Gluing a strip canoe with a "wood welder"
- John Brice
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:14 am
- Location: Oxford, Michian
Gluing a strip canoe with a "wood welder"
I am new to this forum but have been reading it for 6 months - it is a great resource! I started my first build, a Bob's Special, after Christmas 2009. I have used a WorkRite RF gluer in my shop for many years and was really looking forward to use it to build a canoe, now I don't know how I could do it with out it. You zap the strip several times down it's length and it's done - the glue is cured - no waiting for glue to dry. You can lay up as many strips as you want (or can) in a day or evening. I used white cedar which is light in weight and color but the lengths are 8 to 9 foot. I didn't want to use a lot of short lengths with butt joints so I opted for all scarf joints. Each strip had at least one joint and some had as many as four to avoid joints being close to each other. After a quick zap at each joint I had a 16 footer - it worked great. See http//tinyurl.com/JB-scanoe.
- John Brice
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:14 am
- Location: Oxford, Michian
- John Brice
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:14 am
- Location: Oxford, Michian
Here's the long version URL, maybe it will work better. http://picasaweb.google.com/momamdpopb/ ... 7676028482
- John Brice
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:14 am
- Location: Oxford, Michian
John,
I looked at your pictures. Couple of questions?
You made your scarfs as a miter, while most scarfs that I have seen are cut across the face of the strip or board, which I believe would technically be a bevel. With your method, it seems that you now have a joint that is 4-5 inches long, vs a joint that is only as long as the width of the strip with a bevel scarf or butt joint. Regardless of joining methods, you still have visible seam, why not make it as small as possible?
second, you surface sanded your boards after planing, then you bead and coved your strips. The bead and cove machining would completely undo any benefit of surface sanding as you are removing the face of the board (edge of the strip) . Am I missing the benefit of the extra step of surface sanding? Seems like a lot of time, energy,wear and tear and sawdust for no reason.
I looked at your pictures. Couple of questions?
You made your scarfs as a miter, while most scarfs that I have seen are cut across the face of the strip or board, which I believe would technically be a bevel. With your method, it seems that you now have a joint that is 4-5 inches long, vs a joint that is only as long as the width of the strip with a bevel scarf or butt joint. Regardless of joining methods, you still have visible seam, why not make it as small as possible?
second, you surface sanded your boards after planing, then you bead and coved your strips. The bead and cove machining would completely undo any benefit of surface sanding as you are removing the face of the board (edge of the strip) . Am I missing the benefit of the extra step of surface sanding? Seems like a lot of time, energy,wear and tear and sawdust for no reason.
- John Brice
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:14 am
- Location: Oxford, Michian
- John Brice
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:14 am
- Location: Oxford, Michian
It depends on how long your boards are. If you have some extra length, you could stagger the scarfs between stations and leave the rest overhanging the stems where they get trimmed anyway. If you cut a miter across the board before ripping, that would leave you with a bevel on the cut strip. Interesting. My initial thought would be the pointed edge would get banged up in the milling and handling of the strip prior to putting it on the canoe. If you cut a bevel on your board before ripping, then you have a miter on the strip. Either way may be a more efficient way of scarfing than making individual cuts on each strip. I may have to try this with a small board, then rip strips and see if it works.
Also, your cut would have to be a perfect 45 degress so the two strips would mate together.
Also, your cut would have to be a perfect 45 degress so the two strips would mate together.
- Glen Smith
- Posts: 3719
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
Hi John, nice looking craft. I see you are in michigan. Were did you get the white cedar. I live in grayling and i would be interested in getting some white cedar for some future builds.
I have scarfed and glued boards up to 2.5 inches in width and then ripped them into strips, never having a problem with stacking scarfs one on top of the other. I have also done the the rip and scarf method which to me is a little more work than neccesay just more awkward in handling long strips in the shop. Each way has its benefits and shortcomings.
I will have to look into that wood welder idea, it is intriuging.
Good job John.
Brad
I have scarfed and glued boards up to 2.5 inches in width and then ripped them into strips, never having a problem with stacking scarfs one on top of the other. I have also done the the rip and scarf method which to me is a little more work than neccesay just more awkward in handling long strips in the shop. Each way has its benefits and shortcomings.
I will have to look into that wood welder idea, it is intriuging.
Good job John.
Brad