How To Build A Plywood Canadian Canoe?

Building a plywood canoe involves four steps: measuring and cutting the plywood panels, temporarily stitching them together using tie wraps, using thickened epoxy and fiberglass cloth to glue and reinforce the boat joints, and finishing the hull. The simplest canoes are made of just three pieces of plywood: the two sides and the base. More complex canoe plans can be found online, such as the Quick Canoe 155 designed by Weigh only 15 KG.

This method simplifies the construction of a canoe into a flat-bottomed boat made from three sheets of plywood. This flat-bottomed boat is expected to be sluggish, but this canoe can be built in a few days. A simple plywood canoe from three sheets while keeping some of the qualities of a good paddling canoe, such as the ability to track, is available.

The Eureka 155 Canoe is a lightweight plywood canoe from half the weight of an average fibreglass canoe with much better handling. It goes a long way with modest materials. The first canoe built was a 17ft Prospector, strip-built from the plans in CanoeCraft.

To build a plywood canoe, follow these steps: buy plywood, use CAD for cardboard-aided design, make plywood sides, make a bottom bit, and create a central frame. The bottom piece gets cut twice (front and back) and the side piece gets cut four times.

In summary, building a plywood canoe involves measuring and cutting the plywood panels, temporarily stitching them together using tie wraps, using thickened epoxy and fiberglass cloth to glue and reinforce the boat joints, and finishing the hull.

Are plywood canoes good?

Another advantage of the stitch and glue method is that it allows plywood, which is relatively easy to come by, to be substituted for high quality lumber which we use for wood strip construction. It is much more expensive and harder to obtain. Plywood is graded. We always use first grade or marine grades of plywood because they are uniform in quality and resistant to potential water damage.

Besides being an easy method of boatbuilding and allowing boatbuilders to use more commonly obtainable materials, building a plywood canoe offers another significant benefit to builders. Because less structure is required during the build you don’t need a form or stations and a big strongback used to build the canoe on. Two simple trestles is all you need.

What material is best to build a canoe?

Primarily, Carbon is used to build the lightest possible weight canoes. Carbon’s rigid hulls are also the most efficient of all materials as the materials passes through the water with the least amount of resistance.

COMPOSITE CANOES. “Composite” isageneric manufacturing termmeaning “not plastic.” Composite canoes can be Fiberglass, Kevlar, Carbon Fiber or a combination of any or all of these materials. Let’s discuss the different materials & manufacturing processes briefly.

FIBERGLASS CANOES– LOW TO MODERATE COST & MODERATE CARE. Fiberglass is themost common materialused in canoe manufacturing. Canoe quality can vary widely from cheapest to medium to excellent, as3- basic quality&price point levelsexist:

Cheap fiberglass canoes are made by sprayingsmall pieces of fiberglasscalled‘chopped fiber’mixed with cheappolyester resininto a gel-coated mold. Chop fiber provides little structural integrity, thus canoe hulls tend toflop up & downas you paddle. The canoe industry refers this movement as‘oil-canning’and its repeated action quickly destroys the hull. To minimize oil-canning some manufacturers use lots of resin to bulk up and stiffen the hull, which adds significant weight.

How many hours does it take to build a cedar strip canoe?

“It’s a very rewarding experience to build a canoe. It takes a lot of time—around 120 hours on average. So when it’s finished and you’ve created something as beautiful as a cedar strip canoe, you should be proud of what you’ve done.

“I think it’s really worth the experience. I hope you try it!”

(At the end of the film is a list of resources for building your own cedar strip canoe. Photos courtesy of Trailguide Pictures.)

What paddling questions can we help you with? Call or email our Wisconsin-based customer service team today: 715-755-3405 • (emailprotected). More for you…

What is the best wood to build a canoe?

Northern white cedar is absolutely the best wood for canoe ribs and planking. Its light weight, strength, flexibility and rot resistance can not be matched by any other wood. Although Maine has vast quantities of white cedar, it is still very difficult to find, select and sort out the knot- and defect-free lumber that is required for canoe construction.

The rough stock, ribs, and planking offered by Northwoods Canoe Company are from plain-sawn lumber, which means most of the pieces will have flat grain patterns. All wood is of the best premium canoe grade. A one inch thick board is normally thick enough to produce two ribs or thee pieces of planking. The edges of lumber are rough, so to produce a 3″-wide plank, it needs to start with a 4″-wide board to smooth up the sides to the 3″.

