Wee Lassie 2 Build

[PeteStaehling]

I guess I am just about ready to actually start working on my Wee Lassie 2. I don't expect to get going in earnest right away, but I purchased the templates, Mac's book, canoe bits for cove and bead, and I a couple Diablo blades are on the way. I figure I'll start prefabbing stuff in advance. Forms, strong back, strips...

What did you use for forms? Particle board, MDF, plywood? 1/2"? Any of those I should avoid like the plague? Or lust buy what I can get cheaply? I figure I may use the same stuff for the strong back. They used to have 1/2" luan for pretty cheap at the big box stores but I haven't seen it in years.

Not sure if I will build a second Wee Lassie 2, but I might. If not I may want to pass on the forms to someone so they might as well be built well enough to build a few boats.

 

[scratchypants]

I used 1/2" ply on mine because I had a few sheets. It was not great for tracing - lumpy - and there was some warping/oil-canning that made set-up a bit tricky. I just started my next one and went for 5/8 particle board instead - much smoother and no warping. I'd be interested in hearing what people recommend for masking them because I had problems with green painter's tape not letting go. This was particularly problematic with a stemless construction. In fact, I may do internal stems to minimize this problem.

 

[PeteStaehling]

The tracing and warping issues make me wonder if MDF might be best. Interested to hear from others.

 

[dogbrain]

I use 5/8" particle board on all my builds, no warp, holds staples well, cheap, holds up to multiple builds

Mark

 

[Traveler]

5/8 MDF here. OSB might also work well, but it is a bit more expensive than MDF and seems like it could be difficult to get smooth edges (although never tried it). Would have to go to something like Baltic Birch around here to get any plywood that is comparable in terms of true and flat dimensions. You probably know this, but wear a mask when you cut or sand MDF if you are using power tools - creates a nasty, powder-like dust that lingers in the air and spreads far and wide.

 

[Roybrew]

I stood looking at the sheet goods at the hardware store for at least 30 minutes before I decided on some 19/32 plywood with one sanded side. It did good. As far as tape for the station edges, I used what ever I had laying around. I even used some of that tape stuff for removing lint. it was on a roller, and my wife was going to throw it out. It was tuff stuff. It did real good on the end forms. There was maybe 12 feet or so on that roller. I even used some brown paper strapping tape. We use it at work for taping boxes we ship out. The rest was just old cheap masking tape.

 

[wingnut]

I've found that clear shipping tape works really well on the forms to keep the glue from sticking to the forms. If you heat it a bit it will stretch to follow the curve of the form to.

 

[Boatman53]

I too use clear packing tape.
Jim

 

[PeteStaehling]

I've found that clear shipping tape works really well on the forms to keep the glue from sticking to the forms. If you heat it a bit it will stretch to follow the curve of the form to.

That makes sense. I use it on a lot of jigs in my musical instrument making. It works great with various wood glues. None of the wood glues I use seem to stick to it. Is that true for any epoxy that might get through the seams as well? Or is that just not a problem?

 

[Jim Dodd]

Clear packing tape is excellent. Cheaper than masking tape.

The only advantage of masking tape, is it provides a small amount of cushion, between the forms and the strip. Especially if you double layer it.

No epoxy will stick to packing tape.

 

[Boatman53]

I use a lot of epoxy, it does not even think about sticking.
Jim

 

[wingnut]

Not a problem with epoxy reaching the forms. I doubt it would stick either IMO. Have you decided on your strongback? I've seen others using plywood floor trusses as the support. I think that is the design I'll use on my next build. I'll likely build my own with an 8' sheet ripped then scarfed together, staggering the joints. Full length 1x8 material top and bottom with grooves cut for two rows of plywood. I'm sure the box build design is fine, I've used it myself but IMO it was put in use before plywood floor trusses were being built.

 

[PeteStaehling]

Have you decided on your strongback?

I still have time to flip flop on this, but I think I like the idea of a plywood or MDF box construction. It is likely to be built in sections so I can add or remove sections for different build lengths in the future and also to get the sections through a small hatch to store out of the way in the attic.

I don't plan to do it again, but I have built boats on an old aluminum ladder that I happened to have around. They weren't strip built and weren't canoes though.

