Date: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 21:28:43 -0700 (PDT)
Message-Id: <199808090428.VAA22989@ns.intelenet.net>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
From: redcanoe@pangea.ca (Douglas Ingram)
Subject: Re: [baidarka] Bending ribs
Here is a simple type of jig that I have been thinking about:
As you probably have some sort of strongback prepared to work on, that is
step one.
Using plywood, cut out stations for the kayak. Make female molds, rater
than the moe typical male molds. ie: you will be working on the inside,
rather than the outside.
Set your stringers, gunnels, and keel, to their appropriate location on the
inside of the molds.
Use your longitudinal pieces to determine the shape for the ribs. Simply
bend them into position. This is much like the building of lapstrake boats,
except that in that method the planking is all assembled on male molds, then
turned over and then the ribs are bent in.
As the stringers determine the ribs shape along the entire length of the
kayak frame, only a few molds are really neccessary. Perhaps five?
Midsection and two in each end. Three would be the minimum.
As only a few molds are needed, a full and complete, (read very accurate),
set of plans are not needed, as would be needed if one were building, say, a
stripper kayak or canoe.
Kayak overall shape could be determined and altered very easily by
adjusting the positions and widths of these few molds, making repetition and
experimentation easily possible.
Setting the ribs to the gunnels would be easy too, as, once they are bent
into place, their actual length is easily determined, and they can be
trimmed easily to their finished length. As the stingers in the female
molds determine the shape of the ribs everywhere, one does not have to do
any adjusting of the ribs to get them to all line up.
Any thoughts? I haven't built my kayak yet, but I've built and restored
LOTS of wooden canoes.
>DrDuktayp wrote:
>"Instead of eyeballing the rib bending I was thinking of making a jig. I
>can use plywood and have bolts sticking up representing each stringer
>location then steam the rib and bend it to the inside of the bolts. I could
>have all of the holes predrilled for each station and just move the bolts to
>get the proper shape for eachstation. Is this similar to how others are
>bending their ribs? Is there a better method?"
Douglas Ingram
Red River Canoe & Paddle
P.O. Box 78, GRP 4, RR 2
Lorette, Manitoba
Canada
ROA OYO
(204)878-2524
URL: www.wilds.mb.ca/redriver
e-mail: redcanoe@pangea.ca