Our Company builds canoe accessories and I would like to know; of the seat finishes what you as Canoeists prefer:
- Cane
- Webbed (what material, nylon, poly pro, seat belt)
- Laced
Are there other materials not listed here that I should consider using?
Cane
Both my wife & I prefer cane. It’s comfortable as is {no cushion needed} and allows air to circulate under your butt. I’ve found over the years that it’s never good to varnish the cane, even on the top only. If you want to use anything, a good oil on the underside will suffice…this allows the cane to expand & contract freely. If you use varnish it dramatically slows the drying process and thus promotes rot. Besides the rot issue it slows the natural tightening process, which cane will do when it dries out after a wetting. If your cane gets a little stretched it’s an easy matter to get it wet and it will tighten itself back up.
Jack
What is the company name?
and do you have a web site ?
What is your wood of choice for canoe accessories?
Ash canoe seats? I prefer cane with an oil finish and not the cheap one coat spray varnish on the ones you see in stores.
Re Seats
Hi,
I like the plastic tractor seat that came with my wenonah solo canoe… never had a problem on my 6 month cross country paddle… or my paddle of the Mississippi.
check em out, if i can happily sit in it all day every day for 6 months at a time, it cant be all bad.
i use no pads or gel pads of any kind
preferred canoe seats
Swift canoe’s curved, laminated seats
with polyamide webbing.
for a business
offer as many different kinds as you can.
Make what you can sell. Don’t try to sell what you can make.
See my post on the other forum
Cheers,
JackL
Ash Yes
– Last Updated: Aug-02-05 10:19 AM EST –
We build mainly of ash as that is the material we have found most durable. We have not started caning as it is a challanging endeavour and something that I want to master before putting on the market
We finish our seats with 3 coats of polyurethane before webbing. Gives is a really smooth finish and good protection from the elements.
Kawartha Wood Design. Working on the web page. kawarthawooddesign@hotmail.com if you would like information.
Do you like the laminated?
I have heard good and bad about laminated. Our company used to laminate but found that bending the solid piece was stronger, and the mortise and tenon joints seem to fail easier.
Totally agree
I hate the thought of sending out a product that I could not “make with my eyes closed” and do not totally love myself. I would hate to have our company name attached to anything that we did not love.
I hate cane seats
They never last more than a couple years. I like webbed seats or laced seats better. The onlt laced seats I’ve sat in were old cane seats I laced with 550 cord and navarro canoe seats laced with leather. It’s pretty hard to find laced seats unless you make your own.
Check out seat source
http://www.coldcreekcanoe.com/
They make really nice stuff for fair prices. Store-bought web seats often have small, uncomfortable frames.
Big spaces
I know what you mean. When we first started building canoe seats and accessories we researched to see what was out there and found the same thing. We web our seat spaces at 18" whereas most companies only go 14-15", which is nuts are you are basically sitting on wood and the webbing is just there for show.
Laminated seats
I bought a demo Swift almost a year ago, and have had to glue the bow slider twice, and its coming apart again. The stern seat is starting to come unglued. I am ready to call them up and complain.
But I have to admit the seats are super comfortable.
Cane & Laced
I have problems with numbness/weakness in my right leg, but I can sit in a caned seat for longer periods of time than anything else. I also really like the laced seats that Novacraft makes, very comfortable. Do you make something similar? I need a couple new ones for my old Wenonah Adirondack. WW
Laced seats
I can make them. They are something that I have been working on the last few months. Webbing is fun, I know I sound odd but you really get into a groove when you start and lacing is something else altogether, relaxing.
I am strange I know. I love what I do.
Laminated Seat
I found the swift laminated seat very comfortable, if somewhat noisey.
Unfortunately in one location I had it stored, before I could get it into the garage, it was exposed to regular misting from a sprinkler system. I didn’t have it there long but was also doing lots of test capsizing and generally keeping the boat a little damp. The laminated seat failed at the front rail. I looked like moisture had penetrated at the staples fastening the webbing. I figured it was as much my problem as theirs and so just put on a new seat myself. It is not as big and comfy but is much quieter.
I like webbing better and like the Watco Oil finnish that Bell uses.