Building Skin-on-Frame Canoes, Step by step

To celebrate the release of our new skin-on-frame canoe building course, I thought I'd put together this visual overview of the whole building process.

Gunwales and upper stringers: red cedar
Keel and lower stringers: Douglas fir
Outwales: Ash
Ribs: White Oak
Skin: 9 oz nylon
Coating: 2 part polyurethane
Mast: Anodized Aluminum
Sail: 4oz Dacron

Larger canoe 11'8" x 28" 18lbs
Smaller canoe 11' x 26 1/2 16lbs

0:00 Introduction
0:11 Buying the wood
0:19 Preparing the gunwales
0:52 Making the stems
1:02 Making the ribs
1:17 Making the stringers
1:26 Building the deck
1:51 Bending in the ribs
2:32 Tying on the stringers
3:09 Finishing the frame
3:24 Sewing on the cloth
4:24 Coating the fabric
4:44 Adding accessories
5:23 Making a sail
6:16 Adding seating and flotation

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[fullyenvenomated]

Your attention to detail is recognized in your abilities as a carpenter as well as your videography. Awesome video and excellent work my friend. Hatd off to ya brother. Be proud you earned it! The sail was a perfect touch.

[geoffburrill]

Love it. You make it look easy, but we know just how much skill is involved. Well done.

[josequins]

Brilliant space saving idea making one slightly smaller so it could fit inside the other one. They're beautiful.

[Helliconia]

best video ever.Well done. Skin on framed kayaks and canoes were all there was when i was a kid.Growing up in Wales in the 60's.Percy Blandford being the main designer.Brings back memories

[brandonavery]

The most inspirational video I've seen in a while!

[matak]

Perhaps one of the best filmed & edited vids I've seen. And you make the work seem easy. Well done.

[dodgybodger]

Now that is what I call craftsmanship. Thankyou for your post. Amazing. 👍✌

[leargy]

This is a marriage of art and craft . Beautiful work .

[falfield]

Marvellous! Greetings and appreciation from England. My grandfather was a cabinet-maker and the appreciation of wood (if not the capability to work it with skill) has been passed down to me. So I loved watching the deft way that things took shape, but particularly your measuring and marking first. It's not just a technical skill either - this work was a work of art. 'Measure twice, cut once' was one of my father's favourite maxims, and while its applicability to your work is questionable (I can see you don't need it) it's useful for me whenever I'm making anything. Thank You.

[guysview]

Makes me feel happy just watching this. 🤗

[bqwnnnj]

Видно, что мастер делает свою работу с любовью. Приятное и познавательное видео.

[MrLikeke]

Fitting the ribs into the gunwales is reminiscent of the traditional method of building a Birch bark canoe. Great video, very enjoyable. I appreciate the craftsmanship.

[Strangernightg]

You are a true artist making that canoe . It's the best one I've ever seen being built step by stet . Keep on keeping on .

[ThomasDoubting]

When I see this I feel like I need a different job.

Superb crafting really inspiring

[kenhaltenhoff]

Very nice work and a handsome finished product. Thank you for letting us watch.

[wcarpenter]

Thank you Brian for the whole series of videos over the past number of months on this canoe project. I bought the canoe course this past week and plan to build in the spring when our New England winter is over and I can take over half of the garage for a workshop. This fall I finished my first SOF canoe - a 13.5' 2-person double paddle design by Hilary Russell. Yours will be a solo packboat to take camping in the Adirondacks.
Take Care,
Wayne

[Graeme]

What a breath of fresh air. So many of these videos stay way too long on each process, over explain and drag on for ages. This showed a process, moved on, all paced perfectly. Also nice, unobtrusive music. Could have watched more.

[cadude]

Okay, that was WELL made and sail s stroke of genius - I have never seen that before.

[davidanderson]

It’s not a canoe, it’s a work of art! Nice

[stephenfraser]

There is poetry in this-what a smashing build!