Shellacking your Bottom

beautiful canoes Robert,Larry,and Mark- I was wondering- are you shellacing an all wood canoe or are they being canvased then the bottoms shellaced and uppers painted. If they are canvassed, how many coats of shellac/ varnish does it take to fill the weave of the canvas?
 
Shellac is applied over filled canvas. I apply two coats, once a year. The upper section of the hull is marine enamel over filled canvas.
 
Been thinking(oh no!)...Would it be possible to tint the filler (before filling the canvass)to darken the shellec portion? T.M.
 
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Shellac over un-filled canvas

Hello all,

Just started posting to the forum. Looks like a great resource!

Question: Would it be practical to shellac un-filled canvas?
Queston: Would the rougher surface grab and stick more to rocks and become a problem?


Supporting thoughts: I'm thinking that for a pure-utility, practical tripping canoe, this could work OK. No filling on the the canvas and just shellacing the entire canvas. No fill, no paint, no waterline paint...Just shellac. Would be lighter, no paint or filler to dry/crack, and the entire coat of shellac is sandable and self-bonding, allowing re-coats when needed.

Only downsides I see are a "slower" canvas, with slight texture remaining, and a less appealing finish to the eye. Perhaps the rougher surface might grab and stick more.

Comments?
Thanks,
Pat Smith
 
Pat,
I don't think shellac over unfilled canvas would work well - it does not have enough body to fill the weave and is so thin that it would penetrate and cause the canvas to stick to the planking. Plus, since shellac is alcohol soluable, if you spill a Jack Daniels in the canoe, you'd probably sink!:eek:

Take a look at the cecofil and latex filler thread. Cecofil is very lightweight, waterproof and dries quickly. Cecofil alone will seal the boat, although leave the surface a bit rough. The latex filler is used to fill the canvas weave for a smooth finish. You could probably skip this step to save a pound or two.

Probably the best method would be to cover the boat with dacron and cecofil. Just be sure the wood is really smooth, cause any bumps will show.
 
Had your bottom shellacked?

So Rollin, are we to understand that the reason you built your new shop is because your wife threw you out of the house because you were painting boats in the living room?
 
Wait Mike... didn't you once tell me that you painted? or varnished? a canoe on your dining room table?
 
No Howie, that is something I have not attempted. After over 40 years of marriage, I know the limits. I reserve the dining room table for msc. small projects but never varnishing or painting. I do that work either in the garage or in he cellar. Work done in the cellar requires moving canoes in and out of the house through our family room (over the couch, end tables, recliner, down the stairs) and down the cellar stairs. That must be what you are thinking about. My cellar shop is not nearly as nice as yours and getting boats in and out is not nearly as interesting as what Benson does.
 
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