Temperature range for fastening wood

[Bob Sherlock]

First year member here with a question that I haven't found in searching Forums:

Do I need to worry about cracking and splitting when working on an older canoe's wood in cooler temperatures such as 45 or 50 degrees F?

Specifically, I'll be fastening new inwales and decks to repaired and scarfed rib tips (using Spanish windlass here and there to tug things into position) and to new stem tips. Also, tacking on new sheer planking. Just a bit worried that older wood might be brittle if not warm.

I am working on a 1925 Old Town HW 16 footer. It's my first project. A lot of sentimental value -- I bought the canoe when I was 15 y.o. and enjoyed it greatly before selling it to a buddy in the late 1970s. I just got the canoe back earlier this year.

Lacking a workshop, I am doing the work in a garage. A space heater helps somewhat, but pretty soon I won't be able to get things very warm in there. The project is well along -- during warmer weather, I stripped fiberglass off the hull; replaced a dozen cracked ribs and 20-plus feet of planking; scarfed or repaired dozens of rib tips; stained the new wood to match the old; and spar varnished. Am trying to get new inwales and new decks installed before real winter sets in.

I'm really grateful for all the great advice I've found here at WCHA (personal shout-outs to come later). Could not have things where they are without the generous sharing of knowledge from so many of you!

 

[patrick corry]

Bob, I'm in the same circumstance re: a cold, unheated shop. I have done lots of restoration/woodworking in less than ideal conditions and the only restrictions I know of are those related to glueing, filling canvas, painting, varnishing, etc.

I have a canoe nearly ready for new canvas but I don't see the sense in canvassing now, in the cold, because I can't fill the canvas until Spring anyway. I would be concerned about the tightness of the canvas if it sits in the cold all winter. Canvassing for me is a single day project so there's no advantage in doing it now and waiting months for good weather. I'll just wait for Spring, stretch and fasten the canvas, then fill the canvas the following day.

 

[MGC]

Except to your hands, I'm not too sure that the temperature makes a significant difference, but the age and condition of the wood does. Old wood tends to be a bit brittle. You should consider predrilling.
I have a tendency to use old pieces of wood saved from other projects and when I do, I almost always predrill before I tack, and especially if I am working on a piece that is heavily shaped (round). To fit those pieces I use a damp/wet cloth and my waxing iron to form the planking, predrill and then tack it in place.
The other thing you need to watch for is the run of grain. I have had problems splitting newly sawn planking if I don't predrill. My rough cedar is quite dry so bending poorly sawn really dry wood will result in splits if it is not predrilled.
I used to keep a small wood stove in my garage. I fed it with wood scraps. It doesn't take much to make a big difference. A Harbor Freight salamander is also a good way to get heat into a cold garage. I'm with Patrick on waiting to canvas.
For doing the rails, you might have trouble if you can't get your steamer to pump out enough steam/heat.

 

[Bob Sherlock]

Thank you, guys! I have read quite a few of your past entries in Forums and appreciate you advising me, too.

I am learning woodworking as I go and don't have the capability to make gunwales. So along with other quality Old Town parts and raw materials, I bought inwales and outwales from Island Falls Canoe. Jerry Stelmok pre-bent them for me in the vertical plane. When the weather was still warm I did the bends in horizontal plane using the plastic bag steaming method I learned about here on Forums. It worked like a charm and I am hoping that the inwales and decks being pre-bent should help a lot.

I will pre-drill for all fasteners, for sure. Even in summer I split a plank before learning to pre-drill.

Once I have the inwales and decks installed, I plan to hang the canoe upside down from the garage ceiling and complete everything else in spring.

And will look into that salamander idea too, even for the near term work.

 

[MGC]

To each their own, but I tend to hand canoes right side up. I have 4 of them hung that way as I write.... reason being, I do not like a hogged hull. If the boat miss-shapes in the same plane as the rocker (presuming there is one) you will probably never notice it. If you end up with the classic saw horse hog, it stands out from a mile away... so I tend to hang the boats that I hang, right side up. Even on my racks or horses, I tend to store right side up. They do fill with junk, and dirt etc. but they don't get hogged.

 

[Bob Sherlock]

Hogged hull... interesting... another thing to educate myself on... thanks!

 

[Worth Gretter]

Bob, this post touches on a lot of items of interest to me!
First, steam bending with the plastic bag method. That has worked well for me in the past, and I am about to do it again, but not on a wooden canoe. My friend has her 8 foot fiberglass dinghy (yes, in my cold garage!) for restoration, and we cut the oak gunwales yesterday, so steam bending is next.
And the dinghy is hogged! About 3/4 inch, which is a lot over only 8 feet. However, I told her she will be OK for two reasons: 1) the boat is so short, and 2) the oars are long and of course controlled independently, so turning won't be the problem it would be in a badly hogged canoe that is twice as long and paddled.
P.S. I learned in naval architecture school that hogging was a real problem with wooden ships. That is counterintuitive since you would expect ships to be heavier in the middle (especially with cargo) and thus sag (the opposite of hog). They hog because the ends are only a little bit lighter but a lot less buoyant.