Need Help! Restoring 1956 Old Town OTCA 16'

[jlmore]

I am restoring an Old Town canoe for a friend and need help with the materials to use. I build and repair furniture as a hobby and have never taken on a canoe repair. It has not been used for years but did not leak when put in the lake. Much of the paint has come off over the years but the canvas seems to be in pretty good shape.

I have cleaned the inside, light sanding, and one coat of Minwax Furniture Refinisher to remove the outer layer of finish and grime. Did not strip all the finish, just cleaned it. The finish is clean now and in good shape but I would like to seal the wood with a coat of something. Need to know what product to put on this finish??

I have sanded the hull and removed loose paint. There are a number of hairline cracks and a couple of small 1-2" places where you can see the canvas. Can this just be primed and painted? Or is there a filler I should use on these areas first? The canoe did not leak when it was towed across the lake so there are no major holes to deal with, just not sure about these cracks. Need to know what products to use. Thanks! John

 

[Dave Wermuth]

It needs new canvas. But you could probably get a couple more years use by sanding, priming, and painting. You can use bondo patch for small voids, or maybe even exterior spackle. A quart of primer and a quart of paint would do it. Use oil based. Rustoleum would work. For the inside, your best bet is a good marine spar varnish like Epifanes. But there are others.

I think it is important to not do something irreversible that would cause problems down the road thus reducing its value.

 

[smallboatshop]

Agree with Dave. Also, the canoe would have had sponson rails and floorrack.

 

[David Satter]

John, Keep it simple, Don't overthink it. good old traditional varnish on the inside. Epifanes or petit z-spar captains varnish both apply really well and easy and look great. All of the marine paints work well. Primer, interlux pre-kote , fills all the voids and sands easy, two coats if needed. interlux brightside paint really goes on nice, roll and tip. Also Kirby paints , good selection of colors. If you have any digs or dents Minwax high performance wood filler , two part. dries fast sands easy. Iv'e been restoring antique furniture along with canoes and boats for years. Unless you want to take on recanvasing, this should work fine for years. Dave

 

[jlmore]

Thank You ! Than helps a lot.

 

[jlmore]

Your canoe looks great!! I have the floor rack and it needs work as well. I did not know about the sponson wood rails but that sure would help as they have taken some hits.

Thanks,

John

 

[jlmore]

Thanks David !