Search found 209 matches

by AlanWS
Fri May 05, 2017 11:54 am
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: cane seats 2
Replies: 8
Views: 4787

Re: cane seats 2

What I can see looks very good, but for some reason while it says there should be 65 images, the highest numbered one it will deign to show me is 48.
by AlanWS
Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:18 am
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: To Double layer the bottom ?
Replies: 16
Views: 9514

Re: To Double layer the bottom ?

How strong it is, how much epoxy it takes, and how heavy the canoe winds up are all related. When you apply epoxy to the glass, it soaks in and makes an uneven layer. Canoecraft explains the best way to fill the weave using extra layers of epoxy, then sand down to a smooth surface without cutting th...
by AlanWS
Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:28 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Quarter-sawn boards suggestions
Replies: 9
Views: 7360

Re: Quarter-sawn boards suggestions

I think the reason most use quartersawn strips is simply that they are cut from flatsawn planks that are usually cheaper than quartersawn.
by AlanWS
Sat Nov 30, 2013 9:56 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Show us your decks
Replies: 20
Views: 21776

Re: Show us your decks

DeckLoon.jpg
Here's a recent one of mine.
by AlanWS
Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:20 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: How light could it be?
Replies: 11
Views: 8475

Re: How light could it be?

One of the most effective ways to minimize weight without sacrifice of strength is to wetout the glass with epoxy, then to cover the wet surface with a plastic film and roll it smooth. After cure, the film is peeled off leaving a smooth surface that needs no fill-in coats. It can be sanded with 360 ...
by AlanWS
Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:51 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Interior Hull filled with water before fiberglass
Replies: 3
Views: 2381

Re: Interior Hull filled with water before fiberglass

Ouch. Swelling of the wood causes the hull to buckle, since the glass does not. Heating the wood to dry it thoroughly might shrink it enough to minimize the problem. A bright incandescent lamp may be enough. That happened to me a long time ago (1972?) and I dealt with it simply by glassing the insid...
by AlanWS
Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:06 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: inwale and deck material question
Replies: 8
Views: 5128

Re: inwale and deck material question

If you want a lightweight, light colored wood, try spruce. Sitka spruce used to be the recommendation, but is harder to find. I have a canoe with spruce decks, seats, and gunwales. I think one outwale needs attention, but the boat is almost 40 years old now.
by AlanWS
Fri Mar 16, 2012 12:14 am
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Vertical stripes
Replies: 4
Views: 2785

Re: Vertical stripes

It's hard to be sure, but sounds like what can happen if you don't maintain a wet edge. As you apply epoxy, it soaks into the cloth and to some extent, the wood. At the edge where the cloth is wet by epoxy, as it spreads into the dry cloth it thins out and covers less well. As long as you continue a...
by AlanWS
Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:39 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Help with webbed seats
Replies: 5
Views: 3302

Re: Help with webbed seats

My temporary webbed seats have lasted almost 40 years so far. I didn't use stainless, but I think I used screws rather than staples. I will need to replace them soon, but it's the webbing itself that's deteriorating.
by AlanWS
Fri Aug 19, 2011 12:45 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Low angle block plane or Spokeshave
Replies: 14
Views: 10527

Re: Low angle block plane or Spokeshave

I also would start with the plane, and don't think it needs to be low angle. A spokeshave is useful for paddles, but does not seem to me to be needed for the curves of a canoe hull. A card scraper is also a wonderfully simple and useful tool: get one. I have found that some cedar boards scrape beaut...
by AlanWS
Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:33 am
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Ammonia/water wash before varnish ? WHY
Replies: 5
Views: 3120

Re: Ammonia/water wash before varnish ? WHY

The ammonia wash is a good idea if you have blush. The reason is that epoxy hardeners are amines, which are basic. Exposure to water and CO2 can convert them to their bicarbonate salts, which are water soluble if small enough molecules. This part you can wash away with plain water. But some of the a...
by AlanWS
Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:05 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: My hull is warped
Replies: 7
Views: 3688

Re: My hull is warped

It sounds as if it's now less humid than it was when you put the glass on. The glass/epoxy does not expand and contract with moisture, but the wood expands sideways to the grain as it takes up moisture, and shrinks as it loses it, but does not change significantly along the grain direction. This cou...
by AlanWS
Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:03 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Alternatives to painter holes?
Replies: 20
Views: 11122

Re: Alternatives to painter holes?

If you want to put a painter hole through the hull, John Michne has a nice write up of one approach:
http://michneboat.com/Building%20the%20 ... ter%20hole
by AlanWS
Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:46 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: any advice about a 10" band saw for strips?
Replies: 11
Views: 6504

I agree with Jim, Glen, and Woodguy00. I have used both a tablesaw and a circular saw, and prefer the circular saw method.
by AlanWS
Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:35 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Scarf Orientation Question
Replies: 6
Views: 6330

I scarfed using the A orientation with epoxy, which helped the joints to blend in because it's transparent and will cover all anyway. The thin edge helps. Some of the joints are hidden to the extent that they are hard to find even if you know where to look. Some (where I did a less good job of color...