Staining a wooden canteen

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Staining a wooden canteen

Hallo!

IMHO, the white oak straps were a "wet cooperage" hold-over from the 18th century wooden canteens where the thin (5/32 or so) loops of straight grained oak were soaked for days and then twist-locked with a tab and slot lock into a loop and forced wet over the soft clear pine staves of the canteen body to shrink dry firmly in place.

Curt

Who once let one dry out, and the staves all fell out into a pile on the floor Mess

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Staining a wooden canteen

Bill, I have one of those beasts on the credenza in my office. It’s sort of a Mega-Gardner. Same basic dimensions, just twice the size. This one does have two burl nozzles on it; one is corked and the other has a primitive copper filter tip. Iron bands and two bails for some sort of handle, strap or rope. No way was this thing toted full by a human.

*****

Kurt, IMHO the tag line should read: "...let one dry out and its a canteen kit mess".

[Spinster]

Re: Staining a wooden canteen

Kurt, IMHO the tag line should read: "...let one dry out and its a canteen kit mess".

Any wooden water toting device requires approximately the same amount of care and feeding as a three year old child.

"Turned my Wooden Buckets into Stovewood and Bought Tin Ones Mess"

[Bill]

Re: Staining a wooden canteen

Kurt, IMHO the tag line should read: "...let one dry out and its a canteen kit mess".

Garrison and Kurt,

The same problem holds true with the metal bound canteens. For some reason I do not understand, wood seems to lose it's ability to expand after it's been allowed to dry out a few times.

I've repaired canteens for people who've allowed them to dry out and have had to reduce the diameter of the bands by as much as a half inch to get them to hold water again. These were canteens I made and know they were water tight when new.

My canteens were made from cedar and cherry. Other wood species may act differently.