Making A Pattern | SouthernPaddler.com

Making A Pattern

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
Thinking of building a boat using strips, but not on forms. I don't build with plans so I would need a pattern to shape the sides and floor. Long way around but I ended up making patterns of patterns taken from a hull, built from the patterns. o_O I think that is what I did.

Used roofing felt to trace the floor and sides of my pirogue:
IMG_4419.JPG


Used these to make plywood panels. Fitted them together cut and adjusted them to the shape I wanted.
IMG_4422.JPG

Disassembled and made new precise patterns.
IMG_4425.JPG
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
When i made that stripper pirogue I made flat sheets using the strips and then marked where to cut the shape of the bottom. Basically I followed the plans from Uncle Johns pirogues to make the stripper. It took 144 1/4 thick strips and 16 feet long to make it.
Basically all I did was to substitute the strips of the redwood for the plywood normally used.
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
Jack, I'm not sure if it was the paper or my tracing that was "aquiggley" but they didn't seem right to me. Not sure if the final patterns are accurate enough for stitch and glue building, but they will be ok for my needs. I will be able to make adjustments as I build to get the boat shaped as desired.

Chuck, were the "flat sheets" straight sided or arched?
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
I think that maybe stencil paper would be less stretchy and squiggly, but I've never seen a piece that large. Alluminum foil, maybe? Long pieces, securely taped to each other along edges?
Just casting here.
Graph paper with offsets?