1999
Sharing Success (Sanding)
by Philip Jacobs
Not long after conducting some sanding experiments, I happened to meet and strike up a casual conversation with Todd Ellison in an airport parking lot (I don't know if the MCA has an official, secret sign or handshake, but roof racks seem to do the trick). Of course, the topic got around to sanding, and Todd mentioned that the Ketters use thick, foam pads on 7 inch disc sanders for a lot of their sanding. Sure enough, when I paid a visit, there were several of these in their shop, and Betty indicated that it's what they've been using as long as she can remember.
I'm certain that this technique is not new to many "HUT!" readers. Indeed, when I looked back in "Canoecraft", inch-and-a-half foam pads are exactly what the authors recommend, but somehow, I had missed that lesson, and did a lot of reinvention on my own. The specific details of what I learned when I went back to my shop and played with scraps of foam and spray-on contact cement, are probably less important than the point of sharing this type of information, and the need to keep passing it around.
For the past year or so, I've been writing articles about my experiences building a first couple of boats, not to position myself as an expert, but hoping to promote, or provoke, discussion about building techniques and methods, and to encourage new builders. Not everything is covered in the building manual, including many tricks or techniques to save time or make the process go smoother. Many earlier editions of "HUT!" seemed to contain more of this information in articles by Bob Brown and others, and, indeed, the sharing of information on boat building can be traced as one of the founding roots of the MCA.
I'm certain that some of these many techniques may be common knowledge among a few individuals, and new to others. Other techniques or perspectives may be new or unique. The recent MCA Paddlesport show at Har Mar Mall was an excellent opportunity for builders to show off their boats and to discuss techniques and perspectives; the organizers and participants deserve a lot of credit. The MCA building classes were also a wonderful opportunity for novice builders to take a look and give it a try, for more experienced builders to swap tips, and for one brave soul to leave with a canoe built by the community. Unfortunately, these sessions have been cancelled in recent years due to lack of an appropriate building space. New opportunities, such as on-line exchanges, emerge, as established ones, such as the MCA materials depots, close.
I'm a firm believer that there isn't one 'right way' to do most of these things, but that there are good choices to be made. Occasionally it's a good idea to revisit basic techniques, like soft foam pads, as well as to compare the perspectives of both masters and novices. One of the real values of an organization like the MCA, lies in the sharing of information between members and with other builders, so that new ideas can be tried and proven methods get passed around, which in turn encourages and promotes boat building, and canoeing in general.
