Message-Id: <97Apr15.083137edt.14740-2@prufire1.prusec.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 00:55:26 -0400
From: carl_vonkleistiii <carl_vonkleistiii@prusec.com>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Subject: Re: ribs and building outdoors
compilation of two posts
Greg Pearson wrote:
>
> Wayne wrote:
>
> I hope to start on my first skinboat sometime this year. Since Wolfgangs
> book seems pretty complete I thought I'd build one as he describes, before
> attempting a scaribou. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to
> collect my willow ribs now rather than later. In Wolfgangs book he mentions
> that winter wood is more flexible than spring -summer wood, although the
> latter are easier to peel. Its barely spring now here, and the willows are
> just starting to bud. It may be too late for winter wood as I'm sure the
> sap is starting to flow, at least in some.
>
> I will not be starting on the boat for at least a month or two, and
> possibly longer.
> Is it possible (or wise) to gather my ribs now before they become summer
> wood, and keep them supple (somehow?) until I use them, or should I just
> wait and use summer wood so the ribs dont sit around?
I had the opportunity to fool with some willow branches that were cut by our
office landscapers last summer. Green, they were very flexible. They were
cut on a Monday, and I gathered them and let them sit with in the water of a
little decorative pond for about two weeks. They stayed pretty flexible
during that time period. They were not suitable for ribs as they were mostly
very crooked; however, as Wolfgang says in the book, when you bend them into
the shape of a rib a lot of the crookedness comes out of them. Not enough
crookedness came out of these to make them usable, but it gave me an idea of
just how straight (or how crooked) a branch could be before it was unusable.
I threw most of the sticks away, but a few stayed behind and dryed out over
the winter. I have been bending them and flexing them off and on when I
happen to pick one up. It's fun to see how far they will flex! When they do
get flexed to the point of catastrophic failure, it appears (to my untrained
eye) that the failure usually propagates from a flaw or weakness in the stick
where a branch had grown off of it. I also noticed that some little creature
drills into the sticks (while the branch is alive) and bores small holes down
the pith of the wood. Sometimes these holes seemed to be the source of
weakness that started the break.
It is amazing how strong and flexible the sticks are. It takes a good deal
of effort to break one as thick as a thumb. It is also amazing how much
difference there is in the strength of different diameter branches. 1/4"
branches snap quite easily, 3/8" branches less so, and 1/2" and 5/8" branches
take a lot of effort to snap. It does seem that sharp bends such as those
found in the bow of the boat are easier to make in green wood. Dry wood
seems to tend to crack more easily than the green when the radius of the bend
is very small. The inner section of the radius on a green stick seems to
crush instead of split, while the outer section of a dry stick seems to
splinter: this is for tight, angular bends.
I didn't fool with stripping the bark, but I am going to use green sticks and
try to peel them with some kind of wire stripping brush attached to an
electric drill if peeling by knife is too difficult....or how about a
potato peeler???
>
> What are the pitfalls of building outside (or at least building the frame
> outside), other than the obvious desire to keep things dry? I dont have an
> indoor place quite yet, although I hope to by fall. I'd really like to get
> started well before then, and outside is my only option. Temps will range
> from 30's to 90's, with plenty of rain, although I can cover things up. The
> biggest problem I forsee is securing the frame during severe windstorms
> storms which are certain to come.
I have left my frames out unprotected in the winter weather here (probably
equivalent in temperature and precipitation to your springs), and they seem
to have weathered it rather well. I don't see any serious degradation of
them, but it is a hassle having work times limited by the weather conditions.
One frame that I mentioned as having warped beyond use actually is in very
good shape after a week of lying flat on my deck in the rain/sun/rain...I
will not have to replace it after all. It seems to have a lot of resiliancy
in the wooden gun'l's. I have paid a little more attention to the others,
and have noticed that if they are lain on an uneven surface they will bend to
conform to it as much as possible, but then will return to their original
shape when lain on a flat, straight surface or stood up straight against the
house for a day or two.
>
> I confess I havent read the book cover to cover, so maybe some of this is
> in there. I WILL read it thoroughly before starting anything. Thanks
>
> Wayne
>
> I was just about to ask the very same question - could all replies please
> be posted to the list.
>
> Thanks.
> Greg Pearson
It SURE would be nice to have a nice warm and dry garage to work in! But
this summer, I'll be wishing for AC.....
--
Eric von Kleist We pray for one last landing
Hilton Head Island, SC On the globe that gave us birth,
USA To rest our eyes on the fleecy skies
And the cool green hills of Earth.
Carlyle said, "A lie cannot live"; it shows he did not now how to
tell them. Mark Twain
********************************************************************************
The confidentiality of Internet e-mail cannot be guaranteed. Information you se
nd us over Internet e-mail could be viewed by persons other than the intended re
cipients. Therefore, you should not include your PSI account numbers, credit c
ard numbers, passwords, home address or other private information in your e-mail
messages. Also, PSI will not accept buy or sell orders, address changes, funds
transfer requests or other instructions normally requiring your signature by e-m
ail.
********************************************************************************