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.
Thanks
Which canoe and which wood
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- Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:30 pm
- Location: Cape Breton Nova Scotia
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- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:16 am
- Location: Kawartha Lakes
Canoe finish
Solid painted colour on outside is never "wrong". Use what wood you have/like.
- Glen Smith
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- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
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?
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?
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
Re: Which canoe and which wood
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.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.
Thanks