how to build the quick canoe 155 - amazon s3 · better than a pure flat bottomed thing. the other...

How to build the QUICK CANOE 155

DESIGNER

Michael Storer

[email protected]

www.storerboatplans.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.storerboatplans.com/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LICENCE – QUICK CANOE 155...........................................................................................4Internet information............................................................................................................4Thanks...............................................................................................................................4

FOR LICENSED KITS IN THE USA......................................................................................5QUICK CANOES (VERSION K NF) – OVERVIEW...............................................................6

General Comments............................................................................................................6Safety.................................................................................................................................7Free Paddle Plans and other links.....................................................................................7

IMPORTANT COMMENTS ON MATERIALS........................................................................8TIMBER – METRIC AND IMPERIAL LISTS..........................................................................9EPOXY AND GLUING STUFF.............................................................................................10OTHER BITS AND PIECES.................................................................................................10TOOLS..................................................................................................................................11BUILDING THE QUICK CANOE HULL...............................................................................12

Marking out the plywood..................................................................................................12Cutting out the panels......................................................................................................13Join the panel to length....................................................................................................13Make the Skeg Doubler...................................................................................................14Option – Epoxy Coating the hull interior..........................................................................15Gluing up the long bits with scarfs...................................................................................15

METHOD – DUCT TAPE AND ASSEMBLY METHOD........................................................17Setting up the side panels...............................................................................................17Attaching the bottom........................................................................................................18Turn upright and prepare for filleting/taping.....................................................................19Make sure the hull is untwisted.......................................................................................20Hull Interior – Filleting is a better choice than glass taping for some..............................20Alternative 1 - Filleting method........................................................................................21Alternative 2 - Glass taping method................................................................................22Turning the Boat over and preparing for glass taping.....................................................23Glass Taping the outside of the chine..............................................................................24

FITTING THE TIMBERWORK.............................................................................................24Fitting the Gunwales........................................................................................................24Glue in the Skeg Doublers...............................................................................................25Fitting the skegs and keel................................................................................................25Fitting the Inwales, Knees and Centre Spreader.............................................................26Fitting the seats................................................................................................................28Filling holes and getting ready for painting or varnishing................................................29

PAINTING AND VARNISHING.............................................................................................29Paint and Varnish Maintenance.......................................................................................30Tuning the skeg/keel depth..............................................................................................30

APPENDICES......................................................................................................................31Cordless Battery Drill with Clutch....................................................................................31Wet-on-Wet Coating and Dewaxing Cured Epoxy...........................................................31One Hit coating and gluing..............................................................................................32Precoating Plywood Panels before Assembly.................................................................32Building strong lightweight boats - a note on the use of epoxy.......................................33Fibreglass taping method................................................................................................33

A SELECTION OF MICHAEL STORER WOODEN BOAT PLANS.....................................36

© Michael Storer 2020

LICENCE – QUICK CANOE 155

The purchase of this plan entitles the purchaser to build one boat only or to cut out one setof hull panels only. The rights to build an additional boat or cut additional panels are bythe paying of a further licence fee (amount to be negotiated with the designer).

It is usual for plans to be non-returnable and non-refundable as it is too easy for them tobe copied, then returned. If you want to ask, do so, but I will usually refuse.

The purchaser must decide whether the craft will fit their purposes. I have offered adescription of the craft and its building which is offered in good faith.

As there is no control over quality of materials or construction it is impossible to guaranteeperformance in any way.

Remember it is the skipper that decides the use of the boat on a given day. Use the boatin conditions you are comfortable with and gradually, as you get to know her, push thatenvelope.

Of course, wear appropriate clothing, carry the appropriate safety gear and be clear on itscorrect use.

Quick Canoe 155

Length - 4.7m (15ft 6ins)

Beam – 0.83m (33ins)

Hull Weight - 13kg (45lbs)

Draft - 0.100m, (4")

Internet information

There is some information available on the internet.

You can always check my website http://www.storerboatplans.com /wp .

Also my forum has information about the development of the Quick Canoes and currentand past builds of the different boats http://tinyurl.com/d9u9by

There is generally a list of information on that page for any additional information that hasbeen put on the website. Also on the hompage there is a link to my BLOG which is whereI put updates to plans or comments and other useful material. And some nice free paddleplans.


http://tinyurl.com/d9u9by

http://www.storerboatplans.com/

Thanks

Thanks to Chuck, Sandra of Duckworks and the group of friends of Jim Thayer who do theLake Powell trip each year who all got me thinking;

Andrew Linn who spurred the solution for the design in a long conversation whiletraversing the Oregon Mountains. A

lso a big thanks to Rick Landreville from Canada who built the prototype and Paul Helbertwho built a twitchy narrow version to test the limits of stability. Both of them are builders,designers and sailors of small boats. I also would like the thank the members of my forum– always full of good ideas and feedback.


FOR LICENSED KITS IN THE USA

We have been working with Duckworks and John Owens Woodworks to produce a kit forthe Quick Canoe. The ordering information is on this page http://tinyurl.com/2fd2vjx

This page is a key to the kit contents. If cutting your own plywood ignore this page.

To help you locate the pieces these are the two key drawings, the parts are also labelled.

These are the plywood parts with part numbers.

These are the timber pieces with part numbers and quantities. Note that inwales,gunwales and the keel batten are made up of three pieces each. The scarf joins havebeen cut already and a piece of Aluminium angle is provided to help align them when theyare glued to length. The method is explained later.


http://tinyurl.com/2fd2vjx

QUICK CANOES (VERSION K NF) – OVERVIEW

General Comments

One of the by-products of the trip to the USA was that I nowknow that canoeing and kayaking is waaaay more fun than Ithought.

I sort of imagined it would be tedious compared to sailing. Andit kinda is, but your mind adapts and you are off and going verynicely indeed. The thing I liked was just setting the mind to thetask and keeping going, particularly when there areheadwinds.

I also liked the independence of camping particularly with thedays of having to carry lots of water being over with the gravityfilters available these days. Pardon the pic of the $25 tentbought in America!

Because my income is so little I have pared things to the bone.I find cheap places to rent, have very few belongings and certainly don't have a car. Iremember doing the calcs about 15 years back and finding that a car would cost me anextra $70/week if everything was counted. I doubt it is anycheaper now.

So how do I mix my interest in canoe touring and nice boatswith not having a car?

I started to think in terms of “disposable” boats. Building reallycheap and fast from the cheapest materials available. Eitherbuying them on location at the start or having them shippedthere - maybe with bits cut out in advance. Not so muchmoney tied up that you are worried about giving away the boatat trip end.

Assemble the boat over a couple of days, a quick coat of paint,throw it in the adjacent body of water and go. Up the MurrayDarling or any other of the river systems in OZ.

At the end the boat just gets given away. But how does this influence the design?

We all know that even a little classic canoe like Rushton's WeeLassie will outperform and out handle almost any of thefibreglass production canoes. When the wind and waves comeup it goes straight and true, rather than wandering about like aGRP bathtub.

The difference is chalk and cheese. The reason is the hollow inthe ends of the wee lassie - which provides a fin at the frontand back of the boat. Forget about trying to make a boat trackwith an inch deep keelson - it is these fins, appropriatelyplaced at the ends of the boat where they have real grip thatdo the work. The picture right shows what I am talking about.

Balsa Canoe Article - Wee Lassie 12lbs (5.5kg)


http://www.storerboatplans.com/Balsacanoe/Balsacanoe.html

The classic shapes are gorgeous. And most quick build canoes are like boxes whichhandle about as well as the cheaper fibreglass canoes – ie not well

So I wondered ... how can the basic simple shape be played with. I had this particular ideawhile talking to Andrew Linn when I was in Oregon looking at lakes and rivers ... why nothave a fin at the back AND the front to make up the side view of a regular Canadiancanoe. It won't be as sweet as the real thing, but it will possibly handle rougher waterbetter than a pure flat bottomed thing.

