A while back, I tried my hand at building a canoe. While it may not been the traditional birch bark style, it was quite similar. The project started by building a form, a place to start laying up the cedar ribs and keel. The keel was laid and bent up fore and aft to make the familiar shape of a canoe. Strips of cedar were cooked in a steam cabinet until they were pliable which took several hours. Then the strips were bent across the form and spaced evenly. The gunwale was built and formed over the cedar strips. It's starting to look a lot like a canoe.
After a few days of drying, the canoe is removed from the form. The bow and stern were finished and the complete form of the canoe is there to admire.
Now the canoe is covered with canvas and stretched tightly. Then several coats of lead paint cover the entire project. Light sanding finishes the project and a final coat of marine paint is applied.
After a further week of dry time, the canoe is set gently into the water. Not even one leak was found. The canoe was a bit heavy compared to birch bark, but it was a sight to behold. It paddled straight as a die.
You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.
Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".
Good Reading,
Ron
Ron
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