serious boatbuilding questions | SouthernPaddler.com

serious boatbuilding questions

pereaux

Active Member
Apr 13, 2009
35
0
when you guys build a boat do you glue the ribs to the sides or not. Would it be different when using boards or plywood? I glued mine on a plank boat and had an awful glue mess to have to clean at finish. Mr seedtick or kieth, when you finish a plank boat and treat the inside with linseed and mineral spirits , do you all varnish those ribs or give them the same treatment? Thanks
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
we glue and nail side ribs to the sides - plywood or plank, makes no difference to us

you need to take care of glue runs and squeezeout as you go along, before it sets up, putting the right amount of glue on is a skill i don't have just yet either

when we use an oil finish, everything gets oiled, inside and out
i'm not a big fan of oil finished for boats, but some folks like the more traditional (old timey) look and ease of recoating
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
crazycajunmike said:
A few questions instead of plywood can a 18' pirouge be built out of let's say 2x6x18 cut into 1/4'' strips .....the strips edge glued to form the sides and bottom

I made a 16 pirogue ( Uncle John) that way from redwood I cut out here at the house. the strips ended up being 1/4 inch by 3/4 inch and 8 feet long.
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2417

The boards were 3/4 by 4 and were 21 feet in length , cut to 16 feet , I had to cut them to two 8 foot strips to get them home .

Chuck
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
pereaux
Thanks for asking this question. I just got on line to ask the same thing. My first boat did not have ribs.

seedtick
Thanks for the answer.

beekeeper
 
Jul 29, 2009
20
0
72
Rogers Arkansas
Thanks for the reply I really like the look of the stripped boat.....what the heck is the reason for putting a lot of time and energy in building a boat and painting it a solid color...from a distance it looks like any aluminum or glass boat....I would like a boat that speaks to folks about the time and effort put forth...my thoughts. Subject to change being a first time builder and in direct relation to how many large piles of sawdust and large piles of firewood I create getting the desired result
 

Steve

Well-Known Member
Crazycajunmike,

I think you'll find out one of two things about building a strip boat. . .

With the time and effort you put into you'll either love it or hate it. . . (the process, not the boat). . .

Everyone I know who has built a stripper has fallen into two categories: either they fall in love with building that way and build more and more. . .

Or, though they love their boat, they swear up and down they'll never do it, again. . .

Me, I fall into the lines of what one fella has on his signature on here. . .if it's worth cutting down a tree for, it's worth doing right. . .

My "T" is ply, but I think I'll be strip building everything else I build . . . to me, there's no better look. . . (Then, I look at some of the boats the guys on here have made and for a brief moment I reconsider my thinking on that. . . . :oops: )
 

JEM

Well-Known Member
if the glue you're using stains the wood, mask everything off (except the bonding surfaces).

I do that, wait a little for any glue to ooze, then pull the tape off. Wipe any remaining runs. Don't wait for the glue to cure all the way. Been there, done that. Yuck.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
The Uncle John Pirogue is a easy boat to make and a good one to start with.

Basically the boat is nothing more then three flat boards formed into a boat. When I built the stripper I layed the strips out on my work bench and made the sides to the height I wanted , glued the boards together to make a panel for the overall length and then cut the ends to the 45 degree angle and put them together , same with the bottom of the boat.

The panel for one side.............
pirogue%20001.jpg


Three flat panels or pieces of wood made one boat.

Chuck.
 
Jul 29, 2009
20
0
72
Rogers Arkansas
Sparkey now cutting the strips in preparation of kit arriving from the promise land louisiana-- Uncle Johns. The storm here has calmed down. Do not know if the wife has gotten over the idea of me building a boat or is getting more life insurance on me in preparation of her counter-attack....anyway can't change the outcome on that-----you know women----need to know what kind of adhesive to use to edge glue the strips.Please be specific name, where it can be purchased, ect...bare in mind you are dealing with a born and blood cajun....long on determination and shorton understanding....Thanks
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
The glue I used was Titebond and I located it at the Ace Hardware Store, wood working glue section. What seeped out from between the boards sanded off without any problems , a wet rag will also clean it off before it dries all the way. After the boards were glue together and sanded smooth then I went back and ran a bead of epoxy along the seams to make sure they would stay together.
Small batches of epoxy in a dental syringe works really great for doing that.. Just make sure you rinse the syringe out with acetone between epoxy batches. ( The dental syringe is not the kind they use to give you a pain stopping shot of Novocain but the type they use for irrigating a area , not injections.)
Syringes.JPG


I have made a lot of boats and still using the original two from the 1st boat I built. Some places call them epoxy syringes , mine came with the Pygmy Coho complete Kit.

Chuck.
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
Bloody hell Chucky,

ya just got me again wanting to build a UJ stripper.

I can't keep up with all of Matt's beautiful designs and now ya do this to me.


mutter muter, fart snort.
 

pereaux

Active Member
Apr 13, 2009
35
0
When you guys rip boqrds to make the strips for a boat,how thick should these strips be? thanks.
 

Steve

Well-Known Member
Pereaux. . .

y'want to rip yer strips at 1/4" thick. . . I don't think I'd bother with milling the bullnose or cove into the edges since you'd be making flat panel, simply edge gluing the strips should hold quite well when you start putting the panels together. . . As far as what glue to use. . . you could use the yellow wood glue, epoxy, or even the old stand by -the white glue we used in school as kids. . . essentially the glue should be what you're comfortable using. . .though everyone will have their own opinions about that. . .

Anyway. . . however you decide to go. . . may it be a fun build. . .
 
Jul 29, 2009
20
0
72
Rogers Arkansas
Finally made a start on the stripper pirouge .....first had to paint the entire outside of the house, including the deck. Cut pile of strips 1/4 by 1 and 3/4 .... 16 foot long......glued them together with tightbound III ......this turned the pile of strips into 3 panels 16 foot long...... 2 for the sides 1 for the bottom. That
is where I am now. Next step sanding panels to remove glue drips......Here are the questions after sanding panels would like to patch or putty any defects knots , cracks , uneven cutswifes then sand smooth....what wood filler to use if any ?
Next step epoxy all the joints using syringe. Also interested in seeing how much the epoxy changes wood color......at this point I will decide wether to stain the wood or not ....Next question stain any type as long as it is water based ?
Next cutting stem/stern and ribs........Can I use oak ? I have enough scraps to do the job. Any problems with epoxy or fiberglass sticking to oak ?

And to answer your question befor you guys ask.....No painting the house was not part of the UJ pirouge kit but was part of a boat building deal with the wife....all married members will understand....enough said.....thanks for the help guys
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
ccmike, sounds like you're off to a good start. I've thought about doing a stripper boat myself -maybe a Laker. I might suggest that you decide to stain before you epoxy any joints. The stain will not penetrate anywhere there is epoxy, giving you a splotchy appearance. You might even be satisfied with how deep the color becomes once the wood is hit with multiple coats of epoxy and varnish.

We need pics. :D

Joey