I met with my mentor today, Mr. Heurich. This was our third meeting, and I really like them. Mentor meetings always seem to renew my excitement for the project, and put new ideas in my head. We covered a lot of topics. We talked about epoxy vs. polyester resin, spent a while looking at really cool boats made of plastic bottles (the coolest thing I've ever seen!), and talked about building the "practice" out of cardboard as a scaled down version (so I don't end up with a 14 foot boat made of cardboard, because I don't know what I'd do with that.) I'm really just waiting for my plans to come, and then a million different things can start to happen. In the meantime, I can keep researching and gathering supplies.
Bad news: The Sailing Center told me they could only order wood at a minimum of $3000. That is A LOT more wood than I need. A lot! So I left a message for Danby Hardwood, who apparently sell 1/4th marine plywood, and have the number of someone else who might know where I could get some wood. There is also the lumberyard in Cortland, where I could always call or go to look. There are lots of options, I just need to find the right one. My last resort would be ordering the wood online, which would be alright, but I'd rather try to buy it more locally.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
New Idea of The Week
I'm still waiting for the plans...which should be here by tomorrow or Friday. I am so impatient for them to get here! I'm so curious to see what they look like! I've been thinking and researching a lot about the wood to order, and narrowed it down to the Sailing Center, but we're having a little bit of a communication problem, so hopefully that will be resolved soon. My new idea of the week was, once I get the plans, to build the boat out of cardboard, as a practice sort of, like a muslin in sewing. If I do this, I will hopefully avoid making silly mistake later on in the project. It will also give me something productive to do while I wait for wood to come.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
A Bit of This, a Bit of That
First thing: PLANS ARE IN THE MAIL! This is very, very exciting. I went with the plans I talked about in my last post. I am so excited. They'll be here hopefully by the middle of next week, so I'll be checking my mailbox every few minutes.
The cool thing about having plans is now I can begin collecting supplies. I went on a few adventures today. First, I went to 84 Discount Lumber out in Dryden. I was a little disconcerted by all the barbed wire surrounding the property, but they turned out to be quite helpful. They told me they'd have to order the wood I would need, and I should call Monday to find out about prices, but it could be in Ithaca in roughly a week. Finger Lakes Sailing Center could also order this wood for me, so I'm waiting to compare prices. Cayuga Lumber does not sell what I'm looking for, and were pretty reluctant to order it.
My mentor meeting on Thursday was very encouraging. I was feeling a little overwhelmed, but just talking through things made me a lot calmer. Reading my classmates' blogs has also been encouraging and motivating, as well as seeing comments on my own blog from them.
The cool thing about having plans is now I can begin collecting supplies. I went on a few adventures today. First, I went to 84 Discount Lumber out in Dryden. I was a little disconcerted by all the barbed wire surrounding the property, but they turned out to be quite helpful. They told me they'd have to order the wood I would need, and I should call Monday to find out about prices, but it could be in Ithaca in roughly a week. Finger Lakes Sailing Center could also order this wood for me, so I'm waiting to compare prices. Cayuga Lumber does not sell what I'm looking for, and were pretty reluctant to order it.
My mentor meeting on Thursday was very encouraging. I was feeling a little overwhelmed, but just talking through things made me a lot calmer. Reading my classmates' blogs has also been encouraging and motivating, as well as seeing comments on my own blog from them.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
What do I do now?
Part of this WISE journal is about being honest, right? Well, we're less than two weeks into the class now, and I'm sort of wondering what I'm supposed to be doing. I have so many ideas and thoughts and books and videos to watch that I feel like I'm lost in a huge mess of canoe-related things. I have read some of my other classmates' blogs, and it seems like they are speeding ahead without difficulty, but I'm wondering if they're experiencing any of the same doubts. I know my project is ambitious; I knew this from the beginning. As I'd been told, it would take "time, care, patience, and skill," and I was ready to tackle the project anyways. But as I research types of wood and resins and screws, I see it will be expensive and there's quite a chance I might really mess this up. I don't want this to come across the wrong way, I am still 100% excited about doing this. I'm just wondering if a simpler canoe is a better option. Rather than a strip canoe, perhaps I should make something more like this:
This is called a pirogue. It has a flat bottom, and long pieces for the sides. I found the plans for this boat first in a book, and then online.http://www.applegateboatworks.com/zydeco.html
I'm not sure if this is how I want to go or not yet, however.
This is called a pirogue. It has a flat bottom, and long pieces for the sides. I found the plans for this boat first in a book, and then online.http://www.applegateboatworks.com/zydeco.html
I'm not sure if this is how I want to go or not yet, however.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Steam Box Pictures!!!
Finally, Some steam box pictures!!
Here is the tank, which would be filled with water. I need to make a hole just about where that yellow sticker is. But how to make a hole in a metal can?
The full contraption-The actual steam box-or the white piping sitting on top of the compost bin-is 4 foot 9 1/2 inches long. So, I'll be needing to extend this.
