Suggestions For Bending New Gunnels On Old Town Near The Ends.

[Brad Posey]

I think my plan is to splice the out-wale after they have been bent into shape. My thoughts were to start the bend from the front, and work my way back. The splice at mid-ship will not have to be steamed. After the parts have dried I’ll be able make the splice and mount.
Does that sound like a good plan?

 

[Bob Buss]

I have already installed them. Not perfect, but I will adapt some of these suggestions on my next restoration. Thanks for your input and help. bob

 

[Just1moredave]

If anyone wants to try steam-bending a scarfed resorcinol joint, we would all be interested in the outcome.

I steamed a scarf joint in a plank that I glued with Gorilla super glue. That worked fine so I did it a couple of times. The Gorilla web site has temperature ratings for all their glues and the super glue is OK up to 220F. I think it is the only one of their glues that's rated above 200F. But this originally was a butt joint. The glue is not really necessary structurally. The biggest advantage was avoiding the plank splitting with tacks close to the ends, by eliminating the ends. It just seems wrong to use super glue on a gunwale scarf.

IMGB9991 by Dave, on Flickr

 

[Bob Buss]

Thank-you

 

[samb]

I've spliced outwales with epoxy making sure the joint will be positioned at the flattest part of the bend. I then clamp this in place for a good few inches beyond the joint. I make sure it is positioned so a screw will be holding at the outside sharp end of the splice. I then put poly tube on from each end to steam the gunnels on the canoe. works for me.
Sam

 

[Bob Buss]

Thanks for the post.

 

[Brad Posey]

I've look everywhere that I can think of , for a cross section of an Old Town Outwale. When I received the canoe, it didn't have any outwales. So far I've just winged it and guessed what the shape would be. It would be great if someone had the actual profile. So far this is what I came up with. It will work, but I would like to get it close to original.

 

[Brad Posey]

I've look everywhere that I can think of , for a cross section of an Old Town Outwale. When I received the canoe, it didn't have any outwales. So far I've just winged it and guessed what the shape would be. It would be great if someone had the actual profile. So far this is what I came up with. It will work, but I would like to get it close to original. (sorry the pic is sideways)

 

[Benson Gray]

Mike Elliot has a diagram in his blog at https://canoeguybc.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/open-gunwale-xs_sm.jpg?w=300&h= which is close to how I remember them.

Benson

 

[Bob Buss]

If you send me your address is a message to my FB page, I will send a couple of pieces from the outwales of my 1925 HW. Kept the old ones. Now I know why I kept them. PamBob Buss on FB. Take care. Bob

 

[Just1moredave]

Here's my original, 1944 in spruce. It's hard to get a cross section without actually cutting a cross section.

IMGC3135

I made up this cross section out of plywood and planking scrap, and outlined the cross section in black.

IMGC3137

Your sample will sit at an angle. If you lay a straightedge across the inwales, the sides are not plumb. They tilt in a little. The inside of the gunwale rabbet should match that angle. Here's a shot of the angle I get, but you should measure your own in a few places.

IMGC3136

My old one looks like this on the canoe:

IMGC3112
IMGC3117

 

[Bob Buss]

Holy cats. Your way too technical for this rough craftsman. Sorry!

 

[dogbrain]

Hope it's not too late, but here's the profile of an original outwale from a 1928 HW. To replicate new ones, I cut the rails with a table saw as shown above. Then I steam bent the rails using an insert that fit the rabbet. I did most of the final shaping with a hand plane and a spokeshave with the outwale attached to the canoe. It's a tough shape to match. I wonder how they did these at the factory?

Mark

OToutwale

• dogbrain
• Sep 3, 2018

Outwale profile from a 1928 OT HW

 

[Bob Buss]

I hope the guy at the factory a century ago, got paid a bonus for doing the gunnels. You are right, getting the final shape is difficult.

 

[Brad Posey]

OK, now that that's done I need to see an OT, at the point of the outwale. I've seen the other styles, they don't have the up sweep the the OT has. Boy did I have a time getting that bend. It may not seem like a big deal to you pros, it was a major deal for first timer, me.
So, any one with some close-ups of the ends of the outwales, I would appreciate them.

 

[Dave Osborn]

Is this what you are looking for?

 

[Bob Buss]

Looks great!

 

[Brad Posey]

Look great here to.

 

[samb]

don't know if these are any good to you. . . . .1920 HW A grade.

 

[JClearwater]

It may be a little late to chime in on this discussion but I think it bears mentioning that Dave Satter in post #8 above clamped blocks on the inwale to serve as fulcrums when he pulled up on the new outwale during the bending. It makes the whole process a lot easier. His blocks are clearly visible in his third photo. Additional clamps are necessary to hold the outwale to the boat, not just to keep it in place, but to keep it from twisting which it will have a tendency to do because, if shaped before steaming, it will not be the same cross section dimension throughout it’s length.

Secondly, someone above mentioned using Gorilla Glue. I used the stuff once – never again. It was the most disgusting, oozing, sticky, bubbly, God awful mess I every got myself involved with. Never again – ever! I thru out the unused balance and banned it from my property. I have enough reasons to drink I don’t need another.

Jim