This is a reposting of an old post on mine on installing stem bands. Call it “the Complete Idiots Guide to installing stem bands,” because its geared to those who’ve never done it before and are likely to make a lot of mistakes (like me).
The only time I had trouble installing stem bands was when I pre-drilled the holes before I bent the stem band. At the first curve the stem band broke at a hole.
What I’ve done since is to pre-drill only 3-4 holes at the end of the stem band on the bottom of the canoe. Then, with the stem band attached with screws at these 3-4 holes, bend the rest of the stem band. Then I’ve detached the stem band and drilled the remainder of the holes at the work bench. This two step process also makes it easier to work with the bedding compound. Do a dry fit without the bedding compound. Then your next step, after you’ve all your holes drilled, is to put the stem band on with the bedding compound.
Also consider this. While many makers did install the stem band so that it bent at 90 degrees over the deck, I don’t think this is really necessary and, in fact, clutters up the deck. Consider bringing the stem band just up to the underside of the inwales, where they extend past the deck, instead of bending it back over the deck. (Some like the band over the deck because they say it protects the deck, especially, if, when you’re portaging, you like to rest one tip of the canoe up in a tree branch or something. I never do this, so, it doesn’t help me.)
Also if you haven’t much experience working with metal (I don’t), I suggest you make a couple of test drills on a short piece of stem band, to make sure you have the rights bits for the hole and countersink. Unlike drilling in wood (at least with my bits) once you have one diameter hole, you’re pretty much stuck with it.
I was just working with a simple hand held drill (not a drill press), so I made a simple drilling jig to drill the holes accurately. As I recall it consisted of about a ¾ inch piece of pine, about 3 x 5 inches. In the exact center of the pine I drilled a hole the size I wanted. Then on the underside I glued two thin strips of wood, which were just as wide as the stem band, to make a channel that the stem band fit into. I clamped the jig onto the work bench and then slid the stem band into the channel. This I found the best way to lock the stem band in place while I drilled the holes.
Screwing down the part of the stem on the flat bottom lets you bend the curve by hand. But, as with any bending wood, even after you’ve got some curve in the band, it’s going to bounce back some at you. So the screws double as a clamp and a second pair of hands, in other words. Ideal would be if you had the form the stem was bent on, you could bend the stem band on it. Even then, though, I think the stem would bounce back some.
So drill your other holes once you’ve got some curve in the band, reattach the band at your 4-6 bottom predrilled holes, and then start securing the full curve you want, using the holes you drilled in the curved part. If you haven’t got a helper, some duck tape helps keep the band down flush.
Have some stem band screws of longer length handy. While theoretically, the screws are going through the canvas and planking and into the stem, sometimes my screws just hit air on the other side of the planking.
Another problem crops up when you start attaching the stem band to the curved narrow face of the wooden stem. This face of the stem will be covered in two layers of canvas that have been stapled or tacked to the face of the stem, and then covered further with filler. So when you are attaching your brass stem band, you will be drilling holes in the stem face for stem band screws some of which are going to hit your staples (or tacks). Because the brass stem band screws are softer, the staples (or tacks) are going to chew them up when you screw them in. and they won’t grip the wood well. The fix to this is to first use steel screws (the same length and gauge as your brass ones), instead of the brass ones
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