Fiberglassing Interior

[mikestenger]

After sweating and fretting for months about this step (and doing a lot of sanding on the inside of my 15' Bob's Special) I finally did it. Yesterday. But NOT without challenges.

I carefully laid the 6oz cloth over the upside down hull and cut to size per Canoecraft. I slit up the stems to the inner ends of both stems and also left the cloth a couple of inches short of each end of the boat. When I dry fitted the cloth to the right side up interior, life got frustrating. I could not get rid of serious fore and aft wrinkles. Got so bad I went in and took a nap (I don't like naps).

Wnen I went back at it, upon reflection, I realized what the problem was. The inner stems are about 2" (each) longer than the outer stems so the slits at the ends of the cloth needed to be 2" longer at both ends. Once I did that, the rest was (comparitively) simple.

Interior turned out pretty well and better than I expected. The ends up near the stems are just as interesting as everybody who has gone before said it is.

I appreciate all the helpful posts that made this part of the canoe tolerable. Thanks.

[Fred G]

bandsaw and spindle sander

[ealger]

Mike, there are a lot of different approaches to making scuppers. Some use a Forstner bit in a drill press, cutting the ends of the scupper and then finishing the cut with a bandsaw.

I have some photos of my template setup for routing scuppers. See this url:
Eds_Scupper_Cutting

These pictures show the use of straight cutter with a pilot bearing. In my next cutting, I'll switch to a 1/2" spiral bit with a pilot in the router base. The template is fashioned to cut 5 scuppers per clamping.

I like to finish off the scupper with a 3/16" r round over bit. Seal the inside of the scuppers with epoxy before you install the inwales to the hull. (I know, I know, some use oil to finish the scuppers rather than that messey epoxy!).
Ed...

[Nova Scotian]

You bring back such (similar) fond memories of glassing the inside of my 15' Bob's...

As for scuppers - tape gunnels together and drill centres with a 1/2" forstner bit for 1/4" scuppers. 4-in-hand rasp to clean and shape.

Stuart

[mikestenger]

Ed

Thanks for your observations. I visited your photo site...what is the 'foil backing' shown in the last picture?

[ealger]

Rats! I should remove that picture. The foil was put on the back of the template in attempt to reduce the tear out caused by the straight cutting router bit. It did reduce the tear-out. A better cutter would be a 1/2" spiral bit with a pilot fastened in the router base. I'll update my template when I cut my scuppers for the Prospector now in progress.
Ed...

[mikestenger]

Thanks, Ed. I have read and studied a lot of different approaches and like yours very much. I have settled on ash for the gunwales and must first scarf the pieces to make them long enough (no ash 16' long available anywhere on the West Coast, according to the wood people I have talked to).

I have considered roughing out the scupper openings with a jig saw to reduce the heat buildup of the router bit and also reduce the amount of work it must do. Does that sound reasonable?

I also like John Michne's three piece scuppered inners but that is more work than I plan to invest.

[ealger]

Mike, pre-cutting the scupper with a jigsaw would help a little. However, if you're using a good router and the typical carbide cutters, I wouldn't hesitate to just do all the cutting with the router. You must use a template as I don't see how you could route them free hand. Take light passes, back and forth until the scupper is complete. This is where a nice 1/2" carbide spiral cutter works well.

Also, if you're not aware, plan ahead where your seats will be hung and leave an open space void of scuppers.

John's built-up scuppers are nice using contrasting woods. The extra work will show off your craftsmanship, for sure. John also likes to use a roundover bit which has a brass pilot on the end. I've always used roundovers with bearing guides.
Ed...

[canoeblderinmt]

Mike,
I built mine up using Brazilian cherry and maple. I first cut about 100 4" pieces of maple, while the scarfs for the 23 foot cherry pieces were drying. Then I chopped out each end with a forstner bit in a drill press (LOVE my Shopsmith). Then came marking, mixing and glueing about 8 pieces at a time, as that's all the clamps I had. That was a messy step, but it came out OK. All pieces are 1/8" oversize at this point, and I ran them thru my thickness planer (on edge) to get them to the proper "height". A little clean up on the insides and then I screwed and clamped them to the the hull while the epoxy dried. A 1/8" roundover bit finished them off.



I really like them and they are handy for lashing as well as eye-catching, but they were a LOT of work. But hey, I'll have this boat forever, so what's a couple of days in the shop, right?

Greg