How to Build a Cedar Strip Canoe
Canoes are sleek, stable boats that are at home in lakes, rivers and streams. Most canoes are built from plastics or carbon fiber today, but some companies still build wooden canoes. Wooden canoes are works of art from an earlier time, and one of the most beautiful types of canoe construction is the cedar strip canoe. Cedar strip canoes have solid cedar hulls that are pieced together in strips. The cedar strips are easier to work with than wider boards and when glued together provide a water-tight and strong hull. Cedar strip canoe building is an art form and thus will take lots of practice to master. However, the basic process is fairly simple.
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Things You'll Need
- Cedar stripping
- 1-by-1- inch cedar planking
- Wood glue
- Sawhorses
- C-clamps
- Stain
- Brads
Instructions
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1
Lay a canoe whose design you want to copy on two sawhorses in your workspace.
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2
Cut the keel of your canoe from the 1-by-1-inch cedar strips based on the length of the canoe you are using as a model. Secure the keel to the bottom of the other canoe using the C-clamps and then secure the gunwales of the cedar strip canoe to the sides of the canoe form with clamps.
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3
Cut the ribs of the canoe at least four feet long and begin gluing them in one-foot intervals along the keel board. Cut the excess rib wood extending past the gunwales.
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4
Cover the wooden form with cedar planking, gluing and tacking each plank to the ribs and gunwales. Use the stain to seal every inch of the wooden canoe.
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5
Allow the canoe to dry 24 hours and then install two cross braces between the gunwales along the length of the canoe.
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6
Paint the canoe your desired color and allow the entire thing to dry for 72 hours before putting it in the water.
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Tips & Warnings
Buying a canoe kit ensures you have the right amount and type of materials, and in most cases the materials are pre-cut for a perfect fit.
