Has anyone here ever carved a dugout canoe?
I have several large white pine logs that I'm thinking of attacking
just for the fun of it.
Any suggestions on procedure would be welcome.
I know that white pine is not the best material but I find it
interesting that an ancient dugout canoe was found locally in a natural
pond. It was white pine.
Here is my plan.
With a chain saw and broad hatchet, sharpen both ends of the log so
that,in plan,the sheer is shaped the way I want it except a little
skinnier in the middle because the log is only about 24 inches across.
Then shape the profile view using chain saw and adze.
Then shape the rest of the outside of the hull using a large shallow
gouge or sculptors adze.
I plan to oil everything as I go and keep it covered with plastic and
wet rags as I go when not working on it.
Then, once the outside is shaped, attack the inside using chain saw and
sculptors adze.
When the hull is near the final thickness, drill holes through the hull
and insert dowels to the depth I want the hull thickness to be so that
when I get down to them, I can see where I am and fine tune the
thickness with shallow gouges.
Then, fill the boat with water and drop hot rocks into it to heat the
water and expand and soften the wood so that I can spread the sheer
apart and finish shaping the boat by inserting cross thwarts.
Any thoughts on what to oil it with or whether the hull will split while
working? Will this procedure work? How thick should it be?
If it works,I'm planning on using a heavy coating of pine tar on the
outside for water proofing and tung oil on the inside. Any suggestions
on hull shape? Most of the primitive boats Ive seen like this are pretty
crude but I was thinking more on the lines of the carved canoes from the
Northwest for hull shape.

"steveJ" wrote...
Has anyone here ever carved a dugout canoe?
I have several large white pine logs that I'm thinking of attacking
just for the fun of it.
Any suggestions on procedure would be welcome.

You might contact Pike Powers at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle. She
finished one last year, and I believe is working on her second right now. Find
her via Dick Wagner at CWB: .

"steveJ" wrote in message
...
Has anyone here ever carved a dugout canoe?
...
Here is my plan.
With a chain saw and broad hatchet, sharpen both ends of the log so
that,in plan,the sheer is shaped the way I want it except a little
skinnier in the middle because the log is only about 24 inches across.
Then shape the profile view using chain saw and adze.
Then shape the rest of the outside of the hull using a large shallow
gouge or sculptors adze.

In this and the subsequent steps you outline, you're following the method
used to build the basic Northwest coast boats. You did leave out the little
detail that you decide the up/down orientation of the log by floating it in
a pond, marking the top centerline, and carving the outer shape of the hull
in reference to that.

For materials, you don't need cedar. In theory anyway you can build a
dugout out of any kind of wood. Each type though will have its own black
art attached.

I plan to oil everything as I go and keep it covered with plastic and
wet rags as I go when not working on it.

Moisture control might be the the key element of black art you'll have to
deal with, and it's hard to say at the outset whether you'll want to oil it
or not. Your best bet is to find an experienced carver and ask his/her
recommendations. Many are happy to share.

You might want to let the hull rest for a time once you get the outer hull
shape finished. You should expect checking, and you should have a plan for
dealing with it.

Then, once the outside is shaped, attack the inside using chain saw and
sculptors adze.
When the hull is near the final thickness, drill holes through the hull
and insert dowels to the depth I want the hull thickness to be so that
when I get down to them, I can see where I am and fine tune the
thickness with shallow gouges.
Then, fill the boat with water and drop hot rocks into it to heat the
water and expand and soften the wood so that I can spread the sheer
apart and finish shaping the boat by inserting cross thwarts.

It's essential that proper ceremony be observed in this step. See advice
above on finding a carver willing to help.

Any thoughts on what to oil it with or whether the hull will split while
working?

Yes, the hull will probably split. Yes, you'll probably patch it with some
modern marine product.

Will this procedure work? How thick should it be?

The boats I've seen seem to have hull thicknesses around 1-1/2 inches. You
should estimate the weights and decide.

If it works,I'm planning on using a heavy coating of pine tar on the
outside for water proofing and tung oil on the inside.

Reconsider modern marine finishes.

Any suggestions
on hull shape?

Get some books on Northwest dugouts, look at the details of the way stem and
stern pieces are fabricated and attached. Think about sails. Best would be
to trailer your logs to the Northwest, track down a carver, and sign on as
an apprentice.

