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Happy Mathematics Day! ❌📐♾️
First stripper build: Prospector-16 Help & comments appreciated
- Thread starter Kliff
- Start date
That's how it affects me as well
Me Three ! Sneezing big time, as well as runny nose.
I just finished cutting, strips, Around 200 strips (8' 10' 12' strips) as well as bead and coving them today. Took me a full day.
Around 200 strips. Cut them at 3/16" thick. First time for 3/16" thick strips.
The wood shop has a couple of router lifts on tables. They make it So easy to center the router bit in the strips ! My next router will definitely have a lift !
Pics tomorrow. Forgot camera today.
Jim
I just finished cutting, strips, Around 200 strips (8' 10' 12' strips) as well as bead and coving them today. Took me a full day.
Around 200 strips. Cut them at 3/16" thick. First time for 3/16" thick strips.
The wood shop has a couple of router lifts on tables. They make it So easy to center the router bit in the strips ! My next router will definitely have a lift !
Pics tomorrow. Forgot camera today.
Jim
I love the lift on my router table; highly recommend them!
Well, I took a week off from my canoe build to go fishing. Fishing was so good, I made it two weeks. I'm back at it, and got the cove n bead cut, and the first strip on.
One philosophy I've adopted is, I'd rather do something and not need it, than not do it, and wish I had later. With that in mind, I took great care to keep the strips from each plank together, and in order. I book matched the strips from each plank prior to cutting cove n bead. I think this would have been great, if I had strips long enough to plank the canoe without splices. I do not. Don't see how I can use the neatly organized, matched strips until I get to where I no longer need splices, which will be close to the football area.
The ladder was used again as an infeed and outfeed table. After cutting all of the bead, I simply rotated the router table 180 degrees, and ran the strips the other direction for the cove. All in all, it worked great, and these are by far the best cedar strips I have ever cut.
Looking forward to getting more strips done tomorrow.
One philosophy I've adopted is, I'd rather do something and not need it, than not do it, and wish I had later. With that in mind, I took great care to keep the strips from each plank together, and in order. I book matched the strips from each plank prior to cutting cove n bead. I think this would have been great, if I had strips long enough to plank the canoe without splices. I do not. Don't see how I can use the neatly organized, matched strips until I get to where I no longer need splices, which will be close to the football area.
The ladder was used again as an infeed and outfeed table. After cutting all of the bead, I simply rotated the router table 180 degrees, and ran the strips the other direction for the cove. All in all, it worked great, and these are by far the best cedar strips I have ever cut.
Looking forward to getting more strips done tomorrow.
Question on knots. I know they will make fairing and sanding a challenge, does anyone leave them in, or do they all get cut out? I kind of like the look, just not sure I want to deal with the hard spots down the road. Both pix show them book matched. 
If it were me I'd cut those knots out of the strips (cut strips on either side of the knots) and then butt joint the strips on the forms as needed.
I’ve always had a few knots in my canoes - they look fine to me but there are limits. The little ones in the second photo and probably the one right at the strip edge in the first photo should be ok - likely won’t lead to the strip breaking and shouldn’t be a fairing issue.
The big ones on the left in the first photo likely will be a problem - the strips will probably break at the knot with any bending, and could be a bit of a pain sanding. I would cut them out as alsg says - butt joints on the canoe are no big deal to do and hardly noticeable once the hull is complete.
For a bit of extra insurance I put a dap of epoxy on the knots I have decided to keep/live with before doing anything further with the strip.
Congrats on getting the strips done - that’s a big step (I actually prefer sanding to cutting and bead/cove).
The big ones on the left in the first photo likely will be a problem - the strips will probably break at the knot with any bending, and could be a bit of a pain sanding. I would cut them out as alsg says - butt joints on the canoe are no big deal to do and hardly noticeable once the hull is complete.
For a bit of extra insurance I put a dap of epoxy on the knots I have decided to keep/live with before doing anything further with the strip.
Congrats on getting the strips done - that’s a big step (I actually prefer sanding to cutting and bead/cove).
If I can keep the knots intact all the way through bead and cove, I add some epoxy to the knot to be sure it stays put while stripping and sanding.
I like the look, structurally, it's no issue when sandwiched between layers of glass and resin.
