Background:
I am planning to build a SOF. Currently hoping to build an accurate Brian Shulz F-1 but don’’ have the time for a class /away from buisiness, etc.
Bought Cunningams book.
Downloaded Brian’s generous info and drawings.
Downloaded everything I can find that seems helpful.
Step-by-step class photos, F-1 photos, data on my current P&H Capella to see how the sizes compare,etc.
Even looked at the Pygmy Artic Tern 14-close to the same size. Decided I don’t want a glued boat.
I have a brother who has much more experence and can give some help. He has rebuilt a couple Old Town canoes that were in “firewood” condition, bent a lot of ribs, etc. He is currently building a lapstrake Wee Lassie. My dad was a woodworker and boat builder. So I have the genes.
Questions:
Anyone know where I can get Robert Morris’s book for something like a normal price? It appears to be out of print. Sounds like his book and Cunningham are the start of a good building library.
Has anyone built an accurate F-1 on their own without Brian’s or prior building experience?
Anyone know where to get bamboo for ribs. I am friends with a cedar dealer and think I can find ash and sitka.
Do you steam bamboo same way as oak or ash?
I am leaving this weekend for a 2 week vacation to Assateague WITHOUT my Capella and my wifes Squamish becasue they weigh 50 lbs each, we both hurt our backs -in May -and are just about healed up-but not quite.
I want a SOF! (probably 2)
I am smart, detail oriented, have some wood experience.
I have the paddle making under my belt. Did a good job and learned all I know here on the internet!
By the way, I am a Brian Shulz fan, really want to build an authentic F-1 and will send him a donation if I am at all sucessful.
Watch the videos at …
… the skinboat.org web site under instruction/video section I think.
I found them very useful. Their method of sewing and stretching the skin is different than the Cunningham method. C. starts from both ends and ends at the cockpit, usually having to deal with a flap that needs to be cut off or sewed somehow. Skinboats start at the cockpit and go fro mthere to the front and then to the back stretching as they sew.
I just finished my first SOF so I did not know what would be better, but the skinboats’ instructions seemed simpler and indeed worked very well for me. No flaps and the skin was drum-tight even before shrinking. No flaps to deal with, no wrinkles.
From Cunningham’s book I used the method he suggests to do several scarf joints at once and pretty much nothing else. All other info I got from the skinboats web site and the above-mentioned qajaqusa forums.
But my build was based on a Yost style frame so I did not do ribs or deck beams that requrie mortises or bending. Just lashing and the only glue/pegs are at the stern and bow joints. The F1 seems to require mortises and ribs if you do it like the “original” so you may indeed find more useful info in the Cunningham’s book than I did (he’s talking about bending etc. that I did not need to do)…