Bending and drilling stem bands

[Howard Caplan]

I am finishing up a project and after a few more coats of paint I will put the new stem bands on.
I have heard NOT to drill first.
But, I am getting squeemish about bending and then drilling.

Any good tricks out there to do this safely without a drill press?

Howard

 

[Larry Meyer]

This is a reposting of an old post on mine on installing stembands. Call it “the Complete Idiots Guide to installing stem bands,” because its geared to those who’ve never done it before and are likely to make a lot of mistakes (like me).



The only time I had trouble installing stem bands was when I pre-drilled the holes before I bent the stem band. At the first curve the stem band broke at a hole.

What I’ve done since is to pre-drill only 3-4 holes at the end of the stem band on the bottom of the canoe. Then, with the stem band attached with screws at these 3-4 holes, bend the rest of the stem band. Then I’ve detached the stem band and drilled the remainder of the holes at the work bench. This two step process also makes it easier to work with the bedding compound. Do a dry fit without the bedding compound. Then your next step, after you’ve all your holes drilled, is to put the stem band on with the bedding compound.

(Someone else contributed the suggestion that you should first use steel screws—rather than the brass ones—in case you hit tacks. This is a great idea and I wish I’d thought of it. Hit a copper tack with your brass screws and you’re really messed up.)

Also consider this. While many makers did install the stem band so that it bent at 90 degrees over the deck, I don’t think this is really necessary and, in fact, clutters up the deck. Consider bringing the stem band just up to the underside of the inwales, where they extend past the deck, instead of bending it back over the deck. (Some like the band over the deck because they say it protects the deck, especially, if, when you’re portaging, you like to rest one tip of the canoe up in a tree branch or something. I never do this, so, it doesn’t help me.)

Also if you haven’t much experience working with metal (I don’t), I suggest you make a couple of test drills on a short piece of stem band, to make sure you have the right bits for the hole and countersink. Unlike drilling in wood (at least with my bits) once you have one diameter hole, you’re pretty much stuck with it.

I was just working with a simple hand held drill (not a drill press), so I made a simple drilling jig to drill the holes accurately. As I recall it consisted of about a ¾ inch piece of pine, about 3 x 5 inches. In the exact center of the pine I drilled a hole the size I wanted. Then on the underside I glued two thin strips of wood, which were just as wide as the stem band, to make a channel that the stem band fit into. I clamped the jig onto the work bench and then slid the stem band into the channel. This I found the best way to lock the stem band in place while I drilled the holes.

 

[Howard Caplan]

Larry,
Thank you very much. Your description of all the steps are very easy to understand.
I was actually thinking about one screw in, on top of the deck - I appreciate all you said about going over the top of the deck but I am a portager and many times even on the driveway to the car top, I will rest the end of the boat on the driveway while positioning on the car top - But your couple of screws on top and couple on bottom and then the rest, makes a lot sense.
There was a guy in my neighborhood, Frank Komlodi (sp?) former member, who made strippers in his garage. Frank passed away a year or so ago. He had a modified pipe bending tool and a drill press and several years ago he bent and pre-drilled stem bands I needed to install on that old Thompson Bros. I was warned, at that time about starting with steel screws and it paid off on the first tack I hit.
I do have an extra length of stem band that I will practice the drilling and getting the jig set right.

Thnaks a lot,
Howard

 

[Larry Meyer]

Screwing down the part of the stem on the flat bottom lets you bend the curve by hand. But, as with any bending wood, even after you’ve got some curve in the band, its going to bounce back some at you. So the screws double as a clamp and a second pair of hands, in other words. Ideal would be if you had the form the stem was bent on, you could bend the stem band on it. Even then, though, I think the stem would bounce back some.

So drill your other holes once you’ve got some curve in the band, reattach the band at your 4-6 bottom predrilled holes, and then start securing the full curve you want, using the holes you drilled in the curved part. If you haven’t got a helper, some duck tape helps keep the band down flush.

Have some stem band screws of longer length handy. While theoretically, the screws are going through the canvas and planking and into the stem, sometimes my screws just hit air on the other side of the planking.

 

[fred capenos]

forming stem bands

My three cents,
I don't claim to be an expert, although I spent most of my adult life bending metal. Last week I formed a pair of 6 footers for a friend. They came from North woods, and were pre-drilled. Here's the drill:
1 while still flat, go over them with 600 grit to remove any heat stain and oxidation.
2 I like to hammer both ends to flatten and bell them out a bit. A bit of finesse work here with a flat file and some more 600 grit will give a neat effect.
3 very carefully run them over a buffing wheel while still in the flat.
4 Clamp or nail two pieces of hard wood about 1 1/2" apart on your work bench. This is now your female die.
5 Next, using your smooth jawed vise, (if you don't have access to a brake press) put the acute bend in that goes over the deck.
6 Now place the flat stem band curved side down, and start tapping using a raw hide or plastic mallet (small) in the area that the curve is to begin. (Tangent point) If the band has been pre-drilled don't tap the hole with the mallet It will kink The key here is a lot of light taps not a few hard taps. It's best to have the boat or at least the outer stems if applicable, to use as a pattern. When you try it on, if it has a flat spot, tap tap tap in that area. If it goes to far carefully push it out on a flat surface. A set of hand forming rolls work great if they aren't pre-drilled

Have fun
Fred S W Penna.

 

[fred capenos]

stem bands

Oops

You will be tap tap taping as the band is laying across tht two pieces of wood. I got ahead of myself

FRED

 

[Howard Caplan]

Thanks Fred. I have printed your comments and Larry's comments. I look forward to making the jig, drilling and bending. It's sort of like portaging, once you accept it as necessary to the trip, you become one with it.

I do feel far away from the stem bands at this moment. This weekend I began sanding the first coat of paint. I painted in my garage because the weather was a bit suspect. On Saturday I took the canoe outside to sand and in the light of day I saw the paint was way too thick on the areas where the light was the worst in the garage. My cuticles are coated in red paint and folks at work assume I had trouble taking my nail polish off after my weekend of cross dressing.

This is by far the messiest work I ever did on a canoe. I sanded with 180 waterproof and found the more water I used, the longer the paper lasted but the more sludge I created. I still want to go over a few areas with 180 before I start the final sanding with 220. I will put all further coats on outside and apply paint as minimally as possible.

Stem bands are just a distant dream, at this point.

Howard

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Howard,

Be sure to post some pics when you get her done.

FWIW, I'm in the bend 1st, drill 2ed camp. And I do it a lot like Fred describes.
Though I bend the sharp bend over the deck tip 1st and get that dry fitted before going on to the rest of the strip. After the whole strip fits the canoe, then I mark where I want the holes and drill them. (I have a drill press.) To date, I've just measured and eyeballed the locations, someday I'll make a jig to get them exactly in the middle of the strip.

Dan