The other thing that went into the pot - actually the thing that really started the pot were thefree boat plans for the "Peace Canoe" that Woodenboat supplied for free to get peoplestarted in building boats. I was gobsmacked to see that it came out of 5 sheets of plywoodand weighs in at over 100 pounds. I knew I could reduce the materials cost and weight.

http://www.chineblog.com/2007/10/initial-performance-thoughts-on-the-peace-canoe/

So this is the idea .. the boat has a keelson at each end joinedby a batten along the length of the boat. The stem, keelsonsand bow of the boxy hull get shaped to produce the profile of aclassic canoe.

Will it have good directional stability in rough conditions? I doimagine it will be more bouncy in those conditions than aproper canoe but it will have more directionally stable than thenormal flat bottomed boat. I have tried to reduce thebounciness by having the bottom panel very narrow at the frontand back of the boat.

Will it paddle well? It does have more wetted surface than the Eureka, but I havesqueezed the bottom panel to be quite narrow at the ends. The stability at small angles ofheel is about 30% greater than the Eureka. I was tempted to make it a lot skinnier toreduce the wetted area - that might be a worthwhile way to go for a second boat. But themore conservative one is good for a trial.

What will it look like? It will be kinda cute from some angles and I expect it will lookstrange from others. I did take the sheer curve and widths from the Eureka, so this partshould look fine.

It is a bit shorter than the Eureka but will come out of three sheets of imperial ply. Maybearound the 50lb (27kg) mark out of a not too heavy species of cheap 6mm (1/4") ply.

Safety

These boats are not drawn with Buoyancy tanks. The hulls are wooden so will float, butfor most situations I would recommend fitting buoyancy tanks and enlarging the knees tomake end decks. Experienced users will know whether the conditions which they will usethe boats in will be OK without the buoyancy tanks. But less experienced people shouldeither use the boats very conservatively or fit buoyancy – either foam, canoe airbags or anenclosed tank in the ends of the boat. If you do an enclosed tank – please don't put foamin it – it will only make the plywood deteriorate.

Free Paddle Plans and other links

There will be a smaller boat in the series that uses a double paddle canoe - it is roughlydimensioned along the lines of a Wee Lassie. The larger one is really a full size Canadiancanoe so would normally use single bladed paddles. The boxy hull should give it quite a lot






of weight carrying capacity – keep an eye on my forum for discussion on how it goes andchanges (if any are necessary).

My free paddle plans will match these two boats very well – see http://tinyurl.com/ycnrya8

My forum is at http://tinyurl.com/ya7qeg2

The full story of the development of the Quick Canoe is at - http://tinyurl.com/ybuh6hs

IMPORTANT COMMENTS ON MATERIALS

Plywood – Plywood must be 2440 x 1220 sheets (8 x 4 ft). The Hoop Pine sold inAustralia is a smaller size and may not be big enough to accommodate the boat.

Thinner ply might make a lightweight version possible. 4mm (5/32”) would be theminimum and it would probably require the bottom panel to be glassed with light cloth onthe outside or be fitted with reinforcing ply on the inside. Cloths as light a 2oz (70gsm)have proven fine and should cover the bottom and overlap the bottom by an inch to coverthe join between the bottom and side plywood eliminating the need for glass tape on theoutside.

Epoxy Glue - is the most effective glue for amateurs as it is very forgiving as it is gapfilling and doesn't require high clamping pressures.

The boat should be glued with a high solids epoxy system such as Bote Cote, WEST,System 3, or other quality marine resin system. This is the most foolproof building methodfor a beginner. These systems use a powder filler to strengthen and thicken the epoxy.

Why not Polyester Resin? - Those wanting to go really cheap could use polyester resinfor the glass taping which would make a less durable boat because it doesn't stick reliablyto timber. If using polyester car body filler can be used for filling screwholes and cracks.

Alternative Glue Cautions - If wanting to use the slightly cheaper glues of Purbond, PLPremium, Titebond 2 or Titebond 3 then they will work for the woodwork OK. The problemto be aware of is that they require good clamping pressure and close fits. You will need touse woodworking clamps or many screws to meet the manufacturer's specifications forclamping pressure. Where the instructions say to add powder to the epoxy glue you don'tneed to add it to the alternative glues.

Timber Choices - The timber used in assembly should also be light. Pine or mahogany,fir, cedar or spruce would be fine. In Australia Hoop Pine would be fine too. Any timberchosen should be reasonably straight grained with no knots in the longer pieces.

Where screws are used it is only temporary (read the appendices) while the glue dries(see appendices). Some screws are left in place, but unless the instructions specify thatthey are to be left in place, remove when epoxy has hardened (usually 12-24 hours). Theholes are then filled.

Take pains to measure out the screw spacings where the holes are going to be visiblesuch as attaching the skeg and keel batten to the bottom of the boat. Holes will have to bedrilled through the bottom of the boat for the temporary screws.


http://tinyurl.com/ybuh6hs

http://tinyurl.com/ya7qeg2

http://tinyurl.com/ycnrya8

TIMBER – METRIC AND IMPERIAL LISTS

Materials list - all dimensions are finished sizes and are in mm unless stated otherwise.

WRC - Western Red Cedar (Australia) or other light, stable, straight grained timberwith good gluing properties. No loose or large knots. Alternatives are Kirri (Paulownia),hoop pine or other pine (which is a somewhat heavier) or any other light timber.

Oregon - Douglas Fir or spruce, select dry stock. Fine grain, no knots. Alternativeis Hoop Pine or other pine or light timber with straight grain a excellent gluing properties.

Hardwood - Straight grained hardwood of medium density with good machiningand gluing properties. For example Brazilian Cedar, Pacific Ash, Tassie Oak.

METRIC Materials list - All dimensions are in millimetres

Part Size Length Number Species6mm Ply (5ply if possible) 2440 x 1220 - 3 Exterior or Marine(There is an options to make the bottom out of 6mm and the rest from 4mm)Fairing batten/inwales 19 x 19 5100 2 Oregon(fairing batten is used as centreline stringers for front and rear seats)Gunwales 19 x 19 5100 2 Oregonskeg * 19 x 100 1000 1 OregonKeel Batten * 19 x 31 4800 1 Oregon Keel batten can be 19 x 19 and skegs deleted if faster moving water is commonSeat side supports 19 x 45 1800 1 WRC/OregonSeat Framing 19 x 45 3900 / WRCCentre Spreader 19 x 75 900 1 OregonTemporary spreader timbers Min 1 3/4 x 3/4 18 / Cheap/ScrapNote – if chinelogs are used in the construction they are to be 19 x 19mm

* if timber is cheap in your area the Keel batten and skeg can be combined in a board 120x 19 x 4800

IMPERIAL Materials list - All dimensions are in Inches and feet

Part Size Length Number Species1/4” Ply (5ply if possible) 8ft x 4ft - 3 Exterior or Marine(There is an options to make the bottom out of 6mm and the rest from 4mm)Fairing batten/inwales 3/4 x 3/4” 16' 2 Oregon(fairing batten is used as centreline stringers for front and rear seats)Gunwales 3/4 x 3/4” 16' 2 Oregonskeg* 3/4 x 4” 4' 1 OregonKeel Batten* 3/4 x 1 1/4” 15' 1 Oregon Keel batten can be ¾ x ¾ and skegs deleted if faster moving water is commonSeat side supports 3/4 x 1 3/4” 6' 1 WRCSeat Framing 3/4 x 1 3/4” 13' / WRCCentre Spreader 3/4 x 3” 3' 1 Oregon

Temporary spreader timbers Min 1 ¾ x 3/4 18ft / Cheap/Scrap

Note – if chinelogs are used in the construction they are to be ¾ x ¾ inch.

* if timber is cheap in your area the Keel batten and skeg can be combined in a board 6 x3/4 x 16ft.


EPOXY AND GLUING STUFF

Epoxy Approx 1.5 litres (2 pints) – assuming using epoxy for only filleting, glassing and gluing. Other glues can be used if using timber chine logs and stems but with a drop in reliability. Note – this plan only covers the use of epoxy fillets and/or glass tape.

If wanting to fully epoxy coat the boat for minimum maintenance it will require a total of 3 or more litres of epoxy.

