Ben's Arkansas Traveler, Iowa Style

[Jim Dodd]

Son Ben got a good start today on his canoe. Boy it really makes a difference, when there is two set of hands putting on strips. I set the strips, and Ben worked the glue bottle, the saw and staplers.
It does get much easier than that !
Here's a few pics by Ben

It was a fun day !

Jim

 

[sweeper]

Good start, it hard to have a bad day when you're working in the shop and come out with all your fingers.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Good start, it hard to have a bad day when you're working in the shop and come out with all your fingers.

AMEN !
I did mange to draw blood with a staple AGAIN !
Couldn't believe it, but it was my own fault !

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

Put on a few more strips
Tomorrow will be more productive.

The Wee Lassie will soon be a challenge to keep the strips tight to the forms, as we round the bilge.
A pic of Ben.

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

We quit early tonight, but made good progress. This is my son's First canoe. I forgot what it was like learning these things on My first canoe!
I felt it was important to let him do the work, an I just add advice. I did help seat the beads in the coves.
Here's Ben's progress

It will be a bit of a challenge to fit the next strips. Had we not followed the shearline with the first strips, it would have been easier !
Tomorrow will tell.

Jim

 

[Alan Gage]

Well he's not wasting any time getting it stripped. That's quite the bend/twist in those strips at the stems. Like you said, the next few look challenging.

Alan

 

[memaquay]

You're very fortunate to be passing the skills on to your son. As soon as I get a heated garage, I hope to be able to do the same thing. My son has a ridiculous rescue dog, a 160 pound rotty, he can't stand to be away from it, so I guess we will have to build a biggggggggggg canoe.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Well he's not wasting any time getting it stripped. That's quite the bend/twist in those strips at the stems. Like you said, the next few look challenging.

Alan

I was thinking of you when we were stripping this hull up ! I wish I had gone level with the first strip, and then filled in to the shearline later, but after I see the shape of the stem and first form, I'm glad I stayed with the starting at the shearline.

The twist on the strips was manageable. We are about to fill in the football, and have the last 16 strips paired up,

Ben is pumped about this canoe, now that he can run his hands over the hull !
I can't wait to see my Grand daughter paddle it !

Jim

 

[snapper]

I used to do a lot of things with my Dad and miss him terribly now that he's been gone almost 35 years. It's so great that you're sharing this with your son. I know it's something he'll never forget and will have you to think about every time he's out in that great canoe.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[Jim Dodd]

I used to do a lot of things with my Dad and miss him terribly now that he's been gone almost 35 years. It's so great that you're sharing this with your son. I know it's something he'll never forget and will have you to think about every time he's out in that great canoe.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

You never get over losing a parent ! What's why I rarely say no to my kids. Both of my parents are gone. I would totally love building a canoe with MY Dad !!!

Jim

 

[stripperguy]

Great stuff, that father-son build and bond.
My son and I have done many projects together, always a joy! (BTW, my daughter gets in on the action too)

Jim,
Has your son paddled all of your boats? I surprised he chose to build a Wee Lassie, I would think he would be happier in a bigger hull.
Has he glassed with you before?

 

[Jim Dodd]

Great stuff, that father-son build and bond.
My son and I have done many projects together, always a joy! (BTW, my daughter gets in on the action too)

Jim,
Has your son paddled all of your boats? I surprised he chose to build a Wee Lassie, I would think he would be happier in a bigger hull.
Has he glassed with you before?

Ben has paddled several, and even raced one.

This is Ben's first build, but my youngest son, Nate, built a Wee Lassie, in High School. He soon sold it to help finance a truck. Kids ! HA !

The reason Ben want's a Wee Lassie, is more for decoration, in his house, or cabin someday. My motive is for his daughter,(My Granddaughter, to paddle it !)

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

Spent just a few hours Sunday, with Ben and Bailey,( the Master Staple puller) ! working on the Ia Traveler.
Best reason to build with staples , kids love pulling them !

 

[latremorej]

That's great jim! I sure do enjoy building things with my dad. Glad it's going well

Jason

 

[Jim Dodd]

We created some great memories last weekend !

I have a few with my Dad, and I cherish them !

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

Ben and his family made it up this weekend, and we finished stripping his Iowa Traveler.
Hope fully we will glass next weekend.
Today we shaped and rough sanded. For the most part, he has wanted to build this canoe pretty much by himself, but he gave me the OK to finish sanding.

I did manage to talk him into adding a little pizazz by adding some strip contrast to the bottom.
Here's a few pics.

Staples pulled quickly , as the Grand Daughter had already pulled the short ones, and I pulled the rest while Ben was fitting the last strip.

Guess I'd better order glass Monday.

Jim

 

[Alan Gage]

Looking great. Better hurry, we might start seeing the lakes open up if the weather forecast for the next week proves true! I went on the river Saturday.

That was awful generous of him to let you finish the sanding.

Alan

 

[Jim Dodd]

Looking great. Better hurry, we might start seeing the lakes open up if the weather forecast for the next week proves true! I went on the river Saturday.

That was awful generous of him to let you finish the sanding.

Alan

You're breaking my heart ! I wanted on the water in the worst way today !
Glad you made it out for a paddle !
Have you been seeing massive flocks of geese up your way ? The Canadians are fighting over nesting spots down at the shop. And last weekend, you wouldn't have gotten me in a plane for anything ! The sky seemed to be solid with flocks !

I'm a Sucker, and my family knows it !
I put CF Nokomis in storage, until I get at least one of these strippers out of my shop. If I get the carpet tour out of the Wife's house this week, I think I can spend some time at the shop. Maybe sneak down to the river

Jim

 

[Alan Gage]

You're breaking my heart ! I wanted on the water in the worst way today !
Glad you made it out for a paddle !
Have you been seeing massive flocks of geese up your way ? The Canadians are fighting over nesting spots down at the shop. And last weekend, you wouldn't have gotten me in a plane for anything ! The sky seemed to be solid with flocks !

It was too windy to paddle here today but very warm. Yesterday was calm but a little chilly (mid/upper 30's). I forgot to take gloves and my hands got a bit chilly so I had to paddle harder to warm up. Very nice on the river though. Thought about seeing if you wanted to paddle Saturday but the weather was so iffy I didn't want to make any plans. Didn't think it was going to happen until an hour after lunch when the sun came out and the wind dropped so I quick loaded up the canoe and went.

Yes, lots of geese up here too. Today it was almost entirely White Fronted and Snow geese, much more so than the Canadians. There were probably 7500 or more Snow Geese on Ingham Lake and a few thousand White Fronted on one of the neighboring sloughs, not to mention all the others in the air and scattered on other small bodies of water.

I'm a Sucker, and my family knows it !
I put CF Nokomis in storage, until I get at least one of these strippers out of my shop. If I get the carpet tour out of the Wife's house this week, I think I can spend some time at the shop. Maybe sneak down to the river

Jim

Tough luck. And here you probably thought retirement was going to be a cake walk!

Alan

 

[Canotrouge]

Nice finishing touch with the center piece!!