Search found 209 matches

by AlanWS
Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:59 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Planks not level, help!!!
Replies: 7
Views: 2166

Your canoe will have a shape determined by the molds and where you cut the top, not the pattern of the strips. If your strips are uneven, the consequence will be in the way it looks. It is not often that anyone will see the canoe from the proper angle where it will be apparent that the strips don't ...
by AlanWS
Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:44 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Brass stem band vs. extra layers of fiberglass?
Replies: 11
Views: 3794

I would decide based on which you think looks better. Both methods work fine.
by AlanWS
Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:42 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: staple holes
Replies: 10
Views: 3217

I've made several boats using staples, and would definitely not fill the holes with white glue and sawdust. It is likely to make them far more noticeable. If you insist on filling them, use sawdust in the epoxy you will use for glassing. I've heard people advocate doing that with fast curing epoxy, ...
by AlanWS
Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:58 am
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: epoxy use in basement
Replies: 9
Views: 3721

I agree that polyester type resins are much bigger ventilation problems. Epoxy should not be a problem unless someone has already been exposed and become allergic, or if you have someone living in the house who has extremely bad allergies. Then I would not chance it, because while the likelihood of ...
by AlanWS
Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:37 am
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Redwood Strips
Replies: 9
Views: 6106

It's a little harder and heavier than the cedar I've used, but works very well for woodstrip canoes. In Minnesota in the early '70s it was the usual thing to use, partly because at that time it was cheap and readily available in 20' lengths. It took me a while to realize that there is no need to use...
by AlanWS
Thu Oct 29, 2009 2:44 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Laminated yoke
Replies: 9
Views: 5013

You should be fine. Cherry and ash will expand and contract with moisture content a little more than will white cedar. You can look up the amount in the Forest Products Lab. Wood Handbook chapter 3 http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/products/publications/several_pubs.php?grouping_id=100&header_id=p but th...
by AlanWS
Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:25 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Varnish without amber tint?
Replies: 2
Views: 1415

I no longer worry about it, but a few years ago I looked around pretty extensively for a non-yellow varnish and wound up with system three wr-lpu clear gloss. http://www.systemthree.com/p_wr_lpu.asp It is as colorless as anything, very durable and UV protecting, and not cheap. It's only been a bit o...
by AlanWS
Sun Oct 11, 2009 2:41 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Fishing Line Method Question
Replies: 4
Views: 1950

You can't see through the small gap left by the line because the strips are installed bead up, so the path of the line is curved. That size gap causes no problems, though I suppose there are differences of opinion as to whether the small holes left by staples constitute a problem.
by AlanWS
Fri Aug 21, 2009 3:12 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Hiding Bolts?
Replies: 10
Views: 3856

Yes I was referring to those. I am sorry if I gave the impression that I did not think it was a good solution -- I think it's an excellent one. I just thought it ironic that the particular photo used to show the lack of hardware had such an ugly (IMO) piece of hardware in it. His method without that...
by AlanWS
Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:01 am
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Hiding Bolts?
Replies: 10
Views: 3856

Here's a link tyo a guy who embeds the hardware in the gunwales so it's invisible: http://www.greenval.com/FAQhidden.html He then adds some awful looking piece of hardware, but that does not hold on the seat or thwart. I used a different approach on one boat: I simply fit blocks of wood to the curve...
by AlanWS
Tue Aug 04, 2009 3:30 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Q about tying off caning on seats
Replies: 13
Views: 4617

I think yours looks good, but another option is to simply leave off the binding as I did. My weave is different from usual: notice all the different sizes of 5-pointed stars. It's an aperiodic tiling that does not repeat, even if the pattern is extended to infinity. http://www.woodworking.org/photo/...
by AlanWS
Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:44 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Wood for Construction
Replies: 15
Views: 8860

The strength is mostly from the glass, with the wood providing a stable separation between layers of glass. Lighter wood is nice because it makes a lighter boat, but anything will work. I believe cottonwood is the lightest of those you mention, but the question is whether it will machine and bend sm...
by AlanWS
Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:47 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Stripping with mahogany
Replies: 6
Views: 2556

Mahogany won't sand as easily as cedar, but it should scrape more smoothly. You might be amazed at how quickly and well a simple card scraper works instead of a sander.
by AlanWS
Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:53 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: Varnish seat frames prior to caning?
Replies: 4
Views: 1739

Varnish first to be thorough. A pipe cleaner is a useful tool for varnishing the insides of the holes for the cane. After you cut it, give the wire an extra twist to keep the fuzz from coming out.
by AlanWS
Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:48 pm
Forum: Builders' Forum
Topic: precoat with epoxy?
Replies: 10
Views: 4209

I've done it both ways. Both work fine and have advantages over the other method in some circumstances. It seems to me that many of the arguments about techniques like this come about because what we are doing really is different. Different types of epoxy at different temperatures behave very differ...