Captain Ham-Fist, at your service.
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Happy Winter Solstice! 🌇🌃
First stripper build: Prospector-16 Help & comments appreciated
- Thread starter Kliff
- Start date
I really wish I had taken pictures of my first build when I tried to pop it free of the forms and broke it.
Well, I've got seat frames done, decks done, and yoke done. No picture of the yoke, it's in the canoe at home
I've decided I'm going to go with a synthetic snow shoe lacing, rather than caning the seats. The caning really looks nice, but I decided I wanted it more rustic, and saving time isn't a bad thing. I've never used any synthetic lacing. I'm assuming just weave it, and saturate it with varnish when it's done. I found this product, doing a search: https://snowshoe.com/products/snows...acing-by-the-spool-traditional-wood-snowshoes
If anyone has used this, or another synthetic lacing that ends up looking like traditional gut, I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thinking 3/6" holes, spaced 3/4" apart.
I've decided I'm going to go with a synthetic snow shoe lacing, rather than caning the seats. The caning really looks nice, but I decided I wanted it more rustic, and saving time isn't a bad thing. I've never used any synthetic lacing. I'm assuming just weave it, and saturate it with varnish when it's done. I found this product, doing a search: https://snowshoe.com/products/snows...acing-by-the-spool-traditional-wood-snowshoes
If anyone has used this, or another synthetic lacing that ends up looking like traditional gut, I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thinking 3/6" holes, spaced 3/4" apart.
Yeah, I just couldn't find his post about it. I found it now. There's lots of good seat info, including references to the webbing (tubular nylon cord). It's under "seat frame mortise" thread: https://www.canoetripping.net/threads/seat-frame-mortise.55533/
Wow, gorgeous decks!
Many years back I used synthetic snowshoe lacing from a semi local place called Havlick Snowshoe company.
It was 1/4” wide neoprene/nylon/neoprene that at a glance looked like traditional gut lacing.
It was a tad stretchy, 100% waterproof and made for very comfortable seating.
I have looked for that same material for years after Havlick went out of business, no luck.
I would use that material even now if I could find it.
It was 1/4” wide neoprene/nylon/neoprene that at a glance looked like traditional gut lacing.
It was a tad stretchy, 100% waterproof and made for very comfortable seating.
I have looked for that same material for years after Havlick went out of business, no luck.
I would use that material even now if I could find it.
I don't like real cane, even on my reproduction Morris wood-canvas canoe, where cane is compulsory if you want to maintain the original tradition. Cane sags even when new, especially when wet, and you end up sitting on the wood frame. Eventually, real cane degrades and rips.
The fake cane would be okay by me in a stripper as long as it doesn't stretch or sag.
However, my favorite seating for both looks and function is now woven boot lace, which I have on my Nova Craft Bob Special. It's very strong, taut, non-saggy and looks very nice to me. That's what I'd now use instead of cane (real or fake) or webbing.
You probably can buy boot lacing from various sources, but the pictures above are from Nova Craft's factory store:
Canoe Parts | Product categories | London's Paddle Shop
www.londonspaddleshop.com
I've long preferred webbing over cane because it is less saggy, more comfortable and will last indefinitely. However, I don't think webbing looks aesthetic in a wood canoe. Having experienced boot lace over the past two years, it is now my first choice because, to me, it is the best looking of all, can work aesthetically in any canoe, should last as long as webbing, seems just as taut as webbing, and drains/dries faster than webbing.
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SG, Is this what you are looking for? I'm thinking of using it when I build mine this winter. Looks like $175 would probably get a lifetime supply...
I can't tell if you mortised the seat frame pieces ?
That definitely adds a lot of strength.
Some pics.
I used a 3/16" bit, for the holes.
It can be difficult threading the lace trough the holes, so I wrap Electrician's tape, at an angle, on the end of the lacing. ( I wish I had a pic of that ) If you have too much tape wrapped on the lacing ? It won't work.
That definitely adds a lot of strength.
Some pics.
I used a 3/16" bit, for the holes.
It can be difficult threading the lace trough the holes, so I wrap Electrician's tape, at an angle, on the end of the lacing. ( I wish I had a pic of that ) If you have too much tape wrapped on the lacing ? It won't work.
Jim: Yes, I mortised the joints. I was going to do a blind mortise & tennon, but I didn't want to cut that much away from the curved cross members. I mortised a bit over 1/8" deep, and added a 2" maple dowel to the joint.
I'm glad you can't see the mortises, but it speaks more to the quality of my photos than my work.
I'm glad you can't see the mortises, but it speaks more to the quality of my photos than my work.
???
I’m not sure what you’re referring to…
Here's the stuff I found that I'm planning on using. No neoprene, but......
snowshoe.com
TechDeck Lacing by the Spool
1400# per strand A 500 yd spool will lace between 6-7 pairs of our 11 x 54 Ojibwa
snowshoe.com
Jim:
I was just looking closer at the finished canoe picture above. What is the button/plug on the side of the spacer block for dropping the seats?
Also, I've seen several posts about trim work where the decks are glassed. I wasn't planning on glassing them, just an epoxy coating so the finish matches, then 3 coats of varnish. Is it recommended to glass the decks?
I was just looking closer at the finished canoe picture above. What is the button/plug on the side of the spacer block for dropping the seats?
Also, I've seen several posts about trim work where the decks are glassed. I wasn't planning on glassing them, just an epoxy coating so the finish matches, then 3 coats of varnish. Is it recommended to glass the decks?
Unless the decks are thin like the strips on he canoe I would not glass it.
Remember to coat all sides if you do one.
Jim
Remember to coat all sides if you do one.
Jim
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Thanks, Kliff. That's what I was trying to post but I must have messed up the link.
They are just decoration, on the hanger brackets.
By the way. I measured my hole spacings for the lacing.
7/8" . I've done them at different spacing, but I like 7/8" the best, and 3/16" drill bit.
Jim
Holes drilled @ 1” spacing, 13/64. Used metal cutting bit, virtually no tear-out. I did use a backer block, and moved it every few holes.
Put seat frames on gunwales, and UH OH!. I figured scupper spacing & layout for width of seat not depth. CRAP! This is going to be the kind of oops I’ll look at every time I paddle it.
Change to cleats, or get creative with spacer blocks and angle bolts slightly?
At least the frames are consistent and square. Bending without steam worked great. Not sure if it would with open grained woods. pretty hard to see the seams.
Put seat frames on gunwales, and UH OH!. I figured scupper spacing & layout for width of seat not depth. CRAP! This is going to be the kind of oops I’ll look at every time I paddle it.
Change to cleats, or get creative with spacer blocks and angle bolts slightly?
At least the frames are consistent and square. Bending without steam worked great. Not sure if it would with open grained woods. pretty hard to see the seams.
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