| Home |
| Search |
| Today's Posts |
|
|
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
dugout
Has anyone here ever carved a dugout canoe?
I have several large white pine logs that I'm thinking of attacking just for the fun of it. Any suggestions on procedure would be welcome. I know that white pine is not the best material but I find it interesting that an ancient dugout canoe was found locally in a natural pond. It was white pine. Here is my plan. With a chain saw and broad hatchet, sharpen both ends of the log so that,in plan,the sheer is shaped the way I want it except a little skinnier in the middle because the log is only about 24 inches across. Then shape the profile view using chain saw and adze. Then shape the rest of the outside of the hull using a large shallow gouge or sculptors adze. I plan to oil everything as I go and keep it covered with plastic and wet rags as I go when not working on it. Then, once the outside is shaped, attack the inside using chain saw and sculptors adze. When the hull is near the final thickness, drill holes through the hull and insert dowels to the depth I want the hull thickness to be so that when I get down to them, I can see where I am and fine tune the thickness with shallow gouges. Then, fill the boat with water and drop hot rocks into it to heat the water and expand and soften the wood so that I can spread the sheer apart and finish shaping the boat by inserting cross thwarts. Any thoughts on what to oil it with or whether the hull will split while working? Will this procedure work? How thick should it be? If it works,I'm planning on using a heavy coating of pine tar on the outside for water proofing and tung oil on the inside. Any suggestions on hull shape? Most of the primitive boats Ive seen like this are pretty crude but I was thinking more on the lines of the carved canoes from the Northwest for hull shape. |
|
#2
|
|||
|
|||
|
dugout
steveJ wrote in message ...
snip and broad hatchet, sharpen both ends of the log so that,in plan,the sheer is shaped the way I want it except a little skinnier in the middle because the log is only about 24 inches across. Then shape the profile view using chain saw and adze. Then shape the rest of the outside of the hull using a large shallow gouge or sculptors adze. snip When the hull is near the final thickness, drill holes through the hull and insert dowels to the depth I want the hull thickness to be so that when I get down to them, I can see where I am and fine tune the thickness with shallow gouges. snip The only thing that strikes me here is I keep saying to myself, he should carve the inside first. I think the outside will be easier to shape, and control the shaping tools, then if you make a mistake on the inside, or find a major flaw, you have material to work with to shape the outside a little different if necessary. As to the shape of the thing, I would try to get as much out of it as possible. I have seen pictures where they are more or less rounded for and aft as opposed to pointy ends, this makes shaping easier too. Scotty |
|
#3
|
|||
|
|||
|
dugout
|
|
#4
|
|||
|
|||
|
dugout
I wondered about the shape of the ends too.
Pictures I've seen show two basic types. pointy or blunt. Certainly the blunt ended is less labor but with chain saws its neglegible. I'm thinking that the pointy ended is a more highly developed hull shape and that the blunt one is more primitive but also may be a way to deal with inevitable checking of the wood from the end. From what Ive seen, the blunt end boats were carved from the inside first, burned out actually. These hulls are basically log shaped so the carving of the outside would be pretty straight foward. With a pointed end boat, I would have a hard time shaping and visualizing the negative space of the hull if starting from the inside. I think I can visualize and carve the outer shape preety much by eye though. I'm mostly worried about controlling checking and figuring out the final shape when its done. Since this hull will be sprung out from the inside I'm wondering how much it will spring and how thick I'd need to make the wood to resist splitting it. Will speading the gunnals apart result in hogging the bottom? I was also wondering if the charring used to remove wood also adds to rot resistence or if it was simply the only way to remove the wood before steel was available. Backyard Renegade wrote: steveJ wrote in message ... snip and broad hatchet, sharpen both ends of the log so that,in plan,the sheer is shaped the way I want it except a little skinnier in the middle because the log is only about 24 inches across. Then shape the profile view using chain saw and adze. Then