Hey all, I really enjoy this forum and I've learned alot about boat building. Especially Pirogues, which is what I want to build. I've purchased one of Uncle Johns Kits, plus the seat kit but after seeing Keith and Seedticks , plank pirogues, I just got to build one of those first. We have a farm here in Iowa, moved here from Delaware in "01", Dairy Herd and all. Growing up in Del., there was an old family friend by the name of Paynter Morris, who built duckin skiffs as part of his living. My Dad bought the last one that ,"Paynt", built before he died. My sister has it now back there. It was 12 plus feet long, about 32 inch beam, 12 inch sides, pointed at both ends. Made from 1 inch, white cedar plank sides and marine plywood bottom with 4 inch wide by 1/2 inch keel and then the whole outside was glassed to help protect from ice. It was flat bottomed, real heavy and propelled by standing and using a 14 foot long push pole. Fond memories of this old boat are the reason for my fettish in boat building. Just so happens I started to reside our farm house this summer with board on batten siding. Found a place in Memphis, Tenn., that sells yellow cypress, exclusively, anyway you want it. I bought rough boards, cut close to size, went and picked them up and all this, cheaper than I could buy cedar boards, here, from any of the box stores. While there, I purchased a total of 6 , 14 foot, 5/4 to 6/4 thick by 12 inch wide, select cypress planks. Compared to the siding lumber, these were a bit pricey @ 42 dollars each but still cheaper than marine plywood. I want to start on this project this winter. Got to get the shop rearranged first. I sure hope you Fellers can advise me on this build. I sure don't want to screw it up. Thanks for reading this and thanks Old Spark, for a great forum. Dave Benson,"Gamecock".New Plank Pirogue Duckin Boat.
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Hey all, I really enjoy this forum and I've learned alot about boat building. Especially Pirogues, which is what I want to build. I've purchased one of Uncle Johns Kits, plus the seat kit but after seeing Keith and Seedticks , plank pirogues, I just got to build one of those first. We have a farm here in Iowa, moved here from Delaware in "01", Dairy Herd and all. Growing up in Del., there was an old family friend by the name of Paynter Morris, who built duckin skiffs as part of his living. My Dad bought the last one that ,"Paynt", built before he died. My sister has it now back there. It was 12 plus feet long, about 32 inch beam, 12 inch sides, pointed at both ends. Made from 1 inch, white cedar plank sides and marine plywood bottom with 4 inch wide by 1/2 inch keel and then the whole outside was glassed to help protect from ice. It was flat bottomed, real heavy and propelled by standing and using a 14 foot long push pole. Fond memories of this old boat are the reason for my fettish in boat building. Just so happens I started to reside our farm house this summer with board on batten siding. Found a place in Memphis, Tenn., that sells yellow cypress, exclusively, anyway you want it. I bought rough boards, cut close to size, went and picked them up and all this, cheaper than I could buy cedar boards, here, from any of the box stores. While there, I purchased a total of 6 , 14 foot, 5/4 to 6/4 thick by 12 inch wide, select cypress planks. Compared to the siding lumber, these were a bit pricey @ 42 dollars each but still cheaper than marine plywood. I want to start on this project this winter. Got to get the shop rearranged first. I sure hope you Fellers can advise me on this build. I sure don't want to screw it up. Thanks for reading this and thanks Old Spark, for a great forum. Dave Benson,"Gamecock".GC if you are still reading and posting how did your build go? I have found a sorce in Sheridan AR which is 45 min from my house and am considering building some skin on frame boats with it as well as possibly some strip boats using cyprus due to it's weight, stregnth and rott resistance.
