The Battle of the Birds Build

[memaquay]

So I've got a student building the Raven, and I'm building an osprey at the same time. My kit came in two days ago, so I'll be ready to start stripping today or tomorrow. My student sourced some really really nice local cedar, he has it all stripped, but he still needs to bead and cove, so I'm about five hours ahead of him right now.
Thought I would throw in this pic for all you stem haters, lol. It's the magical steamer of death, cooking up a set of stems for the Raven.

The results

Here are the forms set up for the Raven

And here are the stems bent with the Osprey in back

You can see the kit along side the strongback. 1030 linear feet of WRC, a MAS kit of resin, hardener, pumps, etc, a big bottle of titebond and 18 yards of 6 ounce. I won't be using all that cloth, there is still a chestnut Pal that needs the inside glassed. I had a full set of gunwales left over from a previous project, just need to glue the scarfs.

Should be fun, I'm not going to go out of my way to make this lightweight, just a few savings, like thinner gunwales (birch), no decks, and only one layer of six ounce on the bottom. Hoping to come in around 40 to 45 pounds, which will seem very light compared to my beast of a Raven, overbuilt with white pine, probably close to 70. Walt, my student, will be building his for full on abuse, so I'm thinking 50 to 55.

 

[Guest]

That does look like a great steamer. Can you provide details on the design and materials?

I’m loving the gear shelves in the background, full of tarps, dry bags, PFDs and such.

It's the magical steamer of death, cooking up a set of stems for the Raven.

 

[memaquay]

Ha ha, steamer of death is and old pot with holes cut in the lid and prongs bolted to it that fit inside the dryer pipe. I have a cap on the top of the pipe with a small hole to let steam out. We presoak the wood for two or three days, then a half hour of cooking makes the stems pretty supple. The osprey is being built in the Outers shop, the Raven in the adjacent wood working shop.

 

[RickR]

Side by side builds! Awesome! You have a very nice space to work in. I like your steamer! Are you planning for tapered stems? Your student is very lucky to have you for a mentor. Thank you for posting your build!

 

[Odyssey]

Good example of "simple but it works" engineering on the steamer. Always nice to see repurposing in action.
BTW how heavy are these canoes that you need a front end loader for that Osprey?!

 

[Odyssey]

Fun bird build idea Mem, best of luck to the both of you. Good to see you in the shop again, must feel like old times.

 

[Jim Dodd]

I'm loving all this Build activity !

Thanks Guys !

Jim

 

[memaquay]

Had a couple of free hours yesterday. After building the 20 foot freighter, with the half inch thick strips and the drill and screws, this seems like building a toy. Hope to cut the centre line today. The student started stripping the Raven yesterday. That is a more difficult canoe to strip at first, lots of angles and bends. Pics to follow later.

 

[Iskweo]

You are quite the staplesmith there Mem.

 

[memaquay]

Walt is catching up to me, the energy of youth! He's a super kid, very fast learner.

I cut the centre line, used one of those battery powered skill saws, set the blade to a 1/4 inch depth, worked like a charm.

We are both on a forced slow down now though. The Ontario government has put into action a 3 week ban on entering all the schools in the province as a way to slow down the baloney virus. Possibly allowed back in on April 6. We are both unhappy, but I guess it just means more time in the bush. Hopefully I'll be able to update things in a month or so. Stay safe and healthy my friends!

 

[Odyssey]

Hurry up and wait. Looks good so far.

 

[Guest]

I cut the centre line, used one of those battery powered skill saws, set the blade to a 1/4 inch depth, worked like a charm.

I’ve had one of those battery op circular saws for a few years now. A lot of times in the shop I only need to make a single quick cut or two and that thing is a time saver. Cut, cut, put away, no extension cord to muck with. Even some little jobs away from the house, 100 foot extension cord vs battery op saw? No contest.

Some of the battery op tools have been a shop godsend; having two battery op drills always on the bench, one to drill, one with a screw driver head. Battery op random orbital when I only need 20 seconds to zzzzzzzz something smooth.

Battery op air compressor for car and bike tires. My wife bikes and uses that thing weekly. When she goes on group rides she takes it in the car to the meet up.

 

[memaquay]

So this happened today

Got the Osprey in my garage, I'll get started again in a few days, hope it warms up. My student has his going to a greenhouse with heat, so he's good.

 

[dogbrain]

I would have loved to see that convoy rolling down the highway.

 

[memaquay]

It rolled very slowly, lol.

 

[memaquay]

This is as far as I will be going for a while. No heat in the garage, and the fourteen day forecast has the temp hovering around 0 degrees C. Titebond said not to go below 45 F, which I was at today, but it was looking odd, so I packed it in. Come on, summer!

 

[Odyssey]

The nice weather will be here before we know it.

 

[Iskweo]

going a bit of a different direction this winter but will be back in canoe country soon.

 

[memaquay]

Well, this winter aint gonna quit. Below freezing temps well into May. So I bought this propane heater thingfor my garage, wasn't sure if it could cut the mustard, but it worked out well. Here's the temp when I first got in their.

And here it is an hour later.

It was only a couple hundred bucks, and now I should be able to have the Osprey ready for breakup.

Got the stripping done today, last few weren't pretty, but the boat is built to match the owner. Glued the external stems on as well.

Hopefully be able to sand and shape the whole thing tomorrow, if the hardware store will let me in for sandpaper.

 

[Alan Gage]

I sure do like looking at your work space. Makes me feel better about mine.

Not that mine is any cleaner or more organized but it's just nice to know I'm not the only one.

Alan