Bedding compound?

[Michael Leone]

I am about to mount the outside stems and keel on my 39 AA Otca

Do I need to put bedding compound under the outside stem, I know most people use it under the keel.
The new keel I made has a small cove cut into the underside to except the
compound but the origanal keel I removed was flat as a pancake underneath
and screwwed rite to the paint with no compound!

the outside stem screws go through the canvas and into the inside stem

It realy hurts to drill holes through that beautiful new canvas and paint below the waterline.

Any advice or Hail Mary's would be apreciated

 

[Dave Wermuth]

HI MIchael

Your work looks so fantastic I am intimidated to offer suggestion:
But--We recently handled two keels from two different makers and they both looked flat to me. I think bedding compound is a good thing. At least butter up the screws with the stuff. We plan to use bedding compound full length on Randys keel and stem band.

Myself, I see no reason to jump from a perfectly good airplane OR put holes in a perfectly good canoe. That's just me. Think of the bedding compound as a back-up emergency parachute.

 

[Dave Osborn]

I bed stems, keels, and stem bands. Any piercing below the waterline is likely to leak into the canoe, and/or allow moisture to collect and cause rot to the wood or canvas.

 

[chris pearson]

Holy freakin paint job Batman!!!!!!!!!! How many coats?

 

[Dave Osborn]

What Chris said! Nice paint job!

 

[Michael Leone]

Thanks for the kind words and advice.
This being only my second restoration and the first wood/canvas project I am no expert and have learned much from all the veterans on this site.
I credit Pam Web for her articles in wood canoe, I followed her clear step by step method for applying paint, and it worked. frankly I was shocked myself and
never expected it to look so good.
It's four coats of Kirby's marine, two coats of primer and two top coats applied with a good brush and sanded between coats. I found a quality brush is key.

I have no intention for this boat to be a beauty queen hanging in my garage.
A few days on the Buffalo river and tripping in the Adirondacks are in the works
so I want her to be water tight.

 

[Dave Osborn]

What do you you use as a top coat?

 

[Michael Leone]

Hi Dave

It's Kirby's hull and deck gloss # 24 red and white with 15% # 9 cream added
to tone down the white a little.