Heinrichs rebuild- rib question

Tom Barb

Tom Barb

Active member
Well I once again have been fooling around with my sneakbox rebuild. This could hold the record for longest rebuild ever. I have come to the point where I need to replace a few of the ribs. 5 of them I believe. I took Steve Sanford's advice and am replacing full planks instead of piecing random pieces in. I hope I don't regret this when I go to replank it.

Some of the ribs were badly cracked or broken completely. My question is if these original ribs were steam bent? Or cut from a wider board in the shape of the hull? I believe they are white cedar just like everything else. I tried contacting Ron Spodofora down at the tuckerton seaport but there is no phone in the boat shop and he is a hard man to track down without making the trip up there.

Here are a few pics
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Thanks guys
 
Hi, Tom~

I was up early today, too (since 3:30).

Great photos.

The ribs (frames) look sawn and not bent (steamed) to me. Sawn is the traditional approach for sneakboxes - usually from White Cedar. As I'm sure you appreciate, replacing frames is a big deal. Although not a "pure" restoration technigue, I would think about sistering the cracked ones instead. It looks like plywood gussets were used to tie the hull and deck frames together. I would use a good 1/2" marine plywood with a few screws and set in 3M 5200. Stronger than new frames because there's no cross-grain.

All the best,

SJS
 
Tom, I have worked with Ron off and on since right after Gus passed, and Ron took over in the shop, though not in the past year and a half. As Steve already noted, they are sawn frames, cedar, and prone to breakage. Sistering is a very traditional repair, and the most economical method without complete disassembly as you are doing. Will you glass the hull? I only ask because if you plan to keep it carvel planked and swelled, then you might use more traditional materials/methods in the repairs so that the boat can still move as it was originally built. If however it will be a trailer boat, like mine is, then you have more flexibility in the materials and repairs, as you can make everything more solid without it stressing adjacent areas of the hull.
 
Thanks guys. I am glad to hear they are sawn. This boat will be glassed, trailered, and stored in my garage so sistering should be sufficient. I will replace the ones I already removed (2 I think), which was a painstaking task trying to get out the old screws, and then try and remove the old gussets and sister the other broken ribs. A lot of the gussets seem to be in fairly decent shape. And to replace some of them I would have to remove the shelves on both sides of the cockpit. I think I know the answer already, but do you think I should replace all of them or just the damaged ones?

Also for the sisters, will 3/4 sandwiched on both sides of the 1 inch ribs be enough or should I go with the 1 inch cedar like the ribs themselves?
 
Will you sister with plywood or cedar? If you are glassing, then I would use plywood, coated in epoxy, and 1/2" on both sides with staggered screws. I would use thickened epoxy rather than 5200 to bond them to the rib, but either should work. Predrill for the screws in either case. I would do a good inspection,and only fix what is broken or suspect. Weak spots are already failed, others may never, and can be sistered next season easy enough, though with the access you have now, it maybe easy to just sister them all and have a tank of a hull! Don't forget to include your limber holes in the sisters.
 
with the amount of planks you have removed i would replace ribs rather than sister
yes they are ceder and not steam bent
look under my name i am in the middle of a rebuild of a 1950s lem blackmen (OUT OF TUCKERTOM AREA)
box (sandy put a hold on it) and replaced many ribs
its opean now get it done
have plenty of pics and if you need info the me know
 
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