Finished the stripping

February 23, 2008 at 9:23 pm · Filed under Freedom 15 Canoe

Over a period of a couple of weeks I hit the board hard finished the stripping. Once I rounded the bilge the stripping went pretty fast. The bilge offered a few challenges in needing to twist the strips at the ends. Once the strips flatted out for the bottom of the hull it went pretty fast.

I did my best to match strips on either side of the hull. For the last 10 strips or so I decided to use staples. I didn’t really do it for any reason other than just to do it.

Once the port side was complete I had to draw the centerline. I tried to be careful, tracing a line using a string pulled taught across the top of the hull. As well I checked the drawn line by projecting the center of the forms using a jig, as suggested in CanoeCraft.

Next up was the nervous task of cutting the centerline. I cut next to the centerline with a utility knife and then cut up to the line with a chisel. For the most part a got a nice straight line. However, I was unable to do this without a few wobbles. The line was straight but every now and then the chisel wouldn’t cut plumb or maybe I’d dip the chisel in a bit too deep. Look on the web it seems like a lot of people get these centerlines almost perfect. I guess I’m just not a true craftsman with wood (actually, I don’t have to guess).

The last stripping task was to fill in the starboard side. To do this, each strip has to be individually fit with tapers on the ends. For the most part I would rough cut a taper with a utility knife and then use my apron plane to finish the taper. It was easier than I thought it would be. Again the quality of my work wasn’t perfect but I was happy with it. The last few strips were a bit tricky. For some reason the strip widths weren’t quite matching from side to side and I had to fill in some gaps. I think what happened is that in a few cases a strip on the starboard side would be a bit thinner but the angle at which it fits against the opposite side of the hull would really accentuate the difference. I had a hard time bending the 2nd to last strip. It was a pretty short stip so it was difficult to bend. Furthermore, it was prone to bending at one point instead of a gradual arc that runs the full length. The last strip I decided to not bend but actually carve the curve. I used my apron plane again and it actually worked out very well I think.

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Haiku Compilation

February 4, 2008 at 12:12 pm · Filed under Just Stuff

I’m working on a new compilation of Haiku poems, written by some of the most eminent poets from British Columbia and South Korea. When I asked these poets to submit a Haiku to my project, a curious theme was strongly evident. It became crystal clear that the compilation was going to become more about the theme than the Haiku itself. Here are some examples.

Wiry hairy forest
Sulphury poison wafts upward
The butt of Mullin

Puckering sphincter
Rumbling emanations
Death comes too slowly

Roses wilt and die
His stench is poison, no lie
See! bird fall from sky

Lives in Summerland
Sweats gets stinky in the sun
Watch for Mullin’s ass

unheavenly body 1:
Why look to the moon?
Oily pimples craters and crack,
huge and full, fat ass.

unheavenly body 2:
earthy outhouse feeder
houseflies buzz about you;
give offerings to the lower gods

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