Northwoods Canoe Company has been able to obtain a treasured amount of quarter-sawn white cedar which is available ONLY as pre-cut planking, 3″ wide, 5/32″ thick, in six- to eight-foot lengths.

What is the best finish for a cedar strip canoe?

The only varnish that I would avoid is Schooner Varnish. There have been occasional problems reported over a couple of decades with Schooner not hardening-up properly over WEST. It doesn’t happen every time, but there does seem to be enough evidence of problems to be cautious. I generally use Captain’s Varnish over WEST epoxy. It is high quality stuff with a good UV absorber and I’ve used it for a long time with excellent results. I usually apply it to hulls in thin layers using a yellow Gougeon roller, followed by tipping it out immediately with a soft brush. I seem to get much better thickness control and far fewer drips or sags that way than I do with a brush.

If you’d asked about System 3 epoxies, I’d tell you to go buy their spar urethane – That and Interlux spar varnish are the only things I’ve found that cures over this particular epoxy. Has anyone else found something that works with System 3?

What is the toughest canoe material?

TuffStuff. Exclusive to Nova Craft Canoes, TuffStuff is a new material developed in response to diminishing Royalex supplies. Made from composite Basalt/Innegra cloth covered in high impact-resistant vinylester resin, TuffStuff canoes are incredibly durable. Nova Craft has taken much joy in demonstrating their resilience by jumping on canoes, hitting them with a sledgehammer, and dropping one off a ten-storey roof!

Beyond strength, TuffStuff canoes offer other advantages over conventional thermoformed plastic canoes. They are much stiffer, which leads to greatly improved performance and efficiency – the easy glide motion and faster response is noticable after only a few paddle strokes. TuffStuff is also lighter than conventional plastic boats.

Fiberglass Composites. The term ‘composite’ is generally used when speaking of canoes that are built using layers of fabric cloth infused with resin such as epoxy or vinylester. They can be designed in nearly any shape imaginable, and are usually layered by hand using a mold. When left to harden and cure, the result is a stiff and lightweight canoe that is very strong.

How do you waterproof a wooden canoe?

• Epoxy Resin: Epoxy resin is a versatile and widely used material in boatbuilding. It provides a strong, durable, and waterproof bond between wood surfaces. By saturating the wood fibers with epoxy resin, boatbuilders create a protective barrier that prevents moisture from penetrating the wood. Epoxy can be applied to both the interior and exterior of a boat, making it a popular choice for waterproofing.
• Varnishes and Sealants: High-quality marine varnishes and sealants are designed to protect wood from moisture, UV radiation, and other environmental factors. These products form a clear, flexible layer that enhances the wood’s natural beauty while providing a reliable shield against water.
• Paints: Specially formulated marine paints offer excellent waterproofing properties. Many boatbuilders apply multiple coats of marine-grade paint to the boat’s hull, creating a durable and waterproof outer layer.
• Caulking: Caulking involves filling the gaps between wooden planks or seams with a specialized sealant, such as cotton, oakum, or modern synthetic materials. This prevents water from infiltrating the vessel and causing damage. Over time, caulking may need to be inspected and replaced to maintain optimal waterproofing.
• Traditional Linseed Oil Treatments: Linseed oil, a natural drying oil, has been used for centuries to preserve and waterproof wooden boats. A mixture of boiled linseed oil and other ingredients can be applied to the wood, penetrating its fibers and forming a protective barrier against water and moisture.
• Fiberglass Overlay: In some cases, boatbuilders apply a layer of fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin over the wooden hull. This technique, known as “glassing,” adds an extra layer of waterproofing and durability to the boat.

Preservation and Maintenance of Wooden Boats. While effective waterproofing techniques provide a robust defense against moisture, preserving a wooden boat’s waterproofing integrity requires constant maintenance. Regular inspections, cleaning, and reapplication of protective coatings are essential to extend the lifespan of the vessel.

Owners should be vigilant in checking for signs of water damage, including soft spots, discoloration, and peeling paint or varnish. Addressing these issues promptly can prevent more extensive and costly repairs down the line.

How much weight can a 1 piece of plywood hold?

To increase the weight that thinner, longer project wood panels can hold, add support. For example, a thick, short piece of plywood, like a ¾” 2′ x 2′, can hold 50-100 lbs. unsupported. But a thinner, longer piece, like a ½” 2′ x 4′, can only hold about 30-40 lbs. even when supported at both ends. To hold 100+ lbs., add support along the long side of your wood project panels too.

