Wood Canoe

[woodystrack]

I'm a proud owner of a western red cedar wooden whitewater canoe that I built last year. I've also helped my brother build him one.

A friend of mine, also a woodworker and furniture designer like myself) recently got laid off from Falcon Jet. He now spends his time building things for people to make money while he looks for a job.

Would anyone be interested in having us build a wooden canoe or kayak for them? If you'd like to see some pictures, I'll post some soon, or I can email them.

I've taken mine out several times (Buffalo, Spring, Big Piney) and yes i've put some battle scars on it, but that's part of the beauty of it to me. I built it to get outdoors and enjoy the rivers of Arkansas.

[fishhomer75]

Pics! Please!

[woodystrack]

Here are a few pics of my wooden canoe...
My best ones I'll have to upload later...need to find them first.

[AR-Nimrod]

Wow! That is one beautiful canoe How much does it weigh?

[suckhole]

Dude that's pretty

[woodystrack]

Thanks guys!
It used to weigh about 90 pounds, but since i've taken it out on the rivers and scratched it up a bit. i've sanded the bottom and reapplied epoxy to it clearing it back out ready for another round, so the additional epoxy i had to put on makes it weigh about 100 pounds.

I put 3 sheets of fiberglass and 6 coats of epoxy just on the outside. 1 1/2 layers of fiberglass on the inside. So I think that was a little overkill. so the next one i make will have 2 sheets of fiberglass on the outside w/ 4 to 5 coats of epoxy, and 1 sheet of fiberglass and 2 to 3 coats epoxy on the inside.

I hope to have the next canoe (16' (2-man)) to weigh about 70 pounds.

If I make a Weelassey for someone, it'll probably weigh close to 60 pounds.

[DMG]

Gorgeous!!!

[rickyrod]

Beautifullllll! a true work of art . I have been toying with the idea aswell . Question, for mass prod. have you made jigs for this size boat only? if so can you use the same forms to modif. a new design ???? What I'm asking is if you could use the same form twice or over again like the jigs I use on my guitars can be used for two models depending on costumer requests. I'm not wanting to sell just to add to the works of form and function. I'm currently bringing back to life an old schlaggle paddle for a freind. and making small childrens paddles for my girls(manuf.ones are to expenc.). white ash, and hickory, seem to be the best choice for paddles. The greatest thing is that unlike a table or chair , a boat,paddle,guitar,can be used for making memories with and good times . I've been woodcarving for almost ten years and paddling is the only thing that comes close to the feeling of finishing a nice project , but being able to use it for paddleing afterwords. must be priceless .

[woodystrack]

rickyrod, i agree completely! being able to use the product of your handy work is priceless! I appreciate works of art more if they have function.

I made molds for the 16' whitewater canoe, and yes it can and has been used over again twice. I saved these molds and you could just take away one or two of the profile molds to make a shorter canoe, like a 14' weelassie, or you could add a profile mold to make the canoe long, but only up to a point in both instances.

I have mapped out some molds for a kayak in AutoCAD in 3-d and 2-d and will soon print them off in full scale to make the molds from 3/4" mdf board