I am looking for advice about making a laminated rib to repair my Bailey canoe. The originals are thin, laminated. What wood should i use, where can I buy it, and do I first laminate and then steam and bend, or do the strips need to be bent before laminating? here is a foto of one of the ribs, and the outside of the damaged boat. Thanks in advance for advice!
Laminated ribs
- Thread starter Sandy80
- Start date
Rob Stevens
Wooden Canoes are in the Blood
Sandy, I don't think that rib is laminated. Don't see a glueline, simply two colours in the wood. It appears to be ash, but could be elm. Do you have the broken out piece to test?
Dan Lindberg
Ex Wood Hoarder
That looks like a 7 lamination rib to my eyes, and is that a stripper, ie, glass/resin on the outside?
Yes, either check the broken out piece if you have it, or take a sample from the piece still in the boat, and match the species.
If it were me, I'd cut new laminations, and lightly steam them and bend over a form before glueing.
After they dry, I'd glue them over the form.
You will also need to rip some planking strips.
The fun part will be deciding whether to make scarf joints on the planking or run them to the nearest ribs.
If this DOES NOT have a layer of glass on the inside, I'd go the the ribs. (it doesn't look it does.)
good luck,
Dan
Yes, either check the broken out piece if you have it, or take a sample from the piece still in the boat, and match the species.
If it were me, I'd cut new laminations, and lightly steam them and bend over a form before glueing.
After they dry, I'd glue them over the form.
You will also need to rip some planking strips.
The fun part will be deciding whether to make scarf joints on the planking or run them to the nearest ribs.
If this DOES NOT have a layer of glass on the inside, I'd go the the ribs. (it doesn't look it does.)
good luck,
Dan
Todd Bradshaw
Sailmaker
Yes, they're laminated and probably ash. 1/8" thick ash bends pretty easily, especially when there is a temporary strap on the outside of the bend and maybe a little steam or time wrapped in a hot wet towel. Glue them up, clamp them onto some sort of temporary form to generate the shape, let them dry and then clean them up as needed. What is maybe more of a concern are those wide gaps between the strips on the inside of the hull. With no resin or glass inside, they're kind of asking for eventual water intrusion and damage. Once patched, I'd varnish the inside really well to help seal those areas.
