Anyone made a canoe??

[Jason Solodow]

Okay- I'm curious, has anyone tried making a canoe before? LOML and I are both really into canoeing, so I thought it would be really awesome if I could make us one. The way I'm thinking about doing it, would be to get a whole trunk in the right diameter, split it, then carve the canoe out of one piece using adzes. So, any particular wood I should or should NOT use? It wouldn't have to be dry for something like that, right? I know tool wise I would need probably a broad axe, a couple of adzes with varying sweeps, scorp, planes and assorted sanding/scraping tools... Anything else I need? I know it would be alot of work, but I would really enjoy that type of project. All my prior wood working has been using power tools, but I'm really wanting to try the old style too... Advice would be greatly appreciated!

Jason

[Mike Cutler]

Jason.

I have made canoes, but not that way. I have made cedar strip canoes based on the Jensen 17' hull, and I have friends that made ultralight racing canoes based on the design and priciples of Platt Monfort. The ultralight was absolutely stunning, and never failed to gain the most attention at races, even over the Kevlar 49's and 1 piece carbon fiber hulls.

An internet search and a trip to the bookstore will probably help you the most. There are numerous, magazines, books and internet sites dedicated to canoe building.

Remember to pay attention to portage weight. Nothing bites more than having a beautiful 120lb canoe to drag around. Look at Sitka spruce for your Keelson, gunwales and stringers. It will really knock the weight down.
A very strong hull can be made with marine grade/mil spec ply, either mahagony or laminated spruce. Cover this with S-Glass and a clear gel coat and your all set.

There are a lot of hours in canoe building 400-500 per shell. Many things can be done with machines, but the majority of the work comes down to handtools.
Oh yeah. You'll need a space roughly 8' wide by 21' long to work in. Once you set up your station molds they can't be moved. You will also need an engineered beam for reference.

[Louis Bois]

Hi Jason,

The method you are thinking of using to build your canoe is not a new one...it's been around for many moons. I remember seeing an article in FWW about a fellow using this method. I believe he used western red cedar or other similar wood. From what I recall, he hollowed out the log using some of the implements you mention above.

The tree is actually hollowed out while still green, meaning freshly cut. Once the major mass has been removed from the interior, the sides are sprung out a bit at the top...I then seem to remember that he actually put hot coals inside the boat to dry it out and tighten up the form a bit. He them did the final shaping and trimwork.

I'll try and find the issue and let you know which one it is.

Cheers,

Louis

[Steve Cox]

The dugouts like you describe are (or were) common here in Pacific Northwest. The ones I have seen are large, much too large for two people and they are pretty heavy to boot. If you want to go with old style, why not try a birch bark? I believe those are from your area and would be much better suited for hauling around to various destinations.

[Bob Johnson2]

Good luck, I've build a few strippers and can only imagine the work or weight involved in making a dugout.

[Ray Thompson]

According to the historian at the local State Park (Mounds) canoes like you describe were made from poplar trees in our area. They used heated rocks to help hollow out the middle.

Ray

[Kurt Loup]

Here's a picture of a cypress dugout canoe/pirogue built in the 30's in south Louisiana. From what I understand, holes were drilled in the hull so that the hull thickness could be determined. When the hull was finished, the holes were plugged. You can't tell in the picture, but the plugs were visible in the hull.

Kurt

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jason...you might check with some local reenactment clubs. We have a couple around here where they camp and live as the mountain men did in the 1800's. They actually build canoes like you are wanting and have raced them down the Clearwater River reenacting Lewis and Clarks historic trip through this area. Contact some local black powder/muzzleloader gun clubs.

[Jason Solodow]

Was the point of the heated rocks to dry the wood fast? Did they close the dugouts up?

[Ray Thompson]

Was the point of the heated rocks to dry the wood fast? Did they close the dugouts up?

They put the rocks in a fire then into the canoe, using them to burn a little deeper into the wood. Chip out the charred wood then another rock. Seems like slow going to me.

Ray

[Hunter Wallace]

Jason,

I don't know much about dugouts, but a close family friend makes
birch bark canoes in the traditional style of native Americans. He
goes up to White Mountain National Forest every year and gets gets
a few white brich trees that he then uses to make his canoes. He's
a real purist...nothing electrified touches the tree, from start to finish.
His name is Henry Vaillancourt, he lives in southern New Hampshire and
he has some books & videos about what he does. I think if you did a
web search you might be able to find out more...here's a pic of one of
his canoes