Most of the primitive boats Ive seen like this are pretty
crude

Yikes! That might be true, but others are high expression of the
woodcarver's art. Take a look at Wayne Price's beauty:

http://www.alaskaindianarts.com/canoe.html

but I was thinking more on the lines of the carved canoes from the
Northwest for hull shape.

Hth,
Fred Klingener

Thanks for the great information, Fred.
It seems like I am generally on the right track.
I especially like your mention of observing ceremony.
There is way too little of this in modern boat building I think.
I do need to research how the stems are put in. I can't really see how
that is done.
The type of boat shown on the web site you mention is the type I am
thinking of but traveling across the continent to learn how is something
that is beyond my means. I am a skilled wood carver and have built
several boats but never carved one. I think I can live with less than
perfection first time around. I suppose it is the cost of learning.
Regarding the checking problem.
I have carved a few pieces of wood and was able to control checking by
creating an opening that the wood could move away from. The area in the
bow and stern where the boat narrows seems to be where it will be hard
to stop the wood from checking across the gunnwale.
My plan is to open a cut across the length of the canoe on the inside
where the wood will be removed. Then stop the end of the check by
widening out a hole in that area and fillingthe hole with oil so that
the oil will displace the water. I wonder if this will make the boat too
heavy. hmm..enamel paint...mabey.


Fred Klingener wrote:
"steveJ" wrote in message
...

Has anyone here ever carved a dugout canoe?
...
Here is my plan.
With a chain saw and broad hatchet, sharpen both ends of the log so
that,in plan,the sheer is shaped the way I want it except a little
skinnier in the middle because the log is only about 24 inches across.
Then shape the profile view using chain saw and adze.
Then shape the rest of the outside of the hull using a large shallow
gouge or sculptors adze.


In this and the subsequent steps you outline, you're following the method
used to build the basic Northwest coast boats. You did leave out the little
detail that you decide the up/down orientation of the log by floating it in
a pond, marking the top centerline, and carving the outer shape of the hull
in reference to that.

For materials, you don't need cedar. In theory anyway you can build a
dugout out of any kind of wood. Each type though will have its own black
art attached.


I plan to oil everything as I go and keep it covered with plastic and
wet rags as I go when not working on it.


Moisture control might be the the key element of black art you'll have to
deal with, and it's hard to say at the outset whether you'll want to oil it
or not. Your best bet is to find an experienced carver and ask his/her
recommendations. Many are happy to share.

You might want to let the hull rest for a time once you get the outer hull
shape finished. You should expect checking, and you should have a plan for
dealing with it.


Then, once the outside is shaped, attack the inside using chain saw and
sculptors adze.
When the hull is near the final thickness, drill holes through the hull
and insert dowels to the depth I want the hull thickness to be so that
when I get down to them, I can see where I am and fine tune the
thickness with shallow gouges.
Then, fill the boat with water and drop hot rocks into it to heat the
water and expand and soften the wood so that I can spread the sheer
apart and finish shaping the boat by inserting cross thwarts.


It's essential that proper ceremony be observed in this step. See advice
above on finding a carver willing to help.


Any thoughts on what to oil it with or whether the hull will split while
working?


Yes, the hull will probably split. Yes, you'll probably patch it with some
modern marine product.


Will this procedure work? How thick should it be?


The boats I've seen seem to have hull thicknesses around 1-1/2 inches. You
should estimate the weights and decide.


If it works,I'm planning on using a heavy coating of pine tar on the
outside for water proofing and tung oil on the inside.


Reconsider modern marine finishes.


Any suggestions
on hull shape?


Get some books on Northwest dugouts, look at the details of the way stem and
stern pieces are fabricated and attached. Think about sails. Best would be
to trailer your logs to the Northwest, track down a carver, and sign on as
an apprentice.


Most of the primitive boats Ive seen like this are pretty
crude


Yikes! That might be true, but others are high expression of the
woodcarver's art. Take a look at Wayne Price's beauty:

http://www.alaskaindianarts.com/canoe.html


but I was thinking more on the lines of the carved canoes from the
Northwest for hull shape.


Hth,
Fred Klingener