Trapper 15-38

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LesForgue
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Type of boat I like: JEM Trapper by Matt
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Trapper 15-38

Post by LesForgue »

Trapper 15-38 (or maybe 33) is the boat I want to build; I like the shape of it better thnathe Sasquatch or the Merrimac, the other 2 I had considered.
I have not ordered the plans yet, first I am going to construct a 15 1/2 ft long, 42 inch wide box frame from one by twos to make sure I can get it out of my basement door or window;
my grandfather, he built a boat in the basement of his rented house by the Kankakee river (before I was born) and then he could not get the boat out of the basement without doing some reverse engineering of the doorway with his 12 pound hammer.
That story has become an oft repeated family joke, especially when anyone mentions boat buiding.
Les Richard Forgue
john the pom
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Re: Trapper 15-38

Post by john the pom »

I reckon it would be easier to just knock a hole in the wall now, before you begin. Save all that messing around building a box frame. 8)
Cheers John.
LesForgue
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:29 pm
Type of boat I like: JEM Trapper by Matt
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Re: Trapper 15-38

Post by LesForgue »

Yesterday I ordered the plans for Matt's JEM TRAPPER 15"3"" x 38" canoe.
I've confirmed it will get thru my basement windows and fit nicely in the planned storage area.
Lots of prelim work to do, such as research/decisions on epoxy, fiberglass cloth, plywood, and also practicing the use of my cutting and sanding tools, plus preparation of my work area.
I also want to spend enough time in rented canoes to support my tentative decision to build the Trapper with no seats.
So it is likely that months will pass before the first panel gets laid out and cut, so this build topic wil be dormant for a while, but you all will see me in the questions and comments forum meanwhile. Thanks for all the advice I've gotten here so far -- I be asking for more along the way.
Les Richard Forgue
LesForgue
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Re: Trapper 15-38

Post by LesForgue »

Got the plywood. 5 mm underlayment from Home Depot. (Shopped Menards, Lowes too) Examined 16 sheets to pick my 4 sheets. Minimal defects and matching color, a nice color both sides.
Probably will order epoxy resin/hardener from Raka, asking for hardener mixed halfway between slowest and medium.

Now waiting for the plans to arrive - then I'll be studying them for several weeks before I put my first cut into the wood.
Les Richard Forgue
jem
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Re: Trapper 15-38

Post by jem »

I shipped several sets off yesterday. I believe yours was in the stack. You might see them tomorrow. Thursday for sure.
-Matt. Designer.
LesForgue
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Type of boat I like: JEM Trapper by Matt
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Re: Trapper 15-38

Post by LesForgue »

Yes The plans package arrived yesterday (Thursday), even tho Monday was a postal holiday.
I immediately felt like putting the plans and instructions in the safe with my investment bonds, but alas, I have no safe (nor investment bonds).
Lots of work ahead but I'm expecting to have lots of fun along the way; mistakes and mishaps are to be expected, but I'm confident that a canoe good to look at and safe and fun to use will come out of this, good Lord willing, what with all the advice, instructions, tips, wisdom, etc. avalable on forums like this.

I will be trying to keep the canoe's finished weight down best I can without straying from design and instructions -- as I get older (only 1 way to stop that process and I'm not eager for that) as I get older I keep getting little surprises, like having a hard time getting 80 lb bags of ice melter in and out of a shopping cart -- so I definitely want the canoe to end up under 50 lbs. So maybe I'll use 4 oz cloth for the inside and all seams, and use the 6 oz cloth just for the bottom and maybe bow/stern "impact zones". My plywood is 5 mm, 25% thicker than designer recommended 4 mm, so maybe I can use the 4 oz cloth like that.

I reckon drawing and cutting the panels will be the biggest challenge, but before I touch my saw I'll make sure I got it right!

Speaking of the saw, I have a Montgomery Ward Powr Kraft sabre saw, probably about 30 or 40 years old, every time I try to use it the blade breaks instantly, so I was going to buy a new sabre saw, but then I rmembered I have this ultra thin flexy saw sort of a keyhole saw,
and when I tried it on some scrap 1/4 inch plywood, it cuts both straight and curved lines easy and fast enough to where I now plan to use it instead of any electric powered saw to cut out my panels. It is 16 or 18 inches long, so if it breaks I will still be able to atach a handle to the remains, heck, then I would have TWO saws to use.

I have a sheet sander but I wonder will that work nice on non-flat surfaces? Thinking of getting a small disc sander instead; Or maybe the best thing would be the rubber sanding attachment for the eletric drill -- 2 plus points, the rubber disk is somewhat flexy and the drill is variable speed.

Well as you can see I have lots of decisions to make (leaning toward RAKA for the epoxy but yet final) so you guys will be seeing me in the comments and questions sub-forums a lot for the next few.
Les Richard Forgue
jem
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Re: Trapper 15-38

Post by jem »

sander: Random orbit sander is your best bet for quality and ease of use.

good luck!
-Matt. Designer.
LesForgue
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Re: Trapper 15-38

Post by LesForgue »

So many non-boat building concerns have kept me away from even putting a pencil to my plywood, but, well , here is part of an email I sent to my daughter today (i did not tell her the part about standing in the canoe): :roll:

Oooh, day before yesterday I was walking around Forest Pk when I just by pure chance happened to accidentally unintentionally glance very slightly toward a construction dumpster loaded with construction debris. Just by pure chance, I happened to accidentally unintentionally notice there was a very long (turned out to be 12 feet long) piece of wood that would be just right for making into a canoe setting pole! Isn’t that an amazing coincidence? So now that dumpster has a tiny bit more empty space in it, and I saved $ by getting a free piece of wood to make a canoe setting pole.

(a setting pole is used to push a canoe when the water is too shallow for paddling, or for going upstream against the current of the stream.) So I feel like I have got a special blessing by having found that piece of wood.
[edited==> pole also used to step thru rapids, up or downstream]
Last edited by LesForgue on Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Les Richard Forgue
jem
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Re: Trapper 15-38

Post by jem »

Good stuff!

I call it a push-pole but same difference.
-Matt. Designer.
LesForgue
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:29 pm
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Re: Trapper 15-38

Post by LesForgue »

Well I am making a little progress on the Trapper.
I got almost all the panel drawing done. Hope the QA testing per the JEM plans does not make me go buy a load of erasers!

Last week I aquired a variable speed orbital 5 inch disc sander and yesterday a variable speed orbital jig saw;
Next step will be getting to know the jig saw (using scrap plywood) before it touches my Trapper panels.

I noticed the bottom platform of the new jig saw seems kind of oily - I don't want that oily getting into my canoe panels - maybe a little kitchen or laundry detergent will make it okay.

While waiting for the new tools I got a cedar board and drew the outline of a paddle on it.
This stuff must be affecting my brain - I like to prop up the cedar board and admire the outline of the paddle - I can only imagine how nuts I'll be when the canoe is built - probably only my wife will be able to lure me away from it.

Another thing about the jig saw - I'm entertaining the idea of stacking plywood to cut 4 like shaped panels at one time (being sure I have 2 layers upside down and the other 2 upside up since the outside color is different from the inside color). I will certainly not do this without testing it out on scrap first to ensure the jig saw blade stays straight up and down to make all 4 panels the same size.
But I might abandon the stacking idea if is incompatible with the panel nesting arrangement in the JEM plans - don't want to need extar sheets of plywood just to facilitate jig sawing.
Les Richard Forgue
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