Well, I got seven ribs replaced on my Chestnut Prospector and I am now ready to stretch the new canvas. Having never done this before I need some help on how to build the wood clamps. I understand that you use 2x4's and hindge the top edge, I'm assuming the wood should be about three feet long. Now does the canvas just go between the two pieces of wood and is clamped using C- clamps? Or do you wrap the canvas aroung the wood? Without pictures, its kind of hard to invision. thanks
Canvas Stretcher
- Thread starter fjalt
- Start date
Steve Ambrose
Nut in a Canoe
Use a dado blade or router to cut a groove in one of the 2x4's and attach a wood strip of slightly smaller width and depth to the opposite 2x4. When you clamp the canvas in between them the ridge/channel will hold the canvas firmly. Flat 2x4's would likely allow the canvas to pull out.
pklonowski
Unrepentant Canoeist
There's an excellent and very detailed description (with pictures) in Jerry Stelmok & Rollin Thurlow's book, available here at the WCHA Store:
http://woodencanoe.org/catalog/prod...d=418&osCsid=7608edbcca8f44eede48314e03f65908
The book also has everything else you'll need to know about restoring W/C canoes. It's worth every penny!
Also search this forum for "canvasing" and I'm sure you'll get a lot of good hits.
http://woodencanoe.org/catalog/prod...d=418&osCsid=7608edbcca8f44eede48314e03f65908
The book also has everything else you'll need to know about restoring W/C canoes. It's worth every penny!
Also search this forum for "canvasing" and I'm sure you'll get a lot of good hits.
JPembleton
Chest Nut
I had no problem using just a couple pieces of rough sawn ash and clamping them tightly. No hinge, no grove... takes a few more minutes to set it up by yourself but for one or two canoes it works fine.
Jamie
Jamie
Paul Miller
Canoe Nut
I just put old belt sander sand paper on the inside of the boards.
Paul
Paul
Tom Widney
LOVES Wooden Canoes
Paul
what a great idea!
tom
what a great idea!
tom
I was bored one day so made up a set of clamps with a tongue and groove set up. It's fancy and all but no real need to be too elaborate. Just one of those days where I didn't feel like doing much else and got carried away with my project.
A buddy just uses two 2 X 4's per end, lays about 10" +/- of the neatly folded canvas across one, places a 3/4" dowel on short side of the canvas next to the 2 X 4, folds the 6 - 8" of the canvas back on itself, places the second 2 X 4 on top of the first and clamps the two 2 X 4's together. Sounds a bit complicated when I read it back but it's really simple in practice. He keeps everything carefully folded and straight so it takes him about one minute to clamp up his canvas for stretching. I should mention that his 2 X 4's have eyebolts, through the wide side, into which he hooks his come-along.
A buddy just uses two 2 X 4's per end, lays about 10" +/- of the neatly folded canvas across one, places a 3/4" dowel on short side of the canvas next to the 2 X 4, folds the 6 - 8" of the canvas back on itself, places the second 2 X 4 on top of the first and clamps the two 2 X 4's together. Sounds a bit complicated when I read it back but it's really simple in practice. He keeps everything carefully folded and straight so it takes him about one minute to clamp up his canvas for stretching. I should mention that his 2 X 4's have eyebolts, through the wide side, into which he hooks his come-along.
Stretcher
Here are a couple of pictures of a stretcher like the one Scot mentioned. It works well, but you can get a bit busy holding it all together and clamping it at the same time. I'm using the upside down method in the photo.
I got the idea from an article in the Journal a long time ago.
Fitz
Here are a couple of pictures of a stretcher like the one Scot mentioned. It works well, but you can get a bit busy holding it all together and clamping it at the same time. I'm using the upside down method in the photo.
I got the idea from an article in the Journal a long time ago.
Fitz