Below the red tank is the propane turkey fryer-the only part of this I'm pretty doubtful about.
This is looking inside the steam box. The picture is turned on its side...but you can see the bars that go across so that the wood can be heated evenly. Pretty neat!
This is where the steam box connects with the tank of water..
Another "looking inside" view. Kind of a cool picture.
The ends are capped off very nicely...and are easily unscrewed in case it gets too hot and steamy inside the box. The "not for pressure" labels all over the PVC piping are a little disconcerting, but I trust Roger, the man who lent this to me.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Is WISE an excuse to do weird things?
Lately I've found myself wandering around Ithaca High School while completely engrossed in "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Canoeing and Kayaking" and "Wooden Boat Magazine." My best friend has joked with me that these publications might be slightly embarrassing to be pulling out of my backpack every class period, and that maybe I should not share quotes with whoever I happen to be sitting next to. But I have decided I'm completely happy with being "that crazy girl building a canoe."
I have another book, "The Complete Guide to Boat Kits and Plans" which has a picture after picture of boats and the address of the person you can buy the plans from. I fell in love with the look of this one canoe. It's perfect. It's plywood. It's 11 ft long. Narrow. Classic canoe looking. The problem is, the book was published in 1996, so it's a little on the "vintage" side if you will. There is no email or phone number for the man who you would buy the plan from, just an address in England. So I sat down and hand wrote him a letter. It was pretty short-all it said was who I was, how I'd fallen in love with his boat design, and if/how I could purchase his plan. I gave him my email address. I'm not sure if that was a strange thing to do, and maybe it is a little far-fetched, but I'll mail it tomorrow, and I guess we'll see what happens.
I have another book, "The Complete Guide to Boat Kits and Plans" which has a picture after picture of boats and the address of the person you can buy the plans from. I fell in love with the look of this one canoe. It's perfect. It's plywood. It's 11 ft long. Narrow. Classic canoe looking. The problem is, the book was published in 1996, so it's a little on the "vintage" side if you will. There is no email or phone number for the man who you would buy the plan from, just an address in England. So I sat down and hand wrote him a letter. It was pretty short-all it said was who I was, how I'd fallen in love with his boat design, and if/how I could purchase his plan. I gave him my email address. I'm not sure if that was a strange thing to do, and maybe it is a little far-fetched, but I'll mail it tomorrow, and I guess we'll see what happens.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Steam Boxes
The past few days I have been thinking a lot about steam boxes. This is because I had said that building a steam box would be the first step of my project. For anyone who doesn't know, a steam box is essentially a tube with a pipe connected to some sort of boiling pot of water. You then put a piece of wood inside, boil the water, and the steam encases the wood. The idea is that steaming makes the wood bendable, which is necessary to create the curved lines of a canoe.
So yesterday I went driving around, hoping the blizzard would not hit while I was still out, in search of a large pot and a hot plate. I went to The Reuse Center and Salvation Army, thinking that these things might be sold there, and also wanting to be at least a little green with this project. I did not find these things at either place, and returned home to rethink my plan.
This morning my dad and I were sitting in the kitchen table talking steam boxes and he brought up my mom's cousin's husband, Roger. (Did you follow that one?) Roger has his own workshop that he built behind his house and does a ton of woodworking. I called him, and after a bit of confusion on who I was and what I was asking because I had woken him up for a nap, told me that he actually built a steam box a few years back, but never used it for the project he had meant it more. It was just collecting sawdust. We decided I should come and look at it.
His workshop is gorgeous. It is covered in sawdust and has huge windows and he recently installed a furnace so it can be nice and toasty in the winter. He is currently making a dining room table, which he is absolutely meticulous about. He pulled out his steam box, which is probably 5 feet of PVC piping with holes in it, a tube connected to the middle of this, and an old propane tank that you'd fill with water. He also pulled down from somewhere up in the ceiling the bottom of his turkey fryer, which he would have used to heat the tank.
It's a beautiful contraption. It's ingenious. He had followed a pattern he found on line. He offered to lend it to me a thousand times, saying he wasn't using it. So I took him up on it.
There are some things I will still have to do to make it work. I'll need more PVC to screw onto each end to make it long enough for the strips of the canoe, which will be most likely around 12 or 13 feet. The propane tank needs a hole in the top to release pressure and also fill with water. The scary part of this is that is the tank runs out of water and is still on, there's quite a potential for it to explode. That's not exactly what I was going for, especially when propane from a turkey fryer is involved. I need to figure out how to put a hole in the top of that. I am also thinking that I want to go back to the hot plate idea, instead of the turkey fryer and propane. Will it work if I heat water in the tank simply using the hot plate?
So yesterday I went driving around, hoping the blizzard would not hit while I was still out, in search of a large pot and a hot plate. I went to The Reuse Center and Salvation Army, thinking that these things might be sold there, and also wanting to be at least a little green with this project. I did not find these things at either place, and returned home to rethink my plan.
