Ok, make the second choice

Sometimes you can really get in your own way with too much planning. I picked up another book to start off, Building a Strip Canoe by Gil Gilpatrick. This was a thoroughly engaging read, really enjoyed it.

I think after I finish the Piragua, I think I'll work up a canoe next. It's a classic woodworking project, and this book includes plans for 9 different canoes. The value of the book comes in explaining the technique to build them.

Start by building a strongback, then attach the stations, then form the hull over the stations. Glass and finish the outside, then flip it and remove the stations. Glass and finish the inside, add the woodwork, seats, yoke, gunwales, and finish it. Pretty straightforward, right? You need to read the book for more details. It's really fantastic.

I think I'm actually going to start with the strongback. It's going to be an easy, long way to create a work space for the plywood & forms for the Piragua. Last weekend we ended up shortening our family vacation by a day, so I took the opportunity to rent a truck from lowe's and pick up all of the plywood & lumber I'd need to build the strongback, piragua, and stations for a canoe.

Time to start making sawdust!