A Tale of Two Halves

[canoebees]

WOW that was fast.
Thanks for the offer
Are you sure he is ok with it?

[kharga]

Yep, he is sat beside me watching "Back to the Future"

Post it to him with a return label with postage on and he will do it for you.

PM sent with home address.

[KeithD]

I would be more than happy too buy some plugs of the internet if anyone knows where I can get any?

Robbins Timber in Bristol sell tapered plugs in a variety of woods. They come in blocks of 4 for about 20-25p. Their email address is on the website and the contact I have is Andy Vowles. Although one of the gunwales they supplied me with was damaged they delivered a replacement to me in about a week despite having to source the timber specially. Despite this problem I was very happy with their service and would use them again.

[canoebees]

I will NEVER use Robbins anymore

[kharga]

Sorted now?!

[canoebees]

Yes its all sorted and my thanks to bob is my idol

[canoebees]

Before the big cut I got on with filling the outer chines with fillet blend, I found that a thin piece of ply was best to do this job.


I thought that if I did this job before the cut it would help her to keep her shape.


Making sure the fillet blend is well pushed in. By now it was getting a bit too cold to be outside, which is what made me decide it was time to split her.


So the cut was made and went very well.


It was a tight fit but she just went in the spare room.


I then made and fitted the aft deck adding a veneered stripe which seemed to work well.


I also put a piece of douglas fir on the inside to finish it off with a bit of a curve to it.


I then needed a way to support the seats but didn't want to hang them from the gunnels and I also wanted them to be removable so they could be replaced in the future. so i came up with the idea of supporting them with a set of knees which I duly made to a shape that I just made up. You can see them in the picture below dry fitted.


The seat then just screws into the knees through the seat with a brass seat bonded in the the seat frame so that the screw would not wear its way through the seat frame.


The position of the seat is such that as the backrest starts to bend back they will rest on the relevant thwart as I'm not to sure about the strength of them.


Then I rounded of the outer gunnels.


And tidied up the joins in the thwarts/gunnels.


Applied fillets to the seat knees and give them a good sanding.


Finished knees.


and the seat in place.


Front seat in and finished. couldn't resist putting the backrest on for a look.


More of the front seat.


Now its time to deal with the centre bulkhead.


The cut was made to the shape of the middle seat.


And thats it for now.

[joel]

Looking great! Fantastic attention to detail.

[canoebees]

My intentions are:

Inside:
2 coats of epoxy with a UV hardener, then 2 coats of poly varnish

Outside:
Sheathed, 2 coats of undercoat paint, then 2 coats of colour paint, then 2 coats of poly varnish.

Gunnels:
This where i'm not sure what to do.
I read alot about oil and varnish but as the rest of the canoe will be covered in Epoxy then varish I was thinking of doing the same to the gunnels ie: 2 coats of Epoxy followed by 2 coats of varnish.
My thinking behind this is:
The Epoxy would stop any water getting in to the wood and the varnish would give them a nice finish.

Any comments would be greatfully received.
Steve

[Hobgoblin]

Epoxy the wood to seal it against water - then varnish with a UV protecting varnish, like spar.

Un protected epoxy will degrade in UV quite quickly and will go powdery white.

You will be able to try the boat out on the water without varnish, but keep it out of the sun when on land until its protected.

Varnish on the inside is going to be slippery, so maybe a non slip coating on the bottom planks inside?

[canoebees]

I started to make a cap rail to cover the 2 centre bulkheads as I thought it needed to be tidied up. I firstly bonded two pieces of douglas fir together because I didn't have a piece the right size.


After cutting the right curves I clamped it to the bulkhead and cut the angled pieces.


This was a bit tricky but seemed to go ok.


I then put a couple of corner pieces in for added strength.


Then routed the top edge so it was nice and smooth.


and routed a channel in the underside which will slip over the two bulkheads when she is bolted back together.


Next I needed to move outside so I could copy the bulkhead curve on to the over half.


I couldn't resist putting the seats in for a quick look.


And from the side.


I must admit it did put a smile on my face.


Anyway here's the cap rail on the bulkhead.


And from the other side. I just need to make two top caps to finish them off.


That's it for now.

[Voyager]

Looks BRILLIANT! Bet the neighbours thought you'd sold the car with that thing parked in the street!

[TGB]

Mind boggling, the work that goes in to a build. You're going well there - tip my hat to you. How you find time to take photos too?

TGB

[canoebees]

Voyager: believe or not a this point I dont have a car but just wait till I get a volvo estate the neighbours will love me

TGB: my darling wife does all the photos.

