linseed oil , turpentine bath before steaming

when i pulled the ribs out of the canoe i did that twine hold , even layed the ribs on plywood with nails on sides to keep the u shape. the problem was the ribs need lots of twist to lay against the planking, mostly the stern and bow. two days outside the boat was a huge mistake, the white oak ribs dryed out , no flex left. on my next attempt the ribs are coming out of the steamer , clamped in the boat and riveted home..

 

Yes. I've bent 1/4" hickory using a heat gun applied to the inside of the curve. Stringed instrument makers use a bending iron to heat the inside of the sides of violins, etc., as they bend the wood. Of course, a boat's rib is much thicker than the sides of a violin.

http://www.lmii.com/carttwo/thirdproducts.asp?NameProdHeader=Professional Bending Iron