Re: Strip Built Sneakeasy

The first real boat I built (can't count the kiddie disasters, even though fun) was a 16 cedar strip canoe, in 1971. 43 years old. Not the typical hull shape as I designed it myself. Has a lot of tumblehome so that I could paddle it solo from the middle with a normal stroke. Low ends, like the modern Kevlar racing canoes. The bottom at the water line is wider and flatter than normal. You can stand up easily in this canoe. No rocker, which makes it faster not only in paddling, but a three horse OB on the modified square stern moves it pretty good. It is glassed, like all of cedar strip canoes, inside and out.
The point to this that, yes, that flat wide bottom flexes. But since it is 43 years old that apparently does not matter.
Bob

I Cover both sides with fibreglass/epoxy. The wood therefore is mostly reduced to taking the
sheer stresses, and is the "core" in a sandwich panel formula while the skins take the
expansion and compression. Also, I am gluing the bead and cove. Performance is not all that
different than plywood in local areas, and the lgiht framing helps distribute the stress over larger ones.

If the stripping was just flat sheet I would share your concerns, and the panels do need little
stiffening across the grain when one has a fflat surface like the sneakeasy side. The Bootlegger and
other 1930's boats had no glass surfacing, so did have a diagonal layer.

I have had a kayak built this way fly off a car at speed into grass and remain seaworthy. (my woodwork
is better than my knots).

The "tunnel" down the center of the forefoot version of the design adds the equivalent of a three inch depth
beam -- the bottom can support itself across 26' with almost no deflection.

Strip-building anything that was originally designed for flat-sheet (plywood) construction, seems counter-intuitive. But I would like to learn more about the idea --

For example: Will strip-plank building (absent "double-diagonal" or longitudinal/transverse layering) be able to take hydrodynamic stresses without "splitting" along a grain-line? (Multi-ply Plywood is known for its toughness in this regard... three-layer doorskins with thick center layer, not so...). Maybe there is an idea to include more transverse framing than the original plans?

Anybody else built Bolger box-boats from non-sheet material of ANY sort? -- would love to hear more.

Wayne Gilham

...who has salvaged from a 1950's residence, ten planks of clear red cedar (not a knot to be found anywhere) sawn to a true 2" x 12" x 20' -- waiting for a suitable project.

From:bolger@yahoogroups.com [mailto:bolger@yahoogroups.com]
Sent:Friday, October 10, 2014 8:00 PM
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Subject:[bolger] Re: Strip Built Sneakeasy

Um, I may have misunderstood. For the Sneakeasy I am following the design thicknesses.
Sides and top will cut to 5/16, finish at 1/4. Bottom is 3/4+. I'll need a little 1/2 X 1/8 for the
tight curves at the top blended rail, but there is support in the framing 12" OC for that. Framing
and transom are fir, everything else is Western Red Cedar.

Thanks. Your curved rail adds nicely to the Baby Bootlegger effect!

On Oct 10, 2014 8:00 PM, "ilfeldr@...[bolger]" <bolger@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Um, I may have misunderstood. For the Sneakeasy I am following the design thicknesses.
Sides and top will cut to 5/16, finish at 1/4. Bottom is 3/4+. I'll need a little 1/2 X 1/8 for the
tight curves at the top blended rail, but there is support in the framing 12" OC for that. Framing
and transom are fir, everything else is Western Red Cedar.

Nominal 1/4 thickness bead and cove, finishes at 1/8 to 3/32 depending on location on radius.
widths vary from 3/4 to 1 3/4 depending on radius, narrower strips for tighter radius.

I can get construction cedar 2X4 (that are actually 2" X 4") rough sawn at a good price.
I resaw them with a thin kerf blade on a table saw, then bead and cove them with a table
mounted router. I start at 1/4" thickness, finished is 1/8 - 3/32 depending where on the
radius the strip falls. I use 6oz glass for Kayaks, 4 plus a 2 that is partially sacrificed
in finish sanding. I used 12OZ for Sneakeasy bottom as it will take some abuse.

It's clear you do great work. That two place kayak is a beaut!

One of the design requirements for good performance in the Sneakeasy types is keeping them light. Scantlings for the usual strip built canoe are pretty small under the glass.

I suspect you went thicker than that. But what are your strip dimensions, please?

Mark

On Oct 10, 2014 10:33 AM, "Richard Ilfeldilfeldr@...[bolger]" <bolger@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
I've had bad luck with plywood, & good luck with several strip-builts from 12 - 18 feet.
Also, fancy curves are easier -- and I really like the looks as I leave the boats natural
finished with clear epoxy. Of course, when I cross the strips for thickness & strength my
friends who observe but don't help say "just like plywood"....but I've never had a delamination
with this technique.
(example attached)

Sir, did you mill your own strips or purchase them? If purchased, may I ask where?
Jim

I've had bad luck with plywood, & good luck with several strip-builts from 12 - 18 feet.
Also, fancy curves are easier -- and I really like the looks as I leave the boats natural
finished with clear epoxy. Of course, when I cross the strips for thickness & strength my
friends who observe but don't help say "just like plywood"....but I've never had a delamination
with this technique.
(example attached)

Congratulations. Why do you prefer strip building over plywood? Nice
shed by the way.
Máximo

The Bottom is done. Stripbuilt cedar thicknesses per book.
Flipped and working on framing -- unlike my kayaks most will remain.
Working from offsets programmed into Free Ship & smoothed.
Rendering from Free Ship attached. As Tampa Bay can be modestly
rough, building version with forefoot.