Help with strips please

Welcome to the new Bear Mountain Builders Forum - an interactive internet service we provide to encourage communication between canoe and kayak builders
User avatar
Jim Dodd
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:08 pm
Location: Iowa

Re: Help with strips please

Post by Jim Dodd »

Enjoyed the photos Phil !

So you need to reset your finger boards, everytime you make a pass.

I'm curious why you cut strips to 9/32" ?

With the skilsaw setup I use, I just cut my strips, and they are 1/4" and ready for bead and cove.

Saves wood and time.

Jim
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!
User avatar
Jim Dodd
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:08 pm
Location: Iowa

Re: Help with strips please

Post by Jim Dodd »

Here's a pick of my skilsaw setup.
I use the strongback and cleats to support the plank while cutting strips.
Image

So simple and accurate, saves me a lot of time and wood. No planning.

Jim
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!
User avatar
mrcanoehead
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 2:13 pm
Location: Saint-Lazare, Quebec, CANADA

Re: Help with strips please

Post by mrcanoehead »

Sorry no pictures this time. Ive been away a lot for work lately but I did run one strip through my new planner before running off to work again. The strip looked great on the planned side without any noticeable snipe on the ends. It ended up being 1/64th" under 1/4 inch thick as measured by calipers. I assume that won't make any noticable difference if I keep the planned side on the inside of the canoe and fair the outside when she's stripped. When I get some time off near the end of the month I'll see if I cant adjust the planner depth a bit more precisely and keep a smooth surface without removing as much matetial.

Till then and Ill include some pictures when I get back to things.

Thanks again all.
Chuck

"Attitude + Power = Performance"
User avatar
Jim Dodd
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:08 pm
Location: Iowa

Re: Help with strips please

Post by Jim Dodd »

If your strips are slightly under 1/4", that's fine, just be sure you center the router bits on your strips.
You'll be fine.

As Fall approaches, and Winter's around the corner, I Envy those with heated work areas !!

Jim
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!
pwstndrf
Posts: 68
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Saginaw, Michigan

Re: Help with strips please

Post by pwstndrf »

Jim D.
I have done epoxy work in the garage (2 1/2 car) in Michigan's Winters. I have hung a tarp to create a smaller area added a 1500 Watt Heater and maintained a temp sufficient to cure epoxy. It's not all you gotta do but it worked for me. Another trick is to "tent" around the canoe/boat with big sheets of cardboard and put the eater inside with the canoe/boat and pre-warm the wood and provide enough heat to cure it in 4-5 hrs.
I built a 16 ft. Cedar Strip MacKinzie River Drift Boat last Winter doing this.
G'Luck
phil w.
User avatar
mrcanoehead
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 2:13 pm
Location: Saint-Lazare, Quebec, CANADA

Re: Help with strips please

Post by mrcanoehead »

As heated garages go I'm lucky to have an insulated heated two car garage. Its normally only kept just a few degrees above freezing but I installed a subpanel there last year and have a big 240v heater so I bring the temperature up if working in there. I figure this will be a big advantage being easily able to keep the temperature where I want it for epoxy work. The only downside is its an attached garage located under the master bedroom so if I'm up late and want to work in there I need to be quite as a mouse.

Now all I need to do this winter is somehow keep the misses car out of the garage.. I mean boat workshop ;)
Chuck

"Attitude + Power = Performance"
pwstndrf
Posts: 68
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Saginaw, Michigan

Re: Help with strips please

Post by pwstndrf »

I had to buy one of those windshield covers and had to put it on and remove it each night/morning for her. Small price to pay for the " temp boat shop". :wink
Phil w
User avatar
mrcanoehead
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 2:13 pm
Location: Saint-Lazare, Quebec, CANADA

Re: Help with strips please

Post by mrcanoehead »

Hi again everyone,

I have finally found time to work on the strips and passed them through my planner cleaning up one side. As with my test strip they are 7/32" thich with one side cleaned up and I figure if I do the other side they will be about 3/16" thick. So I have another question.