This morning my dad and I were sitting in the kitchen table talking steam boxes and he brought up my mom's cousin's husband, Roger. (Did you follow that one?) Roger has his own workshop that he built behind his house and does a ton of woodworking. I called him, and after a bit of confusion on who I was and what I was asking because I had woken him up for a nap, told me that he actually built a steam box a few years back, but never used it for the project he had meant it more. It was just collecting sawdust. We decided I should come and look at it.
His workshop is gorgeous. It is covered in sawdust and has huge windows and he recently installed a furnace so it can be nice and toasty in the winter. He is currently making a dining room table, which he is absolutely meticulous about. He pulled out his steam box, which is probably 5 feet of PVC piping with holes in it, a tube connected to the middle of this, and an old propane tank that you'd fill with water. He also pulled down from somewhere up in the ceiling the bottom of his turkey fryer, which he would have used to heat the tank.
It's a beautiful contraption. It's ingenious. He had followed a pattern he found on line. He offered to lend it to me a thousand times, saying he wasn't using it. So I took him up on it.
There are some things I will still have to do to make it work. I'll need more PVC to screw onto each end to make it long enough for the strips of the canoe, which will be most likely around 12 or 13 feet. The propane tank needs a hole in the top to release pressure and also fill with water. The scary part of this is that is the tank runs out of water and is still on, there's quite a potential for it to explode. That's not exactly what I was going for, especially when propane from a turkey fryer is involved. I need to figure out how to put a hole in the top of that. I am also thinking that I want to go back to the hot plate idea, instead of the turkey fryer and propane. Will it work if I heat water in the tank simply using the hot plate?
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Beginning
Dear Reader-
Hello! For the next 16 weeks, I will be working on building a canoe. This will entail research, interviews, and of course, the actual building. I'm quite excited. By the end, I hope to have a plywood strip canoe, which I can launch on Cayuga Lake. And my biggest hope: that it will float! You may wonder, why on earth is this girl trying to build a boat? Well, when I think of the things I like to do-sewing, painting, building castles out of silverware at the dinner table-they all make use of my hands. I like to make messes and experiment and see what emerges. Though it seems strange, one of my favorite places, where I don’t get to spend nearly enough time, is in my garage with my dad. My father is a “project guy,” meaning that there is always something that needs doing, and some sort of “hair-brained idea” in the making. I love to pull up a tool box, catch up with my dad, and see what he is doing. Over the years, he has taught me how to use various tools, how to sand, how to drill, that sort of thing. But now I want to be the one in charge of the project. I want to build something. But what is something? Another place I love is Ithaca, particularly the summer on Cayuga Lake. So,I thought a canoe would let me enjoy these two places that I love.
The main goal by the end is a finished canoe. I've been told it will be hard to do-that it takes time, care, patience, and skill. I have many fears: that I won't finish in time, that my hand will slip and I'll slice the boat in half, that I will put my boat in the lake and it will leak through all the seams and I'll have to swim ashore. The list goes on and on. But I then remember that this is indeed an experiment. I know I'll make mistakes, and I look forward to those. I want to jump right in and see what happens. By June I hope to have learned something. Maybe it will be how to build a boat the wrong way, or maybe how to tell a good canoe joke. We'll have to wait and see.
Until next post-
Julia
Hello! For the next 16 weeks, I will be working on building a canoe. This will entail research, interviews, and of course, the actual building. I'm quite excited. By the end, I hope to have a plywood strip canoe, which I can launch on Cayuga Lake. And my biggest hope: that it will float! You may wonder, why on earth is this girl trying to build a boat? Well, when I think of the things I like to do-sewing, painting, building castles out of silverware at the dinner table-they all make use of my hands. I like to make messes and experiment and see what emerges. Though it seems strange, one of my favorite places, where I don’t get to spend nearly enough time, is in my garage with my dad. My father is a “project guy,” meaning that there is always something that needs doing, and some sort of “hair-brained idea” in the making. I love to pull up a tool box, catch up with my dad, and see what he is doing. Over the years, he has taught me how to use various tools, how to sand, how to drill, that sort of thing. But now I want to be the one in charge of the project. I want to build something. But what is something? Another place I love is Ithaca, particularly the summer on Cayuga Lake. So,I thought a canoe would let me enjoy these two places that I love.
The main goal by the end is a finished canoe. I've been told it will be hard to do-that it takes time, care, patience, and skill. I have many fears: that I won't finish in time, that my hand will slip and I'll slice the boat in half, that I will put my boat in the lake and it will leak through all the seams and I'll have to swim ashore. The list goes on and on. But I then remember that this is indeed an experiment. I know I'll make mistakes, and I look forward to those. I want to jump right in and see what happens. By June I hope to have learned something. Maybe it will be how to build a boat the wrong way, or maybe how to tell a good canoe joke. We'll have to wait and see.
Until next post-
Julia
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