BWCA Gunwale “featherboard” curve Boundary Waters Group Forum: Boat Builders and Repair
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Group Forum: Boat Builders and Repair
      Gunwale “featherboard” curve     

Author

Text

Grizzlyman
distinguished member(792)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/29/2019 12:13AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Not sure if there is a real name for this technique-

I was able to admire an old birchbark canoe this weekend. I noticed that the gunwales had a pretty sharp 90 degree turn up that we’re bent by “ripping” the solid gunwale into thin fingers (all still attached) and then simply bending the thinner more flexible fingers. In other words- cuts were made lengthwise into the last 2 ft of the gunwale on either side that created fingers (not unlike a table saw featherboard)

I thought this was a pretty cool technique.

I was curious if anyone has ever seen this employed on a cedar strip? Seems like kind of a cool idea to incorporate.
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
06/10/2019 04:25PM  
The gunnels where not sawn, but split to make the curve. The stem pieces were built up the same way. These days we would glue these "laminations". Bark canoe builders wrapped them tight with spruce root.

This is my favorite documentary of all time. No narrative, just ambient sound, yet it conveys all the information needed to build a canoe.

https://www.nfb.ca/film/cesars_bark_canoe/
 
gymcoachdon
distinguished member(599)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/29/2020 10:53PM  
sedges: "This is my favorite documentary of all time. No narrative, just ambient sound, yet it conveys all the information needed to build a canoe.


https://www.nfb.ca/film/cesars_bark_canoe/"


Thanks for that link...a fascinating watch! It was made in 1971? I wonder what it would cost to have a canoe made like that today?
 
01/30/2020 08:26AM  
Bark canoe builders are charging about $400-500 a foot these days. Google bark canoes for sale and you will find several. One in Upper MI lives off the grid and makes really nice canoes.
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next