Common alternative glues are titebond 2 or 3, PL Premium or Purbond

Fortifier gluing powder 500g (1 lb) if using epoxy glue

Glass tape 50mm (2") 10m (36ft) if glass taping the outside only

20m if glass taping inside as well (not needed on the inside if epoxy filleting)

Barrier cream for hands and disposable gloves

DO NOT USE SOLVENTS FOR CLEANING EPOXY OFF SKIN – use vinegar

Disposable Brushes 5 approx

Foam rollers 2 - if epoxy coating. They have a thin layer of foam onthe card board roller. If you can get a short roller cage

handle (ask your epoxy supplier or included in kit) it means the rollers can be cut in three - a good economy for a little boat like this.

Duckworks (USA) and Duck Flat Wooden Boats or Boatcraft Pacific (both Australian) canhelp with materials. Kits are available through Duckworks.

OTHER BITS AND PIECES

10 x stainless steel screws for centre spreader and skeg - 10gauge x 2.5” countersunkhead

Dry wall or plasterboard screws - about 100 of 19mm (3/4”) - see Appendix.

If using polyester resin a tin or tube of Bondo or auto body filler – preferably a light colour.

Masking tape 19mm (3/4") wide

Roll of plastic duct tape about 50mm (2”) wide. Total of minimum 15m (50')

Roll of plastic packaging tape 37mm or 50mm wide (1 1/2 or 2").

Small bag of panel pins. (small, thin nails)

Sheets sandpaper - alumina paper (white grit) is best.

Some plastic sheeting would be useful.

A box of "snap lock" plastic bags if using epoxy.

Clean, used tincans (mix epoxy) and stirring sticks made of scrap 200x20x6mm (8x¾x ¼”)


TOOLS

IMPORTANT - Read the Appendices for tools and methods used in these plans.

The most useful tools for this style of boatbuilding are a reversible battery drill with aclutch and dry wall screws to hold most parts until the glue sets up - though I have madedo with a second hand Bit and Brace to do the same thing. Read the appendices!

Drywall screws and variable speed reversible drill are marriage made in heaven. The drillcan be battery (most convenient) or mains powered. It is best if it has a variable clutch. Ifyou have a drill without a clutch, you can often buy a new chuck with inbuilt clutch.

The screws are self tapping and match a Phillip's head bit in the drill. Just hold two piecesof wood together with one hand and drive screw in with drill in other. Fast - and the screwscan be reused.

If you want to minimise the indentation where the screw head meets the ply, use aplywood pad already placed on screw. If gluing, the pad should have some plasticpackaging tape wrapped around it to stop accidental bonding to the workpiece.

I mass-produce the pads by cutting a strip of ply (usually 6mm, 1/4" thick) about 19mmwide (3/4"), covering one side with packaging tape, then cutting it into 19mm (3/4")squares

Other than that;

1 metre steel rule – it is good if this is flexible enough to mark out the stem curves andmore flexible than the wooden batten

Tape measure – In the USA metric tape measures can be bought from Duckworks.

Hammer

Jigsaw (Or a hired jigsaw for a day and a handsaw, or better a Japanese backsaw therest of the time). Some will be okay cutting ply with a circular saw, but jigsaw is safer.

A general purpose plane (Stanley #4 or a block plane).

Combination square

A chisel around 19mm

Sharpening stone for chisel and plane

File - a round back rasp

Sanding block.

Clamps - The preferred clamps are spring clamps (similar to welders clamps) are veryuseful (usually about $2 to $2.50 ea) - make sure they have a strong spring - should be aneffort to squeeze them fully open one-handed. Not essential but 10 would be useful

Conventional clamps can be expensive and are probably not needed for this project. Iusually get away with a couple of reasonable quality G-cramps or sliding bar clamps with aminimum opening of 100mm (4"). Occasionally it is possible to find cheap sliding barclamps from Taiwan for around $3, which I collect when I can. You can probably get awaywith no clamps if you use dry wall screws

Trestles - two or three trestles or saw horses - I have used foam fruit boxes or milk cratesat different times. The most useful device of this type is the Triton "workmate" which is atrestle with a built-in sash cramp. It sells for between $100 and $130. SometimesChinese copies are available for around $30


BUILDING THE QUICK CANOE HULL

Marking out the plywood

The hull consists of three panels. For most builders I recommend marking out the complete bottom panel pair on two sheets as shown in the Ply Layout Drawing. And then doing the full side panel after. This ensures the lines are smooth from piece to piece. However the final two side panels can be copied from the first two. So … the method ...

Lay two sheets ply measuring 2440 x 1220) end to end. Smaller sheets might not work.

Look at the dimensioned Bottom Panel Drawing at the end of the appendices. Mark 300mm intervals across sheets as shown, measuring out from the join between the sheets. Draw the line down the length of the sheet 400mm from the top edge as shown onthe drawing. You can use the side of the spare sheet to mark such a long line accurately.

Use Bottom Panel Ply Dimensions Drawingto mark out the bottom panel shapes with asharp pencil. Both the long edges aremeasured out from the longitudinal line first.

Note that the bottom panel is reflectedacross the centreline AND IS ONE PIECE(don't cut it down the middle line!!!).

Mark out the side panels. Note that the sidepanels are marked out differently from thebottom panels – read the drawing sheetcarefully. The top and bottom edges of theside panel are both MEASURED FROM THE EDGE OF THE PLYWOOD. When you are marking out the side panel make sure you write the word “sheer” in the same place it appears on the drawing.

Now to “join the dots”. Mark out the lines for each side of each panel in turn. Hammer panel pins (fine nails) into each of the points for each line in turn and bend a batten aroundthe pins. If some of the pins are not touching the batten check them as they should all be along a smooth curve. Most of them will be perfectly touching the batten. Double Check and if there are still problems email me (see cover for the address) so I can check and correct the plans.

When you are sure it is right, look from the end of the sheet to see that the curve is smoothuse the batten to draw a line to join the measured points.

(Note that the ends of the side panel gets are a short and tighter curve Do this curve after the long ones with a flexible batten - I usually use a steel straight edge/ruler.)

Cutting out the panels

Cut the panels out. DO NOT CUT ALONG THE CENTRELINE OF THE BOTTOM PANEL! The panels are quite close together. Get used to cutting the wide gaps accurately before attempting the narrower ones. Do not remove the pencil lines as you cut. Do not rush.


Plane panels to lines where necessary. Planecarefully to the lines – stop before you planelines off the plywood!

Trace around the planed side panel to markthe second side for the boat.. Double checkthe finished shape by comparing carefully withthe panels you cut previously. Plane the newpanels to match.

Be careful with the offcuts - they may be usefullater.

Join the panel to length

Join the panels using buttstraps – dimensions in the Miscellaneous Small Partsdrawing.

You will need one bottom buttstrap and two side panel buttstraps. Cut them out and drawa centreline down the long axis of each.

Before gluing make sure the panels are laid out symmetrically as below with all pencilmarks visible (good practice with any pre assembly) – lay out following the order of panels– it should look symmetrical like this. It ensures that the buttstraps are on the correct faceof each panel.

Remember that the bottom buttstrap is in the middle of the bottom panel and the sidepanel buttstraps are fitted 22mm from the sheer.

PUT SOME PLASTIC UNDER THE JOINTAREAS TO STOP ACCIDENTAL GLUING TOTHE FLOOR.

Place the buttstraps in position, centrelinesaligned with the joint correct distances to theedge of the ply. Draw a line around them.

It is important that the panels don't move whilethe glue sets up. It can be worthwhile nailingthe panels to the floor or to a scrap piece of plyor chipboard placed underneath the plastic.


(If using not using epoxy you will need considerable weight or other method to hold thebuttstrap down hard on the surface

Mix epoxy to manufacturer's directions. Then add some powder to stiffen the mix to ahoney-like consistency. (Use the recommended powder for high strength gluing - NOTtalc, microballoons or Q-cels). Stir very well.

Put epoxy on the Buttstraps and put in position.

You can use three small offcuts of plywood to apply pressure on each buttstrap while theglue hardens. Put panel pins in corners to stop movement. Put plastic packaging tape onthe three pieces to prevent them from sticking permanently. The three pieces of ply willalso prevent the nail heads from damaging the plywood.

