Canoe gunwale replacement

The subject here is gunwhale materials.

My dory weighs maybe 500 pounds, lived for years on a mooring, and I even used it to tend lobster pots. It needs hardwood gunwhales.

I just don't think hardwood is warranted for a 80 pound canoe.
 
Shawn,
use ash.
It will be worth the extra when you are done.

Dont sweat the long length. Buy it in 8 or 6 footers. Take Eric up on the milling.

Here is the trick. Have him make up a sled for his table saw with a runner for the miter slot. On top inlet or just nail down a guide for a 12 to 1 scarf. Easy Peasy J($#@$&()# as they say. Epoxy a few together for the 14+ you need.

I think you will have to steam from the look of it. Again, no big deal.. Build a steam box out of PVC pipe with a coupling. Stuff the ends with rags and add steam from a hot plate and a big tea kettle(Metal Gas Can(Unused)) with a hose fitted to the spout(Think mountain still rigging).

Wooden boat has tons of articles on it but you will be amazed at how ash takes a bend when out of the box. Look at the Rushton Canoes or the Adorondak guide boats for examples.
 
To steam or not to steam...I did not steam mine, nor do I think it will be necessary looking at the curves on your canoe. Ash will bend easier than oak, and is slightly lighter and almost as strong. As far as weight, I don't think that 3/4 x 3/4 piece will make all that much difference. My canoe is almost 19 foot long, so I used a 10 footer that I riped down and joined in the middle. I secured the middle with clamps, then screws, then step by step, using all my clamps worked my way out to each end (a little bit one way, then the other.)

Even if you treat your canoe with a decent amount of care, softwood will take a beating if you car top it. And even if you save a couple of pounds, are you going to notice the difference in gunwale wood weight with the whole canoe on your shoulders?

Great find you got there!

Chuck
 

I would think the weight difference between ash and white oak would be minimal.

Ash lbs/ft^3 is 40-53 (this is white ash)

White Oak lbs/ft^3 is 47

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-density-d_40.html
 
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As an update... I mentioned my wood choices to one of the older gentlemen that works for me, and he said he had some white oak stored from when he had a bandsaw mill some years back. They are 1x6x16 ft. long and he offered all I needed for free! I plan on going with him after the first to pick some up and Eric I will get with you after the season if that is o.k. Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions. Shawn
 
Shawn,

Rough cut lumber is normally thicker then the stock lumber yard "stuff"

1" is cut rough as 1", planed to 3/4" and sold as 1" stock even though it is now 3/4" thick

2" is rough cut as 2" planed to 1 1/2 inches (or maybe 1 3/8) and sold as 2" hence 2 x 4 are really 1 1/2 x 3 1/2

So the insanity of dimensional lumber is like..............why are we always buying under sized stuff?

I buy most of my hardwoods by the 8th and rough cut....another whacko ball game

Just don't ask to play the buy it by the board foot game.......without a calculator handy

Matt
 
Matt,
I should have said the material is true 4/4, and will need to be milled to 3/4" x 3/4" for the gunwales. Bill may decide he likes it 4/4 and keep it that way. Thanks again for your help. Shawn
 
You could possibly even mill it with one edge on an angle, to give a cant to the gunnels, as opposed to square/flat? Just a thought. On my particular hull, I have initial intent to cover it with split, black high-pressure plastic tubing, anyway....I just think the new hardwood gunnel edges will be MUCH stouter than the pre-fabbed aluminum pnch-tube that they come with...at least for reenforcing and protecting the upper glass edges. Thanks again Shawn.
 
Shawn and Eric,

When you are selecting the wood keep in mind the grain direction for making the bend easier. If the grain is flat or parallel to the surface it is being mounted to it will bend easily and make for a fair curve.

If it is 4/4 stuff you will have no problem getting some flat grain to make the bend.

Shawn do you want solid ones or gunwales with slots in them for tying stuff in?

I found a bowl style routing bit with rounded lower corners makes for a better looking slot in the gunwale. The rounded inner corners are easier to shand and seal with oil and don't wear down the straps and cords as much as a square inner corner.

To cut the slots my friend made an upside down box joint style jig and used a guide bushing about the same diameter as the bit. It was slightly dangerous if he would have tried to bring the bit up it would have hit the bushing. The jig used a piece of wood the same size as the slots being cut. He free handed the first cut against a fence and then clamped the jig into that cut and the open slot guided the next cut using the bushing. He did both inner pieces at the same time with them clamped between two pieces of scrap to prevent tear out.
 
I have given some thought to the slotted gunwales Ray. A friend told me the slots were there to allow water to run out in stead of pooling on the inside edge of the gunwales when you store it upside down. A few of the canoe building sites I looked at showed the being made several ways. From the routered method you mentioned to being piece built with maybe walnut pieces as the stand offs. The canoe came with solid gunwales, so I will most likely go back with that. It all depends on how much milling Eric wants to do LOL. Shawn
 
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