: I'm building the canoe "Sweet Dream" from Marc Pettengill's book
: (at least I think that's the name). Today I drilled the holes around the
: stem, and tied the lower stem with wire ties. Then, per the instructions
: in the book, I am beginning to force the stem closed. Oh yeah, I have
: sanded the inside edge of the seam, hoping to avoid problems with the
: joint slipping. At any rate, with the thing about half-way closed, I'm
: getting some significant cracking. I suspect I might just need to be more
: careful to keep the forefoot aligned correctly as I close it, but I wanted
: to hear from the communal brain here at kayakforum before I press on. I've
: posted some pictures on my webpage - if they don't load up for you at
: first attempt, maybe try copying the address into a browser window - the
: pictures are there, but sometimes links from here don't seem to work right
: for me. At any rate, thanks for whatever suggestions you might have to
: offer.

: http://us.geocities.com/ptlyons/

: Peter
You could try steaming the wood or spray it with water and let it soften, then torture it carefully.