A small amount of glue should ooze out around edge. Clean up any excess.

When dry pull out the nails, plane any excesslength off the buttstraps so they are flush withthe side panels. Round the edges slightly withsandpaper.

Turn the panels over and sand the other sideof the join clean. Only sand plywood in thesame direction as the woodgrain - along thepanels.

On the inside face of the sheer mark a line19mm down from the sheerline. An easymethod is to hold a ruler at that distance anduse a pen as in the pic right, sliding the fingerof the upper hand along the edge. Use a pencil!

Drill some holes in the bottom panel to make fitting the keel easier later. The holes arethough the centreline at each of the 300mm reference points. If you are epoxy coating thebottom put small pieces of masking tape on the outside of the bottom to cover these holes.

Mark the 300mm reference lines along the sheer edge of the side panels (inside face) sothey are very visible between the guide line just marked and the sheer line – copy theirpostions accurately the other side panel. They become important later. You can erase therest of each line and the all the lines from the bottom panel.

Make the Skeg Doubler.

The skeg might take considerable force atsome time. The doublers, made of plywoodreinforce the bottom to give a total thicknessaround 12mm (1/2”) of plywood – making theends of the boat very strong.

Diagram right.

These two parts are just to be cut out at thispoint but NOT glued in position. Start with twopieces of plywood 500 x 60mm. Mark acentreline down the long axis. Diagram right.

Mark one end with a radius – I have drawnwith a full end radius – but radius the corners ifeasier.


The other end is laid over the end of the bottom panel as shown in the diagram right withits centreline matching the centre of the bottom panel. Mark and cut the Skeg Doubler outto that shape.

DON'T fit to the bottom. Leave aside until later.

Option – Epoxy Coating the hull interior

If you have planned to make the most durable boat possible, it is the time to epoxy coatthe inside faces of the panels - same side as the buttstraps. Run masking tape along theedges so that a 20mm (approx) band along the edge of each panel will not get muchepoxy on it.

Read the appendices about Wet on Wet epoxying to save a lot of time and effort. Whencured dewax the epoxy if necessary and sand with 180 grit sandpaper so it is not shinyanywhere ready for painting, gluing or varnishing later.

Gluing up the long bits with scarfs.

It may be necessary to join the longer piecesof timber to length if they have to be made upof shorter lengths.

1. gunwales (19 x 19mm – 3/4”sq)

2. inwales (19 x 19mm – 3/4”sq)

3. keel (19 x 31mm – ¾ x 1¾)

The kits are supplied with the scarfs precut. Seach gunwale, inwale and the keel battencome out of three pieces of timber.

If making up the lengths yourself the joins canbe anywhere that is convenient for the lengthsor to cut out any knots if the timber is not toogood. The strength is fine if your scarfs are upto specification. (diagram right). This is a scarfwith 12mm but if thicker timber the 1:6 slope isessential. Epoxy will fill any gaps but you might have to be very careful to get them right ifusing one of the alternative glues. If you have a table or bandsaw with a nice sharp bladeit might be possible to make a jig and cut these accurately.

The method shown of simply hand planing them works fine. Mark each piece with thescarf length and stack (diagram right).

It is important to follow the method for gluing end grain in the appendices. Make sure thetimber is aligned correctly. Use fine nails to prevent the joints moving once the glue isapplied. Pic below.

The Quick Canoe kits include a piece of angle aluminium to use as shown below right.Cover the aluminium in brown packaging tape to prevent accidental adhesion. Photosbelow.

Those not building from kits can run a piece of timber alongside (wrap it in brownpackaging tape) to make sure the scarf is aligned.

You can use plastic sheet or the brown plastic packaging tape to prevent sticking to worksurfaces etc.


When the glue cures the timber can have excess glue sanded off.


METHOD – DUCT TAPE AND ASSEMBLY METHOD

Now for the fun bit.

For people who are used to building traditional structures this can feel all wrong.Everything seems so floppy and shapeless. But follow this method and you will end upwith a hull that is smooth and very stable so you join up the interior seams in the next step.

This method confuses normal woodworkers because it is so against their intuition. Theyare used to adding bits to structures that already quite stiff. But just follow the steps andthe boat will turn out nicely. Stiffness and shape is added step by step until taping isfinished.

Setting up the side panels

First the two side panels are laid down so the inside faces are touching. Put some piecesof tape to join the ends (diagram below). First do tabs of 400mm long tape pieces aroundthe front end (stem) making sure the ends are very perfectly aligned. Then add a piecethe length of the stem long the whole join as in the picture below.

I would recommend a couple of cable ties or copper wire through holes drilled 6mm backfrom the ply edge to prevent the edges from sliding past each other. Don't overtighten.Just a few twists of the copper wire or the cable ties clipped snugly but not pulled tight willbe enough.

The next thing is to set up the widths of the side panels.

There are temporary pieces of timber used to set the widths of the top edge of the boat.

The hull will end up like this drawing with the widths set by pieces of timber. The sheeredge is upwards. The number of spreaders will vary from design to design.


The Spreader Timber widths are showndrawing above. Read the note below thedrawing carefully to make four temporaryspreaders.

Pieces of timber are cut to these lengths withthe ends at an angle of approximately 30degrees and put in place with a single drywallscrew through the side of the boat. The screwwill be below the 19mm guide line drawnparallel the sheer earlier.

The screw can be quite loose to allow thepiece of timber to rotate so the end anglematches up with the ply naturally.

This component (photo right) is called the side panel assembly.

There may be some accidental high loads put on this structure later. So I recommendreducing the risk of the duct tape breaking or stretching by drilling holes through the frontend of the side panels on the sheer line. It should be about 4mm diameter and about 7mmfrom the ply edges and so close to the corner.

Put a piece of string, fishing line or copper wire through both holes and tye or twisting (ifcopper wire) it tight. If you have trouble tying a tight knot you can make a little wedge ofply offcut and slide it in to tighten the loop.

Attaching the bottom

Put two trestles or other supports on a levelsurface about 2400mm apart (8ft approx).

Turn the Side panel assembly over carefully sothe Centre Spreaders are on the lower side.Stand in the middle and lift the side panel upand put it on top of the trestles. This meansthe sheer side is DOWN.

Put two pieces of your remaining timber acrossthe top edge of the side panel assembly aboutin line with the trestles. Stand at the end of theboat to sight them to make sure they areparallel. If not parallel the trestles will have to be adjusted in height using ply offcuts.

Place the bottom panel on top with the butt strap side down.

The duct taping must be done in a very systematic way – step by step. First with morestrips of tape about 400mm long.

The edge of the bottom panel will align with the outside face of the side panel – see theright side of the diagram below.

Make sure the centre joins of the side panel and the centre join of the bottom panel lineup.

Be methodical as in the diagram below. Putting a piece of duct tape either side of thecentre join in the ply. Do the same on the other side. The duct tape needs to be tensionedand stretched moderately as it goes on.


Repeat on the opposite side of the boat. If it is difficult to align the panels then the screwsholding the spreader timbers might be too tight.

Continue adding more tapes working up each side equally and toward each end equally

When the whole hull is taped up run a tape along the joins as well. The boat will look likeabove.

Turn upright and prepare for filleting/taping

The hull can now be carefully turned upright.

Make sure the trestles are square to the hull.

Put some extra strips of the duct tape toreinforce the top end of the stems – the pointyends as the next step will put extra load thatmight pull the stems apart.

The picture right doesn't show the tapes on thestem – Rick has put a piece of wood in thereand glued it in place. But we will use an epoxyfillet or a piece of glass tape.

The sheer edge is unstable because the ply is thin so we will temporarily stiffen it. Thegunwale pieces 19 x 19 can be clamped or temporarily screwed on the outside face of thesheer. Later they will glued, but we are just using them temporarily to pull the gunwale into


a fair (smooth) curve but fitting them in their correct position.

