aspen for the stems?

[Stargzr57]

Was just wondering if anyone has ever used aspen for the stems? I also just ordered the plans for the Bob's special canoe, cant wait to get started! I guess the reason I ask about the aspen is because it seems readly available at Menards here in town. Heck I wonder if I could even use it for the inwales and out wales.

Thanks for all the info in advance, Steve W.

[Glen Smith]

I have never used Aspen so I can't comment on experience but this link has info on it: http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/Ha ... lussp.html

[TexasWoody]

Even if it were free I would not use Aspen. It dents real easy and burns well but gives little heat, splits wonderfully, and has very unremarkable grain structuire. Elk and deer eat it, and the color in the fall graces the western mountains. I think it even decomposes very rapidly. I don't pretend to be any kind of wood biologist, but I think ANYTHING is better than aspen. IMHOjavascript:emoticon(':eyebrows')
Eyebrows

[Stargzr57]

THanks texaswoody! geesh and I was really going to try it too! I do wood burning and it does burn nice and has nice contrast to the burn, but I guess I will have to use it for just that.

[lbabberl]

What woods would be suitable for the stems? I know Canoecraft suggests Ash, but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to find it. My choices around here are going to be cedar, redwood, oak, walnut, cherry, pine, hickory and mahogany.
babs

[Glen Smith]

Cherry and Walnut are great for outer stems, cedar and pine are fine for inner stems.

Edited: And may I add, white oak is good for stems and some species of mahogany also. Some of them are quite soft though so you have to get a hard type. I guess Redwood is suitable for inner stems but too soft for outers.

[TexasWoody]

That was rather unneighborly of me to dump all over the aspen, but not give my opinion or suggest some alternates,
I like oak I guess. I'd recommend a test of the hickory (pecan - in the world I live in the bin is marked "hickory/pecan), and I can get some pecan and air dry it and I believe that I remember that air dried lumber steams and bends better that the usual kiln dried stock. Anyone steam and bend maple? I ought to try that too. bought 200bf last fall when I visited NY. It's air dried and is 1" thick in the rought sawn shape right now. I'd really like to try some mesquite - dandy wood 2+ times harder that oak.
DIck

[lbabberl]

Glen and Texaswoody- thanks for the suggestions on wood.

I may try hickory or maple. If it doesn't work, I can always use anything that breaks for smoking the Thanksgiving turkey.
babs

[Glen Smith]

Babs, I didn't mention anything about Hickory but it looks like I should have at least pointed out the negative properties:
Working Properties:
Hickory is considered difficult to machine and glue. It holds nails well, but it tends to split.

I have never used hickory however so this is not personal preference but rather info from the U.S. Federal hardwood tech sheets available at this link:http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/Ha ... ommon.html

[sel4sel4]

I just steam bent my stem laminations last weekend.

I used white cedar for inner and hard kiln-dried maple for outer.

The maple worked fine (after steaming of course). These stems are for a freedom 17'9" which have a very sharp bend. I used three 1/4 inch strips per stem.

I will be doing all the trim on this canoe in maple. (easy and cheap to get here)

Good luck with your stems


Martin