The Bear Mountain Boat Shop

I realize that you are trying to salvage the parts of the gunnels that you can. However, for this boat or the future, this may be a viable suggestion: Instead of using scarf joints on full thickness materials, how about laminating several 1/4" strips to make up the 3/4" starting thickness....

I think two of the most useful tools that I acquired for my canoe project was a wood rasp and a surfoam plane. I used both of these tools extensively in shaping the stems. I purchased a spokeshave, but really didn't use it so much. I did use a low angle block plane and also a small finger plane for ...

Whether you follow the sheer line with your first strip or let the strip follow it's natural curve will not make a lot of difference in a "modern" design like the Freedom. I chose the freedom for it's simple. modern look with no recurve at the bow or stern. I tacked the first strip in plac...

I chose to use the fiberglass layers primarily due to cosmetic considerations. I felt like the beautiful wooden boat didn't need a brass stem band to protect the stems. The only hardware on our boat are the bronze carriage bolts to hang the seats and thwarts. I liked the look of all wood. I think th...

in order to properly ventilate any area, one must have both a fresh air intake and an exhaust. Fresh air must move completely through the area to create "air exchange".Depending on the type of epoxy and the cubic volume of the basement, there should be 'X air exchanges per hour". I do...

I also used West System 105/207 and am happy with the results-but it has only been about 4 months since I launched. Time will tell, but so far it looks great. From the research I did(and the website tests noted above), it seems that the varnish coating is almost as important as the type/brand of epo...

I put 2 coats of epoxy on everything prior to installation of the trim. After installation , then I coated with with varnish. I felt like the extra weight was worth the added protection.
I plan on keeping this boat for a long time-and I don't want to have to redo anything soon.
Vann Evans

I also built a Freedom 15. I installed my deck plates before I put on the inwales or outwales.I screwed them from the outside of the hull and glued them tight against the inside of the hull. When I installed the inwales, I let the inwales die into the deck plates. I incorporated a handle that was th...

I made all of my strips and I think they turned out fine. I got my local lumber yard to specially order clear 1x6(3/4x 5 1/4 actual) western red cedar. with the clear grade, there were no knots and no waste. the boards were uniform 3/4" inch, so all I had to do was rip them in 1/4" strips....

Freedom 15 Construction We launched our new Freedom 15 on October 3,2009. We paddled it both as a tandem and solo boat. The canoe was fast, comfortable, stable and predictable. The weather was beautiful-calm and sunny when we started out. By later in the afternoon, the wind picked up considerably an...

http://picasaweb.google.com/cboaternc/F ... StripCanoe#
this is the image I wanted to show regarding the clamping ledge attached to the station.http://picasaweb.google.com/cboaternc/F ... tripCanoe#

I used the "L" shaped clamping blocks by clamping them across the strips and tight to the stations. But, I did it a little differently. When I cut the stations from 3/4" plywood, there was a perfect profile of the station left in the scrap. I cut the scrap profile about 1" wide a...

I just finished a Freedom 15. I used a full layer of 6 oz and a football shaped layer of 4 oz on the exterior hull. I used a single layer of 4 oz on the interior. I think that is a very strong layup with the least weight available. the boat is stiff, no oil canning or flexing. I put 3 coats of epoxy...

I have seen various ways to attach the painter ropes to the deck plate and pipe through the hull. Has anyone found attractive and strong bronze hardware?? I have looked at various marine hardware sites and found eye hooks, mooring eyes and other bronze brackets, but wondered if anyone found anything...

I ripped the cove edge off of the first strip so that it had a square edge at the sheer. I installed the strips with the bead up toward the keel . Having the first strip with a square edge made installing the inwales and outwales a little easier. I also made the first strip out of ash to match the i...