question on strip planking

Discussion in 'Wooden Boat Building and Restoration' started by advobwhite, Aug 30, 2015.

  1. advobwhite
    Joined: Aug 2015
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    advobwhite Junior Member

    I'll be buying a few books this week when I get paid on strip boat building to get started in boat building. I had grandiose plans before coming on this site but have gotten a lot of good input so my goals are much more realistic. I do have a question about scrap wood. I've got about 150 unused dogear fences(5/8x6"x6' I think). Can I rip those and use them for strip planking? They will be approx 5 ft long so I'd have to use several boards instead of one long one.

    I was going to give all the fence boards away as I have no use for them but if I can turn them into a canoe that would be prefered.
     
  2. TeddyDiver
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    TeddyDiver Gollywobbler

    Yes you can but there's a lot work involved. Scarfing and gluing some 2000 extra joints would be a little too boring for me. But during the build you need lot of "scrap" wood for many other things I won't go into, you'll eventually find out a lot of other use for the boards.
    My 2c
    BR Teddy
     
  3. upchurchmr
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    upchurchmr Senior Member

    Of course.
    You can just butt the ends of a strip together, no requirement to make them scarfed joints.
    Cut the lengths so that the joint lands between 2 forms, and use a piece of scrap to clamp the joint so it is straight. Wrap a 2" piece of scrap strip in packing tape to keep it from being glued to the strips you are joining. Clamp both sides of the joint to the preceding strip. This keeps the strips from causing a peak you have to sand off on the outside and fill on the inside.

    If you make a 16' canoe, you will need 4 strips per length of the boat. That will probably be 1 board per full length strip. Many boards will get fewer strips due to knots. So you will use many of the 150 boards.

    One suggestion, cut all your strips at the same time. Having identical thickness and width strips is very helpful when you are fitting, gluing them together, and sanding out the hull.

    Many here have built boats out of less than wonderful wood. I can usually only get 8' boards, so I only have a few less joints in each strip.

    You might look at another forum where there is a lot more canoe/ kayak building for hints. http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Building/index.cgi/page/1/md/index/#m_215803

    Have fun. Have you picked a canoe yet?
     
  4. TeddyDiver
    Joined: Dec 2007
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    TeddyDiver Gollywobbler

    Even more labour than scarfing me thinks. Anyway it's not a structural issue to scarf or not, it's about fairness to have nice even bend along the hull.. With shorter end butted strips you could use tighter spacing too to get better results (=more work again)
     
  5. advobwhite
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    advobwhite Junior Member

    I am not worried about the work added in it. The money saved is more important, especially for my first boat. I haven't decided on a boat yet. I want something for hunting/fishing rivers but stable enough to stand up to tend to crawfish traps. I want to outfit with a 2-4 HP long shaft mud motor...I won't be going over any dams but a few areas that I want to get to would destroy an outboard.
     
  6. advobwhite
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    advobwhite Junior Member

    I am getting several books and hoping to find a few designs in there
     
  7. upchurchmr
    Joined: Feb 2011
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    upchurchmr Senior Member

    We all have different experience and you will hear about it in spades.
    Either method can work.
    I agree with Teddy about the fairness issue being most important.

    I've done both and prefer butt splices made on the boat rather than a scarf made on the work bench. I also don't like really long strips. 3/4"x1/4" is difficult to handle in a 16' length.
    There are others who make 45 Degree splices, because they believe it hides the butt splice better. What actually makes more difference is the change in color and grain from one splice to the next. 45 Degree does not actually make the splice stronger like a 6 or 8 to one scarf does.

    You just don't need the extra strength the scarf gives when the fiberglass is applied.

    Standing in a canoe might be more a matter of your skill, rather than the available boat designs, but I am not an expert.

    I have a friend making a pirogue of plywood. His current boat is 13' x 30" which he says he can stand in - but usually doesn't. The current one is welded aluminum, unfortunately it weighs 100#so he is trying to get lighter. He also does not use a motor.

    You might try this group of guys, they are fishermen to the core. Their boats might be more appropriate. http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/

    Actually I just remembered a recommendation by Todd Bradshaw a very knowledgeable former (professional) canoe builder. He always recommends a 18' Micmac canoe. Don't know if it would work well with a motor. You might look for a square sterned canoe design for that.
     
  8. advobwhite
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    advobwhite Junior Member

    I have seen a square stern micmac actually when browsing the internet the other day. I like the idea of a longer boat than shorter as I want capacity for my wife and son
     
  9. upchurchmr
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    upchurchmr Senior Member

    If you find that picture again please share it.
    I have looked for plans for the Micmac but only find an out of print book by Nevan?

    Bradshaw always says the 18 is easier to paddle and easier to manuver than a smaller boat. Good load carrying also.

    Just found one of the forum threads on the Micmac. http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?149976-Mic-Mac-plans
     
  10. advobwhite
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    advobwhite Junior Member

  11. upchurchmr
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    upchurchmr Senior Member

    I don't know if Mikmag is supposed to be related to Micmac, but that is such a different boat it probably has nothing to do with the canoe.

    That looks like all the old aluminum rental fishing boats my dad took us out in.
     
  12. advobwhite
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    advobwhite Junior Member

    Gotcha. I like that boat. I'm picking up 5 books on Amazon this week to get me started. I figure @ $60+ for most of the plans I've found online, and w/ the combined plans in these books I'll have like 20+ boat plans to choose from, plus a much more in depth working knowledge of boat building than just the plans. In a few years I want to build a center console boat for diving, shrimping, and working crab traps(18-20 ft) and then later on, my goal is a larger center console(26' or so) for offshore fishing, so I'm getting stitch & glue and strip boat books to get an idea of both processes.

    I'm getting a book by Gil Gilpatrick, Harold Payson, Gavin Atkin, Sam Devlin, and Ted Moores.

    I'll definitely put a build thread up on my first build.
     
  13. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Typical fencing material is full of knots, pith and other major defects, not to mention flat sawn and often pressure treated too. None of these things are especially desirable for your strips. Then you have to consider the usual species used, which is often just immature farm raised, crap pine that has little other, use except for toothpicks.

    Simply put, none of this sounds particularly good for the material you'll employ in your hull shell, unless you're going to use the Lord strip planking method, in which case the wood is really just a core, for the heavy internal/external sheathing schedule.

    There are several strip plank methods (about a dozen), so you have to decide which method you'll use, as the material and requirements for the strips can vary considerably, amongst them. Simply put, select a design and use the method recommended or make a conversion to the method you prefer, before making decisions about the hull shell stock.
     
  14. advobwhite
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    advobwhite Junior Member

    Thanks for the input.
     

  15. Jammer Six

    Jammer Six Previous Member

    Fencing material runs the gamut from shop grade to clear, just like any other lumber.

    You'll have to judge what you have, and decide if the money saved is worth the labor. The labor necessary to make it work will increase geometrically as the grade of the lumber drops.
     
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