These are all the tools I used at the beginning while I was gluing strips together, the staple gun, dozuki, staple remover (the bent screwdriver), spokeshave (a very useful little tool), wooden thing (also useful), hammer, etc.

This is my first experience with a spokeshave. I was working with a piece of ash, just to practice technique. This piece of wood is now a behavior modification device (BMD).

Here I am, spokeshaving the inner stem of my canoe. The cedar is much softer than the ash, but the angle I had to keep was more precise than the BMD.

Good thing I’m not scared of heights, Ron stores the strips on high shelves in the workshop, so to choose your strips, it’s up the ladder you go.

This is a shot of the gluing and stapling of strips stage. I only have 6 strips glued on, which means there are so many more to go; not a problem, it’s a labour of love; so more work is a good thing.

The dozuki is a wonderful, Japanese saw. It cuts on the draw stroke, and is easy to use.

This is the design I put into my canoe. It is known as the “Slanaho” pattern.

My handprint on my canoe

It’s time to start closing in one side.

Now, I'm getting the first side closed in-with a little help from my dad.

Using mostly a chisel, (and a lot of help from Jurek), we cut a straight midline.

Those dark marks are hardened, thickened epoxy, they’re there to fill in all the little tiny gaps. And the glue wasn’t holding my strips as close together as we wanted so…you know what they say, if you can’t duct it…

Ah, sanding, everyone’s favourite job. Believe it or not, I’m smiling under that mask.

More sanding, maybe less smiling!!!!

Doesn’t my canoe look wonderful after fiberglassing? This was taken after the first coat of epoxy, two more to go

This is not part of my canoe building process, but great shots all the same of Dr. Bill's Switzer being built.

More building activity ? I think a bit of goofing around!!--I was surrounded by wooden boats and canoes!

After even more sanding, (there’s always more sanding to be done), and final touches my canoe is taken off the mould. Yay! She is free