Forum Site Info....

[Zenith]

How do I find a thread on the forums such as how do you steam or bend the stem and stern of outer wales without going through 170 forums... Just trying to find my way around don't ya know..Working on my 1908 Morris and 1923 Old Town.
Thanks fore any help....
John MacIver

 

[Michael Grace]

Use the search button above right. Or just post a question (essentially you just did). There have been plenty of discussions of gunwale bending, and there will surely be more. Best of luck with your restorations. Please feel free to post photos here - forum participants love to see old canoes and to watch other peoples' progress.

 

[Greg Nolan]

for one way to bend gunwales -- inwales or outwales -- see:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?12999-STEAM-BENDING-IN-A-POLYETHYLENE-TUBE-part-1

 

[Zenith]

Thank you Michael and Greg,
This winter I spent my time learning to cane the seats on my Morris, Old-Town and Goodyear and have all six seats restored and caned. With better weather I can get back to actual work on the canoes. I don't know if my web site address will come up or not but I can try. My canoes and projects can be seen at John MacIvers Stuff Site under My Old Canoes... or http://johnmaciver.tripod.com/id13.html .
Thanks again.
John MacIver

 

[Zenith]

Greg and Fitz,
Your dissertation on steam bending is very interesting. In my past boat building and old boat repair I have many times had to steam new frames into boats. I have a six foot long steel pipe that I used for this, but was wondering how to steam 17 foot long pieces with a sharp bend at each end. Your pictures and info is very interesting and I think I may try this technique. In my experience the hot water does not derogatorily impact the steam bending, and in fact I have many times boiled the frames for boats instead of steaming at all. I would attach a string around one end of the frame, than wrap the entire frame in aluminum foil. I would then boil the frames in my iron pipe, three at a time, with one end sitting in an old wood stove outside my barn. I found that the frames would dry out very rapidly after removal from the pipe while I ran from the pipe up into the boat and positioned the frames for clamping. By wrapping the frames in the aluminum foil, I could pull out one frame, carry it up and into the boat, get it ready to install and then slip the aluminum foil off. The foil kept the wood wet long enough so that after it's removal I could easily clamp the frame in place . But this technique would not work well on canoe gunwales.
Thanks again for your info
John MacIver

 

[Greg Nolan]

I agree that the condensed (very) hot water has no derogatory impact on the wood being steamed. It can, however, have a very derogatory impact on the person doing the steaming, or on floors or other surfaces where it might spill/drain -- which is why it is good to control and direct it safely as it is generated -- from one or two drain holes at the low point(s) in the tube, into an appropriate container (or, if outdoors, on pavement or grass not otherwise in use) where it will do no lasting harm.

 

[Zenith]

Greg,
Thank you for your reply. I used to work on larger boats, so my steaming and boiling was done outside on the ground outside of my shop. The hot water is a potential danger, and it did boil out the top of the pipe from time to time. To minimize my exposure, I used the string attached to the frame to pull each frame out wearing thick elbow length rubber chemical gloves. I could then move the hot frame from hand to hand until I could safely get the frame eased into position. You are correct, and the frames were still hot to carry even with the thick gloves. I do like the plastic tube steaming ideas.
Thanks again for your input
John MacIver

 

[David Satter]

On my restorations I scarf the outwales usually a 3'' or so scarf. Either in the middle or a little off center. If it's glued well and you put a screw through it into the inwale , over a rib of course you only see a fine line. I have a small hole in my steam box door 1x2'' I slide only about 3 or 4 feet of the outwale ends into it , after soaking. stuff a rag around the hole. Then bend it right on the canoe. I dont join the scarf until AFTER they have cooled. So I have 4 pieces of outwale but I'm only soaking and bending the ends.