Cedar Strip Canoe Build # 50 The Canoe Is Done

That’s right, it’s done. It’s been an interesting and fun build, but now it’s done. Wiping on the poly really worked well. It’s got a nice finish on it without the usual problems. The first thing to do today is remove the tape and paper from around the gunwales. I put it there so it would prevent runs from messing up the whole gunwale. If I had known I was going to wipe it on I wouldn’t have taped it. It did stick in a few places.

I used a knife to scrape the pieces of tape off, then rubbed it with a small piece of paper bag to blend it in.

Once that was done I wiped the dust off the hull and waxed it.

Here is hopefully the last picture of the hull looking anything but shiny. It’s covered with a coat of wax ready to be buffed out.

Now it’s buffed and looking good.

We actually saw the sun today, what a great chance to get some pictures outside. My father was here after lunch and helped me tote it out and back in. So here she is in all her beauty.

Here is a quick rundown of the cost. This is what I had to buy. I had all the hardwood on hand, so there is no price for that. Also, the hardware that holds in the seats, and thwarts, and yoke, I already had around. I have never bought cedar before ( I usually saw my own) and I got too much, so I’m only figuring in the cost of the cedar I actually used.

Cedar – $100.00
Tite-bond II wood glue – $18.00
Staples- $ 10.00
Masking tape- $ 8.00
Fiberglass cloth – $100.00
Epoxy, resin and hardener – $ 182.00
Fumed silica – $5.00
Cotton fibers – $4.00
Woodscrews #8×1 1/4” box of 100 – $10.00
Sanding discs, 60, 80, 120, 220 grit – $ 40.00
Mixing pots – $6.00
Epoxy pumps – $10.00
Shipping charges – $27.00
Polyurethane 1 gallon – 46.00
Chip brushes – $ 8.00
Seat cane – $ 25.00
Poly brush – $9.00
Plastic squeegees – $ 4.00
Paint tray liners – $ 6.00
Total – around $618.00
There you have it. A bunch of supplies, a little wood, a ton of sanding, and next thing you know, you have a canoe. If you didn’t start with the first entry in this series then I will add this, I built this from the book, Building A Strip Canoe, by Gil Gilpatrick. I thank him for writing such a good and easy to follow book. I also thank the fellow lumberjocks who helped me with some pointers and advice. English, shipwright, Andy Young, and anyone else who helped. I hope I explained the process enough without being too confusing.
Once the canoe is out, I will do a much needed shop cleaning. It will seem strange not to have it to work on, but there are plenty of projects that are sitting on the sidelines waiting. I surely won’t be bored. Thanks everyone for following this blog, and I hope it inspires some to build one of their own.

-- Jeff in central Me.