last Fall I started another 38 Spl build.
Here is a short build thread with mostly photos.
I'm a believer of a pic is worth a 1,000 words.
To start I had supplies to build another canoe, and the 38 is one of the best designs I have used.
Drawback ? I didn't locate my 38 Spl. strongback ( Forms spaced at 12 1/2")

I used another strongback with 12" centers, in stead.



The planks I cut the strips from varied in length, so all but a few courses in the football were spliced.
Bead and coving the strips helped a lot.
I used 3/16" thick strips for this build, instead of the traditional 1/4" thick strips.




A sighting stick is used to make sure stem forms are aligned. Old trick Bob Brown taught me.







More later

I need to build another boat!!

Hey Man, thanks for keeping this sub-forum alive. We need more of this! Thanks.


I'm hoping to build another wood/canvas this winter. I really want to design my own solo canoe. So I have to build a form too. Not sure if I can pull it off. We'll see.
Tom

Forms set, with a fishline for alignment.

My bead and cove set up. I run my strips Between the fence and the bit. First pass, and they are all uniform in width.
Making good strips really helps assembling a hull.

With short strips splicing between the forms is done with spring clamps and tape covered scraps to hold everything together. Bead and cove makes it easy to start another course right away.

My " Jimmie " clamps with 1/4" plastic tubing holds the strip, without damaging the coves.


I add the 1/4" tubing to the form blocks too, Zip ties work great to hold the tubing. No more picking things off the floor.

Here is a link to the clamps I make and use. You can make your own cheap.
Spring clamps

Been busy, but have a few minutes.

The 3/16" thick strips went together good



I tilt my strongbacks, when stripping the football, and for sanding.




Once the hull is stripped, and the outside sanded ? It's glassing time. I always double layer the bottoms, on the outside, up to about the 3" waterline. Here I use a marker, clamped to a stick. I just do a series of dots about a foot apart. Then trim, dot to dot.



With the extra layer cut and removed, its time to glass the main layer.






I pre mark mix cups and add resin ahead of time. Then all I need do is add hardener, and mix. I don't like pumps They are inaccurate, When they Burp ? They are giving air instead of epoxy .


This was my first time using MAS epoxy. It's very clear handles the same as RAKE . Dries hard and sands good. I fear it's a little brittle compared to RAKA.



With the main layer wetted and cured just past Tacky ? I add the extra layer, and two Bias strips. The edges are feathered within 24 hrs, while the epoxy is still soft.





Again Tilting the strongback . It's time to sand. I sand the hull, while it is still on the forms.





After the outside is sanded, the hull is flipped, and then comes the inside. Never fun to sand ! But being minimal with strip gle when assembling ? Saves a LOT of work !
Time to glass.



With the inside glassed ? It's time for Flotation chambers. I build them into every canoe. They are simply worth the weight. Try and get into a swamped stripper. without them !

What did you get for a final weight with the 3/16s strips? The boat looks awesome!!

That’s a fine looking boat there Jim.

In regards to your epoxy, I haven’t used MAS but I did use RAKA one time many years ago and I found it too soft/ flexible. At least for me. There is a sweet spot for epoxy that is hard to find. You want an epoxy that is stiff but not too brittle.

Thanks for sharing.
Tom

Arcola: "What did you get for a final weight with the 3/16s strips? The boat looks awesome!!"

Weight was 46#. So that includes a double layer up to the 3" water line, Flotation chambers, and my heavy duty seat.

First time with 3/16" strips, adding the bead and cove, makes it my way to go from now on.

tumblehome: "That’s a fine looking boat there Jim.


In regards to your epoxy, I haven’t used MAS but I did use RAKA one time many years ago and I found it too soft/ flexible. At least for me. There is a sweet spot for epoxy that is hard to find. You want an epoxy that is stiff but not too brittle.


Thanks for sharing.
Tom"

I've used RAKA 127 resin, and their 350 Non- blush hardener, for many years.

To me, it's not too soft. The cloth flexes, and I want my epoxy to also.

The MAS was clear, in my view, and sanded well.

I won't down it, but I did note a slight difference.

Both were quite satisfactory.

Jim

Hello again Jim, been a few years.

I think you may have answered my question, but let me check with you since you've built a few boats.

Looking to build one of these myself. My plan is to take my existing nwc merlin plans, and upscale them myself 3.8%. Normally that means upscaling the form distances, too. I'm a somewhat big dude, 5'11" and a healthy 230lbs.

My only concern is stretching the boat out further than the 16'. I have a tandom that is just over 17' and it's plenty long. How short do you think I can go with this build? Or how short should I avoid? I want the benefits of the merlin build, but don't really want a long boat for a solo. The boat will be used for tooling around iowa some, but mainly designing for a tripping boat for myself.

I understand since I'm using the merlin version with rocker, the shorter I go, the more the rocker will show when handling the canoe. Is the length something stupid to worry about, and should I just stretch the 16' out the extra 3.8%? And if I short it, where do you think I'll start noticing the harsh angles with the strips?

Hi Opolka !
Glad to see you are contemplating a build !

I had to reference the NWC Merlin, to refresh my memory.
It is at 16'. It appears to me, it's about right.

The original 38 SPL. was 16'1" long and about 30.5" in width. I believe that is near perfect in length and width. That hull is a stable, comfortable , hull to paddle, with plenty of room for gear, at least a weeks worth.
With it's racing style (plumb) stems, It tracks great also.

For your size ( Close to mine) I'd stick with the original 38 measurements.

Adding an inch or two in length, maybe an inch to the width, would be the most I'd go, but I doubt it would improve it.

Jim

Looks great, I built my 38 Special back in 2005, put many trips & miles on it.

I'll have to look back, to see when I built my first one !
I don't think Bruce realized how good the 38 Spl. design was !

I know it was simply his Merlin, enlarged.
The Merlin was a very good hull, especially for the smaller paddler, like Bruce himself . A little tough to turn.

By enlarging it, he improved it's agility

I have tried to improve on the 38 for decades.
I haven't succeeded.

If I was to recommend a solo tripping stripper ?
The 38 Spl. would get my vote !




Jim

opolka: How short do you think I can go with this build? Or how short should I avoid? I want the benefits of the merlin build, but don't really want a long boat for a solo. The boat will be used for tooling around iowa some, but mainly designing for a tripping boat for myself.

I understand since I'm using the merlin version with rocker, the shorter I go, the more the rocker will show when handling the canoe. Is the length something stupid to worry about, and should I just stretch the 16' out the extra 3.8%? And if I short it, where do you think I'll start noticing the harsh angles with the strips?"

I built the current version of the Merlin a couple years ago and shortened it about 4" to accommodate the 16' spruce boards I can get. As far as "rocker", yes, the ends are less sharp than the original merlin, but if you look at the plans, the keel line is straight until the very ends. This makes the canoe track much better than other solo canoes with similar specs that have rocker starting at the center of the canoe. This Merlin isn't the best behaved in moving water. Crossing eddy lines is quite grabby.

I did raise the ends by a small amount since I thought they were a little low. There is a little issue in the stern with the last couple forms not being quite fair, which is easy enough to fix when you set them up. Thinking I might have made a mistake when cutting the forms, I put the plans into a boat design software and the issue is indeed there.

Mark

Nice Canoe Mark !
There are several things, you can alter to add maneuvering characteristics.
Rockering the stems, shortening the length, and rockering the hull.
Bruce designed basically a plumb stem in his Merlin, and 38 Spl. as well.
Here is a pic of a few of my builds. Notice the plumb stems, compared to the rockered stem, of the far hull.