5. Mounting the Forms on the Strongback

Yay! I have finished mounting the forms on the strongback.

The forms are attached to 2x3 blocks, which are attached to the top of the strongback. There are two forms not shown in this picture; the most forward and the most aft; the stem forms.

Even though I did my best to level the strongback, I still needed to level the forms as I installed them.

This I did by putting in one screw to pivot on, and holding the level on the center line while adjusting a shim.

The clamp is just there to hold the form fast to its station while putting in the first screw.

You can see the shim behind my left hand.

The view out the window is Cayuga Lake.

It's cold, and it's a little ways out of town (Ithaca) but it has been a wonderful apartment for three guys who like boats.

Finally, when all the forms are mounted, I can take a step back and admire the shape of the canoe.

You can see that I tried to line up the center lines for the picture, but a few forms are not perfectly lined up.

They're not too far off though, and I may leave it all as-is.

After all, this is the first boat I've ever built, and I'm not trying for perfection.

So far, I have probably spent about 20 hours on this project.

Next: Laminating the Inner Stems