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I accidentally sanded too much on one side of the stern, does that matter? Am I supposed to sand the other side to make it symmetrical?
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Question about Sanding Too Much on One Side of Stern
- Thread starter Canoe beginner
- Start date
I probably would, but I wouldn't make myself crazy about it.
Looks like you need to build another boat (once this one is finished).
Jim
Jim
Oh wow. I would try to even it out a bit, somehow. How thin are you with the strips on that side? Can you see light thru the wood grains?
Roy
Roy
You want to keep anything along the center balanced, reshape a bit to keep it symmetrical.
Brian
Brian
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...or just concentrate on perfecting your j-stroke and get to glassing...
Agree with Gamma1214…..BUT I have never built a canoe so I ask this out of pure curiosity…could some sort of filler be applied then reshaped? Seems like such a small amount…
Maybe I am being critical here, but some one has gone to a lot of work so far and has come asking for help on a new build ... telling them to learn to paddle harder on one side is what i would expect in Facebook, not here. If that isn't bad enough, some one agrees that the builder should learn to paddle harder on one side.
We can do better IMO
We can do better IMO
I'm not a builder either, but it would seem that a wood filler would block out the wood grain unless it were transparent.
On edit: I suppose it could be built up with extra layers of fiberglass on the concaved side, but it would probably still look a bit asymmetrical.
My interpretation of the comment to “work on the J stroke” is that it meant the small diversion from stem symmetry wouldn’t make any difference in hull performance….don’t want to speak for Gamma1214 but I took it that way, hence my agreement with the comment. No snarkyness intended.
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Cruiser, Canoe Beginner and anyone else concerned... Sincere apologies if my glib remark offended. (I am just staring on my first build and I'm pretty certain I'll have some bigger mistakes than this to deal with before I'm done.) With the variance that I'm seeing, I wouldn't think there would be enough (if any) change in the hydrodynamics to concern me and I'd get to glassing, paddling and planning the next build.
Aesthetics are more important to some than others but the OP clearly asks "does it matter?" so I assume the concern was performance-related (function / drag / tracking) and the aesthetics were something he can live with. Admittedly, I could have been clearer about that instead of posting (what I intended to be ) a good-natured "relax, it looks great from here"... Some things simply don't translate well on the internet.
I'll try again in a way that is less open to misinterpretation:
CB: I would glass it & spend the time paddling unless the aesthetics are bothering you. I hope my first turns out that well.
Aesthetics are more important to some than others but the OP clearly asks "does it matter?" so I assume the concern was performance-related (function / drag / tracking) and the aesthetics were something he can live with. Admittedly, I could have been clearer about that instead of posting (what I intended to be ) a good-natured "relax, it looks great from here"... Some things simply don't translate well on the internet.
I'll try again in a way that is less open to misinterpretation:
CB: I would glass it & spend the time paddling unless the aesthetics are bothering you. I hope my first turns out that well.
I have 2 concerns- it looks like one side is quite convex while the other is seriously concave at the watermark, this could have a real affect on performance because it will affect how the canoe cuts through the water- think of a car that has hit a curb and knocked a wheel out of line.
My other concern is the strength in that area, how thin is the remaining material? if there's a large difference, it will always be a weak spot in a vulnerable area, and it could lead to uneven flex, creating even more stress on it. Even tying it down could pose problems because if you do the usual and tie from the deck or grab handle you could actually twist it out of line, and it could assume that twist permanently over time.
If appearance isn't critical, I'd glass over it until faired with the opposite side, but if appearance is critical then I'd cut it out and splice in new wood. That's a big job requiring you to cut the strips at different points to stagger the joints, and trim and scarf in new pieces while trying to match the grain and color as close as possible, for that a flush cutting trim saw is your friend.
My other concern is the strength in that area, how thin is the remaining material? if there's a large difference, it will always be a weak spot in a vulnerable area, and it could lead to uneven flex, creating even more stress on it. Even tying it down could pose problems because if you do the usual and tie from the deck or grab handle you could actually twist it out of line, and it could assume that twist permanently over time.
