Tackless Wood/Fiberglass?

[JEM]

The more I look at ribbed canvas/fiberglass canoes, the more I want to build one. I think they look better than even a woodstrip cedar canoe.

I see American Traders makes some of the canoes without any tacks, just epoxy gluing the ribs to the planks. Has anyone ever tried this?

 

[Dan Miller]

without any tacks, just epoxy gluing the ribs to the planks. Has anyone ever tried this?

No, and can't see why anyone would want to. Glues can fail, wood wants to move and epoxy doesn't, you've eliminated any chance of future restorability, and so on. Bad idea. Really bad.

 

[JEM]

But many, many boats have been, and are being made with frames glued to planking via stitch and glue.

But I suppose they als have the benefit of fiberglass holding the seams.

Built and taken care of, no restoration would be needed.

 

[Dan Miller]

But many, many boats have been, and are being made with frames glued to planking via stitch and glue.

Yes, but you are taking plywood, which is significantly more dimensionally stable than solid wood, and totally encapsulating it in fiberglass and epoxy. Apples and oranges. Same thing for a cedar strip. Totally encapsulated. That is why those building systems work. They also have a finite lifespan.

Built and taken care of, no restoration would be needed.

Once the canoe passes out of your own possession, you have no control over how it is stored or maintained. Even in your hands, accidents happen - rivers abound with rocks, stumps and re-bar. Canoes are dropped, come off cartops, etc. I should think if an accident did happen, you'd like to be able to repair it to as-original. And, isn't it nice to think that in 100 or 200 years, someone might be interested in restoring a canoe you built?

 

[JEM]

well this would be for a personal project. Not for resale.

But yes, it would be nice to have that longevity.

 

[martin ferwerda]

There was an article in one of the early issues of Wooden Canoe about a guy that was building wood canvas canoe without the tacks, using glue. I think it was called Pelican Canoes, If somebody has the CD's they could do a search for it.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

These guys build w/o tacks.

Haven't seen one in person .

http://www.maplecreekcanoes.com/index.html