DIY Plastic Canoes

Building your own canoe makes for a satisfying accomplishment and good conversation -- building a canoe with your family or friends provides an excellent bonding experience. The most common method for making canoes involves bending plywood into the appropriate shape, gluing it into place, and laying fiberglass cloth and resin over it. The result is a hybrid wood and fiberglass canoe. The only method for building a solely plastic or fiberglass canoe is by making a mold, forming the fiberglass over the mold and then removing the mold. This method is complicated and time-consuming, but with the right materials, you can build your own plastic canoe.

Things You'll Need

  • Large workspace
  • Plywood
  • Jigsaw
  • Narrow sawhorses or stands
  • Thin foam board (1/2 or 3/4 inch)
  • Hot glue
  • Drywall compound
  • Sandpaper (coarse and fine)
  • Wax
  • Fiberglass or Kevlar cloth
  • Epoxy resin
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select a plan for your canoe. There are many plans available on the internet. Select a plan that is suitable in length and width for your needs.

    • 2

      Build the mold. Cut out plywood cross-sections at intervals of one foot for the length of the canoe, subtracting five-eighths to seven-eighths-inch from the internal dimensions of the canoe to allow room for the foam board. Cut the foam board into narrow strips (1 1/2 to 2 inches) and fasten it to the mold using hot glue.

    • 3

      Sand down the foam to remove sharp edges and rough spots. Apply drywall compound or plaster liberally to the foam, smooth it with trowels, and sand it until smooth. Repeat applications of the drywall compound until all the surfaces of the mold are smooth.

    • 4

      Wax the surface of the mold, making sure that all surfaces have a thick, even coat.

    • 5

      Apply fiberglass of Kevlar cloth and epoxy resin according to the manufacturer's instructions. Plan a whole day to complete this task.

    • 6

      Remove the mold. You may have to break up the mold if it will not come free of the canoe. Sand the interior of the canoe.

    • 7

      Seal the ends of the canoe (if necessary) with your fiberglass or epoxy resin. Install the gunwales and seats. Apply a final coat of epoxy resin and sand it smooth with fine sand paper.