Closed Gunwale

How would the demensions of a closed outer gunwale of a Kennebec compare to a stock gunwale (for the average open outwale) of most w/c canoes? My old ones seem to be about 3/4-7/8" x 1/4" x about 17' (after bending for a 16' canoe. Outwales seem to be thicker on open gunwale canoes. It almost seems like you could use some moulding, or something easy to find, as opposed to special ordering stock and ripping down some ash, spruce or cherry. I used spruce for inwales, approx 7/8 x 1". Would ash look OK against spruce? Would I need to bend a hardwood vs. a spruce? Or steam bend at all?
Thanks,
Bill

 

hi Bill

Spruce in and Ash out is used. I've seen Ash/Ash and Spruce/spruce. Outwhales generally are hardwood more often than inwhales. My current project is going to be spruce/spruce. Cherry is nice. Mahogany is favored by some. I used Cypress once and liked it. When it comes to bending, it depends on how much. I soak my gunnels in the pond for a week and then boil them. Pouring hot water over a stick that has been soaked may be fine if it isn't too much of a curve. That's interesting tht closed gunnel outwhales are only 1/2". Sounds like birchbark influence. For my two forms the shear is gradual so I can get away with less boiling, OR steaming.