If I plane both sides would I not have less work to do sanding and fairing the hull? My reasoning being that the ruff side (from the sawmill bandsaw) will still need cleaned up so I figure it would be less work now to plane it. Is there a reason against this? I figure that like it or not I'm going to be around 3/16" thick to get these strips smooth. Is that going to be too thin 75% of nominal thickness?

I've included some pics of my setup. Fyi I recently got a central vac for the wife (installed in the basement) and the vac guy offered to make me a shopvac/sawdust collector for the garage so I've included a pic. It's a vortex catching can made out of an old central vac with the motor removed and the inside sprayed with truck bedliner spray to prevent rust. It seems to work well so far and I didn't even need my dust mask today. Overall quite happy with my dust collection for a few extra $


Image

Image

Image

Image
Chuck

"Attitude + Power = Performance"
pwstndrf
Posts: 68
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Saginaw, Michigan

Re: Help with strips please

Post by pwstndrf »

Mr. CH
I have read on other posts/forums where some builders have used 3/16 strips as a means to lighten their canoe. The f'glass is where the strength comes from..... I don't see that it will make a significant difference beyond weight.
There is one thing I'd consider as you move forward, that is: When you are adding the strips at the "Turn of the Bilge" make sure the strips are fit tight. If not, you'll end up with thin sections at the joints after you fair the hull smooth.
Keep movin' On! :tu
phil w.
Rabbit
Posts: 121
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:20 pm
Location: Downunder

Re: Help with strips please

Post by Rabbit »

mrcanoehead:

keep in mind that the hull is a composite. no single one component is wholly responsible for it's strength, so if your strips are too thin it could be a problem. you might also find the curve of the bead and cove is too shallow. i ended up having to re-bead and cove all my bought strips because the mill used a 1/2 inch rather than 1/4 inch tool for beading and coving.

the other thing to remember is that you are planking a curved hull from flat strips. in process of fairing the outer hull you remove a fair amount of material. the finish on the outer hull face isn't much of an issue because you will be sanding them smooth. :tu
BearLeeAlive
Posts: 196
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:00 pm

Re: Help with strips please

Post by BearLeeAlive »

When fairing the outside of the hull, you are taking off all the corners of the strips as you make the flat surface a smooth curve, so worrying about just how smooth this surface is really does not matter too much. Having an even thickness would give you a more even starting point though. On my next build, as long as the 'rough' side is not too bad, I will not plane it like I did the last time. Just so long as you don't make the strips too narrow, there is no problem with planing the second side though, it is just a step that needs not be, in my opinion.

Having two planed sides does give you more option on which face you would like to the outside as you add the strips though.
-JIM-
User avatar
mrcanoehead
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 2:13 pm
Location: Saint-Lazare, Quebec, CANADA

Re: Help with strips please

Post by mrcanoehead »

Hi guys,

So I had a little more time and I decided to make the decision to plane the other side of my strips but not too aggressively. It turns out that they are almost all perfectly smooth on both sides but I mareked each strip with an outer side as well. It turns out that I'm only 3/64th " under 1/4 or about .20 (see pics).

Before anyone tells me yes I realized that I should have passed the strips between the fence and router bit but I will do that on my next pass for the cove.

Comming along
User avatar
mrcanoehead
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 2:13 pm
Location: Saint-Lazare, Quebec, CANADA

Re: Help with strips please

Post by mrcanoehead »

Image

Image

Image[/URL]

Image[/URL]
Chuck

"Attitude + Power = Performance"
User avatar
Jim Dodd
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:08 pm
Location: Iowa

Re: Help with strips please

Post by Jim Dodd »

Mr Canoehead
Better to run your strips between the bit and the fence the first time. If you don't your cove could cut some deep. and some shallow.
On the other hand if you've planed the planks all uniform, you should be OK.

Let us know how it turns out.

Jim
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!
User avatar
Cruiser
Posts: 867
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 10:21 am
Location: Bowmanville, Ontario

Re: Help with strips please

Post by Cruiser »

Jim .... I think he only planed the cut strips for thickness, wouldn't the bead and cove rely on the original boards planing to be uniform ... as far as the bead and coves goes?
Post Reply