bending gunwales question....

[chris pearson]

Does anyone overbend new gunwales a tad? How long do you leave them on the form?

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Bend them till they break then you know how far is too far.
Too steep to bend on the boat? Inners or outers? Spruce, right?

 

[chris pearson]

Gunna bend on a jig 1st.

 

[Paul Miller]

Hi Chris,

I have found that my best results have been to bend on a jig and 24 hours later or so I remove from the jig and clamp to the canoe. You will be able to unbend or add bend where necessary.

Good luck,

Paul

 

[KAT]

This worked.

Just did inwales on the project boat. Replaced the cracked spruce with ash at 7/8 square.

First I soaked them for 2 1/2 days in a eavestrough tank then clamped them up under the existing inwales and left them to dry for 8 days. There was some spring back still but they took the curves really well and there were no issues installing them.

 

[Paul Miller]

Hi KAT,

That process works OK for a guide style canoe or your typical Canadian built all wood or wood/canvas, but so sure you could do it that way with success on the curve of something like a OT Charles River gunnel like the one attached.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

over bending a bit is the better of the two i think.

 

[KAT]

Ok, I see your point, or, curve. I imagine that would require a good jig and alot of steam to do. How do the harder woods like ash work on something like that?

 

[chris pearson]

I over bent them a bit, we'll see. Paul, couldn't clamp them to the existing gunwales, someone did a previous restore and made the last foot or so a different shear in the bow and stern. Corrections to follow, but what do you expect for a 102 year old canoe? Several ribs were replaced poorly as well, so I have to true up the hull with battens as well.