Well today started out ok. I went to my buddy’s garage to pick up all the shiny bits and was heading home to rig the canoe when I thought: ‘you know, my dinghy plans won’t be here for another week, I could build the rig in the meantime, I already have some decent fir...
"Well today started out ok…"Continue readingCategory: Behind the Scenes
All the ribs that didn’t become boats last year…
All the ribs that didn’t become boats last year......
What goes into creating a skin-on-frame canoe building video course
What goes into creating a skin-on-frame canoe building video course and plan set? A reasonable quality video lighting and audio set up and an inordinate amount of time tinkering with aforementioned gear. A million takes of me saying the same thing over and over until it looks sort of professional. Editing those takes until...
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Developing the canoe plans
We post occasionally about shooting video, but the other half of our online instruction is the plan sets. Liz has been translating sketches and notes into diagrams and documentation as we head into the final stretch before we release the canoe designs. Rather than a traditional set of boat plans, the plan set accompanying...
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Early morning in the shop
Early morning in the shop, building stuff, teaching stuff, filming stuff....
Five canoes, one van.
Five canoes, one van. Earlier in the day it was seven. So happy with how nesting these has worked out for transport and storage....
Intro videos for my video courses are my nemesis
Intro videos for my video course are my nemesis. Even my normal instruction videos usually take a couple dozen takes to get things right, but when it comes to the intro videos I get seriously picky about every 1/3rd stop of light, every millimeter of microphone placement, every spoken syllable. I’ve always been envious...
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There’s no substitute for repetition…
If you’re trying to design something truly good there’s no substitute for repetition, but with 11 canoes built in the last 4 months, one more starting tomorrow, and two more scheduled for the end of October..... I’m running out of room at the house!!...
Apparently I’m in league with the devil…
I got my first completely insane Internet religious conspiracy comment! Apparently the thumb touching for finger motion that I make to illustrate grasping a kayak paddle is also secret code for being in league with the devil. (Cue Danzig while imagining Beavis and Butthead headbanging with devil horns handsigns)...
I’ll leave the caption up to you….
I’ll leave the caption up to you.......
Video: Last step before sending a new boat out the door
Last step before sending a new boat out the door...
Brittany in the shop, building keyhole kayak coamings
Brittany in the shop, building keyhole kayak coamings....
Another shot of the canoes in the shop
Another shot of the canoes in the shop from earlier this month before they hit the water. Working on a new paddle concept for these today, it'll be interesting to see if it works....
Video: Last step before sending a boat out the door
Last step before sending a boat out the door is branding the gunwales. Since I had the torch out already for the latest F1, I took the opportunity to restock on business cards as well. Cards are cut from old salvaged dimensional lumber, and the stamping process smells amazing....
Skipping work, what I did today instead
Oh, how I wish I could have worked for me when I was in my early twenties. This morning when I went to pick up Greg and Diana, I made the mistake of passing by the ocean, five minutes later I was waxing poetic in their kitchen. “We’ve got a lot to do today, so...
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