There is one trick to make the gunwales look nice on the finished boat. Screw them inplace with screws working from the middle of the boat toward the ends – do both sides atthe same time. However, when you get to about 900mm from the end of the boat stopputting in screws and go straight out to the end of the boat. Use a clamp or screw to setup the gunwale so the top edge of the gunwale is 5mm above the plywood edge. Then goback to where you stopped putting in screws and continue out to the ends of the hull.

Later the gunwale will be planed down to the plywood line and the gunwale will have aslight taper because of this lift. It helps the boat to look lighter toward the ends. An oldboatbuilding trick – you can use it on any boat to make it look nicer.

If the gunwales pull the side plywood apart put one screw through both pieces of ply about10mm below the end of the gunwale and about 10mm from the end of the boat. Cover thesharp end of the screw with masking tape. Make sure it does not distort the plywood –loosen if necessary.

Make sure the hull is untwisted

Put a piece of timber across the assembled hull above each trestle. Stand at one end ofthe boat to make sure they are parallel. If they are not parallel put some ply offcuts underthe trestle feet until the twist is taken out. Sometimes it is necessary to put some weightinside the boat to hold the bottom panel hard against the trestle.

Hull Interior – Filleting is a better choice than glass taping for some.

There are two choices here for doing the structural chine joins between the ply panels.Epoxy filleting is preferred as it is simpler and requires less labour. The Glass tapemethod might be more familiar for some builders. I have put both methods on the next twopages.

1/ Epoxy filleting – A thick epoxy paste is squeezed into the chines and shaped with aradiussed filleting tool for a neat join and little sanding required after. The fillet alone isstrong enough for most boats but if using the boat very roughly you can put a fibreglasstape over the fillet when it firms up. Method first page below.

2/ Glass Taping – a 50mm (2”) wide tape is applied to the chine (corner join) using epoxyresin. This method is a little cheaper but adds quite a lot of labour because the edge ofthe glass tape needs to be trimmed or sanded down as it makes quite a big bump in theinterior. This sanding is cosmetic. Picture below.


It is possible to economise by using polyester resin which really doesn't stick to wood aswell as the epoxy does but is cheaper and available in hardware stores. You can increaseits adhesion by thinning the first coat applied with 20% acetone. (DONT EVER THINEPOXY – THINNERS WEAKEN EPOXY). Method second page below.

Alternative 1 - Filleting method

Make a filleting tool from plywood with a radiusof 18mm. The normal size of the fillet is threetimes the plywood thickness. 3 x 6mm =18mm

I would recommend this size even if building of4mm ply because it is a critical joint! The edgeof the tool must be smooth.

The second tool is to sharpen a ply offcut orglue mixing stick to a sharp edge like a chisel.- that is flat on one side and with an angle cuton another. This stick is for cleaning up.

There are messy ways of doing the fillet andtidy ones.

Put down masking tape on both sides of thechine join. The masking tape should be about 25mm away from the join. This limits themess from people learning to fillet! Same forprofessionals!

Most supermarkets have varieties of “snaplock” bags. They have a seal across theopening of the bag that can be pressedtogether with finger pressure. They make it alot easier to keep epoxy glue away from areason the boat where you don't want to put it. Andalso areas on yourself where you don't want toput it!

Start making up smaller batches of epoxy,adding the filler and if it all works OK then


increase the amount of epoxy you mix.

Make up some epoxy, thicken it to the consistency of peanut butter. Put a "snap lock"Glad plastic bag into a tin and fold the top of bag over lip of tin (like a garbage bag in agarbage bin - trashcan). Scrape epoxy into the bag.

Take bag out of tin, seal opening and cut onecorner out of bag to make a hole a few mm(approx 1/4") across - size will need to varywith consistency of mix.

By gently squeezing the bag – twist the snaplock end and squeeze the epoxy into thecorner with the hole. A bead of epoxy will oozeout of hole in controlled way.

Pipe a bead of epoxy along the chine Thefilleting tool is used to shape the epoxy.(second photo from the top).

Use the radiussed filleting stick to smoothdown the fillet. Practice getting it smooth and even. (photo below). It is best to work backtowards the area already filleted as this joins up a bit more smoothly. One problem is thetemptation to go back and redo parts. If it is pretty good just leave it.

Remove excess from either side of fillet withchisel ended stick. It is possible to laymasking tape down either side of the join inthe first place so that the excess can beremoved with the tape. (part done in thepicture right)

In the stems you need a different shapedfilleting too as the other one will make the fillettoo big because of the acute angle.

Make a flat ended stick with chisel ended witha width of 14mm.

The masking tape needs to be 30mm awayfrom the panel join.

Use it to do the fillet in the ends. Clean up as before.

Make sure the boat is undisturbed on the trestles until the epoxy goes hard.

Alternative 2 - Glass taping method

Read the Appendices about glass taping..

In the appendix method the bottom of the boat is coated entirely. For this canoe you maywant to do the chines and not coat the whole interior.

Brush (trim the brush bristles down to about 25mm long) resin down the length of theseam then follow the method in the appendices by laying the glass into the resin. . Dabthe brush so the glass tape becomes saturated with the resin already brushed on. Addmore resin if the glass is still white and opaque. When it is possible to see the wood grainthere is enough resin in the cloth.

Do the stems first - For the inside of the boat cut the glass tapes to length plus about


50mm (2”).

Mix small amounts of epoxy each time in a tin and pour it into a paint tray or other flat,wide containers so the heat doesn't accumulate. Throw the resin out if it starts to get hotand thick and make up a smaller batch next time. If you have no problem with it gettinghot slightly increase the size of the mixed batches.

Continue with all the other glass tapes.

Finished taping and a second coat of resin is put on when first gets tacky – too much and itwill run.

If the weave pattern is still visible in the glass tape wait for the coat to go tacky and addanother coat. If the weave is 90% gone that it enough..

Leave epoxy to cure.

The next day – while the resin is still a little cheesy (if you leave it too long it will make thishard work) set a fine spokeshave fine and get rid of the edge of the glass tape. Keep thebody of the spokeshave over the glass but set the blade with a tiny bit of depth on theedge side but no depth on the other.

Work carefully and slowly.

Then sand the glass tape using the random orbit sander and 120 grit paper. Keep theedge of the sander lined up with the edge of the glass, but keep the sander body over thetape. Angle the sander - concentrate a bit of weight on the side of the sander over thetape edge and keep the rest of the sander off the surface of the tape. Some use a cabinetscraper.

Finish off by sanding the rest of the bottom to a matte finish (no gloss) but don’t go throughthe epoxy to the timber. The glass tape should be sanded with handheld sandpaper in thecorner.

If epoxy coating the whole interior and you have gone through some of the areas that wereprecoated brush a couple of thin coats onto any areas where there is bare wood – allowthat section to cure and give a light sand – making sure the edges of the brushed area arefaired in..

Turning the Boat over and preparing for glass taping.

If the epoxy has hardened it will feel like rock ifyou try to dig a fingernail into it. If in doubtdon't turn it over but wait another day.

When the boat is turned make sure it is wellsupported by the trestles. Put two pieces ofstraight wood across the bottom and makesure the trestles are level and the hulluntwisted.

If there is any overhang use a sandpaper andblock or the plane carefully to sand it off.

Using the plane take about 4mm off the corner.Finish with sandpaper on a block and sandaround the corner to finish the radius.

The stems are rounded in a similar way.


There may be cracks or gaps to be filled:

If using Epoxy for the glass taping - make up some glue mix to peanut butterconsistency and fill the holes or cracks and use a chisel edge stick to fill flush. If thecracks are really narrow (3mm or less) you can go straight on to glass taping. If wider waitfor the filler to start to become firm and then glass tape.

If using Polyester for the glass taping – Use the auto body filler to slightly over fill thecracks and let the filler cure. It will take about 20 minutes. Then use the sandpaper andblock to make the radius smooth again.

If using epoxy read the glassing method on the previous page if you have not read itbefore.

Glass Taping the outside of the chine

Note – if wanting to coat the bottom and sides of the boat in epoxy it can be done atthe same time as coating … the full method is in the appendices. However use themasking tape to keep epoxy off the gunwales for the moment. See the pictures Inthe appendices.

If the inside of the hull was filleted, read thesection above on glass taping. Same process.