If appearance isn't critical, I'd glass over it until faired with the opposite side, but if appearance is critical then I'd cut it out and splice in new wood. That's a big job requiring you to cut the strips at different points to stagger the joints, and trim and scarf in new pieces while trying to match the grain and color as close as possible, for that a flush cutting trim saw is your friend.
I can hardly tell from that picture, but i'm pretty sure I have done worse and lived with it. Just touch it up as best as you can and move on, that would be my plan. When it's finished, you will be the only person who notices small imperfections, all your friends will say things like "wow, that's so beautiful", and I can guarantee none of them will say "Hey your stern stem is out of plumb, you should burn that canoe in a bonfire".
It’s really hard to see/understand all that was sanded too much. My earlier comment of it looks like you need to build another boat comes from my personal experience. The first three boats I build had major flaws that could not be corrected, but with each one I learned to make new mistakes.
Jim
Jim
It's hard for me to see exactly from the picture, but it looks to me like the left side of the picture is slightly under sanded to be fair to the hull, and the right side of the picture is slightly over-sanded. I'm certainly no expert, with exactly one stripper to my name.
I would definitely take a "pause" at this point. Try to fully understand where you are at, where you want to get to, and how you'll go about it.
Start by placing a straight edge along each side, at multiple locations add notes, either on painters tape on the hull, or on a separate note pad. I'd probably do notes right on the hull (on tape). Use a +/- system, from one side to the other. If at all possible, I'd try to get the stem symmetrical and fair to the hull. If that's not possible, I'd go for symmetrical, with a blended shape from fair to existing stem, if that makes sense.
Proceed slowly, and with caution. If you're sanding, back off on the grit (higher number). Yeah, it takes a bit longer, but that isn't always a bad thing.
I would definitely take a "pause" at this point. Try to fully understand where you are at, where you want to get to, and how you'll go about it.
Start by placing a straight edge along each side, at multiple locations add notes, either on painters tape on the hull, or on a separate note pad. I'd probably do notes right on the hull (on tape). Use a +/- system, from one side to the other. If at all possible, I'd try to get the stem symmetrical and fair to the hull. If that's not possible, I'd go for symmetrical, with a blended shape from fair to existing stem, if that makes sense.
Proceed slowly, and with caution. If you're sanding, back off on the grit (higher number). Yeah, it takes a bit longer, but that isn't always a bad thing.
One other thought: The canoe in my avatar was built as an inexpensive wood canvas, later stripped and fiberglassed. It is not symmetrical side to side. I don't know if that happened on the original build, extensive use, or the repair. I can't tell the difference while paddling.
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CB: your original post was a month ago and I'm curious what action (if any) you took and how it worked out. I'll publicly apologize if you were offended previously but I'm certain someone else will sand too much at some point in the future and any updates might be helpful to someone in a similar position.
Either way (update or no), I hope it worked out to your satisfaction and you're paddling it soon (if not already).
Either way (update or no), I hope it worked out to your satisfaction and you're paddling it soon (if not already).
Ya I'm curious also. I've built one canoe, and I feel lucky that it turned out as good as it did, as far as I know. When I was fairing the hull it dawned on me that I had no idea how much wood I was shaving off. I couldn't think of a way to even measure that.
You are creating a piece of art. And like people the small imperfections defines our individuality and beauty. Yep that's a bit mushy.
Roy
You are creating a piece of art. And like people the small imperfections defines our individuality and beauty. Yep that's a bit mushy.
Roy
I've had that concern while sanding (runaway belt sander) and simply took a straight-pin, measured the shank, tapped it through, and measured how much stuck out, the hole is tiny enough to not create any noticeable damage or affect the finish
I have a "mini" belt sander that I used for lots of work on the canoe. I think the belts are 2 1/2" by 14" Hardly ever use it for general woodworking, because in those situations I like the heft of the sander to help with the work, and a bigger belt. On a canoe, it's almost the opposite. Less weight, and one handed operation make the "oops's" far fewer, and less drastic. I also find myself working in unique postions, where holding a heavier sander is tiring. I was going to buy another, just so I didn't have to change belts as often, but they don't make the sander I have any more. If I ever see one at a rummage sale, I'm buying it.
