Making contoured seats
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Making contoured seats
I am going to make the seats for my canoe. I want to make contoured seats. Can someone out there tell me the radius of the curve of the seats? As I understand it, the drop in the seat is about 1 inch.
I caned the seat for my Wee Lassie. I plan to cane the seats for my Freedom 17 as well. I spaced the holes per Mac MacArthy's book for the Wee Lassie. I think I would like to space the holes a little closer to get a finer weave of the cane. Any recommendations?
Thanks.
I caned the seat for my Wee Lassie. I plan to cane the seats for my Freedom 17 as well. I spaced the holes per Mac MacArthy's book for the Wee Lassie. I think I would like to space the holes a little closer to get a finer weave of the cane. Any recommendations?
Thanks.
- Pete in the Deep South
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I purchased contoured seats already made up from http://www.edscanoe.com.
Try a radius of about 18.5 in. ......that would be the solution for a middle ordinate of 1" and a chord lenght of 12" if my arithmetic is correct.
Try a radius of about 18.5 in. ......that would be the solution for a middle ordinate of 1" and a chord lenght of 12" if my arithmetic is correct.
KG4YOL
- Pete in the Deep South
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- Location: Jasper, Ga.
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- Glen Smith
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- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
Paul, I will take you up on that kind offer. Please forward to glen@charlevoix.net .
I would also like to take you up on that offer. Please forward them to tmann@keywestretaining.com
Thanks!
Thanks!
- Armin, Germany
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May be this is something interesting I found in a german forum:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/55 ... v?start=12
Armin
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/55 ... v?start=12
Armin
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I have finally gotten around to starting the seats. I am making 3 seats. I am replacing the center thwart in my Freedom 17 with a seat.
The approach I settled on was to make the contour about 3 inches less than the width of the boat at the seat location. Each seat has a 1 inch drop.
I marked the seats dirrectly on the 1 1/2 inch by 2 inch ash balnks. The contour is on the 2-inch face. I marked the centerline and the top of each contour. For example, on the seat that has a 15 inch wide contour, I marked the centerline and then a line 7 1/2 inches to either side of the centerline. I marked a 1-inch drop on the centerline. I then used a spline to draw a fair curve through the three points--the top edge of the curve, the bottom of the curve at the centerline, and the other end at the top edge. I repeated the spline technique 3/4 inch below the first one. The result is a 3/4 inch by 1 1/2 seat frame member with the 1 inch drop for the contour.
I copied the markings from one seat frame member to another one. The pair will then be joined with mortise and tenoned cross pieces.
I repeated the process for each seat. I have not cut the seat parts out yet. I don't have a band saw so will be using a friend's. I will go over there this coming weekend.
The approach I settled on was to make the contour about 3 inches less than the width of the boat at the seat location. Each seat has a 1 inch drop.
I marked the seats dirrectly on the 1 1/2 inch by 2 inch ash balnks. The contour is on the 2-inch face. I marked the centerline and the top of each contour. For example, on the seat that has a 15 inch wide contour, I marked the centerline and then a line 7 1/2 inches to either side of the centerline. I marked a 1-inch drop on the centerline. I then used a spline to draw a fair curve through the three points--the top edge of the curve, the bottom of the curve at the centerline, and the other end at the top edge. I repeated the spline technique 3/4 inch below the first one. The result is a 3/4 inch by 1 1/2 seat frame member with the 1 inch drop for the contour.
I copied the markings from one seat frame member to another one. The pair will then be joined with mortise and tenoned cross pieces.
I repeated the process for each seat. I have not cut the seat parts out yet. I don't have a band saw so will be using a friend's. I will go over there this coming weekend.
Am I to under stand you are cutting the contoured frame from solid stock? Any curved seat I have seen was made from 1/4" laminated strips, stronger that way.Charles G. Clark, Jr. wrote: I marked the seats dirrectly on the 1 1/2 inch by 2 inch ash balnks. The contour is on the 2-inch face. I marked the centerline and the top of each contour. .
AT the least you may want to check the run of your grain. Wouldn't want to spend all that time only to suffer a break out.
someday I'll fly, someday I'll soar
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I am cutting from solid stock. I wrestled for some time about laminating. I tried to determine, from pictures, if the commercial seats are laminated. The pictures look like solid wood. Take a look at the picture at Ed's Canoe site.
http://www.edscanoe.com/index.html
I am concerned about the strength of the seat though. I am thinking that I will make the seat 1" rather than 3/4" thick.
Still, I haven't done anything that I can't change, yet. I welcome the opinions of my fellow builders. My decision is imminent though, since whatever I do I will do it this weekend.
Chuck
http://www.edscanoe.com/index.html
I am concerned about the strength of the seat though. I am thinking that I will make the seat 1" rather than 3/4" thick.
Still, I haven't done anything that I can't change, yet. I welcome the opinions of my fellow builders. My decision is imminent though, since whatever I do I will do it this weekend.
Chuck
- Glen Smith
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This is from Ed's Canoe website:
However, I feel that using laminated rather than solid stock would allow you to use smaller dimensions thus lower weight. I think you need to carefully select lumber with a good grain structure for this type of project to eliminate risk of breakage.Ash, Walnut, or Cherry You decide..............All of our woods are solid and select. NO laminations, stains, just natural beauty.
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I have done laminations before. I am fairly comfortable doing them. Therefore, since I do have concerns about the strength of the solid seat cut across the grain, I will switch to building laminated seat parts. It may not look as pretty as solid, but it does solve several concerns that I have had.
I appreciate the responses I have received so far. I will keep you posted on the outcome. I should be able to make the lamination forms Friday and glue up the seat rails on Saturday. Since I will use epoxy for the laminating glue, it will be the middle of next week before I can finish machining the seat parts.
Chuck
I appreciate the responses I have received so far. I will keep you posted on the outcome. I should be able to make the lamination forms Friday and glue up the seat rails on Saturday. Since I will use epoxy for the laminating glue, it will be the middle of next week before I can finish machining the seat parts.
Chuck