Non-traditional methods

[dumbquestionsguy]

I realize part of the construction of a bark craft is participating in a process that is ancient in some regards, ties one to the land, and honors the inventors of a truly sophisticated vehicle. If the desired outcome is a truly authentic boat, I assume one would adopt traditional methods - no metal clamps, no power tools, etc. I have been digesting Gidmark's "Building A Birchbark Canoe" and noticed each of the 4 profiled builders adopts modern techniques to varying degrees. Some seem to stay pretty traditional, but some utilize a building platform instead of a bed, or use actual clamps, or something similar. I guess it got me thinking to how modern one could be while still producing something one might consider an "authentic" or "genuine" bark canoe. Would using a drill or using nails (American Indians in the early part of the century adopted the use of nails to expedite construction for sportsmen, right?) be across the line? Or would it have to be more flagrant, like ripping planking and ribs on a saw instead of splitting them? What if you split ribs but bent them over a form for them to dry to get a desired shape before putting them into a bark skin in the traditional manner? Would this then become some sort of hybrid craft? A cedar/bark canoe?

Just thought it might be food for conversation - and I think someday I'd like to look into building one of these amazing craft, but I don't know if my limited skills would include the careful splitting of cedar to planking thickness, or mastering a crooked knife to the required degree.

Once again, thanks for the tolerance.

the dumb guy...

 

[Dan Miller]

A lot of crafts are steeped in tradition, and with good reason. However, sometimes it is those that break with tradition that come up with innovation. Just imagine the muttering at the local watering hole amongst the bark canoe builders when that first guy substituted canvas for bark.

Now, our bark canoe builders can speak more fully to this, but I expect that the nature of bark canoe construction dictates riven stock - after all there are no fasteners so the strength of the hull is dictated by the strength of the ribs and planking. You can get away with more in a canvas canoe, as there are a multitude of fastenings making up for the inherently weaker sawn material.

And sure, more than one bark canoe has been built over a form. I believe they were hybrids (i.e. the planking nailed to ribs); it was done by one of our master canoe builders who got started building traditional bark canoes.

In the end, how you go about it is dictated only by what satisfies you (unless you are building commercially, then it is dictated more by what satisfies your clients...)

 

[Fitz]

Hybrid

dumbquestionsguy:

See the post on D.B. Neal here:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=2796&page=2&highlight=Neal

The Maine Maritime Museum has a "bark" canoe he built. He built it on his canvas canoe form and covered it in bark. There are some pictures of the hybrid in the post. From what I gather, he only did it to win a bet. He wagered he could build a bark canoe, took a while to find a suitable tree near Katahdin, and finished the canoe up to look traditional.

 

[dumbquestionsguy]

Split stock is more structurally sound than sawn stock? I know you can split across growth rings, essentially ending up with "quarter sawn" stock, but wouldn't you end up with splits along the grain a lot of the time too? Essentially "flat sawn" split stock?

Interesting - I would have assumed the opposite in terms of strength. Those Native Americans knew what they were about eh? Amazing...

 

[beaver]

"traditional Methods"

This article appeared in Canoe Magazine, October 1987. In it James Dina built a birch bark canoe using only "bone & stone" tools. Now we are talking traditional canoe building .

He went on a trip with his canoe and wrote a book about the adventure "VOYAGE OF THE ANT". Great reading!

 

[Dan Miller]

Split stock is more structurally sound than sawn stock?

Yes, split (riven) wood is strongest, as there is no grain runout, as you can easily get with sawn wood.

 

[dumbquestionsguy]

Ah, well, I just didn't know. I'm dumb, remember?