27 June 2013

All canoe moulds cut

All of the moulds are cut and routed in profile. I still need to cut the clamping slots in most of them. These are needed to allow use of spring clamps to hold the strips tight to the moulds as the glue sets. That's the theory anyway. I am going to have to build a strong back soon to hold these, which will represent a point of commitment.

I like this ghost-boat stage where you can see the shape of the future boat. The stems aren't in place here, so nothing seen here will be in the final canoe.

I've used one bearing guided router bit to finish 12 of the moulds, and I think that is the limit. It was getting very hot and very slow with finishing the last cut. I don't know how realistic it is to try and resharpen them.

I've bought myself a 10" band saw and it is wonderful. I've cut three 2mm strips from the edge of an old mahogany table top, and they will be perfect for laminating the external stems. I think I will need five laminations for each, but I should be just about able to get all of those out of the same piece. I have made good use of that table top on several boats, and still have half left.

2 comments:

  1. Hey Julian, you must stop posting pics of new tools. Last time it was the Bosch multitool, i saw what it could do and boight one. Now a bandsaw, something i have looked at and now the one you have looks perfect. Ismit mounted on a stand for a radial saw? I looked it up and it is a great price. The Clarke model is one i have seen but not sure how they compare for quality. Looking firward to seeing the progress on the canoe, as i would like to build one myself when i have my workshop.

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  2. Hi Andy. I did mount the band saw on a mitre saw stand at first, but I have moved it off onto a bench so that I can use both saws. I am delighted with the band saw. I had read that they were the most useful mchines to have, but I couldn't see why. Now that I have got one I wish I had got it years ago. YOu can just cut wood really accurately and quickly and running off thin strips for laminating is very satisfying. This one seems to suit all that I would need it to do and it was deliverd in less than 24 hours.

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