Cedar strip keel bedding

[MGC]

I am not very familiar with cedar strip canoe construction but it's time to learn.
Mine leaks a bit under the keel.
I presume that the person that varnished it 10 plus years ago removed and replaced the keel and did not bed it properly....I am only guessing.

Are these keels bedded?
Is there a preferred bedding compound that I should use?
How much is normally used?
Do I varnish the planking under the keel before I replace the keel?
What did WW use on the boats he built? I don't want to stray from original construction too far.

As an aside, I thought my IG was a bit twitchy.
I know that my Cnut Fox is a handful (with two paddlers).
This thing.......holy mackerel Andy!
My wife and I need to put on some more pounds or drop a dead moose in it next time out.
It makes my Maine canoes feel very solid in comparison.
I am lovestruck.

 

[MGC]

Are these keels bedded?
Is there a preferred bedding compound that I should use?
How much is normally used?
Do I varnish the planking under the keel before I replace the keel?
What did WW use on the boats he built? I don't want to stray from original construction too far.

I'm hoping for someone with strip canoe experience to weigh in on this.

In the WW build section of Canoe I can see that he is attaching the keel on the unvarnished boat so that seems to answer my question about that.
I am still interested to learn what I should use for bedding and also if anyone is familiar with what Walter used.

 

[john hupfield]

You could use Dolfinite. I generally put some 4200 or sometimes even 3M5200 on the screw and re-attach. This way the keel is not glued to the canoe and the screws can be extracted at some later date while the hole is plugged. Some over application of goop may require a hot knife to part the keel from the hull at some later date.
More likely; steel screws starting to rust, or splits in or at the garboard or joint between the stem and garboards.
Congratulations on owning a Walter Walker all wood canoe. Am lovestruck too.

 

[MGC]

You could use Dolfinite.
More likely; steel screws starting to rust, or splits in or at the garboard or joint between the stem and garboards.

Thanks John. Much appreciated. I looked at Jamestown and found it. The description sounds spot on.
I will not be surprised to see some cracks when I pull the keel but the thought of rusted screws never dawned on me.
Do you know what the specs for those are and where I can buy them?
I suppose they should be easy enough to measure up but if you already have a source it would be nice to know.

 

[john hupfield]

No, not local. Can't go wrong with Silicon-Bronze, likely 1inch # 6 or 8,give or take a quarter. You can certainly use SS and avoid guessing. Me, I would use 1 inch 8 SS with 3/4 inch at the tips. Get them local or get S/Bronze from Jamestown.
Don't recall Walters preference.