Inwales,outwales, wales wales wales.....

[swamprat]

I'm about at the stage with the larkspur build where I need to be thinking about inwales and outwales/gunnels these days. Actually been thinking on it for a while now and had my local custom cut lumber guy mill me out some 20'X3/8" square cypress for both the inner and outer wales. Was going to do something similar to what I did on the pirogue last year with a solid outwale and a slotted style inwale and epoxy it all to the hull. Then I got to thinking, ( I know, I should quit thinking right? )
Number one thought is that the skinny pieces of wood are hard as all get out to seal up with epoxy and make them look nice and neat and I got to thinking about just putting several coats of linseed oil or some other type of oil like sealant and let them be at that and just replenish when needed. Is that a viable option? That's something I can experiment with a little and not the big question..... :shock:

Got to looking at the pirogue last night and it looks like the gunnels are getting more abuse than just about any other part of the boat. At some point on the pirogue those will have to be sanded down to get out all the gashes and chunks smoothed out and everything refinished again. Thinking about going with stainless or brass screws every 6 inches or so on this new build and solid inwales also. Would also seal everything up with some sort of clear caulking to keep water out from underneath them but when they get beat up to the point where they needed replacing, it would just be a matter of unscrewing everything and replacing. With the pirogue, someday I will be faced with epoxy glued railings that need replacing and no easy way to do it short of cutting them off the boat and re-installing.

Any ideas, thoughts?

Thanks as always!
Brad

 

[oldsparkey]

If you are going to use linseed oil then you will have to use screws because the oil will not let the epoxy take a hold on the wood.

I have never tried it and this might be something new to do, providing it works out and I cannot see any reason it would not work for you.

They will require more maintenance then the normal way of doing it but the boat is your baby so why not baby it and that includes not abusing it.
Thinking about it Cypress is impervious to the weather and water when it has dried for a long time so it would soak in the oil and really make it look good, almost like hand rubbed varnish or the Teak like they have on those expensive boats.

My vote is to go for it. You will spend some time on maintance but look at all the time you have spent making the boat..... A little time on maintance would really be worth it.

Everyone needs a show boat , to let folks know they can build one the way they want it.

Chuck.

 

[swamprat]

Thanks Chuck,
After thinking about it some more I think I've decided to go ahead and epoxy the gunnels to the boat in unfinished form then put several coats of linseed oil on them after they are installed. I took a piece of scrap cypress yesterday and after 3 coats of linseed it glows pretty good and comes out the color of light honey.
Thinking behind this is 60 something little screw holes to pre drill and countersink in 3/8" stock and 60 something holes thru the boat itself in the plywood gives me more of a chance of water intrusion under the gunnels, no matter how well I get it sealed up.

Thanks again!
Brad

 

[oldsparkey]

Yep.... That would be 60 screws and some small holes and that could get really big if water got in them and that would be a shame after you have gone to all this work to make an outstanding Canoe. It is better to do it now and not rush the construction then to rush it and pay the fiddler later.

The epoxy will seal the bonding between the two surfaces and later down the road (Say 50 years) if it needs to be replaced then a small saw and a sander would do the trick.
That is what I do ... I hate to have any metal in my boats , after all they are made from wood ....not metal.

I think you have chosen the right path and just be careful when epoxying them together, a light coat on each to saturate them then a coat after that (the next day) when you marry them (join them together). Just remember to use a light pressure so both pieces are touching and not so much pressure or you will squeeze out your bonding agent and have a weak bond. Let the chemicals (epoxy) work for you.

Chuck.