JEM Watercraft

Hey, i started building the free canoe plans, i have the first sheet all cut out. i just had a few questions. there appear to be gunwales in the picture, b ut i dont see them listed anywhere or layed out. And i also dont see the "frame Top" parts put anywhere on the canoe. I'm not farmilar with the term frame top, I assumed it was like the frame, but there are also parts for frames.
Another thing is the floor panels. HOw do i join them, just with a futty pillet? and what is floor center panel for? and im not sure, but the bulk head and deck lid should come together to form a closed front and back, correct? all the joints between wood, such as the joints between upper pannels a and b should be done with wood flour and epoxy fillets right? then fiberglassed? Should i pre coat the wood with epoxy before i stich them all up together? any other tips would be appreciated, sorry for the long post.

buildingacanoe wrote:Hey, i started building the free canoe plans, i have the first sheet all cut out. i just had a few questions. there appear to be gunwales in the picture, b ut i dont see them listed anywhere or layed out.

You'll have to make your own gunwales. 1x2 lumber works well for simple gunwales.

And i also dont see the "frame Top" parts put anywhere on the canoe. I'm not farmilar with the term frame top, I assumed it was like the frame, but there are also parts for frames.

They are laminated to the frames to form a thicker thwart. Look at the upper right photo is this picture:

Another thing is the floor panels. HOw do i join them, just with a futty pillet?

See here: viewtopic.php?t=25

and what is floor center panel for?

The floor panel is made of 3 pieces that must be spliced together.

and im not sure, but the bulk head and deck lid should come together to form a closed front and back, correct?

you got it!

all the joints between wood, such as the joints between upper pannels a and b should be done with wood flour and epoxy fillets right? then fiberglassed?

check the link I provided above. Also, read the rest of the tutorials. That will help you a bunch.

Should i pre coat the wood with epoxy before i stich them all up together? any other tips would be appreciated, sorry for the long post.

You can but it's optional.

Send me an e-mail. I have a file that will be useful for you.

Thank you so much for the info. The pirogue plans will help A TON! thank you so much, i hate to be a bother, but i have one more quick question. are the gunwales glued right to the sides? also, does this design use a butt block, or a splicing like it said in the tutorial? thanks, sorry im being so annoying. Seeya later!

gunwales are glued right to the side. You can get fancier with sloted gunwales but I'd go simple for the first project.

wooden butt blocks or fiberglass splices. Choice is yours. Pros and cons to both.