5 Minute Canoe Toy
At the request of a couple of folks here this will be my first ever blog. I made 2 canoes for the Grandkids on the spur of the moment and posted them with the jewelry box. This may be the easiest thing you can make with a bandsaw. The first I simply found a picture of a canoe (because I really can’t draw) to get the basic outline. I resized it in photoshop to the length I wanted and glued a copy to the block of wood I had laying around. Cut the outline using the bandsaw and just hogged out the center using some cheap carving tools I had.
The second canoe started the same way cutting the outline – then removing any excess material from the bottom to a little more than what I wanted the finished depth to be. Turning the canoe on its side I removed the bottom 3/8” or so. Like you would if making a bandsaw box. You can then take the remaining section and turn it on the side to cut a slight curve so the bow and stern will be higher than the center section. This can also be sanded instead. The remainder of the material was cut on a curve starting from approx. 2” from the bow, down one side and exiting about the same place on the stern. Because canoes taper at the bow and stern extra material was needed to allow for sanding of the contour. The next cut was down the opposite side starting a bit wide and ending a bit wide. Now simply glue the 2 sides and bottom together. If like me you end up with a bit of a lip on the right side just sand it smooth. Then sand staring with the bow and stern contour on the outside, then any rough surfaces on to suit. If anyone wants the pictures showing the cuts let me know – cant post pics on here right now.
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-- John
6 comments so far
a1Jim
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#1 posted 06-22-2010 09:51 PM
Sounds interesting John a couple photos might help.
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swirt
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#2 posted 06-22-2010 10:28 PM
Thanks John. Glad you posted this. Photos would help, but I understand. You got talked into this after the fact. Thanks for the explanation, it helped a lot.
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JVallario
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#3 posted 06-22-2010 10:30 PM
Hi Jim – as soon as I can figure out how to add pics I will – right now it’s off to work. maybe I can add them to to project post? Looks like I can – the project post now has them.
-- John
JVallario
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#4 posted 06-28-2010 05:52 PM
OK – I’ve joined Photobucket now so I can add these cut images.
-- John
JVallario
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#5 posted 06-28-2010 06:09 PM
Hi Dave – LOL no but the canoes did give me the idea. The type of sailboat I’m looking to make is this…

-- John
JVallario
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#6 posted 06-28-2010 06:33 PM
Well the one I was carving was to be the main – the pic above was more of a guideline of the type of boat. What I want to make would have a larger mainsail and a smaller jib. I’d add another pic but I just hate to keep posting unrelated pics to this blog.
-- John
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