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milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:42 pm
by LesForgue
Anyone used or tried half-round for canoe gunnels instead of flat shaped strips?
Any problem with contorting to fit the curves of your hull?

Seems like to me it would look nicer than right-angle shaped strips; that's about the only benefit I think of;
A downside might be nowhere to grab onto for gizmos that might be fit across the gunnels, like spray covers, or tenting or bug netting to spend the night in the hull.

Any comments on half round gunnels?

Thanks.

Re: milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:29 pm
by jem
They should work well.

You'll have to get creative with attachment points for gear but hey... you're building a boat!

Re: milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:44 pm
by JGood
I have used half round on the inside and outside gunwales of a canoe and at the tops of the cockpit and tankwell walls on several Sabalo kayaks. They make a good continuous grab rail. I make mine by tacking 1/4" strips together and then routing them with a round over bit on a flat surface . Then I glue them while clamping or pin nailing them together in the needed configuration. It only takes a little sanding to make the strips smooth into a nice half round. The half round could be placed on short intermitent strips like a usual canoe gunwale to give plenty of places for tying ropes.
I hope this helps
Jesse

Re: milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:04 am
by LesForgue
Thanks for the replies Matt and Jesse;

Jesse your method sounds like a cost savings over the ready-milled half round.

Re: milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:24 pm
by tx river rat
I tried the milll round on a canoe ,didnt work to well.
Laminating them should work well.
Ron

Re: milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:11 am
by LesForgue
tx river rat wrote:I tried the milll round on a canoe ,didnt work to well.
Laminating them should work well.
Ron
Hey Ron, do you mind giving more detail? What was wrong with it? the Bending to fit hull curves?
Based on Jesse's reply, I see laminating on right-angle stock and then hand-tool shaping it to approximate half-round.
Thanks.

Re: milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:47 pm
by jem
I do need to double-back and say it does depend on the species of wood used. Something like poplar will likely snap.

White pine works ok. Ash is better.

Re: milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:52 pm
by tx river rat
It was to stiff and tried to distart the hull shape, just overall didnt work well.
Ron

Re: milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 7:23 am
by jem
might have been oak.... or you should stop trying to build your hull with butt wipe paper!

Re: milled half-round for canoe gunnels?

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:21 am
by LesForgue
Whatever species I use,
I'll probably start bending it in stages (and storing it bent) to approximate finished shape way before it's time to put it onto the hull;

would shallow (1/16") kerfing help any? would it weaken it much?

(my plywood is 5 mm, a bit thicker than used by the masters of lighweight boats)