Building a canoe with a tomahawk/axe

Decided were gonna build 2 canoes probably sized for 2 men each, as i said the tree is felled and now i'm chopping through it, weve cut through at one point and now have a long log, gonna cut it in half for 2 canoes. The inside is a little bit rotted at points, hopefully that wont pose a problem... maybe it will make it easier to dig out.
 
We needs PICTURES and of course a progress report. You need to take pictures every time you work on it - this isn't just for fun, this is a major project in your life - not everyone can say they felled a tree and built a canoe. This is like one of those things on a list of 100 Things I Want To Do In My Life. This is something you can accomplish and cross off that list!
 
Absolutely, pictures would be great in a small album that are easily made online these days.
 
Very true, i'll see about getting someone to bring a camera out there... your right though I had wanted a picture of the tree before it was felled.
 
Actually now that I think about it someone took a picture with their cell-phone probably crappy quality but maybe I can get a hold of it. Either way i'll definitly try to get a real camera out there next time I go. It's been a great time so far, went out there 2 days ago in the snow with a buddy and built a fire and started chopping. Somehow broke out 1/2 the wedge in a hardware store double bit fiberglass axe. Also the handle on my Gransfors Viking bearded axe is coming real loose so I cant use that as i'm not sure how to tighten a wedge fit axe. I fear for my GB double bit as well as theirs some cracks at the top of the handle by wedge... I don't know why either it's not like their being misused. Might pick up a wetterling or some hardware store axes and probably an adze soon for the project. As said ill get some pics and keep you guys posted.
 
Go for it Brody. Of course a dugout does not have the performance of a traditional canoe, and was never intended to. It was a primitive boat quickly built from native materials to get you downstream, across the river, or to haul furs and trade goods. Here in the Southeast I know people who still build and use them just like the Muscogee Creek Indians did over 200 years ago. Some use Yellow Poplar, but most favor Basswood if they can find one big enough. Basswood is lighter and easier to work. When I retire, I may try one myself. You can see good examples in a number of museums and reinactment ceremonies in Alabama. Tips I've heard from those who've done it: you need a larger diameter tree than you would think, power tools can make short work of it, but fire and adze work if you want to use traditional methods. Build it close to the water because they are heavy as hell. Cracking, especially on the ends is a big problem unless you are lucky enough to have found a standing dead and fully seasoned but sound tree (rare). Supposedly, the Indians around here would keep them in the water all the time to prevent drying and splitting. They would just weight them down with enough rocks to sink them at the water's edge until they were ready to use them again. Most of the ones the archaeologists have found around here survived because they were covered in mud and filled with rocks. One guy I know soaked his in used motor oil to keep it from splitting. Seems to have worked well and keeps it a lot lighter than a water soaked one. Would love to see pics of your progress.
 
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I've been following your project. I'm not sure what kind of tree it is. I showed the pictures to my son, who is a forest ecology researcher and he thought it could be a an Oak. The Delaware [Lenape] made dugouts out of Cedar, White Pine [I think],Oak, Elm, Chestnut and their favorite the Tulip tree. I read recently that it took about two weeks to get the job done. They'd burn out center and stop occassionally to scrape out the cavity. The same source said they only lasted about a year. I wonder if they just got waterlogged after constant immersion and lost bouyancy. Oh well, you guys have taken on quite a project. It's fun hearing about it. Back to the tree question ['cause I'd like to know too]... White Pine and Northern White Cedar are evergreens. The other possibilities are all deciduous species. Are there any leaves you could photograph? That would make identification easy. Have fun.
 
Unfortunatly I don't have any pictures of the leaves, I believe they had fallen off before we felled it. The Lenape Delaware actually have a reservation across the creek and down a little ways maybe a mile or so, I hear they have a mueseum i've been meaning to check it out. I found another picture that was taken earlier that shows a differnt view of the tree.

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There are lots of leaves on the ground in the last picture. The color is like Beech but I'm sure your canoe isn't because of the bark and beeches like to keep their leaves. I thought I could see some lobed leaves which might indicate oak. Inconclusive from the pics. Do you remember what leaves where on your tree, or are there any branches from your tree that still have leaves? Show me a pic. ID should be easy then. How was the weather out there today?
 
