Wanigan Rib Fastner?

[Paul Fopeano]

I am well into my rebuilding of an older Chestnut 17' pleasure canoe that barely survived years of heavy use at some camp up Maine. The canoe was equipped with "wanigan" ribs -- an extra 3/8" thick X 1 1/2" rib that was fitted over the 3/8" thick X 2 1/4" original rib. These protected the bottom of the boat from the hard corners of camp kitchens (or wanigans). The wanigan ribs were secured with copper or brass wire nails, nailed as a regular clinch nail and the protruding point bent over. These were applied to every other rib between thwart aft of the bow seat to the thwart forward of the stern seat. While this method worked it looks like hell. The old canoe took some real bad hits and I'll end up replacing most of the ribs midships as well as most of the wanigan ribs as per the request of the owner.

I could go ahead do the same stuff and I wouldn't make it look any worse. I would rather it look like the wanigan ribs were clinched. Is anyone aware of a long brass or copper clinch nails that would would be effective securing 29/32" of material? Or any other ideas short of screwing the things down from the interior?

All are welcome to follow my progress by going to my Facebook page "Onlyone Maine Made Wooden Canoe Works" and opening my photo album "Brian's 17' Chestnut".

The photo shows what I'm talkin' 'bout......

Thanks!

Paul

 

[Dan Miller]

Try copper clench nails from Faering Design: http://www.faeringdesigninc.com/fst-clen.html

 

[paddler123]

I've paddled a number of canoes with wannigan ribs. All but one had them tacked from the outside just like normal ribs - I assume they used longer, but otherwise normal, canoe tacks. One canoe had them screwed in from the inside. I know Headwaters makes canoes with wannigan ribs - perhaps you could contact them to buy some of their extra-long tacks?

 

[Paul Fopeano]

Rivets and ribs

After replacing 24 ribs and lots more planking than I had hoped, I'm headin' down the home stretch far as the woodwork goes on this old Chestnut. In getting ready to install the new wanigan ribs I did find some very long clinch nails at a couple of boat builder sites. They were not cheap, they did require pre drilling and according to someone's instructions on line - not as easy to clinch as the usual 11/16" brass canoe tacks.

A couple of years ago I rebuilt a really cool little duck boat that was held together with copper rivets. I had to buy some then as well as the necessary (very expensive) tool. The process of riveting was really pretty simple; quick and the end product looked pretty good. I have plenty copper nails and roves on hand so I gave them a try on this project. The first picture is my mock up using the rivets and you can see the previous builder's bent over copper nails. The second is my finished product. The only tools I needed was a drill, a wire cutter, a ball-peen hammer and a clinching iron.