Building an Abenaki...

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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

So, i've been tinkering with the inwales and outwales over the weekend. Got all the scuppers rounded, rounded the outwale edges, and tapered both the inwale and outwales.

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And a test fit with the inwale and outwale

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In doing all of this, I've come to realize I'm not overly pleased with my epoxy job on both the inside and outer hull of the boat. You can see in the last two pictures that I've already sanded the inside. Is it safe to assume that I need to sand and apply another coat of epoxy to the inside and out BEFORE moving on and actually attaching the inwale/outwales? sanding an adding more epoxy to the inside should be straight forward in the craddles as it sits. Turning it over to sand the outside again will be interesting. Guess I'll need some sawhorse types to sit her on since the forms are no more...

Thoughts?
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neon14
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by neon14 »

This is going to be one amazing canoe! I like the close up pic, it looks pretty cool. I cant really tell from the picture about the epoxy situation but I dont worry about the visual quality of my epoxy job to much. Dont even car if there are runs in it. Going to sand it anyway. Varnish is where things start looking good and its alot easier to work with. Heck the varnish even makes the imperfections look good! Cant wait to see this one done.
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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

Things just got real, haha. Totally jumping subjects/steps in building here but my mind has been going on about this all day. I planned to use the left over cypress from my gunnels, glue them together and use that for the decks. I took some leftover basswood strips and glued them together as a "test deck" since they're roughly the same light color. I didnt like the all white look, and I had the inwale run all the way to the bow/stern so they would stand out.

I want to put a fleur-de-lis design on the bow deck and I was going to burn it into the wood, thus why I was going to go with the light color cypress. Like I said, I didnt like the all white look of the bow and stern so I'm going to find a dark wood for the decks to make the inwales stand out more. STILL going to do the fleur-de-lis, but its going to be an inlay. Sorry for the random post, but I figured i would give yall something to wait on :)

I'm out of pocket for the next few weeks for an out of town trip, but this should be awesome when I get it together! :twisted:
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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

Things have been slow going, was out of town for a month. Only two more days of work next week before I quit and take some time off before dental school kicks off in July. Should give me plenty of time to finish her up then, being able to work on it all day if I want instead of just in the evenings!

Anyway, on to the fun of pictures! First another close up of the routed inwales...
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The yoke
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Seats drilled out. I did these mortise and tenon style. First time I've ever done this so it was interesting. Initially, fitting them together, they didnt lay flat. I wasnt sure what to do about that, so I thought on it for a day or so and just decided to keep taking away a little more on each joint and finally they fit together AND would lay flat on a smooth surface. Then it was time to glue, and once the glue dried I headed over to a friends to drill press some holes! One seat currently has its first coat of varnish drying on it now. My first time varnishing anything so we'll see how that goes
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Put epoxy on the inwale scuppers too. Super easy to do while NOT on the boat, haha. Thinking through it more, I'm going to test fit these this weekend and epoxy pretty much the whole inwale (minus the top surface). This will keep me from having to get creative reaching up under the inwale AFTER its been installed, trying to put epoxy on there without having it run or drip everywhere. Thats pretty much it for now. Once I'm free of that terrible thing they call work, I'll have all day for two months to really kick it into high gear and get some real movement on this thing. And of course, at LEAST one float trip out of her before school starts!!
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Willy
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Willy »

Great looking canoe! I am about to put outer stems on my project (no inner stem). What wood did you use? It was probably in the post and i missed it. I tried ripping some cedar very thin to re-laminate to the curve today but it snapped. Might have been grain orientation??

I am in San Antonio too and thought I might check Woodcraft or Alamo hardwoods for alternatives. Any thoughts?

I would love to see that canoe sometime.

Thanks,
Will
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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

Thanks! Both my stems are Ash. Cant remember what exactly I ripped it to, I think 3/16 by 7/8 or something along those lines. Then I just bent them around my end forms and clamped them with a little thickened epoxy between the layers.

Woodcraft has some stuff, Alamo hardwoods would be a better option for selection.
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Pogo
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Pogo »

Casey, lookin' GOOD man! I think I may be your first dental patient once you get started, lol. 8)

Willy, I never had a lot of luck getting cedar (or redwood) to make the bends either, recommend you try ash, cypress, white oak, or basswood. If still having trouble, rip thinner strips and do more laminations.
Dogpaddlin
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Dogpaddlin »

Stuck,

She is coming along nicely! You getting anxious yet?