Can I just say thanks to all the people who pop into my thread from time to time, it does make it seem worth while doing this blog.

Regards
Steve

[Voyager]

A Volvo estate eh? I'm wondering where I can hide a canoe on a 3 door Corsa! Does have a tow bar though, so maybe thats the way to go? Your 'old lady' is a proper David Bailey. Or is that Marie Helvin?

[canoebees]

Well with the weather being fine today I managed to get her outside and lined-up then bolted together. This also meant i could get the gunnels/bulkheads leveled up.

All in all well pleased with how she looked and mated up.
I also put a nice edge on the bow/stern ready for the brass strips.

Its a bit of a pain getting her out of the spare bedroom and carrying her down the street and around the corner to the back of the house, but this will need to be done a few more times before she is completed.

[MagiKelly]

This really is a fantastic build thread. I have already linked to it from the main site Stitch & Glue page but I need to do some more reorganising of the main site so I can have bloggs like this with their own pages.

Keep up the good work.

[canoebees]

Well I'm truly honoured

[Neil]

Great series of photos
I've been watching the progress and now I'm up to stitching my planks together - 16' prospector- I keep having a look at your boat for guidance
cheers
Neil

[canoebees]

I'm happy to know its of some use to you Neil

[canoebees]

So I've been spending sometime on mating the two halves.



Just making sure I get a good fit.



Seems to be going OK.



But I cant make the end piece's for the capping rail untill the bulkheads are finished.


The next job is the foredeck Which me being me ment i didn't stick to the plans. I have decided to extend the foredeck so I can incorparate the mast thwart. I also added a piece of inner gunnel with a slight curve in it.



Then I added the striping and started a coller for the hole in the foredeck.



Next was the mast foot.



I just made this from off cuts in four parts.



And epoxied them together.



So it looked like this.



This picture shows the mast coller before I drilled the centre.



And from the front.



I then drilled out the centre hole with a tank cutter and sanded a beveled edge on the inner hole. For the bevel I used my silk dry sander.



And here is the silk dry sander.



What a fine hole.



Job done complete with the mast foot fitted/filleted and sanded.



I couldn't resist checking out the new sail, I think it needs shortening a bit maybe 5/7"


I will post more when i've done more.

Regards Steve

[joel]

Wow, this canoe certainly ain't gonna be a lightweight, but then that's not the point is it! What a looker, stunning work there!

[kharga]

Wow!!!!

[canoebees]

I am trying to keep the weight down but on the other hand it is fully fitted out, maybe more of a 'classic' canoe than a lightweight.

[MagiKelly]

Looking good but

You will need a bigger plastic tub to paddle her in and bigger again for sailing

[MABBO]

What a fantastic build! good on ya!!

Really looking forward to seeing the final product. It just shows what you can do in your back yard, this i have to say would put some of my joiners to shame!!!!!!!!


Well done.

[joe.ford]

love the canoe, I just have one little question.

Whats stopping the water from coming up through the middle?

[canoebees]

Nice one John that made me giggle "cough" but I could join them

joe.ford I have a plan to put a rubber seal toward the outer edge of one or both of the bulkeads. This is quiet a fine job which would involve routing a shallow channel between the bolts and the outer edge to a depth of 2mm ish and epoxying a 5mm half round rubber seal in it which I would need to source, then repeating the same thing on the other bulkhead but just on the inside of the bolts. So I would get a tram line double seal. This could be going over the top a bit but could work and would look very nice.But seams its a job that would need to be done after the bulkheads are finished and after talking to paul fisher I've opted to firstly try to make the joint Perfect In that I mean the two faces being flat and line up spot on, which could stop water passing up the bulkheads (maybe just maybe)
Plan 2 is as above but then adding a closed cell neoprene gasket of say 2mm thick, which is very easy.

I'm just going to suck it and see for now.

PS: Kind words indeed Mabbo. I must say I do love wood it's such a joy to work with.

[joe.ford]

I don't suppose silicon bathroom sealer would work. Think it dries clear, deffently keeps water out. Used it too stop the windscreen leeking in my mini

Could be easier than the rubber, just squirt it in the hole

[canoebees]

Or I could just squirt it with silicon

[Hobgoblin]

It all depends on why you have chosen a boat that bolts together. If it its a case of un-bolting it frequenty for storage and transport then a rubber seal is the way to go.