Start with the stems but put the glass tape so itends flush with the bottom of the boat.

Don't worry if it longer at the other end.

Then do the chines. Cut the glass tape about100mm (4”) longer than needed and leavesome excess at both ends.

Trim the excess down to about an inchoverlength. It wil be sanded down later.

Recoat as necessary to 90% fill the weave (following instructions in the sections above)and then plane and sand down the edge to fair it into the ply (yes … following theinstructions).

When sanding the corner do it by hand with old sandpaper so it doesn't cut too fast. Don'tsand the corner too much as it is easy to go through the glass. Stop as soon as the resinis not shiny (matte). The flat areas can be sanded a bit more vigorously.


FITTING THE TIMBERWORK

Fitting the Gunwales

The Gunwales can now be glued on. Beforetaking them off do two things

1. If you want to do a really neat job putmasking tape on the hull side about3mm (1/8”) under the gunwales. Trimslightly overlong but keep the offcuts –used later.

2. Mark the left and right and the front andback on each before taking them off.Then you can use the same screw holes again.

As it is a vertical surface epoxy glue will have to be peanut butter thickness or a little bitthinner.

Use the bag method (appendices) to put glue quickly out on the side of the boat. Spreadwith a glue stick.

Then starting at the middle of the boat use the original screw holes to put the gunwalesback on.

Do three screws on one side then three screws on the other.

You tighten the screws so the timber just meets the plywood – your eyes are the bestmeasure of this. The screws will to be about 300mm apart. If there is a gap in someplaces put in extra screws. The holes will be hidden by the inwale.

Alternate glues should have enough quantity to ooze out of the joint and be fastened withmore force with screws about 200mm apart.

Wait about 15 minutes and then use a chisel ended stirring stick to clean up any excessglue. Remove the masking tape.

Glue in the Skeg Doublers

The skeg doublers were made up in a previousstep. Take them now and make them fit in theends of the boats. Their undersides will haveto be shaped to match the glass tape and/orthe fillet and/or chinelogs depending on howthe boat was assembled.

Make up a glue mix and glue in place makingsure the centrelines line up with the centre ofthe bottom panel.

Fitting the skegs and keel batten

There are two options as mentioned in the materials list. If faster moving rivers are goingto be a very rare occurrence the Keel Batten can be 19 x 31mm (¾ x 1¼).

If faster moving water is likely on your itinerary then the keel batten can be reduced to


19mm (¾”) square and the skegs cut down or eliminated. It is a choice between directionalstability on open water and reducing the risk of catching and tripping if the water is movingquickly. Of course if the skegs are fitted and found to limit manouevrability they can beplaned down (after removing the screws through the doubler (see appendices if the screwsare stuck)

Turn the boat upside down.

The fin at both ends of the boat is one of theinnovative ideas. Traditional paddling canoeshave the same feature but achieve it with acomplex hull shape. The skegs (19 x 100, ¾ x4”) are made using the dimensions on theMiscellaneous Small Parts Drawing andthen the keel batten is glued to cover themFinally the stem is rounded to give acontinuous profile like a traditional canoe.

There is an alternative construction for placeswhere timber is cheaper. A 19 x150 (¾ x 6”)piece of timber to make a combined skeg and keel batten. It is then marked with the curvedirect from the bottom and cut to match

However if timber is more expensive or the builder would like to work from measurementsthey are in the Miscellaneous Small Parts Drawing.

The two skegs are dry fitted with their ends overhanging the end of the hull by 10mm tomake sure they fit correctly using the screw holes predrilled in the bottom panel. Thecurved side is up against the hull of the boat. And the wide end is aligned with the end ofthe boat. Fit the skegs fitting screws from the inside – some timber will need to bepredrilled to prevent splitting of the keel orskeg.

CAUTION - The screws may will comethrough the skegs and hurt the person

holding the skegs on the outside – keephands clear of the area being screwed.

If it fits properly back off any screws thatproject out through the face of the skeg andscrew on the keel batten 19 x 19 (¾ x ¾) or 19x 32


Once satisfied with the dry run, remove all items. Apply glue to the skegs and screw themin place then screw on the keel batten. If epoxying the fastener spacing can be 300mm ifnot epoxy it should be fastened at 200mm intervals..

When the glue is cured the end shape can be marked with a flexible batten or steel ruler tomimic a canoe bow (drawing above) – Lining up with both the stem and keel batten.

Fitting the Inwales, Knees and Centre Spreader

Remove the screws that hold the gunwale on when the glue is set. If you have troubleremoving screws see the first appendix. The ends of the gunwales should be cut off equalwith the end of the boat.

Fit the inwales (19 x 19mm, ¾ x ¾”) doing a dry fit first. Clamp or screw them in place inthe middle section of the boat but leave the ends loose. Mark them with location of theplywood centre join and mark front and back and left and right so you won't get confused.

Then hold the end in the final location andmark it so the end will just match the fillet.

Cut it to length and then adjust using asandpaper and block so it fits neatly inside thestem.

Do the opposite side and adjust both so they fitin neatly.

Go to the other end and do the same. Putscrews in to hold them in position.

The Knees can be made of solid wood andcarefully fitted inside the inwales, but forsimplicity the plans will focus on simpleplywood end decks as knees.

The drawing for the knees is in the Miscellaneous Small Parts Drawing at the end of theplan.

The curve of the back edge is nice and can be marked with a batten or something round.

Clamp or temporarily screw the knees in place so they overhang the gunwales slightly.They are planed off to match perfectly later.

A 19 x 19mm (¾ x ¾”) piece of timber (kits useoffcut of the gunwale) is cut to fit underneathsupporting the back edge and touching theinwales at both ends .. It will look best if it isslightly forward of the back edge of the knee.Mark the knees so you know which one belongat which end.

The Centre Spreader is made of 19 x 75mm(¾ x 3”) timber. You may wish to curve thesides to make it look more elegant but it is notnecessary. Round the long edges nicely.

The Centre Spreader dimensions are in theMiscellaneous Small Parts Drawing. Thereare two different end shapes and slightly


different locations depending on if the inwales have been fitted or not. The dimensions forthe two end options are given in the drawing.

If no inwales the end is just flat, but if inwales are fitted there needs to be a second surfaceplaned to match the underside of the inwales

Two different methods and locations for the Centre Spreader:

1. If the inwales are not fitted the top of the spreader will match the top of the buttstraps. There will need to be 2 permanent stainless steel screws as well as glue inthis case. But for now just do a dry fit with temporary screws

2. If the inwales are fitted there is enough surface area for the gluing to be successful.The inwale will go up wards to glue to the underside of the inwales and to the sideof the boat.

The centre spreader is held in place with two temporary screws from the outside of theboat into the ends of the centre spreader. They need to be carefully angled so they won'tbreak through the surface of the centre spreader.

Remove knees, Centre Spreader and inwales.

Glue them on using the original screw holes. Do the inwales first, then the knees and theirstiffener timber..

Follow the instructions in the appendices about gluing end grain before gluing the centrespreader. I is good practice whichever glue you are using.

When the glue is cured remove the temporary screws from the centre spreader. Replacethem with the permanent screws – dip the thread of the screw in epoxy or varnish beforescrewing them in. Remove the temporary screws holding the keel and skeg on and put inpermanent screws in the three holes closest to the ends of the boat – though these mightbe omitted if wanting to try the boat and adjust the keel/skeg depth at the ends of the boat.

Fitting the seats.

The seats tops are cut out of plywood 550 x200 with the grain running in the 200mmdirection.

The framing is made of 19 x 45 (¾ x1 3/4”)and glued to the seat as shown right.

Some builders who have access to a routerhave cut decorative slots into the top of theseat.

Typically the slots are about 10mm wide andhave a gap between them of 40mm. This isquite nice because it gives the seat a bit of flexto accommodate different shaped posteriors.

Epoxy seal and sand ready for varnish.

Alternatively some builders glue the high density foam used for sleeping mats whencamping. It gets glued on with contact cement – but follow the instructions on the tincarefully and cut the corners with a good radius.


