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GP build

The chicken takes things to the next level. You should laminate a feather into the last couple of fill coats on the bow.

Maybe I can use the chicken as inspiration to name the canoe. The chickens name is Peanut Butter. It could be the PB Express.

Tonight she's sleeping same place as last night (in the picture). I like that better than her choice the night before: the router table.

Alan
 
This morning I cut the keel line and then moved over to the other side. I always underestimate how much time it will take once you have to trim and fit both ends. Worked pretty steady on it all day. Now I just need to fill in at the bow and stern for the shear.

20151122_005 by Alan, on Flickr

20151122_006 by Alan, on Flickr

Stripping around the stems was no big deal, went quite well. Even though the sabots/shoes that I've used before keep you from having the fight the twist of the strips I think this way (shoeless) was a lot less work and hassle. With the shoes it's a lot of fussing figuring where to put them and how big. Then there's the shaping at the end and the 90* corner they leave on the inside. I won't be using them again.

I'm pretty stoked with how the hull shape looks. I think this is going to be a really nice boat and I'm glad I'll be making a composite copy for myself. It will be replacing the Bell Northstar I sold this summer.

20151122_003 by Alan, on Flickr

20151122_004 by Alan, on Flickr

Sorry, no chicken pictures today. She spent most of the afternoon in the dog house and is back in the shop tonight. Pin feathers are looking a little closer to blooming and she finally seems to have stopped dropping them.

Alan
 
WOW ! Looks great. You really hammered that out !

OH did I give you a Stanley staple puller ?

I've got several. PM me and I'll get one out tomorrow .

Jim
 
Thanks but I've got one. I actually prefer using a pliers but the puller comes in handy for the ones that are driven in flush that the pliers can't grab.

Alan
 
Dang, as my old gramps used to say "No flies on you", which I interpreted to mean if you work really hard and fast, the flies don't have time to land on you. I'm glad to hear the chicken is making a recovery...did you ever think about eating her if she didn't? When I worked on the pig farm, there was always one pig in a pen of 30 or so that the others would pick on...they'd bite at his tail, and if left long enough, it would eventually kill the poor porker. Of course, you probably know this, coming from Iowa, place is probably rife with tail biting tales. I guess the point of this is that I always felt bad for those poor little guys, and used to isolate them and try to bring them back to health, just like you with ugly little Peanut Butter. Keep up the good work!
 
I know you planned on thicker strips for the bottom. Just curious where you started with them ?

Jim
 
I know you planned on thicker strips for the bottom. Just curious where you started with them ?

Jim

The double wide dark stripe on the bottom is the start of the 1/4" strips. You can see the raised edge where they meet the 3/16" strips.

20151122_003 by Alan, on Flickr

Alan
 
By the way, you made the transition between vertical stripping to horizontal look easy !

Jim
 
By the way, you made the transition between vertical stripping to horizontal look easy !

Jim

It went better than I expected it to. Most of the credit probably goes to the relatively simply design of the hull so not a lot of twisting. But I'm also finally starting to feel like I know what I'm doing on this, my sixth, stripper. Which I'm sure means I'm going to royally screw up and some point on the build.

Alan
 
Yesterday I filled in the shear at the bow and tonight I filled it in at the stern. Stripping is done. Tonight I also pulled all the staples except for the freshly laid strips. Time to start sanding.

20151124_001 by Alan, on Flickr

20151124_002 by Alan, on Flickr

20151124_003 by Alan, on Flickr

I'm also happy to report that Peanut Butter seems to have rounded the bend to recovery today. I didn't want to needlessly worry anyone but not only was I worried about her freezing to death with no feathers but she was also very lethargic with no appetite for food or water. Not a happy chicken. But today she had a good afternoon outside and when I brought her in the shop this evening she ate like a horse! Then she spent about 10 minutes preening herself, which I haven't seen the last few days either, not that there has been much to preen. Pin feathers look like they're beginning to bloom.

Alan
 
Do you have regular eggs coming in from your chickens?

Production is winding down for the season. I get about one per day now, sometimes less. I've only got 5 chickens, which is enough to feed me with eggs and give some away at peak season. Down to a little over a dozen eggs left so soon I'll either have to start buying them or find something different to eat.

Alan
 
Must be tough to go back to store bought eggs after eating your own eggs. I've been thinking about building a chicken coop for a while. Maybe that will be my winter project. Do you keep your chickens over the winter?
 
Must be tough to go back to store bought eggs after eating your own eggs. I've been thinking about building a chicken coop for a while. Maybe that will be my winter project. Do you keep your chickens over the winter?

Yes, it's a tough change to make. I always knew there was a difference but never realized how big of a difference until I got used to eating my own every day.

I got them as chicks a couple springs ago and they didn't start laying until that fall so not much production before the first winter. Their first winter (last winter) they didn't lay at all when it was cold but we had a couple warm spells in the middle of winter and then they'd start laying again for a few days. Had to make sure you got the eggs before they froze. I expect they'll do the same this winter. Started out with 6 but one mysteriously died early this spring. All mine are pullets, Buff Orpingtons.

They're fun to have around. Watching them peck and scratch around the yard is a pleasant way to spend summer evenings. They really like it when I grab a shovel and dig worms with them. Sadie was their protector when they were chicks so they're completely comfortable with her.

They used to be free range and my next door neighbor loves them. Doesn't mind at all when they come into her yard and scratch around the garden. She puts out scraps for them. But the neighbor after her is a different story and come fall when the chickens had canvassed the two friendly yards and came up empty they ventured into her flower bed and found wonderful scratching. Looked like someone had tossed hand grenades in her landscaping. She called the cops so now the chickens are confined in a penitentiary. In the warm months I let them out about 1 1/2 hours before sunset for some yard time. They don't wander as far when dark is approaching. Right now I can leave them out all day since they aren't about to cross two lawns full of snow. They just stick to the perimeter of my shop and house where there is bare ground.

Here's a link to a video of when they were chicks. Trying to get Sadie and the chicks used to each other. Sadie didn't quite know what to think at first: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7935459@N05/14020748796/in/dateposted-public/

Alan
 
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That video is awesome! My Brittney would have gobbled them up right away.

She called the cops so now the chickens are confined in a penitentiary.

I laughed pretty hard at that one. She called the cops on your chickens? Things must be pretty tame around your parts, cops around here don't even get called if you find a drunk passed out in your flower garden. Usually just give them a bottle of water and a drive home. Anyway, those little chicks were pretty cute, gotta make that happen this spring, thanks for the info!
 
Glad PB is doing well. You might have to name that boat the Nobody Here Special. As in nobody here but us chickens.
 
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