I'll take a look/pics of the branches next time im out there. Weather's been pretty mild for January although somedays it's too cold to stay out long without a fire. Running into a slight problem out there though. These woods are part of a state forest, at night on weekends it's not uncommen for young high school kids to go out there set a fire and drink/drug. Last night I saw firetrucks in the area and later learned that the rangers raided them and they all ran. The next day (being this afternoon, or rather yesterday afternoon since it's after 12) some friends of mine were in the woods filming for a college movie their making up at Rutgers that involves the Jersey Devil (cheap horror sorta, not documentary) and rangers came back and started issuing out fines all over the place for random violations like driving a car down the trail and confiscated some of their props. I believe the total fines where $150. I'm a bit concerned that a rangers gonna come out their when were working since they patrol sometimes looking for the spots where the hooligans party and find us out their working on the canoe and take all my axes and fine us, now that would be unpleasent. Suppose once it's light enough to move well through it in my buddies truck and bring it someplace else to finish. Kinda aggravating.
 
Does anyone know the penalty for cutting down a tree in state forest and also which is aharder would oak or beech?
 
i know in MI the standard fine for damage to state property is 500 $ and can easily go up. I was stationed in NC and frequently went out to state land to target shoot, there the fine for damaging a live tree ( even to shoot it ) is 10,000$ I'm sure it varies from state to state. check your local dnr website. what might make a big diference is if the tree was live or dead when harvested. but of course you'll have to prove it. key words you'll want to look for as far as the fines go, is damage to state property. if you can't find anything about harvesting trees, your probably going to be looking at your states flat rate for "damage to state property". I'm not a lawyer, game warden, or conservaton officer. But that's what I'd base any further action on. good luck, and I'd have to agree on the list of 100 things to do before I die. cool project..
 
This thread about a project to build a dugout canoe appealed to the youth in me that wishes I'd fabricated a dugout canoe when I was young. I grew up playing on the Simon Kenton homestead north of Springfield, Ohio. I hiked and fished and wandered all along the Mad River valley [Shawnee lands 250 years ago]. I've read The Frontiersman numerous times. In fact, I've read all of Eckert's books, many of them several times. As a youngster I felt I'd been born 200 years too late. Building a canoe and launching it into the Mad River would have been so cool in 1960 or so..but I guess I never thought seriously enough about it to do it...
Ever since The thread originator [Brody. R] announced that his canoe was being made from a tree cut down in a NJ state forest, I haven't known quite what to say, but I've been thinking about it.
In the photograph I see a reasonably formed, healthy [probably red or scarlet oak] recently living tree. I suppose I should say "turn yourself in and take legal responsibility for felling this tree". I realize life gives tests and often our opportunity to learn the lesson comes after we've failed the test. I work with young people everyday and find it easy to forgive youthful thoughtlessness as long as test failures are recognized and lessons are learned. I am not a lawyer, conservation officer, etc...but if I were a judge and you were before me, your sentance would be to finish the canoe with your tomahawk. Frankly, I think that would be serious, hard labor punishment and a really cool thing to accomplish as well. I would hate to see that tree wasted. As for whether Beech or Oak are harder [to work with?], I'd say it's a toss up. They are in the same taxonomic family. Good luck Mr. Brody R. I hope this works out for you.
 
I can't agree with you more and believe me I want to finsih that tree and agree it would be a complete waste not to. Yes the tree was alive although the inside proved to be substantially rotted and as you went higher on the tree it appeared to be dying. I just wish I had a way to move it to a safe place to work on, as I said last thing I want is to be fined lose my equipment and not be able to finish the canoe anyway.

The Frontiersmen is indeed a great book, I just ordered the next two in the winning of america series by Eckert. Although I've lived my whole life in New Jersey I was born in Kentucky (I was given up for adoption, actually just recently got in touch with my birth parents) and my ancestors where early Kentucky settlers so I always had an interest in the old frontier. Eckert's definitly a great author although if I hadn't seen the Bear Mountain hawk I probably never would have gotten around to reading the book, glad I did though.
 
that guys collection is huge, thanks for that link think i'll pick one up from him.

that sounds like a great concept doing one on all his books, cant wait to see what comes out.
 
I have been following this thread with a lot of interest. Whats the progress look like?

As for an Asze, surely its better to pay a bit more and just get a new one with a fresh handle on it, the ebay ones look as dry as tinder. Froogleing around I have found them to be about $60.00 is that too expensive? If so maybe you could just sell it once you are finished for about half of what you paid for it.

C'mon man get to it, the suspense is killing me! :D
 
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