Rib Thickness

[greatgray]

After painfully slow progress over the winter, I am finally getting to replacing the broken ribs on my Racine Chippewa. In anticipation, I bought a number of 5/16" cedar ribs. However, as I was trimming them to replicate the width and edge shape of the original, I realized the that the old ribs are actually 3/8" thick (despite the catalog specs saying they used 5/16"). So, the question is, do I use the 5/16" ribs, or find some 3/8" material? Will the difference in thickness be noticeable? The two visible ribs I am replacing are in front of the bow seat. Any thoughts?

On further consideration, I expect that since the ribs are fixed to the inwale at the top, there very likely be an noticable warp in the line of the hull as the ribs curves toward the outwale. That being the likely case, is anyone aware of a source for 3/8" cedar rib stock, or will I need to get some cedar rough stock and resaw it myself?

 

[Jan Bloom]

I can sell you a bit of rough and help you cut and plane to thickness. I am about 120 miles from Chi in Paw Paw, MI. Right on I94

 

[pklonowski]

Or, if you have some rough cut & want to plane to thickness, I'm in Gurnee... probably a little closer than Paw Paw. But Jan knows way more than I do...

 

[greatgray]

Thanks for the offers. I can probably handle the cutting and planning (I bought a band saw over the winter, so it will give me a chance to practice re-sawing). I do need to find the rough sawn cedar, though. Jan, I may take you up on your offer if I cannot find something more local to the Western Suburbs of Chicago.

 

[Jan Bloom]

Better to cut them with a 10" thin kerf table saw blade than a band saw. It is much quiker. I started resawing ribs like I do thin instrument stock and qucikly changed to the table saw and thin kerf blade. You lose as much wood either way by the time you are thru planing to dimension. White Cedar is rough cut to 7/8. This is what is considered 1" rough, don't know why but that is the dimension rough stock is graded to. This give you very little leeway to hit 3/8 finished. Resawing with a bandsaw will usually require a minimum 1/2 blade with 4 teeth per inch hook or skip pattern. This is an aggressive blade that will cut a pretty good size kerf. I found it easier to rip the thickness making two cuts on the tablesaw after rough cutting to a witdth of 2 1/2.

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

Greatgrey,
When do you need the cedar? What length do you need? What clear width? My daughter lives in Winfield, Ill.. She will be coming here the weekend of the 30th. She drives a Volvo S 60. Which is why the dimension questions. If you want I can rough mill and send some down with her if I can get it into her car. This is good U.P. White Cedar. If you prefer to email me directly my email address is dkallery@att.net .
Denis

 

[Dave Wermuth]

I like the Highland Hardware Wood slicer 1/2" blade for my 14" band saw for all my resaw work. When I get the saw dialed in it is a pleasure to resaw with. And the kerf is alot less than a table saw blade. You may not have enough thickness if you're starting with a 7/8" rough sawn board and you want to use a table saw. But if you have an inch to start with then the table saw or band saw will work. I tend to get a smoother cut with my band saw. just a thought.

 

[greatgray]

Greatgrey,
When do you need the cedar? What length do you need? What clear width? My daughter lives in Winfield, Ill.. She will be coming here the weekend of the 30th. She drives a Volvo S 60. Which is why the dimension questions. If you want I can rough mill and send some down with her if I can get it into her car. This is good U.P. White Cedar. If you prefer to email me directly my email address is dkallery@att.net .
Denis

Thanks Denis, I will send you an email.

 

[Douglas Ingram]

It won't be a problem as long as you reference the outside of the rib to the planking. Think of it this way, that missing 1/16" will be on the inside of the canoe. You are not referencing the rib to a constant inside point.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Dog,

That's what I was thinking too, except I wasn't sure how the thinner rib top would fit against the inwale. Would it be ok there? It seems to me that it could be made to work.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Oops, so sorry. I apologize to Doug for calling you Dog.
regards,
Dav

 

[greatgray]

Regarding Doug's comment on indexing to the planking, the problem I saw was that the thinner ribs (two in a row) would be tacked to the inwale. Unless I added a 1/16" spacer between the inwale and the ribs, the planking would be brought in 1/16" from its original line at least for the top few inches toward the sheer. This was evident when I dry-fitted a piece of the 5/16" rib material. Out of concern that I will end up with a dimpled canoe, I am just going to cut 3/8" ribs. Seems like the cleanest solution. Just set me back a couple of weeks. As a result, I think I am going to try the Ekofill filler option so I have a better chance of getting her in the water for our trip to our lake at the end of June.