Fairing the hull is accomplished by first methodically planing the seams of the planks. For me, planing is one of the most enjoyable steps of the building process. I like it because you can see immediate results and I know that it is saving me a few hours of sanding.
After the hull has been planed, the sanding begins. It takes many hours of sanding to get things just right. Sanding is hard work and after several hours, becomes somewhat tedious. If planing is one of the most enjoyable steps, then sanding is one of the least. It is, however, the most critical step in determining the final shape of the canoe and much care must be taken to get everything just right.
After all of the highs, lows, and wobbles have been sanded out of the hull, the final step is to "raise the grain". Raising the grain is accomplished be wetting the hull down with water which swells the wood fibers. After the hull has dried, the raised fibers are given a final sanding with fine sand paper. This step will keep the grain from rising when the fiberglass and epoxy are applied. The wet hull gives us a preview of what the wood is going to eventually look like.
