Another Strickland UK
- Thread starter cwf
- Start date
ALCEDO ATTHIS
Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
hello , in France near Paris
I ask because an ancestor of mine made a tour of Brittany, in 1888, on a tricycle tandem, with her new husband. They started in Caen and reached the south of Brittany when a wheel collapsed. No one could fix it, so they finished the tour by train. It was a time of great experimentation, particularly in tandems, so I am looking for a photo.
She left a journal, so I know photos were taken. I have enquired at local archives but no luck. Do you know if anyone has copies of local papers from the time? Or is there a French vintage cycle club, which might help?
Thanks, Charlie.
She left a journal, so I know photos were taken. I have enquired at local archives but no luck. Do you know if anyone has copies of local papers from the time? Or is there a French vintage cycle club, which might help?
Thanks, Charlie.
ALCEDO ATTHIS
Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
hello , you can try here
gallica.bnf.fr
Gallica
Plusieurs millions de documents consultables et téléchargeables gratuitement : livres, manuscrits, cartes et plans, estampes, photographies, affiches, revues, fascicules de presse et journaux, enregistrements sonores, partitions
ALCEDO ATTHIS
Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
hello Charlie , I put a message at tonton vélo forum , I 'm King ,( kingfisher alcedo atthis for the story )
so wait ans see , but what was the journal to drive research ?
https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?t=55641
and an other one here
www.velovintageagogo.com
so wait ans see , but what was the journal to drive research ?
https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?t=55641
and an other one here
Connexion
www.velovintageagogo.com
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It appears to be from page 184 in the document at the first link below. Strickland was also listed in the official directory of the World's Columbian exposition, May 1st to October 30th, 1893. This is available at the second link below.
Benson
International exhibition Glasgow 1901 : Official catalogue (side 189) - Danmarks Tekniske Kulturarv
Årstal: 1901
tekniskkulturarv.dk
Hello Athis,
I got the year wrong, it was the second half of May, 1885. They started in Cherbourg, Valognes, Coutances then Granville, where there was definitely a photo. Avranches, Pontorson, Dinan, Ploermel and the wheel collapsed in Vannes.
She was called Fanny and her husband George Brayshay.
I think we had better move to ffison (at) tiscali (dot) co (dot) uk. I have started with gallica.
Many thanks.
I got the year wrong, it was the second half of May, 1885. They started in Cherbourg, Valognes, Coutances then Granville, where there was definitely a photo. Avranches, Pontorson, Dinan, Ploermel and the wheel collapsed in Vannes.
She was called Fanny and her husband George Brayshay.
I think we had better move to ffison (at) tiscali (dot) co (dot) uk. I have started with gallica.
Many thanks.
I finished the ribs and moved on to the inwales, quite complicated pieces of woodwork, let alone the steaming, so I have reused the originals.
The original screws holding them to the strips and outwales were mild steel, so had rusted. I had to use a hollow drill to release the shanks from the wood, so the inwales were quite heavily perforated. To strengthen them, and perhaps keep moisture and bugs out, I glued 1" dowels in. I then had to mark where new brass screws could go, avoiding the dowels, the rusted remains of the original screws
the ribs and the holes where the screws holding the coaming will go, at approx 4" centres.
It seems inwales and coamings are unusual on a Strickland, so I've drawn a rough of the construction and a couple of photos of the well-worn originals. The inwale has to be relieved underneath to clear the ribs. The original ribs were consistently 3/8" half-round, ie 3/16" thick. The ones I had a local firm machine from rock elm planks are not so consistent, so they needed work for the inwale to fit.
The original screws holding them to the strips and outwales were mild steel, so had rusted. I had to use a hollow drill to release the shanks from the wood, so the inwales were quite heavily perforated. To strengthen them, and perhaps keep moisture and bugs out, I glued 1" dowels in. I then had to mark where new brass screws could go, avoiding the dowels, the rusted remains of the original screws
It seems inwales and coamings are unusual on a Strickland, so I've drawn a rough of the construction and a couple of photos of the well-worn originals. The inwale has to be relieved underneath to clear the ribs. The original ribs were consistently 3/8" half-round, ie 3/16" thick. The ones I had a local firm machine from rock elm planks are not so consistent, so they needed work for the inwale to fit.
I've turned the canoe over and started scraping the outside. With good old hindsight, I can suggest that anyone intending to replace ribs AND scrape the outside, do the scraping first.
I don't know if the ribs and nails were first fitted while the strips were still damp from steaming, but the nailheads had sunk into the strips. Of the 900-odd nails I have replaced, maybe 5% were still proud, probably because, when cutting the ends and turning them over, there is a risk the hammering will drive the nail back a little. This makes the scraping more difficult.
