Pearl

[Jim Dodd]

A pic of my stripping tools. Note the stapler with the Blue tape. That holds the 9/16" staples.
The Crude looking saw, is my First Jap Pull saw. I bought a replacement blade, and made a crude handle. I love it ! It has cut strips on every strip canoe I've built.
Also the Home made Mitre box. I've had to splice every strip on this canoe so far !

 

[Jim Dodd]

Here's where I'm at today !

 

[latremorej]

Moving right along Jim! I always enjoy watching.

Jason

 

[Jim Dodd]

Moving right along Jim! I always enjoy watching.

Jason

Thanks !

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

This Old Man has found a few tricks to make stripping up a hull, a little easier !
Squeezing a glue bottle to get a Pencil Lead thick bead of glue in a 1/4" cove, will build grip !
For several years, I have enlisted the aid of a Spring clamp to add pressure to the glue bottle. Try it you might like it !

 

[Jim Dodd]

All my builds have been stemless. Here's a few pics, I hope will show how to trim the strip, so the strip from the other side mates up ! The guide strip, is placed against the stem form and first form. The saw blade is between the guide, and the form. Sometimes, I mar the tape on the form, after cutting the strip. Important to apply a patch, if you cut into the tape ! This trick is alternated from side to side. ( Note ! This is just a demonstration ! I put glue between the strip ends and clamp, or staple. when actually building.)

 

[Jim Dodd]

Able to spend a little time in the shop today, with Pearl. Weather was so nice, I could have sanded out side, had I been ready !
I've stripped to close to the middle, two strips shy, on one side. Ted Moore author of Canoecraft has in my book the best method of filling in the football of a hull. Strip past center on one side, cut the center line, and fit the remaing strips. In my case with Pearl, I'll only have to fit 10 or 11 strips. Much easier than a Herringbone pattern !

I tilt my strongback, so the glue in the coves of the strips stays put ! Another trick, I learned from Martin Van, of Ogalle canoes.

Heres a few pics. Also note the 10" Craftsman band saw. I love this saw for trimming strip ends as I fit them.

 

[Sven]

Looking good!

 

[dogbrain]

Moving right along! Good work Jim. You're motivating me to get along with my next build.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Center line cut on Pearl, and filling in the other side.
Tipped the strongback, to the other side and filling in the football.
I love this little plastic razor plane for shaping tapers on the strips ! It's made by Master Airscrew Propellers. THEY sell them for less than $10, Amazon wants $34 plus shipping. I just ordered 4 from Master Airscrew ! No Brainer there !

https://www.masterairscrew.com/




Another trick for fitting strips ! A trouble light with an LED bulb underneath the hull. It makes seeing and fitting the strip a lot easier !








Once I've fit one end of the strip, I rough cut the other end, and then taper that cut until the strip sets a few inches above the hull. At this time I can force it into the Cove, for a snug fit.




A few more strips and then the Whiskey Strip !



Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

The Whiskey Strip is in !
This hull went together pretty quickly, for the little time I spent on it. I'll wait a few days, and start in pulling staples. Modifying the stapler bases will make pulling pretty easy and fast.

Oh in case you didn't notice, I'll be tidying up the Shop, before Santa comes !!!!

 

[stripperguy]

Jim,
Could you post a photo or two of your finished stems?
I'd like to see how that alternating stripping looks when it's cut back and trimmed.
Specifically, how do those alternating joints look as an observer's eye moves from sheet to keel?

 

[Cruiser]

Dido ... a few of the ends would be appreciated.

Brian

 

[Jim Dodd]

I'll look for a few. I found little more than a few ! Let me know if this is the angle you are looking for !

 

[stripperguy]

That's great Jim, thanks a lot!

 

[Jim Dodd]

Pulled staples out of Pearl. and with a small block plane, taking down ridges, and excess glue.



I will rasp the overlaps, down to the overlap seam.
If someone wants to make a stemless build, look like it has stems, At this point you would rasp it down slightly past the seam, and leave it flat. Build up the stem, by gluing on several thin layers, of what ever they wanted for the stem. Then rasp them down, until it appeared to be a stem.
Me ? I like the stemless look. That's just an option for stem fanciers.

 

[stripperguy]

Jim,
Looks like you'll be ready for glass fairly soon. My son's build will be ready for glass on the inside next week.
Then what? Make the next composite copy?
Looking over your stem photos, I was wondering just how many canoes you've built? Then I tried to recount how many I've built, and I honestly don't know...And should I (we) count the ones that I/we helped to build? And what about virtual mentoring? the tally keeps rising...

 

[Jim Dodd]

Jim,
Looks like you'll be ready for glass fairly soon. My son's build will be ready for glass on the inside next week.
Then what? Make the next composite copy?
Looking over your stem photos, I was wondering just how many canoes you've built? Then I tried to recount how many I've built, and I honestly don't know...And should I (we) count the ones that I/we helped to build? And what about virtual mentoring? the tally keeps rising...

Funny how we loose count ! I know ! At the time I retired, I built my 20th canoe. This is 25, counting the one WE built for my son !
I've helped build, or at least helped glass 16 others, by my count.
It's a great way to make Great friends !
Yes ! There will be a composite Pearl. I have enough Carbon, just need some Kevlar.

On a side note, Both of my Kevlars, were quite a bit less expensive to build. This will likely be my last Carbon.

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

More stem pics.
Have the hull ready for a rough sand. After which. I'll fill staple holes, and final sand.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Up on three legs for scraping, knocking off the high spots, and excess glue, with an OLD CHEAP hand plane.
Broken staples are hard on tools.! I now have a saw tooth hand plane !
I meant to post this earlier. This saves my back from stooping over, and makes it easier to inspect the sides !