When to replace ribs?

[Howie]

How 'bad' to ribs need to be before you replace them? I mean, it is a bit of a pain, and being lazy I'd rather not do it. Sometimes the rib is obviously broken. And sometimes ribs can look pristine. But isn't there a gray area? I often see ribs with a line in the wood that might be a crack, yet the planking shows no damage and the outside planking contour looks great. So is there some criteria you folks use to judge when to replace 'em? I've come to believe that sometimes ribs were horsed into position when the canoe was made and in the process stress cracks were created. But I'm thinking that in these situations if the rib has survived this long without getting into trouble I might as well leave it be.

How about this as a guide for these iffy ribs: If by causing the rib to flex - say by pulling/pushing on the gunnels or the outside planking - and the 'crack' doesn't open up then the rib doesn't need replacing.

Or do you recommend replacing any iffy rib - just because.

 

[Gil Cramer]

Howie,
Some people are of the " antique" mindset and want to keep as much original as possible. Some are of the what I call " mahogany runabout" mindset and want everything questionable replaced. When restoring for a customer, I do whatever they prefer. If you are restoring the canoe for yourself, replace the ribs that you don't think you can live with. If doing it to sell, replace ribs which you think will either help sell the canoe quicker or for more money.