In the photo you can see the new nails, the old ones, the scraped paint and a bit of unscraped.
I was hoping the outside had been varnished and then painted but it seems the black paint was applied under the waterline first and then the rest varnished. The black has soaked into the wood and I don't think it's worth trying to remove it. Besides, the paint seems almost like it has been heated, in places it is very thick and almost crystalline. The varnish comes off comparatively easily.
There are many bumps and gouges - it has had an active life.
I don't know if the ribs and nails were first fitted while the strips were still damp from steaming, but the nailheads had sunk into the strips. Of the 900-odd nails I have replaced, maybe 5% were still proud, probably because, when cutting the ends and turning them over, there is a risk the hammering will drive the nail back a little. This makes the scraping more difficult.
In the photo you can see the new nails, the old ones, the scraped paint and a bit of unscraped.
I was hoping the outside had been varnished and then painted but it seems the black paint was applied under the waterline first and then the rest varnished. The black has soaked into the wood and I don't think it's worth trying to remove it. Besides, the paint seems almost like it has been heated, in places it is very thick and almost crystalline. The varnish comes off comparatively easily.
There are many bumps and gouges - it has had an active life.
I finally had a go at the crystalline paint with a heat gun. It smelt of tar and bubbled, some remailing in the cracks but it came off fairly easily. I asked Mark Edwards and they use Bostik bituminous black paint, made for waterproofing outside surfaces such as roofs.
I'll mask the water line and bash those pesky nailheads again before using that.
Thinking about those nails, perhaps it would be better, after knocking them through and before cutting, to bend them 45 degrees and establish the bend before cutting and finishing off. That way there might be less chance of the nailheads being driven back.
I'll mask the water line and bash those pesky nailheads again before using that.
Thinking about those nails, perhaps it would be better, after knocking them through and before cutting, to bend them 45 degrees and establish the bend before cutting and finishing off. That way there might be less chance of the nailheads being driven back.
ALCEDO ATTHIS
Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
I'm amazed how white the cedar is, after all these years. I've been using a 1" chisel with the end heated with oxy-acetylene and bent 90 degrees. I sharpen it about every 4 sq. ft. A friend who is restoring a Thames skiff (clinker-built leisure rowing boat) uses heat and paint stripper but I think I prefer scraping. It may be slower but it's cleaner, dryer and I think gives a better finish.
The raised nail heads are still a pain and sometimes the grain in the wood seems to run neither way. What is particularly annoying is the use of mild steel screws, the rust stains the wood heavily and when I unscrew them, the rusted shank breaks, which means a new hole. I suppose. long ago, when materials were expensive and labour cheap, saving a few pence made sense.
Worth Gretter
LOVES Wooden Canoes
Charlie, I once made the same complaint (perhaps a bit stronger!) and a WCHA member said, "you know, the builder never expected this canoe to last 100+ years and that you would be restoring it today". Fair enough. I see the point and I no longer complain about iron fasteners!
Yes, I suppose so but most of the fastenings are copper or brass. I suspect a later reworking, using what was to hand.
The chap helping me, who did a (full size) wooden boat apprenticeship 60 years ago, said that one of their early jobs was to burn old boats, then rake through the ashes to reclaim the fastenings.
The chap helping me, who did a (full size) wooden boat apprenticeship 60 years ago, said that one of their early jobs was to burn old boats, then rake through the ashes to reclaim the fastenings.
ALCEDO ATTHIS
Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
I bought three tools in three size like this 25 years ago and many blades for the oak stairs and floor, like this , but single blade in U as same but this one you put two blade on the handle, double time an other double time whith reverse in use before sanding ... the mine where from US in our great tools and material seller
so a blue steel spring keep from an industrial curtain , cutted , bended drilled forged and fixed on an handle is the poorman best tool for us
so a blue steel spring keep from an industrial curtain , cutted , bended drilled forged and fixed on an handle is the poorman best tool for us
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Yours seems a better tool for flat surfaces, but a canoe is mostly curves and more delicate than an oak floor.
Scraping is a surprisingly forceful activity but, at the same time you need to be ready to stop before digging in. Easier said than done.
I tried a cheap plastic scraper but it was useless, whatever tool you use needs to be strong.
For the inside of the canoe, your tool, Athis, would have been good for the ribs, but between the ribs I needed a curved blade, regularly sharpened and given a burr (a sharp lip).
Scraping is a surprisingly forceful activity but, at the same time you need to be ready to stop before digging in. Easier said than done.
I tried a cheap plastic scraper but it was useless, whatever tool you use needs to be strong.
For the inside of the canoe, your tool, Athis, would have been good for the ribs, but between the ribs I needed a curved blade, regularly sharpened and given a burr (a sharp lip).
