed today, but should be reopened by Saturday.

 

[Odyssey]

A Saturday night kitchen party, eh? Bologna cake and a snowstorm to boot?
Here's an appropriate tune for you from an appropriately named band. Cheers man!

 

[memaquay]

Put the stern stem on today, fairly painless. Hoping to get the bow on tomorrow, and then I will have gotten as far as I wanted to before Christmas. Probably won't be able to get in the school during Christmas break, so back at it in January.

 

[Jim Dodd]

OK close observations.
WOW ! Look at that Dust collector ! Massive !

Appears you used 1" strips for the first 15 courses? I know ! you use what you have !

Also using Polyurethane for stem attachment. A good place for it.

How does the Gorilla glue ( used for the strips) compare to others as far as dried color, and sanding ? Does it dry hard, or gum up the sanding discs ?
Looks great Mem!

Jim

 

[memaquay]

I dunno yet about the gorilla wood glue, it was nice to work with, dried fairly quickly, thicker than regular wood glue, so a little more gap filling. I suspect it might be a hard sand.

 

[memaquay]

Anyone buy any epoxy and glass in the States lately? Got a quote from one of my Canadian suppliers to day, it was twice the cost from 2019. Usually glass, epoxy, taxes and shipping for a canoe the size of the raven comes in under 500 Canadian loonies. Quote from today was $975. Still waiting on another quote, hope it's better!

 

[Cruiser]

Try a canoe covering kit from Noah's using East Epoxy, that is about the most effective cost wise that I have found on Canada

East System Epoxy Covering Kit - Noah's Marine

Experience the best in fiberglass coating with the top-of-the-line epoxy resin and hardener included in the East System Covering Kit. This professional-grade coating kit includes all the necessary materials to create a sleek and durable layer of protection for your canoe or kayak, ensuring it...

www.noahsmarine.com

Brian

 

[memaquay]

Thanks Cruiser, I have been in contact with Noahs and Composite Canada. Then I just happened to check Amazon....they sell system three silver tip and e glass too. Shipping on the silver tip was only 15 bucks, 20 yards of 50 inch e glass shipping was free. So done deal, now I can stop obsessing and get back to work, lol.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Checked RAKA ?
http://www.raka.com/

I don't know if they ship to Canada ?

I don't like ordering epoxy this time of year. I prefer the warmer months. It may be fine ! It's just me !

Jim

 

[memaquay]

I had a very large order of system three come in several years ago and the temperature was -40. The epoxy was frozen solid, but the resin was ok. I contacted S3 and they told me to put the gallon jugs in a warm bucket of water till it thawed. It did eventually thaw, but cool temperatures would cause it to start to crystalize again. It worked fine, but there was some wastage at the end, a white sludgy stuff that never changed back.

Unbelievably warm up here this winter, so I'm not too worried.

 

[Woodpuppy]

Ok, so order chocolate in the winter, epoxy in the summer. Got it!