With the essential frame completed, I decided to continue the canoe sequence in a new entry. The next step will be to fair the hull in preparation for sheathing with narrow planks. Most of the fairing will be easy; however, the stems will require drastic reduction from their present rectangular cross-section, instead tapering to a point at their outside edge. I usually do that using an angle grinder with a coarse flap disk, checking frequently by laying a plank section along the ruling lines. The designed slope from the major chine to the keel ends is X:Y:Z= 11/3.6/0.8, but practically, I will be using the adjacent frames as my guide.
The chine stringer has been freshly bonded in place. Four cockpit edging pieces are resting in place but will require trimming and will not be finally bonded until after other decking is completed.
Fairing Done!
For me fairing of this hull was a big deal. Everything is bonded together; so, if I messed this up, I am in deep trouble trying to fix it. Fairing includes not just beveling the frame edges to fit the curve of the hull but also reducing the 1 1/2-inch-thick blunt stems to sharp ends around a curve with changing bevel. The keel edge needed a rabbet to receive the first plank; easy to do in the parallel mid-section, but difficult near the stems around a curve with a constantly changing bevel.
Keel shown on left with future plank butted up against it. A rabbet must be created to accept the plank in smooth transition and provide bonding surface.
I was able to bevel the stems at sheer level on my table saw before bonding them in place, but the curved section is still blunt, squared off. This requires major reduction by hand to get the desired changing bevel. First, I used an angle grinder with coarse flap disk, then a belt sander.
Th almost finished product of shaping the stem edge. Any final adjustment will be done as I fit each plank.
A section of the keel rabbet, curved with a changing angle. I couldn't think of a way use a fence, so it was done freehand, slowly and carefully with multiple passes, with a router and finished with a hand plane.
Major tools required: Milwaukee angle grinder for the initial reduction of the stems. Rigid router for creating a rabbeted landing on the keel edge after initial reduction with a power plane. I could use a fence on the straight mid-section but had to freehand the router near the ends (carefully, a little at a time). Craftsman router for finishing the stem bevels. Stanley plane for finishing the keel edge. No fancy equipment, but they get the job done. (I forgot the power plane.)
With the routed edge to the keel, future initial planking will fit solidly and supported when it is time to bond it. Now I need to create the planking.
I found a nice 1 1/2-inch-thick poplar board from which I have been able to slice many 0.20" thick planks. The planks were first ripped on a table saw and then run through a planer for final uniformity. These planks are slightly thinner than what I usually use, but the frames here are slightly closer together (11-inch spacing) providing better backing. Here you see the first full-length plank being trial clamped in place prior to epoxy bonding.
The last full-length planks are clamped into place. The next planks will cross the major chine and, thus, will be part of a different projection at a steeper angle. Alternately, I have about one inch of width remaining in this projection, and I could use a narrow plank. I will look at both options after these planks are bonded into place.
