stem repair

[bernie de jonge]

I'm restoring a 1944 Faber wood canvas canoe...the stems on both ends have rotted at least 4 inches down from the deck. Is there any advice available on attaching/splicing a replacement piece on these stems?...Bernie

 

[Dave Wermuth]

a picture is worth....for what it's worth.

Use a long splice as you can. this picture is from the one I am working on now.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

forgot to mention. I use titebond 11 or titebond 111.

 

[martin ferwerda]

Another example

 

[bernie de jonge]

thanks guys, a picture is worth a thousand words of description.....this will help. The book "the wood and canvas canoe" offered some advice, but I couldn't "see" what they were suggesting.

 

[Woodpile]

Dave, the timing of your pictures couldn't have been any more perfect for the restoration I'm working on a 1918 50 pounder, many thanks. Your scarf repair method was just what was needed. One question before the new inner gunwales go on, do the gunwales butt into the stem or should they be on top if the stems or doesn't it matter as the joint will be covered by the planking, outer and top gunwales. My guess from the structural view would be the gunwales would butt the stems to help absorb any bow impacts, or am I just overthinking it?

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Martin's amazing joinery work notwithstanding, the inwales come together on top of the stem. Old Town toenailed a small nail through the inwale into the stem as i recall. I think my first photo is about right.

 

[martin ferwerda]

My image is a Thompson Indian, probably should have stated that up front, Thompson butted the stems into the inwales using nails, Old Town inwales are on top like Dave said.

 

[Rod Tait (Orca Boats)]

I have a few videos on repairing the inwales and stem tops with the notched style on Chestnuts and other models. Found on my blog at http://orcaboats.wordpress.com/building-videos/ and going to cedar canvas ones.

 

[steve braman]

Thank you for the link to the great videos. I am about to embark on my first canvas canoe repair/restoration and the videos answered a lot of questions that I had. I have much more research to do, but I am now confident in my path forward.