Cracked rib advice please

Grizzle

One repair / restoration so far......
Having restored our Langford over the last couple of yers we've just done about 200 km in it and what were obviously previously cracked ribs have shown up.

This was a previous correspondence, is there now an agreed view, or is it still a case of divided opinion?

Thanks:
Grizzle - UK, and Quebec Province sometimes

  1. Any other approaches anyone can recommend?
    If the "damaged spots are spread out and don't really compromise the overall strength of the hull" then I would agree with the previous suggestion that you "use it gently as is and enjoy it until restoration time." The other obvious option is to 'sister' the broken ribs with new ones as described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?5512 here. Good luck,

    Benson

    Benson Gray, Apr 18, 2012
    #3

  2. chris pearson Michigan Canoe Nut
    As Benson said, "sister" the broken ribs.

    chris pearson, Apr 18, 2012
    #4

  3. Grandlaker Builder & Restorer
    You can do a more permanent repair with epoxy and it will be as strong as original. Go about 1.5" ether side of the crack and with a sharp chisel carve out half the thickness of the rib. or about 3/16th deep by 3" long. Then slightly v out the actual crack line. Cut a piece of cedar 3/16th" or a little thicker by the with of your rib and a tight fit to the length. Mask of the planking ether side of the rabbited rib. epoxy it together sand out smooth, stain to match patina of rib and varnish. I guaranty It will be as strong as the rib ever was.
    I did this on a grandlaker to 14 ribs in a row 15 years ago. That canoe is still being used to guide out of about 60 days a year.



 
What's changed? And why didn't you do something to the ribs back when you worked on it?
As for different methods of repair, they all work and all are temp until you replace (if ever) the broken ribs.
The method you choose is more dependent on your skill level.

When we broke some ribs in a fresh canoe, I just sistered them (3), at the next canvas job they will get replaced,
but in the mean time, it's been many years and trips and they are doing fine.

Dan
 
Thanks.

The reasons for not having dealt with it previously are two-fold; firstly, I didn't notice it / them. Secondly, more may have happened of late in ribs that were dark because of puddled water stain and may have been disintegrating on the plank-surface, leaving them weakened and susceptible.

But thank you again for your help. I'll know another time.

G
 
Update.

I stripped back each rib to bare wood about 4" around each fracture. I applied a layer of epoxy and two layers of wetted out glass fabric. No "creaks", almost invisble - and very quick to do.

I was very attracted to the sandwich technque described by Grandlaker but didn't feel that I had the skills needed, and that I could always revert to that if the simpler system failed.
 
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