A simple pencil holding jig allows me to scribe a line at just the right spot for trimming down the planking for the outer gunnel. I like to have the lip of he outwale fit close to the top of the planking without any gaps. This makes it easy. This sort of jig is also why I bought a proper pencil sharpener instead of just using my utility knife, the jig only works if the pencil point is consistently centered.

With the planking finished it is time to clean out any tack burrs from inside the ribs. If these are not removed the sander will catch them and create deep swirls in the cedar. Next is to sand the ribs. The planking was sanded beforehand, but the steaming process raises the grain on the ribs and this needs to be sanded prior to varnishing.

Varnish really shows off the new wood! I have used many types of varnish, but now I am sold on Epiphanes. It is predictable, builds up well so fewer coats are needed, and it doesn't run and sag much up near the gunnels! It doesn't matter how much you go back and check your work there always seems to be some sagging going on there.

I varnish prior to canvas so that the varnish does not wick between the planking and soak into the canvas. This seems to be the source of the dreaded paint blisters! Uncured varnish in the canvas heated by the sun. I have never had a repeat of the blister problem since reversing my canvas/varnish protocol.

Once the varnish is done it is time to fair the hull exterior.

I use my angel grinder to knock down the obvious high spots. This tool is fast and can cause damage quickly if you are not experience with it. It also makes a lot of dust, so you need to be prepared for that.

After the grinder, I pull out my big sanding block to further refine the surfaces, then I go over the hull with my random action sander, both 100 and 220 grit.

I finish with a coat of linseed oil and let it dry overnight prior to canvassing.

Finished hull showing the interior.

I thought that you might appreciate seeing some of the tools used during planking.

I have an old wooden container that I like to keep my tacks in. There is nothing special about it other than I like it.

Everyone who comes into the shop seems to find my hammer appealing. I started out using a small-medium weight basic hammer from the hardware store. You have to choose your hammer weight with care-too light and you can't drive in the tacks well, too heavy and you will exhaust your arm in no time. Plus a too heavy hammer is just overkill! Over time the handle wore out where it joined the hammer head. After living with loose head for too long (take that however you like!) I decided to replace the handle. Being left handed I decided to dedicate the handle to left hand use, so it fits the shape of my hand. I also was tired of the my hand sliding up too close to the hammer head, so I made a stop for my thumb. And, while I was making a nice handle, I decided to use curly maple.

My spiling marker is made from an old aluminum meter stick. For those of you in the US, its just like a yard stick, but is a meter long on the metric side. It folds nicely and you can still use it for measuring!

Even on a new build there are still occasions for removing tacks. Trust me. I have tried many tools but the best for me is a sidecutter with the sharp corners of the working end ground round. This allows the cutters to roll the tack out without crushing the cedar (much).

Now that the decks are in and the cant ribs fitted, trimmed, and secured to the gunnels, it is time to continue the topside planking.

Nothing out of the ordinary doing this, just fit and tack in place till done.

But when you're done the canoe really starts to look like a canoe!

The cant ribs go in now. I only need on full thickness rib at each end. the very last cant rib is done Peterborough/Chestnut style, which is basically a piece of planking. Usually its slightly wider and thicker than the planking, but on this small canoe I used a piece of planking as it fits the scale of the canoe nicely.

As the outer gunnels have to fit flush to the inner gunnels at the stem, the last three or four ribs have to have a taper. But its the inside of the ribs which get shaped, this is why those ribs were not secured to the inwale with ring nails just yet.

I clamp a straight piece of wood to the outside of those ribs, then use another straight edge to draw a taper along the tops of the ribs, then shape them. When they are secured to the inwale the outer surface of the ribs sit fair to themselves and the planking runs nicely to the stem.

All the trim in this canoe is Walnut.

Now it is time to lay out the deck patterns and cut the decks. While I'm at it I decide to prepare the rest of the trim pieces as well.

When you look at the photo with all of the pieces on the table, you can see the underside of one of the decks. I shape my decks like the old style Chestnut decks, with the heart shape ends, crowned and undercut at the edge so that only a fine edge which follows the crowing shows. This edge is about 1/4" thick.

The gunnel ends are pre-shaped to form a mortise and the stem end is pre-shaped to for a tenon. The whole thing fits together and holds the stem very well. It takes some amount of practice to get this joint to fit as well as you want it too!

As much planking as can be done on the mold is now complete. The rest is easier done with the canoe off of the mold. Its always a thrill to take a new canoe off, that is when it ceases to be a bunch of wood on a mold and starts to take on its new life as a canoe.

With the canoe off the mold it is time to close up the ends. The first thing is to clamp the last ribs in place and to fit and trim the stem down so that I can fit the decks.

Looks like it has been awhile since I posted to this build. Funny, it doesn't feel all that long...

One of the nice things about smaller canoes is that you don't need nearly as much lumber!

All the planking is cut. I set the width of the new planking to the Peterborough/Chestnut width of 2 3/4". As so many of the repairs that I do are on those canoes its nice to just pull some planking out of some prepared stock. Also, narrower planking leaves smaller gaps when it eventually shrinks.

I cut the planking on the bandsaw and then run it through the thickness planer. My planer leaves a very nice surface on the wood, but not quite good enough for varnish, so I run one face over the belt sander at 150 grit. I've tried finer but its not really worthwhile.

Planking sure can take awhile. Nothing out of the ordinary here. I do wish that I could build enough of each model before I forget how I decided to set up the planking pattern between the gore planking and the gunnel. Every model is slightly different in how the planks run and every time it feels like its my first time building that canoe!