shape the rest of the outside of the hull using a large shallow gouge or sculptors adze. snip When the hull is near the final thickness, drill holes through the hull and insert dowels to the depth I want the hull thickness to be so that when I get down to them, I can see where I am and fine tune the thickness with shallow gouges. snip The only thing that strikes me here is I keep saying to myself, he should carve the inside first. I think the outside will be easier to shape, and control the shaping tools, then if you make a mistake on the inside, or find a major flaw, you have material to work with to shape the outside a little different if necessary. As to the shape of the thing, I would try to get as much out of it as possible. I have seen pictures where they are more or less rounded for and aft as opposed to pointy ends, this makes shaping easier too. Scotty |
|
#5
|
|||
|
|||
|
dugout
Steve,
Sounds like an interesting project, but maybe you're asking the wrong group. You might consider posting the question on a Native American or Hawaiian cultural group. I understand that the aboriginal peoples burned the logs, and controlled the burning by adding mud packs to protect the parts of the log that they didn't want to eliminate by burning. Ed. steveJ wrote in message ... I wondered about the shape of the ends too. Pictures I've seen show two basic types. pointy or blunt. Certainly the blunt ended is less labor but with chain saws its neglegible. I'm thinking that the pointy ended is a more highly developed hull shape and that the blunt one is more primitive but also may be a way to deal with inevitable checking of the wood from the end. From what Ive seen, the blunt end boats were carved from the inside first, burned out actually. These hulls are basically log shaped so the carving of the outside would be pretty straight foward. With a pointed end boat, I would have a hard time shaping and visualizing the negative space of the hull if starting from the inside. I think I can visualize and carve the outer shape preety much by eye though. I'm mostly worried about controlling checking and figuring out the final shape when its done. Since this hull will be sprung out from the inside I'm wondering how much it will spring and how thick I'd need to make the wood to resist splitting it. Will speading the gunnals apart result in hogging the bottom? I was also wondering if the charring used to remove wood also adds to rot resistence or if it was simply the only way to remove the wood before steel was available. Backyard Renegade wrote: steveJ wrote in message ... snip and broad hatchet, sharpen both ends of the log so that,in plan,the sheer is shaped the way I want it except a little skinnier in the middle because the log is only about 24 inches across. Then shape the profile view using chain saw and adze. Then shape the rest of the outside of the hull using a large shallow gouge or sculptors adze. snip When the hull is near the final thickness, drill holes through the hull and insert dowels to the depth I want the hull thickness to be so that when I get down to them, I can see where I am and fine tune the thickness with shallow gouges. snip The only thing that strikes me here is I keep saying to myself, he should carve the inside first. I think the outside will be easier to shape, and control the shaping tools, then if you make a mistake on the inside, or find a major flaw, you have material to work with to shape the outside a little different if necessary. As to the shape of the thing, I would try to get as much out of it as possible. I have seen pictures where they are more or less rounded for and aft as opposed to pointy ends, this makes shaping easier too. Scotty |
|
#6
|
|||
|
|||
|
dugout
Thanks Ed, I will give them a try
Ed Askew wrote: Steve, Sounds like an interesting project, but maybe you're asking the wrong group. You might consider posting the question on a Native American or Hawaiian cultural group. I understand that the aboriginal peoples burned the logs, and controlled the burning by adding mud packs to protect the parts of the log that they didn't want to eliminate by burning. Ed. steveJ wrote in message ... I wondered about the shape of the ends too. Pictures I've seen show two basic types. pointy or blunt. Certainly the blunt ended is less labor but with chain saws its neglegible. I'm thinking that the pointy ended is a more highly developed hull shape and that the blunt one is more primitive but also may be a way to deal with inevitable checking of the wood from the end. From what Ive seen, the blunt end boats were carved from the inside first, burned out actually. These hulls are basically log