When I first siliconed my halves together I simply put a good bead of silicone both sides of the bolts and around the bolts too (for even pressure) and bolted it up tight and left it to cure. This was very waterproof but when it came to taking the halves apart I had to carfully slide a stanley knife around the joint and then spend the next hour scraping the dried silicone off the hull .

So... if you are going to use silicone, unless its a permenant seal, smear grease over the two sufaces before applying the silicone so that it wont adhere.

I went for silicone because the idea was to store the two halves over the winter standing up on end, and then silicone them together for the summer season.

This year, (because Im making a 16ft boat) i need to be able to take the two halves apart frequently so I am going to use a length of silicone tubing, as used more model engines etc.

The above is really for the benefit of other self builders, as I understand Canoebees is storing his boat in a spareroom, so a rubber gasket would be the best option.

Is there much need to rout and glue in the gasket? Those halves fit so perfectly that a 1.5mm rubber sheet would be fine - and woudl be easier to clean or replace in the future.

[canoebees]

The silicon was a joke

As for the seal lets first see if I need one there is a capping rail on top of the bulkheads which means I could seal it there aswell or instead of.

[Hobgoblin]

The silicon was a joke

As for the seal lets first see if I need one there is a capping rail on top of the bulkheads which means I could seal it there aswell or instead of.

I thought it was.

Im not sure exactly how the halves fit together, but if it is bolts I think you will at least need some rubber hose washers - to stop water finding its way into the bolt holes. not so much to keep water out of the boat but to keep it out of the wood. Maybe you could drill the hole oversize, fill with epoxy and then drill out to fit the bolt?

Whats the plan?

[epoxymanuk]

The silicon was a joke

Hi a beautiful build I have watched with admiration well done.
Silicon or Polyurethane sealant is not as daft as it may sound you only have to apply it to one half of the hull the other half you cover with a single layer of cling film, then put the two halves together with a small spacer in between once the sealant has cured separate the two halves ( they will separate easily because of the cling film) and you have a seal that is bonded to one end and perfect match to the other.
I have used this method on canoes and rowing boats and it does work it is also easy to repair I actually use clear aquarium adhesive/sealer that is sold in toothpaste sized tubes so they can be carried should you ever need a running repair.
Rob

[Red Kite]

Stunning build - I'm really impressed with the quality of your woodwork and the ease with which you seem to adapt the design to suit your needs.

Also, the way you appear to approach problems and get round them seems to me to be artistic as well as functional (curvacious bulkheads, for example). I love the 'stripey' end-decks and that mast collar too!

I think John is right to link to it from the main home page as your copious photos are an excellent illustration and your accompanying explanations give a great insight to your thought processes, etc.

I'm currently having a wooden canoe built clinker-style in Northern Ireland by Valkyrie but I'd love to think I could have a go at buliding my own someday. Yours is way cool and if could get mine half as good I'd be over the moon! Gonna need a brain transplant first, I think.

All the best - look forward to your first 'getting her wet' blogg.

TF

[no1birdman]

That is was one of the best canoe builds i have seen,I like the sail, have you ever tried a trolling motor on one.Next time i am up Blackpool visiting the inlaws. they sell rock on the front i will sneek up on u and have a look. LOL.They make my builds look a bit scrappy compared to that, That killed me to say that.

[canoebees]

Thanks no1birdman and goodbye

[canoebees]

I,ve ordered the paint system from International paints today so I should have it by the end of next week. Which should be well before I need it.

[canoebees]

Does anybody know what glue I should use to bond rubber to epoxy
Would evo stick do the job?

[DougR]

Does anybody know what glue I should use to bond rubber to epoxy
Would evo stick do the job?

You can probably guess the answer... - yes, but test it on something trivial first.

I've used evo-stick to bond a variey of materials (Felt,cork,rubber) to epoxy coated surfaces without much trouble, just make sure everything is spotless, de-greased, and follow the instructions.

[Hobgoblin]

Does anybody know what glue I should use to bond rubber to epoxy
Would evo stick do the job?

You could just use double sided sticky tape. Its good and strong and washes off with white spirit (not water). My thinking is that as long as the canoe gets used as much as it should, the rubber is going to get damaged and degrade so will need replacing eventually.

[joe.ford]

ductape is good and strong, they use it in motor racing to hold their wings on (after incidents), most are fibre glass

[canoebees]

Joe you have to be having a laugh

[joe.ford]

yes you got me

(I'm practicing my bull, ready for the first time I get in the boat, and go straight out the other side, for a little swim)

[canoebees]

I did a second fit today to check the bulkheads and they are now within 0.5mm So one more fit should sort it out. Then its the sheathing and the centre seat mounts.