Willy,

I used cedar for my stems for my Merlin, cut them to 1/8' and used a heat gun to help "persuade" them and just didn't get in a hurry. I would not use cedar if I had it to do over again, go with one of the previously mentioned hardwoods.
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Pogo
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Pogo »

Good call on the heat gun, my brain took a holiday. Heating the wood to just short of toasting/scorching often achieves great things.
Dogpaddlin
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Dogpaddlin »

Pogo wrote:Good call on the heat gun, my brain took a holiday. Heating the wood to just short of toasting/scorching often achieves great things.
You must be gettin old :lol: I learned that trick from you and your website...
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Pogo
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Pogo »

I blame too much sex, drugs, & rock 'n' roll in the seventies. :roll:


Well, too much drugs & rock 'n' roll, anyway.... :P
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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

Holy cow these things take a while to finish, and plenty of patience! One down, who wants to weave the other one? :lol:

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Pogo
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Pogo »

What I want to know is, who held a gun to your head and forced you to hand-weave your own cane seats? :P

Seriously ....... looks superb, and I happen to know from experience that all the hard work will pay dividends in personal satisfaction. You have many years ahead of fending off droves of admiring onlookers that'll be enough to give you delusions of true greatness if you're not careful, lol!

IF you ever get done, that is. Just kidding, of course you will, and soon enough too. 8)
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BlackRifle
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by BlackRifle »

Simply amazing.. I hope one day I will have a thread like this.
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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

:lol: Kurt, you're about right. I had some delusion that it would be a good idea, and then I got to the middle of weaving and said "what the hell am I doing??!!" You're right though, I love how it looks and its classy as hell :D
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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

More exciting things happening! Yesterday, I got the inwales installed, permanently!! I used thickened epoxy to glue em on, and held them in place with 1" screws with scrap spacers on the outside. The screws will be coming out later today or tomorrow, depending on when I feel like taking them out. Next I'll be fiddling with the decks, getting them built like I want and I'm planning to put 2 or 3 screws per side through the hull, through the inwale and into the deck for added support.

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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

As promised, the decks are complete and installed. I chickened out on putting an inlay in these things. Well...... I wouldnt say chickened out. More like I'm working on a deadline now and dont want to delay any more while researching the in's and out's of inlays. Probably not that difficult, but I need to press.

Also put together some Ash and walnut grab handles. I like them! Once these things get a second coat of epoxy they'll be going in via the same method as the decks, with a screw through the hull/inwale and into the end of the handle. THEN, i'll be putting the outwales on.

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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

Minor setback with my handles. After some learning, I found out that putting screws into the end grain of wood is not the greatest idea. Initially that killed my plan for my handles and I was pretty bummed. I had them trimmed and ready for the plan I had. Plan B formed, and I drilled out a 1/4" hole into the handle and through the hull to insert an oak dowel into each side. I still put thickened epoxy between the handle and the inwale, so between the dowel through the hull/handle and the epoxy, hopefully these things are stout enough.

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I also got to work making a sweet stick to maneuver this boat with once its finished.

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The second outwale is currently drying in place, put the first one on yesterday and its looking closer to being complete (key word, "looking").

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Dogpaddlin
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Dogpaddlin »

This is going to be one SWEAT ride! I can't wait to see the finished product. Keep up the good work, some of us are living vicariously through you... :mrgreen:
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Shamrock kid
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Shamrock kid »

Your craftsmanship is amazing. This is one of the best looking canoes I've ever seen.
Last edited by Shamrock kid on Fri Jun 21, 2013 7:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

Thanks for the kind words guys!

And..................we've got some finished gunnels on this thing! Took the clamps off this morning. Next up is setting the carry yoke, and then its back to sanding to prep for varnishing

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SmilinJoe
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by SmilinJoe »

Wow! Tagging along to see the finished product.
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StuckInTheMud
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by StuckInTheMud »

Seems photobucket deleted my picture of the gunnels. Hmmm...maybe I edited the picture and changed the path or something. Oh well. So, since then I've installed the yoke, played with the seats and guestimated where I want them. Oh, and I varnished the outer hull!

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I've started school but things haven't turned insanely busy just yet, so I'm going to try and sand a little tomorrow after school and put down the first coat of varnish on the inside. Maybe get coats 2 and 3 on this weekend also so they can be sitting there doing their "cure" thing and then next weekend I can install the seats and go for a ride! (fingers crossed)
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Hirsch
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Hirsch »

She shure is purdy!!!
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Re: Building an Abenaki...

Post by Dogpaddlin »

8) 8) 8)
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