Learning the curve
My latest project is a cedar strip canoe with carved decks and matching carved paddles. I laminated what I believe to be ash on top of some green, flat-sawn walnut and set it out in the sun to warp. It worked. I then cut two 3/8" oak strips to match the thickness of my work piece + the camber of the warp and screwed the strips to the edges of the board( I made sure that all screws would remain clear of all parts of the machine as well as the carve inside the wood). I then used a level and a block plane to flatten the bottom center of the board and level both sides of the oak strips.
After several attempts which resulted in board tracking, torn belts, and loose optical encoder problems, I finally got my carves roughed out. They came out o.k. but next time I think I'll use straight boards and then hand-plane to get the curve I need to fit in the canoe.
I carved these last year but didn't get started on the canoe until last month. I have a little touching up on the decks before they are installed but I'm confident that they will look great on the boat.
I'll post some pics when I get it all finished. I plan to have it in the water by the first week in June.
Steve
"...I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
― Isaac Newton
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