shaped so the carving of the outside would be pretty straight foward. With a pointed end boat, I would have a hard time shaping and visualizing the negative space of the hull if starting from the inside. I think I can visualize and carve the outer shape preety much by eye though. I'm mostly worried about controlling checking and figuring out the final shape when its done. Since this hull will be sprung out from the inside I'm wondering how much it will spring and how thick I'd need to make the wood to resist splitting it. Will speading the gunnals apart result in hogging the bottom? I was also wondering if the charring used to remove wood also adds to rot resistence or if it was simply the only way to remove the wood before steel was available. Backyard Renegade wrote: steveJ wrote in message ... snip and broad hatchet, sharpen both ends of the log so that,in plan,the sheer is shaped the way I want it except a little skinnier in the middle because the log is only about 24 inches across. Then shape the profile view using chain saw and adze. Then shape the rest of the outside of the hull using a large shallow gouge or sculptors adze. snip When the hull is near the final thickness, drill holes through the hull and insert dowels to the depth I want the hull thickness to be so that when I get down to them, I can see where I am and fine tune the thickness with shallow gouges. snip The only thing that strikes me here is I keep saying to myself, he should carve the inside first. I think the outside will be easier to shape, and control the shaping tools, then if you make a mistake on the inside, or find a major flaw, you have material to work with to shape the outside a little different if necessary. As to the shape of the thing, I would try to get as much out of it as possible. I have seen pictures where they are more or less rounded for and aft as opposed to pointy ends, this makes shaping easier too. Scotty |
|
#7
|
|||
|
|||
|
dugout
At Plimouth Plantation a Wampanoag group burns out canoes regularly. You
can "help scrape out a mishoon (boat) using centuries-old techniques." They have quite a fleet. I found it fascinating talking with the guys as they tended the coals. About the most laid-back, scenic boat "shop" I've ever been in. I think it took a couple months for each boat. http://www.plimoth.org/visit/what/hobbamock.asp#1 Quoting: For questions about Wampanoag history and culture, contact: Linda Coombs (508) 746-1622, extension 8385 lcoombs (at) plimoth (dot) org "Ed Askew" wrote in message om... Steve, Sounds like an interesting project, but maybe you're asking the wrong group. You might consider posting the question on a Native American or Hawaiian cultural group. I understand that the aboriginal peoples burned the logs, and controlled the burning by adding mud packs to protect the parts of the log that they didn't want to eliminate by burning. |
|
#8
|
|||
|
|||
|
dugout
I've built a couple outrigger canoes while I was living in the Philippines.
Not exactly what you had in mind.. The logs that these canoes are made out of can only be obtained by illegal loggers since the government controls all logging.. So if your a boat builder, you just mention that you want a dugout of a certain size and shape. In a couple days it arrives at your gate. Their outrigger canoes "Banca" have the dugout only as the lower portion of the hull. The log is shapped with ax and knife, inside and out. They put some nice shape in the bow and stern so it will slip through the water easily. The builder has to raise the freeboard with some ply and framing.. However this process is started by fitting a stem and a stern post. A rabbit is cut into the upper edge of the dugout and 1/4" ply is fitted, then a cap on top of the ply and then the frames.. A few supports for floor boards, an engine bed for a 10 to 15 hp air cooled engine.. Shaft log for 3/4" ss shaft and hand made prop. Oh, can't forget the outriggers.. There are numerous types of bambo. The cross pieces are a kind of rattan and are solid and bent to shape using a hot fire.. The outrigger floats are the large hollow bambo and if you can't get them large enough, you get several and bundle them together.. All this stuff is secured with nylon fish line for lashings. A properly built Banca can do about 30 mph with a 10 hp Wisconson. The ones with a 4 cylinder Toyota can out run the harbor patrol. Steve s/v Good Intentions |
|
#9
|
|||
|
|||
|
dugout
On Tue, 17 Feb 2004 03:41:30 GMT, steveJ wrote:
Has anyone here ever carved a dugout canoe? try this http://www.google.ca/search?q=dugout...e+Search&meta= |
| Reply |
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
Hybrid Mode
