How to Obtain Wood for a Cedar Strip Canoe

The fastest way to strip a cedar-strip canoe is by using long pieces of cedar, but clear cedar in lengths long enough for a wood-strip canoe is increasingly hard to find at lumberyards. While you can scarf two shorter pieces of cedar together to make a long piece, the change in grain degrades the appearance, especially if you are shooting for a high-quality canoe. There are several commercial manufacturers of full-length cedar strips, which feature hard-to-make bead and cove edges that help the strips to fit snugly and without gaps.

• 1

  Calculate the length of strips that you will need to strip your canoe by dividing the surface area of your canoe by the width of strip you want to use. Then divide that total by the length of the canoe. For example, a typical 17-foot canoe has 55 square feet of surface area. Standard bead-and-cove strips show 1/2-inch faces. So, for an average 17-foot, you will need 1,760 feet of strips. Dividing the total length by 17 equals 104 total strips.

• 2

  Search the Internet using the search term "cedar strip canoe kits." The results will give you options for places to buy from. Not all the companies listed in the search results sell cedar strips separate from kits, so keep looking until you find a place where you can obtain them separately.

• 3

  Look through your search results for any businesses that are nearby, because shipping full-length strips is expensive. For example, one Midwestern company charges between $300 and $400 in shipping for a bundle of strips. If the company is close enough, you might save money by picking up your strips.

• 4

  Order enough strips to satisfy your original calculation. Consider ordering extra strips as backup for fixing mistakes.