What do paddlers do when the water is frozen?

[Guest]

waiting for a warm day to put the stripper to the hull.

I love the original Workmate. I have used the bejeepers out of mine for, let’s see, jeeze, nearly 30 years now. For more tasks than I could count. It has been around the country a couple of times on work-travels and I’ve replaced the original top with better hardwood.

About using the Workmate as a portable work bench/surface – I have a 36” x 16” piece of hardwood with a 2x4 down the middle of it on the bottom. When clamped onto the Workmate the tightening handles are still operable, but I have a much larger portable work area and, since it sticks out past the edges, more clampable space.

That wider top sees as much use as the vise feature. If I’m working on something without a benchtop nearby I just set that surface next to me and lay out the tools I’m using near at hand without walking back and forth.

 

[sweeper]

The Workmate deluxe version is on the other end, both were recovered from the dump. At one point I had 3. I use the same idea to mount vises, my beer bottle capper, riveter, miter box and buffing wheels. Thanks for the idea of the larger top, I have just the piece to do it.

 

[Guest]

My primitive buddies and I have an annual primitive winter camp every year the first full moon in feb. We call it the Blueballs Rendezvous. I have been going for 30 years. Shinin times!
Turtle

 

[Guest]

The Workmate deluxe version is on the other end, both were recovered from the dump. At one point I had 3. I use the same idea to mount vises, my beer bottle capper, riveter, miter box and buffing wheels. Thanks for the idea of the larger top, I have just the piece to do it.

dang, I have Workmate envy. I have only two, an early deluxe in my home shop and a cheapo version I use in North Carolina. The non-deluxe NC version is a flimsy POS and I think was a Chinese knockoff. I do remember it came with useless and poorly translated assembly instructions written in 1 point font.

Those are great dump finds, and I’m going to guess some were tossed simply because they were missing the bolts that hold the vice frame to the base. Those bolts/nuts were a design weakness on mine and I have replaced them (as each failed, not farsightedly all at once).

There are some cunning things you can do in fashioning a DIY auxiliary work surface to clamp on top a Workmate, depending on your desired use. heck, it’s just a piece of wood with a clampable spine on the bottom.

The Workmate history is interesting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Hickman

 

[APPaul]

That was nice, cutting it close. A small hot tent would have been just right.

Not too close, that's just in the bays and shadows, the rest of the time it was open water. No hot tent yet, just this 4 season: https://vine.co/v/OH2zOXpUO0L

There are a couple other Vines where the water is nice, but I will save that for a trip report later.

Now that the water is totally frozen over I am building some HDPE sleds, so we can expand our range for winter trips.

I too have a Workmate! Old school B&D ones are waaaay better.

 

[Philtrum]

I have an old Craftsman radial arm saw that was recalled for lack of a full blade guard (it has a half-guard). I was more than willing to send it back because I could never get the saw to cut straight. It acted like the motor shaft was bent, but when I got the motor off and tested it, I couldn't find any wobble. If anyone knows how to set this thing up properly, I'd be happy for your advice. Fixing it would be a job for when the temps are between 40 (warm enough to work in the garage) and 60 (warm enough to paddle early spring rivers).

 

[APPaul]

If anyone knows how to set this thing up properly, I'd be happy for your advice.

I have one as well. The key is to set it up for one cut, say 90degress and leave it there. Changing anything but the depth of angle will mess with it. I would also forget about wide crosscuts and save that for a table saw. Check out this link, its what I use to tune the saw and its pretty good.

http://eberhardt.bz/GME_Wood_Land/GME_Woodworking_Stuff/2_Tool_Tune_Ups/7_Tuneup_Radial.pdf

Another good way to check the heel is instead of trying to use the blade of the saw, cut out a piece of something flat, like thick MDF or marine plywood into about an 8x10 (+/) sheet and mount it to the saw like a blade, long edge along the table. Use a square as described in step 7, you will know right away if the blade is heeled. The board just makes it easier.

 

[ppine]

I want to party with memaquay. I have had close to thirty standing people in an 18 foot tipi. Mine rotted out but I still have a wall tent and a Baker tent. There is something about the tipi parties especially in cold weather with snow on the ground. Those are the ones that people remember. We usually go with the Fur Trade Era theme although some people don't get it and ask if there is power for their crock pot.

