Which canoe and which wood

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Cape Breton
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:30 pm
Location: Cape Breton Nova Scotia

Which canoe and which wood

Post by Cape Breton »

Hello

I know these are two difficult questions, but I am fishing for options.
Design?
Canoe is for 2 adults and two kids (26 and 10 months). We will be doing day trips and working up to multiday trips (as age increases). No big trips in the next few years, 2 or 3 nights max. Looking at Nomand 17.

Wood?
We have access to Spruce and Pine in 18 foot lengths, maybe someTamarack.
I am thinking of using Spruce for wieght. I am worried it may be to light in colour and look "wrong" when completed.

Any options would be helpful. :thinking
Thanks
bluedcanoed
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:16 am
Location: Kawartha Lakes

Canoe finish

Post by bluedcanoed »

Solid painted colour on outside is never "wrong". Use what wood you have/like.
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Glen Smith
Posts: 3719
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

Where do you live to not have more lumber options?
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frugal
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:54 pm
Location: Oshawa, ON

Post by frugal »

A common misconception people have is that their strips need to be full length. We used nothing longer than 12 feet on a 16 foot canoe. Can you get shorter cedar boards?

As for the colour of spruce, what would be "wrong" about it? As far as I'm concerned there is beauty in any wood. Some woods are better than others but none of them is "wrong". We used white cedar, red cedar, and basswood with walnut stem and gunwales and cherry seats.

If I recall tamarack is heavier but it is a beautiful wood. My brother has a cathedral ceiling lined with Tamarack and it's very distinct. The question is, can you carry that extra weigth?
willo
Posts: 156
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:48 pm
Location: Echo Bay ON.

Post by willo »

The last four boats I have built have had a lot of pine in them (white pine) , I get to congested when working with cedar so I have been looking for an alternate. Pine is heavier than cedar so the boat could weigh a few ponds more when complete , but there are ways to trim that weight down when trimming the boat.My first Ranger built with white cedar was 45lb. a ranger I built for my sister with 2/3 pine content weighs 53 lbs
Old750
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:23 am

Re: Which canoe and which wood

Post by Old750 »

Cape Breton wrote:Hello

I know these are two difficult questions, but I am fishing for options.
Design?
Canoe is for 2 adults and two kids (26 and 10 months). We will be doing day trips and working up to multiday trips (as age increases). No big trips in the next few years, 2 or 3 nights max. Looking at Nomand 17.

Wood?
We have access to Spruce and Pine in 18 foot lengths, maybe someTamarack.
I am thinking of using Spruce for wieght. I am worried it may be to light in colour and look "wrong" when completed.

Any options would be helpful. :thinking
Thanks
If you use spruce and pine make sure you can get clear lengths. Knots will break your strips and be a waste for paying premium prices for longer boards. You might as well have shorter boards with no knots and scarf join them.
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frugal
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:54 pm
Location: Oshawa, ON

Post by frugal »

Knots do not always break. We had a couple break while dry fitting strips and it's no big deal. We just cut out the knot and and joined the ends together.

The only issue we had with knots that was also not a big deal was the difference in hardness and sanding.

My next boat will have knots as well.
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