Hey FloatingBear, unfortunately, I haven't got to start on it yet. New work schedule and flu bug has temporarily messed me up. I will try and post some pictures of the cypress planks. They're between 5/4 and 6/4 in thickness. I was wondering if I could get them sawed in half and then planed and if so, would they be too thin? Or, should I just get them planed to about a 3/4 thickness? These planks are 12 inches wide by 14 plus feet long and rough sawn. Any suggestions? Dave,(Gamecock).
don't know your method of construction, but if you're nailing the bottom planks to the edge of the side planks, anything thinner tha 5/8" will tend to split out on you. if you're thinner than 3/4" and not a good nailer, be sure to use a preacher
The purpose of a preacher is to "keep you straight" whether you're driving nails or drilling pilot holes
It consists of a board with two parallel faces that are offset 1/2 the thickness of the board you're edge nailing. There's a notch cut out to allow for the overhang of the bottom board over the side. The offset keeps you driving into the center of the board and the parallel faces follows the angle of the side as it varies.
Here's a quickie picture, not very good but you get the idea
It consists of a board with two parallel faces that are offset 1/2 the thickness of the board you're edge nailing. There's a notch cut out to allow for the overhang of the bottom board over the side. The offset keeps you driving into the center of the board and the parallel faces follows the angle of the side as it varies.
Here's a quickie picture, not very good but you get the idea
Jack, I wouldn't chance hitting my preacher's fingers by having him hold the nails. He might start speaking in tongues if he got hit too many times.
Hey everybody, I finally was able to get back out to Delaware and pick up the old duckin boat that Paynt Morris made for my dad back in 1952-3. I have it here in Iowa now and will try and post photos of it. I also have to admit that the original measurements I gave for this boat were off the memories I had of it and not at all accurate. Now that I have measured it the true specs are as follows: total length on top 13 ft and 2 in., bottom length 12 ft. Beam 34 inches and 31 and 1/2 inch on the bottom. Keel 1x4 the length of the bottom. Sides are 12 inches bow and stern and 10 inches amidships. The entire boat was built from Atlantic White Cedar except for the bottom which was 3/8s inch, marine plywood, "one solid piece", no joints. Sides are 5/8s inch thick. After building, Paynt would fiberglass the entire outside. Sometime before my dad died he had removed the glass and was obviously sanding the boat in an attempt to restore it. The wood on parts of the boat is pretty dotey now so I plan on using it as a model to build another. It was propelled by a 14 foot, push pole type oar, which I could not locate. This was the first boat I ever rode in when I was 7 years old.
Good on ya, Gamecock. Touching things my Dad made or used brings memories flooding back. Engage your kids in the project too.
BTW, what part of Iowa are you in? We mosey through from time to time.
BTW, what part of Iowa are you in? We mosey through from time to time.
Hey Jack, wish we had kids, the wife and I weren't blessed with any. We live east of Leon in Decatur County, one mile south of Hwy 2, and 12 miles east of Interstate 35 and about 9 or 10 miles north of the Missouri line, as the crow flies. I messed around most of the morning trying to put pictures on. I can get them compressed but I don't know where they go from there. Really makes me wish we had a kid to do this for me. I'll make some calls for some help. We had the computer cleaned and now the photos are all too big and we can't send any. It'll almost cause you to have an adult, malted beverage. Dave.
Dave, if you travel east a few miles to Antique Airfield, about midway between Blakesburg and Otummwa, there is a big gathering of antique aircraft (50-80 years old) there on Labor Day weekends.
Hello All, I've resized my photos but can't attach them unless a moderator on this site goes to attachments and increases the quota. Or so I've read. I have photos of an old boat that is very much like a pirogue used for years in the marshes of lower Delaware. I have the materials to replicate this boat and would like to post the build. Dave.
Gamecock, I think Piper and Swampwood are having the same issue. Might be a problem for other posters as well.
I load my pictures to Photobucket web site and then transfer them to here. Easy enough(I can do it) and no problems. Might be an extra step for you, but you might want to give it a try.
I hope something works for you. I would like to see the boat.
beekeeper
I load my pictures to Photobucket web site and then transfer them to here. Easy enough(I can do it) and no problems. Might be an extra step for you, but you might want to give it a try.
I hope something works for you. I would like to see the boat.
beekeeper