Back in 2005 we had a party to commemorate Lewis and Clark and their return exactly 200 years before. People came in costume for that one and some had personnas to match. I cooked buffalo meat in a Dutch Oven, and planked salmon over a low fire. I used old cedar fence boards and nailed the fish with roofing nails. We drank a lot of whiskey, and someone kept spitting tequila in the fire. My parents were in town and they still talk about it.

Sometimes we give special people the Golden Mule Shoe Award for lifetime achievement in the outdoors. This year my brother came from Oregon on his birthday which was the 150th Birthday of the State of Nevada. A friend recited his famous poem written for the Governor's Office around the campfire after most people had gone home. It was about 8 minutes long and describes all the great things about living in the State. Great times.

 

[riverstrider]

I'd love to say that I cross-country ski or hike during the winter when the water is crunchy, but that is mostly the exception. It is not often one gets enough snow in RI to ski (and I hate travelling far to ski), but it IS often that there is enough snow to make hiking impracticable. I try to get out for short hikes when I can. Usually, my exercise is relegated to the elliptical machine or hauling in firewood. Honestly, I mostly devote my time in the winter to trying new beers or brewing some of my own and, of course, planning future canoe trips.

-rs

 

[memaquay]

Honestly, I mostly devote my time in the winter to trying new beers or brewing some of my own

You're invited to the next tent party!

 

[Odyssey]

Those tent parties sound great, and celebrating a bicentennial through living history would be magnificent.

 

[Philtrum]

Thanks, Paul, for the saw tips and the tuneup guide. I set it up for a 90* cut and the best I could get was what amounted to a narrow dado. When it's warmer I'll have a look at the tuneup guide.

 

[sweeper]

RAS are tough to get tuned up, there's a lot more things to adjust than most tools.

Here's a PDF I used the last time I tuned mine.

http://eberhardt.bz/GME_Wood_Land/GME_Woodworking_Stuff/2_Tool_Tune_Ups/7_Tuneup_Radial.pdf

 

[yknpdlr]

Capotes

Presently making wool blanket capotes for an upcoming Voyageur theme float in the Winter Carnival Parade in Saranac Lake NY. Members of my canoe team and BSA National Camp School Adirondack Wilderness Guide/Trek Leader training staff are participating. Have 5 capotes completed so far, 3 more to go. Will have wood strip canoes with us, tandem, voyageur, and guideboat.

Otherwise, keeping occupied with miles of cross country skiing in the woods out my back door, and working out on my waterrower. Staying in shape for another race on the Yukon River in June.
.

 

[Philtrum]

RAS are tough to get tuned up, there's a lot more things to adjust than most tools.

Here's a PDF I used the last time I tuned mine.

http://eberhardt.bz/GME_Wood_Land/GME_Woodworking_Stuff/2_Tool_Tune_Ups/7_Tuneup_Radial.pdf

Thanks. Looks like the same doc Paul posted.

 

[Philtrum]

Capotes

A pair of Trumans?

 

[Robin]

Solo winter camp with my downsized wall tent a couple of years back. I pulled the load in on my restored toboggan behind my house, alot of up hill pulling. My only issue was it was early in the winter and the days where short, too much dark time for a solo trip. Maybe this March I'll give it another try when the days are longer.

Pulling up another hill with fresh heavy snow on the trees,

Tent set up,

Processing firewood,

Cooking some chicken thighs, corn and potatoes

 

[ppine]

This is my kind of group. Cheers to all the buckskinners, Voyageurs, and Courier du bois.

 

[Guest]

I toboggan primitive camp. Two things I have learned;1- Find a toboggan that is narrower than your snowshoe track so it doesn't ride up and tip. 2- have a 3 or 4 extra rope loops at the front of your toboggan to put down for brakes going down hill.
Lots of fun,turtle

 

[Canoedog]

Another winter camper with lots of other paddlers in attendance ..... lots of TR's here - http://www.canoedog.ca/p/winter-trips.html

It's not too late to attend - this years camp is coming up in mid February, all are welcome, info on location and dates etc here -
http://www.canoedog.ca/2014/10/deep-freeze-february-14-22-2015_16.html

Cheers