Thompson Bros Canoe Seats Slatted

[martin ferwerda]

Does anyone have any images of a Thompson Brothers canoe seat that is slatted instead of caned?

 

[Dave Osborn]

Martin,
I’ve seen a lot of Thompson’s here in Northern Wisconsin. I’ve never seen slatted seats.
I’ve seen no seats and plank seats on Ranger models. My guess is that they were for camps and scouts primarily.

 

[martin ferwerda]

Thanks Dave,
Another member emailed me a partial image of a slatted seat from a Thompson canoe that looks like it is one of those with the very narrow ribs. After googling around, I also found an image here, not sure, but I am guessing it is a Ranger. It looks like a nicely built seat.


https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/16-thompson-brothers-wood-canvas-canoe.193232/

 

[Dave Osborn]

Yes, it’s the narrower rib Hiawatha. The artwork in the catalogs changed in ‘38 or ‘39 to show the narrower ribs and half ribs. Previously from about 1921 the ribs and half ribs were wider and provides a “solid floor”, as you are well aware.
The seats may well be Thompson. However, I suspect they are replacements. Something about the radius on the stiles doesn’t look Thompson with the big round over....but they work. That’s what matters.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

I don't know Dave, I checked my sheet and the H's described all had the traditional T end shape. The Rangers from '37 to 47 had this traditional high curved end shape, as does the Indian from '49 to 53, (these may both be the same canoe just with different names.) and offered/had the 1/2 ribs.

I agree about the slat seats though, I've never seen them on a T.

 

[martin ferwerda]

This is an image Fred sent me in an email, notice the really narrow ribs in the background, and again, same seat construction, and yes, a diamond head bolt

 

[Dave Osborn]

I don't know Dave, I checked my sheet and the H's described all had the traditional T end shape. The Rangers from '37 to 47 had this traditional high curved end shape, as does the Indian from '49 to 53, (these may both be the same canoe just with different names.) and offered/had the 1/2 ribs.

I agree about the slat seats though, I've never seen them on a T.

Oops, I agree with you, Dan. Not Hiawatha, based on the stem profile. I just made th assumption because of the half ribs. This one is probably an “old style” Ranger with the rounder stem profile with half ribs.
I’ve never seen a Thommy with half ribs that wasn’t a Hiawatha...

 

[Dan Lindberg]

I was primed, I used to have what we "ID'ed" as a Ranger that had the 1/2 ribs. It must have been a later one, as it wasn't very inspiring build wise, it did have long decks though. An odd canoe.

 

[martin ferwerda]

For what it is worth, here is my build on these seats, I used full thickness slats half lapped into the frame members, probably should have used half thickness slats and saved some weight.

 

[Dan Miller]

This is an image Fred sent me in an email, notice the really narrow ribs in the background, and again, same seat construction, and yes, a diamond head bolt

Doesn't the extra, empty bolt hole suggest the seat is a replacement?

 

[martin ferwerda]

Fred used the word "relocated", so there might be anther empty hole further up off the image, but I do not know, if the offsets match, then it might just be someone moved the seat for some reason, or it might just be a coincidence of 2 Thompson's having seats replaced with this style slat seats, an N value of 2 is not much to go on.

 

[martin ferwerda]

And... this thread indicates it is not original to the canoe....
http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/thompson-hiawatha.8623/#post-46198