I like the look, structurally, it's no issue when sandwiched between layers of glass and resin.
Another vote for cutting them out.
I am with SG, a few knots add a little flare to the landscape, stabilize then with epoxy and they are solid.
Brian
Brian
I'm up to 5 strips, each side. It seems like as the number of strips progresses, so does the number of clamps needed. Last strip, 51 clamps used (for both sides), and I probably could have used more.
I stabilized all knots while they were still in plank, before ripping the strips. I'm not using any large knots, more concerned about fairing and smoothing than structural failure.
I went against prior advice, and am including a walnut accent strip. I know it's harder than cedar, but for a "hardwood" it is relatively soft. It is also in an area that should be fairly easy to work, inside and out.
I stabilized all knots while they were still in plank, before ripping the strips. I'm not using any large knots, more concerned about fairing and smoothing than structural failure.
I went against prior advice, and am including a walnut accent strip. I know it's harder than cedar, but for a "hardwood" it is relatively soft. It is also in an area that should be fairly easy to work, inside and out.
if that is a staple less build and it looks like it. I can't tell from the photos, but if you aren't using "Jimmy Clamps" you really should think about doing some up ... they make stripping life so much easier.
If my strips had a knot, I would give them a couple of good bends/tweaks and if they held they'd go on as is.
I left a few knots in mine. A very few knots and if they didn't lay nicely, I cut them out. My eastern red cedar and sassafras had a lot of knots, so I did lots of butt joints.
I also used some accent strips of black walnut and cherry along side the softer woods of eastern red cedar and sassafras. I didn't have any problems with smoothing it, but I did stay mindful of it. I think the soft woods I used weren't as soft as your white cedar.
I also used some accent strips of black walnut and cherry along side the softer woods of eastern red cedar and sassafras. I didn't have any problems with smoothing it, but I did stay mindful of it. I think the soft woods I used weren't as soft as your white cedar.
I like the look of knots, I just don't like sanding them.
Every builder makes that choice ! To that ? I say to each his own !
It's a good idea to keep the strips organized, ! But I usually don't. When I start stripping, I just lay them out on saw horses, and then sort them two by two.
Building stemless, I just like the strips to match at the ends.
Great progress ! Now the real fun begins. It so amazing to see a hull progress, from forms to a hull !
I'm enjoying this !
Jim
Every builder makes that choice ! To that ? I say to each his own !
It's a good idea to keep the strips organized, ! But I usually don't. When I start stripping, I just lay them out on saw horses, and then sort them two by two.
Building stemless, I just like the strips to match at the ends.
Great progress ! Now the real fun begins. It so amazing to see a hull progress, from forms to a hull !
I'm enjoying this !
Jim
Cruiser: Yes, it's stapleless. And I made plenty of Jimmy clamps. Way more than I'll need, or at least I thought so, until I started. I made 24. I'll be making more tomorrow.
The last strip I put on yesterday pulled away from the forms in a couple spots on the bottom edge, where the bead meets the previous cove. I think its from the glue tacking up, before I finish getting the strip set. I came up with a solution, similar to something Jim posted on a different thread, using therapy belts. I cut a bunch of strips of rubber roofing to use as belts to hold the strip in relation to the forms, prior to setting the bead into the cove. Today is a no canoe day. I'll post pictures of this tomorrow.
Thanks again, for all the feedback. Jim, your build convinces me I need more clamps.
The last strip I put on yesterday pulled away from the forms in a couple spots on the bottom edge, where the bead meets the previous cove. I think its from the glue tacking up, before I finish getting the strip set. I came up with a solution, similar to something Jim posted on a different thread, using therapy belts. I cut a bunch of strips of rubber roofing to use as belts to hold the strip in relation to the forms, prior to setting the bead into the cove. Today is a no canoe day. I'll post pictures of this tomorrow.
Thanks again, for all the feedback. Jim, your build convinces me I need more clamps.
I made up 60 for my builds ... I use 2 between each form.
If your glue is tacking up too soon, why don't you just swap to a different glue, there are a variety of tack times available, I keep about 4 different ones in the shop .... for colour and tack time.
I mean glue is a relatively cheap supply item.
Brian
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