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- Sep 16, 2025
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I built two canoes with staples years ago and now am doing a Rob Roy, stapleless. After looking at different methods, I am doing it a little different.
After cutting out the forms, I cut 3/4" strips from the same wood and glued them on.


I set them up with these rings facing the pointy ends.

After that is was a quick fairing using a straight edge to get the angle I needed and a light touch with a belt sander. After the first strip was attached with screws it was just a matter of clamping them on.

If the strip needed a little help a dowel (section of kebab skewer) and some masking tape did the trick.

When I got to the bottom of the canoe and the strips needed serious pulling, I changed to Gorilla tape. It is stronger, sticks better and has a little natural stretch to it, like a bungee.

This took a little more work at the start, but once I got going it was almost effortless.
As you can see, this is not taking place in a dedicated, pristine, workshop but the garage. The strong back is on a table with wheels so it can be pushed to the side when I am not working on it.
After cutting out the forms, I cut 3/4" strips from the same wood and glued them on.


I set them up with these rings facing the pointy ends.

After that is was a quick fairing using a straight edge to get the angle I needed and a light touch with a belt sander. After the first strip was attached with screws it was just a matter of clamping them on.

If the strip needed a little help a dowel (section of kebab skewer) and some masking tape did the trick.

When I got to the bottom of the canoe and the strips needed serious pulling, I changed to Gorilla tape. It is stronger, sticks better and has a little natural stretch to it, like a bungee.

This took a little more work at the start, but once I got going it was almost effortless.
As you can see, this is not taking place in a dedicated, pristine, workshop but the garage. The strong back is on a table with wheels so it can be pushed to the side when I am not working on it.