 

[stripperguy]

I still have time to flip flop on this, but I think I like the idea of a plywood or MDF box construction. It is likely to be built in sections so I can add or remove sections for different build lengths in the future and also to get the sections through a small hatch to store out of the way in the attic.

I don't plan to do it again, but I have built boats on an old aluminum ladder that I happened to have around. They weren't strip built and weren't canoes though.

You lay that out there and now I can't think of anything but....
You must have pics of that!? Or at least a quick description? Sounds very interesting.

 

[PeteStaehling]

You lay that out there and now I can't think of anything but....
You must have pics of that!? Or at least a quick description? Sounds very interesting.

No sorry, no pictures. It was quite a few decades ago and what I did was far from strip canoe building. They were stitch and glue boats so not really built on a strong back and forms. I did clamp temporary impromptu forms to maintain alignment of pieces like transoms, stems, and maybe even some support amidships, but mostly it was used as a table. This was quite a few decades ago and memory is hazy but I recall laying 2x4s on the rungs to provide support for the work. I think the ladder was on saw horses and the whole rig was outdoors under a tarp.

You could conceivably use the ladder on edge to support forms, but I have never done that. The ladder did tend to be pretty rigid and straight though, so I don't see why someone couldn't make an appropriate length aluminum or fiberglass ladder work fine.

 

[PeteStaehling]

I am curious how those of you who used paper patterns purchased from Feather Canoe or elsewhere proceeded with laying out your forms from the paper patterns. Did you transfer the lines directly from the paper to the plywood? Paper to poster board to plywood?

After seeing the book and the patterns I kind of wish I had bought the book and skipped the patterns. I think I'd have just as soon laid them out myself directly on poster board pattern stock Now that I have them I'd kind of like to keep the patterns to pass along to someone else in original condition (either sell or gift), but... I am thinking the easiest way to use them may be as follows:

1. Attach the whole sheet of station patterns to a sheet of poster board with spray glue.
2. Cut around the largest station and use it to lay out the the lines on the plywood, laying out one side and flipping the pattern for the other half.
3. Repeat step 2 for each progressively smaller station.

Does any of that sound like a bad idea? Did you do something else that you recommend?

 

[stripperguy]

For most of my builds I had access to a large format printer, and would digitize any form drawings and print them full size myself. Since retiring, I have a local printing shop print (or copy) full size form drawings.
I then glue the full size prints to my plywood and head to the band saw.
that way I preserve my originals (one set from David Yost himself) for posterity or for my kids to throw away once I’m not around.

 

[Boatman53]

An other option is to lay the paper on the form stock (plywood?) and just take an awl and poke through the paper on the lines and centerline and base line. Then connect the dots. The paper pattern stays intact for someone else to use. But as someone who sells plans check to see if they have any restrictions on multiple people building multiple boats.
Jim

 

[PeteStaehling]

For most of my builds I had access to a large format printer, and would digitize any form drawings and print them full size myself. Since retiring, I have a local printing shop print (or copy) full size form drawings.
I then glue the full size prints to my plywood and head to the band saw.
that way I preserve my originals (one set from David Yost himself) for posterity or for my kids to throw away once I’m not around.

Yeah, back in my working days I spent years as a CAD draftsman and then programming for the CAD guys for quite a few years. When I moved on to a different department I still had the contacts so I could have still done the drawings and plotted them easily. I actually went back to that department for a while before retiring. Having since retired and moved away years ago those options are gone.

Gluing full sized prints to the plywood and going to the bandsaw sounds like a great option. I didn't really expect that when buying patterns, but somehow I kind of had something closer to that in mind than just a bunch of curves laid out by hand with a batten next to one centerline.

 

[PeteStaehling]

An other option is to lay the paper on the form stock (plywood?) and just take an awl and poke through the paper on the lines and centerline and base line. Then connect the dots. The paper pattern stays intact for someone else to use. But as someone who sells plans check to see if they have any restrictions on multiple people building multiple boats.
Jim

Poking with an awl to mark sounds like a good idea.

Good point on the possible restriction of multiple people and multiple builds. There is no mention on the page I purchased from or on the sheets themselves so I think there is probably no legal restriction, but after thinking about it I don't think I'd feel right reselling them anyway. I probably would give them to a friend or family member unless it was expressly prohibited.