The seat supports are cut to the followingshapes. This is really a starting point as theymay be planed so they are vertical against theside of the boat but this is optional.

The location of the seat/s and their heights aregiven in the General Arrangement Drawing.Very experienced canoists may considerraising the seats if the expected crew is light.The position of the seat is given from thecentre plywood join along the sheerline andthe height is down from the top of the sidepanel ply.

It may need to be adjusted for boats with twopaddling positions if the two usual paddlers aregrossly different weights or the front paddler has very long legs and a front buoyancy tankis being fitted.

Experienced canoists will know what they want of course and I would love some feedbackto get the fine positioning right. It seems that the taller and heavier the crew the lower theseats need to be.

If the paddlers of approximately the same weight are paddling the front edge of each seatshould be an equal distance from the centre of the boat. Rick took the test boat for apaddle kneeling or with temporary seats to get the spacings and balance right. If it is ageneral use boat then just follow the plan, but if planned to be used for distance canoeinga trial run can be a good idea.

The seat supports should be carefully dry fitted using temporary screws through the side ofthe boat. If they distort the side of the boat the face against the side of the boat might needa little planed off the ends so it fits the curve better. Or you can just have them a little bitloose and trust the epoxy to fill the gap.

Double check that the seat mounts will hold the seats square to the centreline of the boat.

Measure the distance between the sides and trim the seat widths to match those widths

The slots that the seat mounts into will need to be adjusted for the angle to allow the seatsto slide into place easily either paring with a chisel (using your body weight … not ahammer) or sandpaper around a block or a file. Go slowly and carefully. Don't cut downthe surface that the seats frames will sit on top of but change the angles by altering thesides of the seat slots. This doesn't have to be super accurate. The epoxy will be able toaccommodate the gap.

Slide the seats into place. Write on the seats and the mounts to make sure they will goback into the same places.

Remove and glue the mounts to the sides of the boat and glue the seats in place too.

Filling holes and getting ready for painting or varnishing

Now it is time to fill all the holes. If using epoxy there is a little trick to reduce the amountof sanding. Mix up resin and hardener and add powder to make up to a little bit moreliquid than peanut paste.

Use the bag method to put a small blob of epoxy on each screw hole Start with holes inhorizontal surfaces. It should be above the surface of the timber or ply. DON'T use a putty


knife or spatula to spread it out or smooth it off. Keeping the surface area small makes itquick to sand.

If not using epoxy use the car body filler or if planning to varnish sections of the boat use awater or solvent based timber putty to match the timber colour.

Sand everything smooth. Ready for painting.


PAINTING AND VARNISHING

Paint is more durable and will protect the epoxy and timber the best. Varnish hides arough surface better. If you have done a rough job the timber grain will hide it. Make surethe varnish contains ultra-violet filters.

My usual plan is to varnish the inside of open boats and decide to paint or varnish theoutside. Generally if you can store the boat indoors when not in use there is no reason tonot leave the outside clear finished. But it is going to be left outside much of the time Iwould consider a painted exterior including the gunwales and remember to leave the boatupside down.

There are two basic types of paints and varnishes.

3. Two pot - which is very hard and durable, but can be hard to get a good finish with abrush and to touch up. You have to be careful of the fumes. No primer orundercoat is required.

4. Conventional varnishes - thin with turps, are easier to put on, but may remain softfor some time. The conventional varnishes often have a better gloss and I thinkthey are much more pleasant to use (feel nice/smell nice).

Use varnish and paints according to manufacturer's directions. A professional finish is 90percent dependant on getting the surface smooth between each coat.

My tendency for maximum durability and best appearance would be to use a two potpolyurethane for the outside, round to the underside of the gunwale, and a varnish on theinterior. For rough use I would paint the whole thing.

Consider masking off some of the floor areas with masking tape including nice roundedcorners and using a non-skid finish.

Paint and Varnish Maintenance

Hose it out after use. If leaving it outdoors for extended periods turn upside down on acouple of bricks so that air can get under it and water can run off. If the epoxy coating isdamaged put three coats epoxy (wet on wet) on the exposed wood and touch up withvarnish or paint.

If varnish is continually exposed to sun it will need a light sand and two or three new coatevery year (less in Northern Australia). Two pot varnish will go for a couple of years underthe same conditions. Conventional paint can be given a fresh coat when it starts lookingshabby (3 years?). Two pot paints should be good for 5 years or more.

Keeping the boat out of the sun will reduce need for maintenance many fold.

Tuning the skeg/keel depth

Contrary to most canoe literature I think the keel depth makes little difference to thedirectional stability of the hull. The depth of the keel is too shallow to make muchdifference by any standard of foil or lifting surface design. A badly wandering boat isn'tchanged much.

The thought I had based on my experience with early strip planked canoes is that thefineness/narrowness of the entry of the hull acts as a fin on the front and back of the canoeas explained with the Wee Lassie picture in the plan preamble. But keel COMBINED withthe “fins” on the end (whether a traditional hull or this simplified one) does make a


difference because the depth is out at the ends of the boats where it makes a realdifference.

I have drawn up the skeg/keel combination to be oversize but Rick who built the first onethought it good for a tourer. if you want to turn faster – and take some time to get to knowthe boat first - then the skeg keel can be planed down to adjust the turn rate to suit.


APPENDICES

1/ Cordless Battery Drill with Clutch

2/ Wet on Wet Epoxy Application and dewaxing cured epoxy

3/ One hit coating and gluing

4/ Precoating Plywood Panels before Assembly

5/ Building strong lightweight boats - a note on the use of epoxy

6/ Fibreglass taping method – coat and tape at the same time.

7/ Gluing endgrain

Cordless Battery Drill with Clutch.

A marriage made in heaven. The drill can be battery (most convenient) or mains powered.It is best if it has a variable clutch. If you have a drill without a clutch, you can often buy anew chuck with inbuilt clutch.

The screws are self tapping and match a Phillip's head bit in the drill. Just hold two piecesof wood together with one hand and drive screw in with drill in other. Fast - and the screwsshould be removed and may be re-used.

If you want to minimize the indentation where thescrew head meets the ply, use a plywood padalready placed on screw. If gluing, the padshould have some plastic packaging tapewrapped around it to stop accidental bonding tothe workpiece.

I mass produce the pads by cutting a strip of ply(usually 6mm, 1/4" thick) about 19mm wide (3/4"),covering one side with packaging tape, thencutting it into 19mm (3/4") squares.

Screws should be removed when the epoxy ishard enough – usually the following day – itshould feel hard when you try to indent it with athumbnail.

If the screws ever get stuck so they can’t beundone apply some heat using a cheap electric soldering iron (right). A couple of minutesand the epoxy will soften enough for them to be unscrewed.

Wet-on-Wet Coating and Dewaxing Cured Epoxy.

Great improvements have been made to Bote Cote brand epoxy in regards to thisproblem. It is very unlikely to occur at all. All the preparation you need for the nextprocess is to sand the hardened epoxy surface. The wet-on-wet application method is stillthe best as you don't have to sand between the coats.

However other brands of epoxy may suffer from wax.

As epoxy cures some of the unreacted components migrate to the surface, leaving a waxyresidue. This can reduce the adhesion of following coats, whether epoxy or paint andmake them go "fish-eyed" (the surface finishes pitted).


This is why I always use a "wet-on-wet" epoxy application method (see "precoatingplywood sheets" below). If the surface is allowed to cure it will have to be dewaxed (notBote-Cote) and sanded (Bote Cote too).

Dewaxing - When the two to three coats have cured I always de-wax the surface using aplastic domestic scourer (Scotchbrite) and water with some cloudy ammonia added.Scrub very thoroughly rinsing off regularly as you go.

You can then sand the surface to key it for further painting, epoxying or gluing.

One Hit coating and gluing

An extension of wet on wet epoxying is a method for coating areas that are easy to get atnow (plain plywood compenents) may be hard to get at a bit later when other parts areattached. A couple of examples are fitting the bottom, fitting the side decks and fittingframing to the bulkheads.

