Canoecraft: An Illustrated Guide to Fine Woodstrip Construction

This book makes the book "Building a Strip Canoe" by Gilpatrick look like a throw-away. I have not read "Strippers Guide" but after reading the comments contained under that book title, I have to believe this one is better. I see several people are having trouble with the offset tables. They are really not complicated at all. The appendix explains exactly how to use this information to create the station molds you will need to begin planking the boat on the strongback (the temporary building jig/frame of the boat). I know they work because I used them to build my boat without the $100 worth of plans. This can be done with ruler and pencil or CAD if you have access to it. If after reading the appendix you still don't understand it, go to the builder's forum on [...] and either search through the history or start a new thread to get your answers. Lots of helpful folks on there willing to answer. Also, there are updates to the offset tables on the website, so you can get the latest updates before starting to layout your station molds! Does that sound like a conspiracy to sell plans? If you can't build a canoe with this book, you can't build one.

I was impressed with this book the moment I opened the package. I literally read 3/4 of the book the day it arrived. The pictures are B&W and show good detail, although I wish some were color. The amount of info contained in the book is ALMOST overwhelming. I'm sure to refer back to the book as I build my first canoe. My son has been by three times in the last two weeks; he's picked up this book every time he's stopped. I believe with this book and one other I purchased, they will answer 99% of any questions I might come up with before finishing my boat. It's already helped with several thoughts important before choosing a canoe or starting the project. I'm a firm believer in the phrase " Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.". This book has already helped me get my thoughts together and plan the design and process I want to use. I'm sure it will be invaluable during the actual construction.

For essentially being a complete instruction manual on how to build a canoe, this book is really a page turner. I'm about halfway through the planking process right now and haven't had any holdups due to the foresight that Ted outlines in this book. The biggest reason this book appears to receive low reviews is due to its lack of pre-lofted plans. I believe the book mentions that lofting is a "facinating" but "complicated" process. In all honesty, the process is pretty facinating, but not at all complicated. Granted, I have an engineering background and have a fairly technical thought process, but if you can't loft these plans yourself by reading a book or watching a few free videos online, this project may be too much for you to handle. The table of heights and half breadths given in the book are essentially points in a simple cartesian (x,y) coordinate system that are presented with slightly more complicated numers. Connect your dots with a flexible batten and voila! - you have yourself plans that only cost you the pencil, paper and ruler you used to write it on. If you have the extra $100 bucks laying around to buy plans, go for it; however, I do think that lofting them yourself adds to the experience and the uniqueness that you impart to your craft.

To see how awesome this book is, check out http://cedarstripcanoebuild.blogspot.com/ There really isn't anything better than this book, the bible of cedar strip builds. I used this book alone to build a beautiful boat. The product recommendations and detailed instructions make building a boat a whole lot easier on the nerves. If you are itching to build your own boat, pick up this book and read it cover to cover. Then get started by reading as you approach each step. It paid off for me.

Very nicely detailed. I haven't tried building a canoe yet, but this book makes me think I could. I loved the stories in the middle from people who have used the book to build their canoe.

All the terminology, materials, and instructions needed for a first-time canoe builder with basic woodworking skills and tools. Contains several designs with measurements in a table of offsets format, from which one could transfer measurements to create full-size forms, but most will want to just order full-size plans. First time builders can use this in conjunction with the 15288 videos on the YouTubes and build a decent canoe on the first try. The photos are in B&W on non-glossy pages. The book is very utilitarian and seems to have been intended to be used out in the shop, not put on the coffee table.

If you are serious about learning to build a classic canoe - this book will help tremendously (if you are have some talent and a lot of perseverance.) Even if you're not wanting to build one - it's a great book to read/view to help understand the effort and skill that goes into such great craftsmanship of these classic canoes.

Alright… so I’m neither a carpenter nor a woodworker, but I want to build a wood canoe…. This book is hands-down the best one out there (because it’s the one I bought) and it helped me determine that this is probably too big of a project for me to tackle right off the bat. HOWEVER it looks GREAT sitting propped up on my bookshelf, so I can look at that gorgeous canoe on the cover and keep dreaming about “someday”.

A realização de um desejo de bastante tempo... superou as expectativas!!

if you want to build your own canoe you must have this book, full of examples and pictures, very interesting!!!!!

Certainly very good explanations, but not for beginners. Pictures are not really good an explanatory. I was bluffed by the cover page.

Excelente livro documental. Imprescindível para quem se quer aventurar na construção de canoas ou caiaques em madeira

Excellent Guide Book - purchased it for my husband who has long wanted to build his own cedar strip canoe. He raves about it, saying that it provides every detail of information required to achieve his long desired project. Bravo and thank you to Ted Moores!