free plans for a canoe

free plans for a canoe

This is the link to the canoe that is too small as an attribution. Let's look at all the extra space on the sheet thinking, "I can make it longer, and there is even room in the gaps between the sides and the bottom to make the bottom into a V. In addition to helping boyancy (floatieness), the V helps tracking and can provide strength?

Here is the original panel drawing:



Here is the one showing white space that can be appliedto add length (speed), width (stability), and pints below the hard edge/corner (speed and safety):



Here is a half scale model:


On this next set of pictures the region of discussion is the relatively unsupported edge of the hull that is nearest the carpet.

Here you can see the wavey left side that was cut smoothly from a precoated sheet, but never edge soaked with glue. It is too flexible to take a smooth arc! In the lower left forground you can see it bulging out on either side of the tape cross brace tail that is barely visible.



Here you can see the right hand side cut with sissors (bad) but edged soaked (good). It makes a smooth curve because the edge is much stronger!




On this model one seam is done using hot melt glue (slow to apply but sets quickly, does not want to form a nice shape for putting tape over) and one seam using poly urethane caulk (too flexible and takes a long time to set but applies quickly and can be dressed with a plastic spoon to make a nice shape to put tape over).

Polyurethane adhesives are stiffer and fast set formulations are available but the ones I know about cost five times as much.

An old iron with an aluminum sole plate, with the point filed into a gentle round to make nice shapes for putting tape over, would go a long way towards solving the problems with the hot melt glue.