I bought it. Now what?!!!

[JPembleton]

So now that I have agreed to buy this project canoe I need to know what has to be done, how much i'll do myself and what i'll get done for me.

here is a list of what I think I want to do.

I prefer the dark, aged look of the wooden interior so I do not want to bleach it if I don't have to. So can I (should I?) lightly sand the interior and revarnish?

the exterior planking... what should be done to the surface before new canvas? Sanded? bleached? then varnished or something else?

Naturaly I have more questions too but they can wait.




Thanks
Jamie
Fredericton NB

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Hi Jamie

welcome to the obsession.

You get to decide what to do.
You get to decide how to do it.
three rules of thumb:
1 try to make sure that anything you do is replicable. don't do anything that can't be undone.
2 don't use poly--- and don't use silicones.
3 don't use fiberglass. epox is ok to repair stuff as long as you can undo it.
You may want to strip, sand and revarnish or just sand and varnish.

Hint, canvassing is the most worried about step in the process until after you do it, then it's the easiest.

Your decisions depend on your intended use.

 

[Douglas Ingram]

While you're making those decisions, keep i mind that what you've got is a Huron/Bastien Brothers canoe. It was never hight end, or even mid way, so don't obsess about getting every detail "perfect". Think solid and functional.

 

[JPembleton]

While you're making those decisions, keep i mind that what you've got is a Huron/Bastien Brothers canoe. It was never hight end, or even mid way, so don't obsess about getting every detail "perfect". Think solid and functional.

That's actually the beauty of it. For my 1st attempt this canoe is a good match. I'm working on aquiring a Chestnut prospector that I hope to work on for my second attempt (as a seasoned pro ).

Jamie
Fredericton, NB

 

[jrghaven]

Don't Do Anything...

until you buy and read:

"The Wood and Canvas Canoe: A Complete Guide to Its History, Construction, Restoration, and Maintenance" by Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow.

http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Canvas-Canoe-Construction-Restoration/dp/0884480461

I'm in the same "boat" as you are, just bought a canoe for restoration (have a whole different set of problems), but the best thing I've done so far, other than finding and posting at WCHA, was to read this book cover-to-cover last week. It's absolutely essential in my opinion.

Anyone disagree?

 

[zutefisk]

Order up the book, it's really useful.

Hold off on sanding the planking until you've read the book. You'll want to wait until you've reclinched loose tacks, etc. Probably not much call for bleaching anything that will be under the canvas.

I kind of like to pull off the canvas, then scrub the canoe out to see what I'm working with. It's amazing how a little DSP and elbow grease can perk up a boat.

While you are waiting for the book to arrive, count broken/cracked ribs, check for punky stem ends and deck tips, looked for badly cracked planking.

Have fun

 

[JPembleton]

Order up the book, it's really useful.

Hold off on sanding the planking until you've read the book. You'll want to wait until you've reclinched loose tacks, etc. Probably not much call for bleaching anything that will be under the canvas.

I kind of like to pull off the canvas, then scrub the canoe out to see what I'm working with. It's amazing how a little DSP and elbow grease can perk up a boat.

While you are waiting for the book to arrive, count broken/cracked ribs, check for punky stem ends and deck tips, looked for badly cracked planking.

Have fun

thanks guys,

Naturally, like every canvas canoe nut, I have a copy of "Building the Maine Guide Canoe" buy Jerry. I imagine the cost of the second book will offset the cost of doing a repair twice.

What kind of product is DSP? Is this something like a wood siding or deck cleaner?

Jamie

 

[Dave Wermuth]

could be

TSP? Tri sodium phophate or some such thing. Home Depot sells the stuff. It's like a cleaner.

 

[zutefisk]

oops typo

TSP, not DSP.
From the hardware store.