Many factors also determine how much a plywood panel willweigh. You can find a specifications section on almost every retailer’s product webpage with details like weight, dimensions, etc.

Still, because wood is a natural product that varies by species and individual tree, there’s no way to accurately state thepreciseweight of anyplywood project panelbefore purchasing it. Any listed weights should be considered an estimate and may be off by many lbs. depending on the panel.

How to make a canoe with wood?

Step 1: Strongback and Molds. The first step is to build this long skinny table called the “strong back”. … Step 2: Milling the Strips. … Step 3: Bending the Stems. … Step 4: Building the Hull. … Step 5: Closing the Hull. … Step 6: Attaching the Outer Stem. … Step 7: Fiberglassing the Hull. … Step 8: Fiberglassing the Inside.

The following is the quick and simple version of how I built my first cedar strip canoe. I’m in the process of building my second canoe right now and I’ve been posting detailed, short instructional videos for all the steps on my YouTube channel – youtube.com/aguydoingstuffadam.

If you want to see a more detailed description of the steps check out my channel! I am also documenting the process on my Instagram – instagram.com/aguydoingstuff/

The first step is to build this long skinny table called the “strong back”. The canoe I have plans for is 15′ long so I made the strong back a couple inches shorter than that.

How thick should plywood be for a canoe?

A 6mm ply boat will be stronger, but in my experience a 4mm ply boat is strong enough for most normal duties. You mention carrying heavy loads; the load capacity will be much the same as in the end total capacity just comes down to comparitive displacement, which will be the same for a 6mm or 4mm boat.

I built an SF 16′ Pete a number of years back from good quality 6mm exterior ply, as marine ply was way above my set budget. The joints were taped both sides with polyester resin, not epoxy, and the hull wasn’t fully sheathed. Whilst it was still as tough as nails it was also heavy (more of a problem off the water), and if I was building another it would definitely be in 4mm. It’s worth bearing in mind though, that 4mm fully sheathed may be similar weight to 6mm unsheathed. If you want to keep weight down, weigh every single item that goes into the hull, and use the lightest possible that doesn’t compromise strength. That probably seems obvious but it’s amazing how weight creeps up, just by using for example 6mm bolts to hang the seats rather than 4mm or 3mm. Webbing for the seats is far heavier than synthetic cane, weight can be saved when choosing the screws used for fixing the gunnels etc. Well chosen knot free spruce for the gunnels (full length not joined) will save a huge amount of weight when compared with heavy ash, and it’s also way cheaper. Use ash for the seats for strength where it’s needed, but not where it’s not. Good luck with the build whichever way you go, and blogg your progress if you can. Welcome to the forum by the way:).Paul.

Thanks, that’s all great advice and enough to convince me to go with 4mm, especially for the 14′ version. I’ll probably make a lot of use of the forum and keep you posted on progress. Rob.

How much wood do I need to build a canoe?

Use our Online Strip Calculator. You can typically get three 1/4″ thick strips out of each inch of board width for a yield of 36 linear feet of strips per board foot. This works out to 1/2 a board foot of lumber per square foot of boat surface area. So for 50 square feet of surface area you would need a minimum of 25 board feet of lumber.

Notice that the surface area of a boat varies widely for boats of the same length; the Petrel has a surface area of 46 sq ft and the Great Auk is 59 sq ft. The rule of thumb would suggest 34 board feet where the Petrel only needs 23, but the Great Auk needs almost 30, so the rule generally over estimates, but you will probably happier to have too much wood instead of too little. Don’t try to get exactly the right amount forcing you to use tiny scraps to finish covering the boat.

Trim. You will also want a small amount of hardwood to finish up the boat. The coaming lip can be made by cutting up scrap strips into thin laminations, but you may want some nice hardwood such as ash, cherry or mahogany. Outer stems can also be constructed of hardwood. One board at least 36″ long x 6″ wide should provide you enough for most purposes.

How thick are cedar strips to build a canoe?

1/4 inch Standard strip thickness is 1/4 inch.

Canoe Weight Calculater. In order to achieve an accurate result please ensure that all fields are filled out. If something seems odd in the final total, check your entries. Sub weights and total weights are calculated as entries are made. Enjoy!

Using the Calculator. This calculator is designed to help canoe builders to determine the final weight of their canoe. It allows the user to make decisions about what canoe design to choose, which materials to use, and how much weight certain elements add to or subtract from the total.

Our objective is provide a useful and accurate tool. That said, keep in mind that we can’t control the accuracy of what you do in your shop or the qualities and weights of the materials you purchase.