For example if gluing the bottom panel in place it is easy to coat the inside of the bottom atthe same time. For major gluing processes like this it is important to make sure thateverything will work smoothly – do a DRY RUN without the epoxy to make sure that youhave enough screws etc to hold the bottom on OK – you can use the same holes againwhen you are putting the bottom on permanently.

This is the method (put on your disposable gloves!!!).

1/ get all the framing that the bottom will be attached to bevelled and ready to accept glue

2/ put three coats of epoxy “wet on wet” on the inside of the bottom as per the mehod inthe appendix above.

3/ immediately put glue (epoxy plus the gluing thickening powder – make up to a peanutpaste thickness) on all the framing of the hull that the inside of the bottom will be glued to –spread it out ready to take the bottom.

4/ drop the bottom on with its wet face in contact with the glue in the previous step andscrew the bottom in place.

5/ clean up any excess glue that has squeezed out of the joints about 20 minutes after theassembly. If you wait till tomorrow you will be sanding forever. Use a flat piece of timbersharpened to a chisel edge on the end with a sander.

The same method can be used when putting the framing on the bulkheads. Coat one sideof the bulkhead immediately before gluing the framing on that side.

Precoating Plywood Panels before Assembly.

I find this the best method, where possible.

It saves the effort of sanding between coats of epoxy and prevents any waxing problemsbetween the wet-on-wet coats.

Mask off all areas that you don't want coated. (Especially any areas you are going to glueto later – not strictly necessary with the Eureka.)

Lay surface flat where possible.

Mix resin and hardener. You don't need to add any powder when you are coating –they are only used when gluing one piece to another.

Apply first coat.


NOTE - If doing large areas the epoxy will go off too quickly if left in the mixing tin. You willhave much more working time if you pour most of it out over the surface first and roughlyspread with a squeegee, before going back with a roller to spread properly.

Don’t bother to buy a commercial squeegee – just use an offcut of ply about 200 x75+mm (8 x 3”). Make sure the working edge is straight and that you have sanded thesharpness off the edges and corners.

When it is spread hold roller so it cannot rotate and pull gently along surface of epoxy. Itslicks the surface smooth and pop any air bubbles.

When first coat has become quite tacky, roll on second coat. Slick the surface.

When second coat is tacky roll on third (if required) and slick it down.

IMPORTANT - Remove masking tape when third coat is still tacky. You don't want to glueit down - forever.

When epoxy is fully cured turn the panels over, sand off any drips that have come from theother side and repeat process if required.

When the epoxy has cured sand the panels smooth using a random orbit sander (thesetools are a very worthwhile investment but hand is fine too). 180 grit paper is about right.Sand enough to remove gloss.

If you have problems getting a good finish speak to your epoxy dealer.

Building strong lightweight boats - a note on the use of epoxy

Epoxy is expensive stuff, so when there is a bit left over from a process there is atemptation to use it somewhere.

Don't do it! The boat has been carefully designed to be strong enough already - all you willdo is add weight and ruin the boat. Where you can use it for a legitimate step, do so - butthink about it first.

Another time it is best to throw out epoxy is if it is starting to go off in the bag or tin. If it isstarting to get too hot to comfortably hold it is going to be hard very shortly - you areunlikely to have enough time to put it into place.

Furthermore, hot epoxy fillets slump badly, hot coatings wax and get fish-eye pitting, andhot glue joins end up with lumps that stop clamping. Make up a smaller mix next time andget it out on the surface earlier – straight after careful mixing in the tin or bag

Fibreglass taping method

The method for fibreglassing hull seams can use the same wet-on-wet approach as abovebut with a small change to integrate the application of the glass tape. It makes it a veryclean and tidy process once you get the idea.

Fill any screw holes, allow the epoxy to cure and sand flat. Radius the edges that the tapewill be applied to. A minimum of 3mm (1/8”) is just enough to allow the glass to wraparound without lifting. A bit more is better – but don’t round the edges around the transomat the stern too much – the water wraps round the corner when sailing causing drag.

Apply first coat of epoxy to hull (pic below left). Note the masking tape to prevent epoxydrips running around the corner onto the deck. The finish can be quite smooth by holdingthe roller so it can’t turn and lightly and slowly skid it across the surface to pop bubblesand get rid of roller marks..


Continued next page.

Put glass tape down in wet epoxy (pic below right). I should be wearing gloves.

Detail of glass along transom.(pic below left). Use the roller or a cut down disposablebrush (bristles not longer than 25mm (1”) to work epoxy into the glass tape – it goes clear

when the epoxy has wetted it out correctly. An example of wetting out (pic above right) –the glass along transom is now wetted out and becomes clear. Continuing with thetransom sides – here cutting tape to length.

Roller method (pic below left)

Finished taping and second coat is put on when first gets tacky (pic below right) – roll theepoxy out well so as to not add too much weight – but roll a little bit extra on the tape – toomuch and it will run down the side.


When epoxy goes tacky apply a third thin coat and skid the roller to give a smooth finish.

If the weave pattern is still visible in the glass tape roll another coat to fill up the weave.

Leave epoxy to cure.

The next day – while the epoxy is still a little cheesy (if you leave it too long it will make thishard work) set a fine spokeshave fine and get rid of the edge of the glass tape. Keep thebody of the spokeshave over the glass but set the blade with a tiny bit of depth on theedge side but no depth on the other.

Work carefully and slowly.

Then sand the glass tape using the random orbit sander and 120 grit paper. Keep theedge of the sander lined up with the edge of the glass, but keep the sander body over thetape. Angle the sander - concentrate a bit of weight on the side of the sander over thetape edge and keep the rest of the sander off the surface of the tape.

Finish off by sanding the rest of the bottom to a matte finish (no gloss) but don’t go throughthe epoxy to the timber.

Generally I brush a couple of thin coats onto any areas where I go through to the wood –allow that section to cure and give a light sand – making sure I blend the edges of thebrushed area.

Gluing Endgrain

See drawing of endgrain right.

When gluing endgrain with epoxy it is a two stageprocess.

Mix enough resin and hardener to do the job. Stirwell. Brush the mixed epoxy onto the endgrain.

Wait 5 minutes -brush more epoxy on theendgrain. Now add the high strength gluingpowder to the epoxy in the container and apply togluing surfaces.

And hold in place by normal methods such asclamps or packaging tape until the epoxy sets up.


SOME OTHER MICHAEL STORER BOAT PLANS

Goat Island Skiff - Modern Performance with Classic AppearancePlans $10015'8" x 5' x 130+lbs (hull) x 105sq ftA modern Classic that performs like a good racing dinghy.

Taal SUP – stable enough for a beginner but fast on open waterPlans $8012’ x 28” (15kg). Aim was to keep a stable mid section but hit the rightnumbers for a good rowboat or canoe for excellent distance speed.

Eureka Canoe - Light, Pretty, Easy to build in PlywoodPlans $7515'6" x 34" x 44lbs (6mm ply) Can be built down to 34lbsOur most Beautiful Canoe. Light and easy to paddle over distance.

MSD Rowboat - Easily driven pulling boat for one with compantyPlans $90 15'8" x 4' x 95lbsI was asked if the pretty Goat would be a good rower. This one is better!

Handy Punt - Cartop, Stable Fishing Platform, Good PerformancePlans $8011'6" x 4'2" x 110lbs (approx) 8 or to 15hp if you want to go REALLY fast.Very stable.

Quick Canoe 155 – Build in a couple of weekendsVery detailed Plans $40First one took the builder 4 1/2 hours to get on the water - me longer! It hasbeen designed to be as easy to build as possible while keeping some of thequalities of a good paddling canoe - in particular the ability to track.

Quick Canoe Electric - for Electric Trolling MotorPlans $40Keeps the simplicity and low materials cost of the Quick Canoe Family.Does 5 to 6mph with good range with a 34lb thrust Minn Kota or otherelectric trolling motor..Very detailed Plans.

Viola Sailing CanoePlans $100Really a lightweight (75lb,34kg) and beautiful sailing dinghy with easytransportation and storage. 14ft x 40”. Three rigs Laminate squaretop in 5mor 6m and 6.3m Balance Lug


how to build the quick canoe 155 - amazon s3 · better than a pure flat bottomed thing. the other...

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