Bending the stems

Introduction

Garage clear out

Model choice

Tracing plans

Making the moulds

Bending the stems

Strongback

Mounting

First strip

Planking

Outer stems

Sanding

Epoxy outside

Sanding inside

Epoxy inside

Gunwales and fittings

Canoe seat

Paddles

Odds and sods

Launching

Home canoe building

Last update: oct 20  2007

Oct 11, 2007

Collected together a Hema kettle, our old camping hot plate, a small piece of plastic drain pipe and some old rags.

Cut the strips - inner stem is Oregan Pine, outer stem is American walnut. Tied 3 inner stems and 3 outer stems together with tape, steamed for about 1/2 hour.

and suprisingly easily bent the strips and clamped them to the mould

Oct 20 2007

After drying the wood, glued the inner stems and the outer stems. Used parcel tape on the layer between inner and outer to avoid glueing together. Glued with epoxy mixed with West 405 filleting blend.

Now I have 4 stems.