Oops!

[greenvilleguy]

I've enjoyed reading the posts from you "pros" so much, I thought I give you a laugh at my expense.

I was so proud that I had finish installing the stems on both ends, tying the repaired decks, the new inwales and the new stems together and repairing the cant ribs. I just sat back a minute to enjoy my work. Then I saw it.

Can you see anything wrong in the first picture? Look at the last new rib under the stem. Unfortunately, it's upside down. I bent it with the roundover on the outside of the bend. I tried to convince myself to just leave it, no one would ever notice. I even though that if I made that end the stern (it was originally the bow), that the stern seat would partially obscure it.

Finally, after I'd slept on it, I knew I'd never be happy unless I fixed it. Yesterday I un-tacked enough ribs from the stem to remove the errant rib and I bent a new one. I'm headed down now to install it - two days lost.

I'm sure none on you have ever done anything this boneheaded!

 

[Mark Adams]

been there, done that.....

 

[davelanthier]

ME TOO! Most frustrating.

 

[Steve Ambrose]

Backwards (taper pointing the wrong way) but never upside-down I found it helps to adhere to a 3-beer limit while bending in ribs.

 

[Gil Cramer]

I almost always bend inwales down instead of up.

 

[ppride]

I did the same thing yesterday! Noticed it while bending it around the outside of the canoe. I was able to stick it back in the steam box, re steam it and do it right. White cedar is amazing stuff. Pete

 

[Dan Miller]

I'm sure none on you have ever done anything this boneheaded!

Nope, never.

Cheers,
Dan (pathological liar)

 

[greenvilleguy]

Six ribs in a row!

I did the same thing yesterday! Noticed it while bending it around the outside of the canoe. I was able to stick it back in the steam box, re steam it and do it right. White cedar is amazing stuff. Pete

Pete,

I noticed in your photo that you replaced 6 ribs in a row. Wow! I did four without a lot of planking support and had to put in 5 batens to keep from having bulges.

 

[Fitz]

Ahh....

Don't look too closely at my Prospector tripping canoe.......

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Here's a story to make you feel better.

My 1st complete restoration was my '58 Seliga, which due to time and abuse, got all new trim, including decks.

After I removed the original decks, I looked at them close to figure out how to duplicate them, and then I saw it;

Joe had installed the deck upside down.
Joe wouldn't admit it, even when I showed him the deck, but it was.

The underside is very nicely crowned down, and the forward tip is nicely bent down. The "top" is nicely thinned/scalloped on the rear edge.
I would guess that back in those days, Joe worked long hours to make lots of canoes, and mistakenly scalloped the wrong side and installed it, either knowingly or unknowingly.

This deck is one of my treasures that I will keep forever.

Dan

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Dan Miller is telling the truth

i swear to it. He's never done one wrong and neither have I. I did see a Chestnut once with a backwards rib, and it was original, having been bought new by the owner I restored it for.

I know a guy who lives in my small town, who even works in my barn who installed one inside out once. But only that one time. I, er, I mean, HE, put it back in the boiler and bent it around the other way with no ill effects.