rib removal and the cold

[Bill Perron]

In the "Wood and Canvas Canoe" the varnish was stripped first and then the broken ribs were removed. The temperature and wind chill here in Walpole makes stripping at this time of year impractical. I could, however, remove and replace the ribs before stripping if I knew it wasn't a violation of some rule/practice or otherwise cause disharmony in the universe. Is there a rule?

Thanks again for all of your help and encouragement and...

All the best

Bill Perron

 

[Ric Altfather]

No Violation!

Bill,

The reason for stripping the inside is to make it easier to remove the ribs...they get glued in by the varnish. If you take it easy, carefully use a utility knife to score along the rib and maybe even a heat gun you should be able to get them out. Or, I have seen a Dremel tool used to cut the clenched end of the tack (inside) on the face of the rib, push the tacks through and ease the rib off. You could even split the rib and pull the pieces off...your replacing it anyhow. Just be careful of the planking, you don't want to create more work than necessary. Others may have some helpful hints on this.

All the best,

Ric Altfather

 

[Blue Viking]

Good words of wisdom from Ric!.....I removed 3 ribs from a chestnut that I am restoring....Colder here than in Walpole!...Lincoln, NH!...I didnt have a dremel so i got one of those cutting discs and used it in a drill...Cut into each clinched nail and then gently separated the rib from the planking...and OH YEAH....make sure you pull the ring nails out from the inwale! A little TLC and they will pop even if there is SOME adhesion to the planking.....The primary words here are CARE and PATIENCE!.....Good luck.....

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

Bill,
I attempted to send you an answer earlier but apparrently pushed the wrong button. As I said in that one - as I understand it one of the reasons for stripping first is that some cracks or breaks in the rib do not show up until the varnish is off. When I went to take instruction from Pam Wedd we removed the five ribs on my Morris by putting a fairly large center punch on the clenched tip of the tack and stricking it sharply. This drives the tack out on the plank side. She then uses a pair of modified diagonal cutters to rock the tack out. The modification is the sharpness of one jaw is rounded so it does not cut the tack. and the rocking motion lifts the tack without damage to the planking. Additionally the points on the cutters can be shoved under the head of the tack when removing planking and then role the tack out. It works really slick. Good Luck - Denis

 

[Dave Wermuth]

It seems to me

if you put a new rib in and then strip the varnish, would that not mess up the new rib? I suppose, but then again it may even help to color it similar to the other ribs? You can always make the ribs, bend them, and install them later, after stripping the whole thing. Installation doesn't take long. Planing, milling, shaping ribs takes several steps and some time. I think that the main reason to strip first has been mentioned. You'll probably find another rib or two that should be replaced. When replacing ribs do one at a time. If you take out several adjacent ribs you might end up with a lumpy, not so fair canoe.

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

Dave has a good point which I forgot to mention. When I had 3 ribs in a row cracked we left the middle one till the outside two were done. Then turned the canoe over and braced it from above so it would not round out [ the Morris has a fairly flat bottom]. When I used to repair and refinish furniture I would wait to strip it till I made a repair then smear the old goo on the new wood as I stripped it. Most time that helped it take on the old look. Not sure that would really help with most canoes with only varnish on them. It may help with canoes that originally had dark stain on the inside like the Morris' ,or our Rushton. Guess I will find out!
Denis

 

[Douglas Ingram]

You can replace ribs before or after stripping the varnsih for exactly the reasons described. I've done it both ways a needs dictated.

BTW, I also use modified diagonal cutters for tack removal. They're still the best I've used. Get the 7" size if you expect to remove many tacks, they fit the hand better for long term use. Modify them by grinding the back corners off so that you can roll them without crushing the planking. I didn't grind off one of the cutting edges as it makes the tool less precise for grabbing under the tack heads. My older ones wear the edges off, and I find them arder to use as a result. You want to keep the points sharp to get under the heads.

 

[Wetweasel]

I just had to add my two cents. My alternative to the dremel tool was a grinding point chucked in my drill. Once I ground off the clenched part I just tapped the shaft with a nail set and the tacks popped right out.

 

[Bill Perron]

It worked!

Thanks to you all (I sound like from the South...well southern NH anyway) I have successfully replaced my first rib. With dremel whirling, belt sander grinding, and nail-set punching, I used a modified tack puller against a piece of soft brass (to keep the planks from denting) to remove tacks. The utility knife trick (scoring the varnish between rib and plank) worked slicker than a pinch of...well you know. My wife says she also prefers to remove paint/varnish after replacing pieces of wood for precisely the same reasons you outlined. I am off to reward myself with a wee dram of single malt.

Thanks and

All the best

Bill

 

[Ric Altfather]

Bill,

Welcome to the addiction!

Ric Altfather

 

[MikeCav]

Bill,
On this forum you are bound to find many different opinions on all sorts of things and people will argue endlessly about the finer points of each. I personally think a small batch bourbon goes better with rib replacement.

Yes - welcome to the addiction of old canoes - you are among friends. Now about that scotch...