Al, I like it too, and find it wedge barrel trap convenient.
That came about because I have a box of those curved wedges, left over from band saw cutting circles off the squared corners on 3” thick minicel. Not type of minicel waste often created, but the curve proved a perfect fit to trap a barrel shape.
P2260054 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
For trim purposes I load the barrels in the same place in the canoes, so the wedge placement was easy to figure out; I just tuck the barrel in against a thwart, push a pliable minicel wedge (or two) up tight below the barrel and mark around the base of the minicel for a where-to-glue perimeter outline. 3x coats of contact cement, heat gun and a perimeter bead of E-6000 adhesive sealant holds it lastingly in place.
P2170546 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
There is a D-ring just outside that photo, but even without a webbing strap the barrel is held securely when I simply don’t want it rolling around. I don’t always, or often tie in gear, but a single webbing strap is easy enough.
Trapped barrel-curve under a thwart by the minicel wedge it takes a bit of a directional tug to pop it free. When I don’t have a barrel on a trip the little wedge is not much in the way, and a dry bag or pack, simply laid in place or strapped down via the D-rings, fits in that spot just as nicely.
I have installed those barrel wedges in most of our tripping canoes, and in friend’s canoes, and keep giving them away when tripper folk visit the shop. Now if I could just find takers for an immense collection of 3 ½ or 4 inch tall (x 3 ½ inch diameter) minicel circles.
PC230213 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
There are another 50+ of those cylinders in an overfilled box. I’ve been foisting a few of those off on each shop visitor as well, none of whom professed a clue as to what use they might serve. But I keep hoping.
Seriously, a overstuffed box of those minicel cylinders and I’ve yet to find a single decent purpose for them. And I keep making more. I don’t throw that kind of stuff away; it’s a box of pre-cut minicel the size of a dang mini-frig, and thick minicel ain’t cheap. I keep thinking I’ll eventually find myself “Hmmm, a bunch of thick minicel cylinders would be
ideal for that”