[Brandon]

it is really nice to see a tidy build like this, I built the 16' peterborough this summer, we did a building fest, 3 days to throw one together.... not quite as neat and tidy as yours mind.... think I may build a better on this year.... good intentions and all, most likely just wait for this one to fall apart

glad to find this site, been bashing along by myself...

[kharga]

Canoebees - how is it going?

[canoebees]

I hope to be back on the job tomorrow.

I've got a lot done on the front half but never took any pictures, but I will on the back half.

[paulnb57]

Just wondering how this build is going?...........

[Voyager]

Then I added the striping............................

I've been looking at this for some time and I'd really like to know how you actually did add the striping?

Cheers, Peter.

[canoebees]

Sorry i've been a bit rough with my neck so I was off the job for a few weeks

But anyway to catch up.

The stripes were done using 26mm real wood edging tape then bonded to the foredeck. The top edge of the top plank of the hull had a 6mm piece cut out so the foredeck would end up flush with the outer gunnel.

I decided to sheath the outside to give her some strength and inpact protection. I used 260gr/m which was the lightest I could find.



I then prepared the nose/stern for the brass strip.



Then gave the sheathing a bit of a rub down.



I drilled a 20mm hole right through the nose/stern.



And fitted a piece of 20mm upvc pipe cut flush with the hull.



I also fitted the brass strips with brass screws and a epoxy bed.



I then made 4 nice mahogany rings to finish the job and epoxied them in place.



The next piece is one of three fittings I dreamt up to house a small bilge pump in the aft end as I will be on my own in the rear half. It will fit up against the underside of the gunnel just where my seat is located. This piece will fit on the inside to hold the outlet pipe of the pump in place.



This is the outlet fixed in place.



And here's the inside bottom fitting that will hold the bottom of the pump in place, rough cut and ready to sand.



I then made 2 rings to go inside bow lockers as the screws that came with the hatches are 10mm thick and these rings will give them a better finish. Note the cut in them so as I can get them inside to be epoxied in place.



After a couple of test fits to make sure the two halves went together correctly I epoxied the bolts in place.
I also inserted a bolt through the gunnels from the outside to the inside, this is where a brass plate will go to ease the stress on the bulkheads as they will transfer any stress down the gunnels where she is strongest.
It will also be a nice place to engrave her name and date of build



This is a 1mm rubber gasket I made to go between the two halves but its far too hard for the job, so I'm now waiting for some silicon rubber sheet to arrive from a false company.



Here she is all wet and bolted together. You can see the dark areas where I had to level up the join.



Brass strip all fitted and cleaned up.



And a bit closer.



A close up of the join which should get better when the new seal comes.



I'm waiting for the weather to get better so I can get her back outside so I can fit the keels.

[Voyager]

Thanks for filling me in about the striping, looked like solid wood!
The brass strip is a nice finishing touch. Keep up the good work, everyones holding their breath to see the finished article.

[Dr. Joe]

I then made 4 nice mahogany rings to finish the job and epoxied them in place.



A brilliant solution to finishing the pipe thru hull.

[canoebees]

Dry fit of the keels.



A bit closer.



And from the bow.



I used a couple of small nuts to act as spacers threaded on some small brass screws. I will remove the screws once the epoxy has gone of and fill the small holes on the inside.



And closer.



Here's one of the brass plates that I made to fit on the gunnels. I will get these engraved later.



And here's the bilge pump fitted between the rear seat supports. It's just a push fit.



I'm now sanding the keels on the first half.

[MagiKelly]

I was going to say this canoe will be a work of art when it is finished but it is already a work of art. I am so looking forward to see you out and enjoying this on the water.

Thank you for spending the time to share the build with us.

[canoebees]

Thanks for the kind words John.
The whole thing was to build a canoe just setup for what we want with no restaint on cost or time,just doing my own thing

[Voyager]

A bilge pump! Now there's an idea no-ones mentioned in a canoe build before! I don't recall you mentioning where it was purchased from? Also like the brasswork, nice nautical touch. As always thanks for posting the build for us.

[joe.ford]

I was going to fit a pair of either of these/

http://www.northerntooluk.com/products.asp?partno=1545E

http://www.northerntooluk.com/produc...?partno=10977E

[canoebees]

I think I got the bilge pump from 12vmarine on Ebay.

[canoebees]

Well the back half as now had two coats of resin on all the bright work/gunnels and the inside so it is totaly encapulated in epoxy and is now ready for paint but I need a week on the front half now to bring it up to the same level (more hand sanding )