Recent content by Jim Dodd

It's not a race ! Ha ! We certainly have enough water, to paddle now ! Hey ? No wheels on the strongback ? I guess that Huge dust collector, will suck the dust for you ! Good to see you back building ! Jim

I bit the bullet a few years ago, and purchased a couple of Bear vaults. I love them. I hide them a little ways away from camp, when I'm not eating. bear vault

I built a few strippers with Graphite, added to the last coat of epoxy, on the bottom . I sanded, or at least tried to sand. I do believe they were faster, because of it. I had no way to prove it, just me paddling. Get it up on plane, and let us know ! ;)

Making a Kevlar copy, is a great idea ! You can do your best with the stripper build, but at least I wasn't able to come close to the weight of the Kevlar copy. 46#, compared to 36# makes a lot of difference on a portage ! Building a stripper at 36#, makes me worry, about sacrificing...

Awesome ! Now that Alan is the Super, and a fellow Iowan . I'm expecting preferential Treatment ! Ha ! Way to go Alan ! A big THANK YOU to Glenn also ! You have gone above and beyond the call of duty ! Great job ! Jim

I'll have to confer with others, on making any money, on repairing that hull ! I pulled the outside glass from a Good friends canoes, about 5 yrs ago. The hull was very flexible, and so I placed it on one of my strongback, with about 4 forms that closely mimicked the hull. The forms brought...

Hi BavMid Well come to the site ! I don't have specs for your Old Town. I'm sure they can be found. Have you tried Old Town ? If that fails, here is what most use for seat placement standard formula. Find the center of the canoe. Then measure form the bow, approximately 53". This will be...

Thanks Cruiser ! I corrected it, I think ? The link on the first page, down aways, shows the Bungee cord design, that the Other, Jim Dodd came up with. Again it works great !

Yes. A Worm drive is definitely over kill, and a beast when cutting that many strips ! Yes a on the clamps . Spring clamps ! You may also be interested in the Bungee Cord straps, designed by another canoe builder, with my same name. Crazy I know. Here is a link to my last build thread, that...

A tip when Bead and coving your strips. Run your strips Between the fence and the router bit. First pass will true your strips to identical width !

Be sure you Skilsaw, is rated for at leas 13 AMPs. Most now days are 15 AMP. The Skilsaw method is night and day better than a Band saw, or a Table saw ! Me, some 30+ years ago, cutting strips with a 13 AMP. Makita. That saw is still capable ! My saws have evolved, over the years. A Vise...

Thicker strips creates a problem with bead and cove, for sure. Your solution should work, How did you cut your strips ? After well over 30 strippers, I found a Skilsaw, and simple fence produces very uniform thickness. Skilsaw set up. Another link by Cruiser, to setting up a Skilsaw to...

Yes ! Working with full length strips, is the way to go. I'm guessing you are going to hand bevel your strips. The hull design, you chose should make it easier, as there is little, to no tumblehome. A good choice for your first build . Good move with the casters. You have a great start ! Jim

Great time of year to start a build ! Agree with others on your shop ! Mine is always a mess ! I would put some wheels under that strong back, so you can take it outside, when it comes time to sand. The last 16' stripper I built, was with mostly 8' strips. Often making two splices on one...

Curious what became of the molds ? Nice looking hulls , and trim. Jim