How many planks are needed

[bert304]

I have been trying to figure out how many planks I will need for my 15 foot Ranger. I understand I need about 50 board feet but I am trying to figure out how many boards I need if I get 8 inch wide boards. I am using a 1/8 blade and I figure for every plank I cut it would be 1/4 plus 1/8 for a total of 3/8 of material cut each time. So for every inch in width of board I will get about 3 pieces so I get a minium of 24 pieces per board. I am not sure how many planks it takes for one canoe. I am not looking for an exact number just a close number like it might take 50 for each side or 45 planks.

[Patricks Dad]

If you have your forms (or the plans). Measure the circumference of your middle form from sheer to sheer and divide by the width of each strip (minus bead/cove loss). It's that simple.

[vann evans]

You may get more strips if you use a narrow kerf rip blade. I used the one made by Freud . They have a model LU87R that depending on your blade size has a vey narrow kerf. I used a 10" blade and the kerf is listed as .094"(which is approximately 3/32"). The cuts were smooth and the waste was minimal.

Whatever you decide, make extras for breakage, bad edges and color choices. I had about 15 left over from my Freedom 15 and was glad to have that many left. Most of them were rejects for one reason or another.

Vann Evans

[shoottmx]

To save waste I use a 7 1/4" 24 tooth circular saw blade on my 10" table saw for ripping strips. The Freud blades I have are 1/16" (.0625") thick and were only around $25. Thinner and cheaper than a 10" thin kerf and give a good smooth finish on cedar. It will raise high enough to rip a 2x4 on the 2" side. I have ripped cedar 2x4's into 24- 3/32" strips. There's very little waste but the sawdust is just that--dust. A good dust collector is a must.

Gary
www.adifferenteye.com