Hand planning strips

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Gary H

Hand planning strips

Post by Gary H »

Just curious about fitting strips. I am kind of old school, I have always planned and fitted the strips around the form. I have done this for about 27 years and never tried the canoe router bits.Do the seams fit that well? Does anyone still plane them out there?
Jim D

Post by Jim D »

My first three canoes were built by hand beveling strips.... Now that I've built 14 using bead and cove, I often say," WHAT WAS I THINKING?".. Bead and cove has so many benifits!... No more strips slipping out of position, no more Thin spots, no more day light through the hull, Building is faster, less sanding, and thats a biggee!.. I could go on but I'll just say try it you'll like it!!!... Good Luck!!
canoeblderinmt
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Hand Plane's my middle name

Post by canoeblderinmt »

But after reading Jim D's post, I am more tempted to try the router bits. I just didn't have the dough to buy an untried method (for me) and I didn't find this forum until I was almost done with the wood on my first one. The only think that concerns me is figuring out how to ensure that all the strips are a uniform thickness. Not too important when planing bevels but absolutely important going thru a router, i would think? I guess I'll be buying a thickness planer.... :?

Greg
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Glen Smith
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Post by Glen Smith »

When I built my first two boats I planed all of the strips before routing them. Now I have improved my strip cutting methods and I don't bother with the plane anymore. I do have an occasional strip that gets rejected because of inconsistent thickness but I get more strips per board by cutting more precisely.
Jim Dodd

Post by Jim Dodd »

Greg, uniformity IS the key,.. I obtain this by cutting strips from planks layed on my strongback and raised up about 1/2in by scrap wood placed about every foot or so. I hold the planks in place with a few finish nails. Don't cut the nails!.. now for the real secret!... Take a GOOD quality 7 1/4in. skill saw or circular saw, fasten a fence by clamping i/2in angle iron or Aluminum to the saw... Carefully measure the infeed side and the outfeed side of fence to make them equal,.. at 1/4in... Now walk back and forth cutting strips.... You will be amazed at the accuracy of this method!.. I don't take credit for this as I learned from the Minnesota Canoe Assc's Builders book.... Walking a plank back and forth has'nt worked for me!.. Good Luck! Jim
canoeblderinmt
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The Quest to be uniform

Post by canoeblderinmt »

Glenn, that's a great method!

I used my Shopsmith to rip my strips. It was quite a process, as it has only about a 2 foot table and was cutting 16 foot boards! I have a Skilsaw and might give your method a try if I can't get access to a real table saw with an outfeed table long enough. I have to tell you, I can see this method working very well, and not requiring any fancy tools. That's why I love this site! There's so many good ideas to make life easy, and canoes better!
Greg
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John Michne
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Post by John Michne »

For an article about making near-perfect strips, see my web site, http://michneboat.com. Click on Builder's Corner, then scroll down to Making Strips.

John
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Erik, Belgium
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Post by Erik, Belgium »

I also hand beveled the strips of my first canoe. I think one has to have done this once, to appreciate the bead&cove method later on.

Als Jim D. pointed out, there are many advantages of B&C; I would like to name some more:
- compared to hand beveled strips, the b&c strips will stay aligned much better in between the stations
- there is much less filling of gaps needed.
Bill from Louisiana

Strips

Post by Bill from Louisiana »

Gary,

Please do yourself a big, big favor and go to John Michne's site. It has answers and wonderful pictures to almost any question you might have. I have just finished my Redbird, whiich came out just super, and I can attest to the help you will receive from his site
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Kurt Loup
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Location: Baton Rouge, LA
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circular saw fence

Post by Kurt Loup »

A fence on a circular saw is the way I cut my gunwales. I can only rip 14' boards on my tablesaw so I used the circular saw to cut my 16' gunwales.

Kurt

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Jim D

Post by Jim D »

Kurt! That looks like my first set up!... I burnt two 35$ Skilsaws up before I spent money and bought a good Makita.... The Makita's you get nowdays aren't as good!.. Look for a saw with at least 13amps and little endplay on the arbor!.. That photo brought back memories! Thanks Kurt!
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