CUTTING THE CENTER LINE

[guest]

As a first time builder, I am concerned with cutting the center line. And more importantly, cutting and fitting the opposing side. I have stripped one side and left some overhang. I will be using a football that is about 12 inches wide so it's just either end that needs to be cut.

[Rod Tait]

Cutting the centerline is a tedious and difficult task to get a perfectly straight line. Some use a router with a straight guide with the bit set to just 1/4 in. deep. Others use a jig saw and cut right through their forms (I don't like this) or simply use a thin pull saw just outside of the line and then chisel and plane down to the line, re-checking as you go with a straight edge or a string line. Once you get close to the centerlines marked on your forms, you can reset the centerline a little more accurately.

I like the pull saw and plane the best, since in my shop I have students do it themselves, so the thought of making a huge mistake with a powerful tool like a router is scary to most students. Once the line is very close, I have recently made my own custom plane that cleans up the edge. It rides along the hull bottom and cuts the centerline with a plane blade set in the custom plane with a wedge to hold it in place.

[STINGRAY8T]

Any tricks for getting the other side to meet in the center? Being a compound angle it sounds tricky

[patrick pfeifer]

First we marked the centerline using a marking guide similar to the one shown in canoecraft, but ours was a 1/16 inch thick peice of cherry with the flat side about a foot long so that you could line it up along the centerline drawn on the side of the station. we then connected the dots with a strait edge and checked it with a string. we used a small circular saw attachment for a dremel tool to cut the centerline to 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch from the actual centerline, then went in with a plane and planed it down.

[Patricks Dad]

For cutting the compound angles on the strips so that they mate well with the centerline, we used a plane. We pretty much followed the directions in the Canoecraft book (with a couple interpretations along the line). It's not as difficult as it appears to begin with. The other thing to keep in mind (not to add mental stress) is the exact length of the strips so that BOTH ends of the strips match well with the centerline and bevel. This also isn't as hard as it first seems (take it in very small bites with the plane and check often the match with the centerline).

Keep in mind that if you cut one too short it can be used in the next strip position as it needs to be shorter anyway. Carefully read the Canoecraft description for this process. Fit both ends independently (one at a time) and you can get both ends right and overall length right before you install the strip with glue. You shouldn't have to actually completely dry install a board.

[Peter Kotowych]

Regarding the center line, I was afraid to use Ted's chisel method. I could see myself making too many errors.
I simply clamped a metal yard stick on the line ( and I mean securely) and then just cut the cedar with a razor blade, box cutter thing. I just scored it and made several passes until it was cut. It is only cedar. I then moved the metal yard stick down and repeated the process. Obviously, you have to make sure it is straight.

I then followed Ted's method in the book for determining the angles needed.
I clamped a plane in my vise (upside down to the normal use) and just shaped the strip as needed. It worked extremely well, especially when a long thin angle was required. I was amazed at how well it worked, since it was my first canoe and I found most things daunting.

Penetang Pete

[Jody]

When I cut my center line I also used my Dremal tool and a small circular saw blade. I had never used one of those blades before and it worked great. I do have a 90 degree attachment for it which I used with it becuse it helped me to control the cut so the bade didn't take off and run. I marked the line with a tight string first. Those little bleds make nice fine cuts.