My hull is warped

Welcome to the new Bear Mountain Builders Forum - an interactive internet service we provide to encourage communication between canoe and kayak builders
Post Reply
seanwatts
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:23 pm

My hull is warped

Post by seanwatts »

Hello my name is Sean. I finished fiberglassing the outside of my Endeavor 17, and then I did not get back to working on it for about a month. I went back to it the other day and now realize the hull and deck are warped. I tried to pull it open and put the forms back in to get it in the correct shape, but it's too tight. I need to know if I can "warp" it back into shape. Can someone please tell me I don't have to start over. Thank you, Sean
willo
Posts: 156
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:48 pm
Location: Echo Bay ON.

Re: My hull is warped

Post by willo »

Not sure what you are describing. Are both the hull and deck glassed on the outside and still together, or are they split , did you already split them and just tried to fit them back togethher . Is the hull sitting in a cradle. Its always a good idea to leave a few forms in if it is going to sit a while.
AlanWS
Posts: 209
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:30 pm
Location: Shorewood, WI

Re: My hull is warped

Post by AlanWS »

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 could tend to make the hull curl in narrower.

If you could hold it out with cross braces at each form spot as you glassed the inside, the glass would hold it in shape after cure. The thing to watch out for would be that it's a smooth curve, and avoids turning out at the gunwales more than elsewhere.

Exposing the inside of the canoe to some moisture would make it open up by itself, and should give you back the original shape. For this you would not wet the wood, just expose it to humid air or a damp cloth. Leaving open pans of water in it overnight would probably work. This would lead to a slightly heavier canoe than if you could force it into shape, because the extra water would be trapped within the wood, between the glass layers.
Alan
seanwatts
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:23 pm

Re: My hull is warped

Post by seanwatts »

I have the outside of the deck and hull fiberglassed and separated them and took out the forms to work on the inside. They are both in cradles and the top edges of the hull are coming together. I've tried to put the forms back in, but it's to tight to pull open. I appreciate the help. It's the wet season here in Oregon so I suspect it has absorbed too much moisture, and I will have to wait till this summer for it to dry out.
wb9tpg
Posts: 114
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: Versailles, KY
Contact:

Re: My hull is warped

Post by wb9tpg »

I'd pry it open some and put in a spacer, I bet you'll be able to move a little more each day until you can finally get the forms in it.
BearLeeAlive
Posts: 196
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:00 pm

Re: My hull is warped

Post by BearLeeAlive »

With the outside of the hull glassed, if the shear is curling in, it would indicate the wood is drying and contracting, not expanding. Would it not?
-JIM-
User avatar
Glen Smith
Posts: 3719
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Re: My hull is warped

Post by Glen Smith »

Yes, the wood has dried out. This happened to a friend and he had to place an electric kettle beneath the deck then beneath the overturned hull to get some humidity back into the wood. Then he was able to stretch it enough to get some of the forms back in place and let it dry a few days. You could use a bucket of warm water and a sponge. Moisten the wood then check on it once in a while until you can stretch it open again.
seanwatts
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:23 pm

Re: My hull is warped

Post by seanwatts »

Thanks everybody, you made me feel a lot better about what seemed like a disaster. I can't wait to get it done and out in the water.
Sean
Post Reply