Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Re: Strip: Stem end bending *PIC*
By:Dan Caouette (CSCWC)
Date: 12/20/2016, 9:04 am
In Response To: Strip: Stem end bending (Jan Jensen)

I have been following Dan and John's builds of their Pantheras and found them both very useful guides

Glad my Facebook album was such a help. The Panthera is a really fun kayak. It is fast yet agile, like a cat. Well deserving of the name.

In Australia we do not have Basswood or other American timbers.

I did use basswood for the stems as it is light weight, has tight straight grain and bends well. I laminated the stems from 1/16" (about 1,5 mm) thick strips. They were flexible enough that I did not need any heat or moisture.

I am currently building a strip Frej. The bow stem was laminated the same as the Panthera. The stern stem is a tight, nearly 90ยบ bend (pic below). Even with thin strips I had to steam bend those by wetting the wood and then applying a heat gun (breaking two in the process). If that did not work my last option was to cut it from pieces of solid wood.

BTW: On kayaks that are mostly used for racing I often do not even install outer hardwood stems. I round over the cedar strips and apply an extra layer of glass.

Messages In This Thread

Strip: Stem end bending
Jan Jensen -- 12/17/2016, 6:32 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Paul -- 12/17/2016, 7:17 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
anewhouse -- 12/17/2016, 8:31 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Jan Jensen -- 12/17/2016, 9:00 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
JohnK -- 12/17/2016, 9:20 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Jan Jensen -- 12/18/2016, 4:00 am
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Etienne Muller -- 12/18/2016, 4:08 am
Another great video *M*
jaybabina -- 12/18/2016, 8:32 am
Re: Another great video *M*
scottbaxter -- 12/18/2016, 10:43 am
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Jan Jensen -- 12/18/2016, 4:29 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
anewhouse -- 12/18/2016, 4:19 am
Try again *PIC*
anewhouse -- 12/18/2016, 4:21 am
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Thomas Duncan -- 12/18/2016, 9:44 am
Re: Strip: Stem end bending *NM*
Nick R. -- 12/18/2016, 3:49 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Jan Jensen -- 12/18/2016, 4:40 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Bill Hamm -- 12/20/2016, 12:40 am
Re: Strip: Stem end bending *PIC*
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 12/20/2016, 9:04 am
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Jan Jensen -- 12/20/2016, 4:16 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 12/20/2016, 4:30 pm
Re: Strip: Stem end bending
Jan Jensen -- 12/21/2016, 5:57 am