"Minor" Restoration advice, please...

Hi all...

A funny thing happened on my way yesterday to order a brand new OT Charles River, I decided to check Craigslist one last time..I did, and an hour later I was the owner of a "brand new" 1968, 16' OTCA ! She's a beauty, in great shape, a couple minor dings, but that's about it...It is in "original" condition...never painted or varnished, original canvas, etc. She will get a full makeover, just not now. Which brings me to my questions.....

1st: Suggestions on removing those nasty registration stickers, appear to have been on since about '85, will not peal but haven't tried anything else yet..sand them off??

2nd: The canvas is pulling away form the gunwale in a couple spots, maybe about a foot total..how do I "glue" it back on, keeping in mind that I will probably be doing a full restore in the next year or two, so i don't want a big mess to undo then, but I do want to keep the water out...epoxy? or the ever popular "manly man, duck tape"? or ???

3rd: Painting....as mentioned, it has never been painted, lightly sand? do I then prime? best quality paint to use? Brands?..I want it the "original" color (green)

Any other suggestions gratefully accepted. TIA for your help...

canvas repair and repaint

You might want to look at the pictures in posts 21 and 28 of this thread for one way to temporarily deal with the torn canvas near the gunwales:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=5038&highlight=rushton.

Look at pp. 2-3 of this thread for a discussion of painting a canoe to use for a year or two, after which you expect to replace the canvas:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=5790

Looks like you got a really nice canoe -- good luck with it.

If those registration numbers are vinyl stickers, you can get them off using a paint stripper type heat gun.

Greg Nolan said:

You might want to look at the pictures in posts 21 and 28 of this thread for one way to temporarily deal with the torn canvas near the gunwales:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=5038&highlight=rushton.

Look at pp. 2-3 of this thread for a discussion of painting a canoe to use for a year or two, after which you expect to replace the canvas:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=5790

Looks like you got a really nice canoe -- good luck with it.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the links Greg, I like your thoughts on painting, just not clear on what type of primer..oil? latex?...also, you say a good deck and porch paint?

I'm a little cool to the idea of drilling into the side of the canoe to add the "strips" to hold the canvas...is there any type of liquid I could use?

thanks again, enjoyed the photos of your canoe....

Rob Stevens said:

If those registration numbers are vinyl stickers, you can get them off using a paint stripper type heat gun.

Click to expand...

Rob, I had the same idea...maybe I'll try a hairdryer first, so I don't end up with a firey mess...I was thinking of a gas torch, but very leary of that idea!

thanks for the reply!

Duct Tape

Throw some duct tape on it to secure the canvas and use some more to cover the decals. Then plan on a canvas job this winter. Go paddling.

By the way, you made the right choice.

Thanks Fitz, and yes, I did make the right choice...for a split second I questioned myself, but once i got it home, I realized I had a "diamond in the rough"....couldn't be happier!

When I painted my OT 50 pounder, I did not use a primer. I spot-primed dark scuff marks with the paint I used for the whole job, after I filled a couple of deeper gouges (as opposed to mere cracks in the paint) with 5-minute epoxy. I used a Benjamin Moore deck and porch paint on the assumption that it would be more durable that ordinary house paint, and because I did not want to spend the money on a good marine enamel (as I may when I recanvas and repaint). I expect to use my canoe, cracked ribs and all, for 3 or 4 years before I get to putting on a new canvas.

The canoe in the referenced thread had patches where bare canvas was showing, and a high-build primer had been suggested by someone especially for those spots, to lessen the amount the canvas weave that might might show through -- primarily a cosmetic matter, not a functional one. Plain paint will block any water seepage through bare canvas.

If you plan to recanvas this fall or winter, for this summer's use I would use whatever exterior grade paint you might have on hand -- if you are buying, I expect either oil- or latex-based paint would work, with oil-based probably being a bit tougher.

I agree with Fitz that duct tape is the best way to deal with the canvas issues to just get you through a summer's worth of paddling. A long, continuous strip right under the gunwales might even look almost decorative! Time spent on temporary work is time not paddling -- but a quick coat of paint takes very little time.

"A long, continuous strip right under the gunwales might even look almost decorative!"

And since duct tape comes in so many colors, even plaid, finding a nioce contrasting color should be easy!

paraphrase

Paul --

But unless it's silver-colored, how can you tell it's gen-you-wine duct tape?

"And the duct tape ran like silver from the mountains to the sea..."

Greg

Greg Nolan said:

Paul --

But unless it's silver-colorec, how can you tell it's gen-you-wine duct tape?

"And the duct tape ran like silver from the mountains to the sea..."

Greg

Click to expand...

Well Greg, I guess as long as it's silver and not the yellow "gen-your-ine" duct tape I'm good to go...

Not to get off the subject, but I live in bear country and was doing a search on bear attacks...I came across a photo of an airplane that was duct taped together after a grizzly attack, so if it can work for that, I shouldn't have any problem with my little canoe!

I'm with Fitz

I think the little extra peices of trim below the outwale that tried to hold the canvas on a little longer is not a good idea. But back then, when they did it, they did not have books and internet and wcha networking to benefit from. The trim was probably thought to get a few more years out of the canvas. I'd do as Fitz suggests. take the outwales off, buy the best duck tape you can and tape it up. Sand with 150 or 220 and paint the whole boat, even over the decals if the heat gun doesn't do the trick. Paint it red and impersontate a Bill Mason canoe. For the short term, any oil based paint is ok. Then next winter you can replace the canvas. Canvassing is about the easiest task to do on canoe restoration.

I've got a couple canoes to go tinker with---

Looks like a great canoe.

WAY too funny!!!

But the fake duct tape is silver as well.... so maybe the colored duct tape lets you know it's the real thing???