Getting Feet Wet

[olecajun]

Have been reading forum for the last few months. Just retired and getting ready to build a dugout pirogue. Got a 38" X 16' sinker log. Last spring I practiced on a piece of tidewater cypress on flare and and outside shape. Have to say it looked pretty good but not perfect. Anyone has any info that maybe helpful or some warnings that may prevent a disaster.

Free time can be costly.

 

[rhutchinson]

Scroll down in this Pirogue forum to 'handmade or deja vu all over again'. The forum was treated to a look-see at how it was done back in the day. Also 'The Dugout canoes of Crusoe Island' just below your post has a link to a video that shows a little differant approach .

Congrats on the retirement!

Richard

 

[olecajun]

Thanks Richard,
Nice video, A little different approach than what I have seen. There is another one titled "The Pirogue Maker" that is pretty good also but not a lot of audio. Be be visiting the NSU Cajun Boat Building workshop today in Lockport La. They build mostly plywood and plank pirogues but also build cajun rowing skiffs and some luggers. Should be interesting.
I have collected all the old hand tools for this project except the smaller curved bowl adz. Anyone knows where I may get my hands on one??

 

[oldsparkey]

olecajun ...................
You might want to put this date on your calendar , take a look at the post. viewtopic.php?f=20&t=8308

I believe Friend Keith and seedtick will be there and they are the ones who did the dug out in the post rhutchinson mentioned.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7575

Since you are close to it ( assuming you are in Louisiana from your handle on here :wink: ) , the Rendezvous at Pipers ( Hammond , La) viewtopic.php?f=20&t=8101 would have a lot of the folks from the area and several from out of state that might be a help to you in finding/locating the smaller curved bowl adz. Some of the guy's collect the old hand tools.
You may want to consider attending the Rendezvous.

Chuck........
PS. A lot of them are retired and some others still have to do the 8 to 5 routine. Would of used the W*#k word but we consider it a 4 lettered word. :lol:

 

[Kayak Jack]

OleCajun, a thought. As Chuck suggests, you would enjoy the rendezvous. And, if you could bring along the log - partly chopped or sawed out - to show and discuss it would help those of us who don't make dugouts. Now, if it's not reasonable to bring it, sorry I asked. But, you should come anyway. (Bring a few chips in a bag for us to see.)

 

[olecajun]

Good idea Jack. Hope I have enough done to make it look like a pirogue. Live only about an hour away and should make conversational piece. Fact, maybe could give away chips that are personally cut by visitors. Would speed up the process and cut down on the work for me. But the work is what is the most enjoyable until the finished project is complete.
Sounds like it should be an enjoyable time and opportunity to meet good people.

Thanks for the invite and :idea:

 

[Kayak Jack]

I'd be a bit leery of having others cut into the log. A trained beaver may be less risky. I'd like to see some of your tools and techniques, if that is a possibility?

 

[olecajun]

I wouldn't even let trained beavers close to that log. Tools consist of old broad axe, flat, curved, and bowl adz, draw knife, spoke shave, box scraper, wood planes and chisels. I accumulated all over Ebay in the last couple years. Once I learn how the attach pics, I'll post it. If you ever watched the film "The Pirogue Maker" the tools are much the same. Of course I'm STILL trying to get my broad axe to shave as his did.

 

[Kayak Jack]

In Waleska GA is the "Funk Heritage Center Sellars Gallery of Historic Hand Tools". I want to stop by some day. Jimmy Wingo lives not far away from there. In the meantime, Keith & Seedtick have sheds full of old tools that are worth taking a gander at.