B.N. Morris Flag Sockets

[Paul Scheuer]

Hi All:

Can anyone provide pictures or a link to flag sockets used on B.N. Morris long deck canoes ? I've done a search with limited success. What I know so far is that they are diamond shaped. The original kingplank/battens have holes for a flag and mounting holes spaced 1 - 5/8". I've taken a shot at making a set of bronze diamond shaped sockets. one with vertical tube, and one with the tube 18 degrees off vertical. I'm happy with them, but it would be good to know how close I came to original.

 

[Paul Scheuer]

BN Morris Flag Socket pictures. Carved from bronze oar lock sockets. These are approx. 2 inches point-to-point. Couldn't bear to drill mounting holes. More on that later.

 

[Michael Grace]

Hi Paul,

The attached photo shows an original (right) and one of my replicas (left). I don't have them in front of me right now so I can't give you exact dimensions just now. The repros are exact copies of the originals. There is considerable variation in flagstaff holders that were available on canoes from different canoe manufacturers, but the ones pictured here (from a 14xxx Morris) are the same on all Morris canoes we have or have worked on (the ones that have them). They are significantly different from some of the ones used on courting canoes, Rushtons, etc. I don't know for sure that this style was always used throughout Morris' history, but I don't recall seeing other styles on Morris canoes at Assembly or in any photos. Maybe Kathy or other Morris owners will chime in.

Michael

 

[Paul Scheuer]

Thanks Michael. It looks like I'm fairly close. If I do it again, I'll have a good reference.

 

[Paul Scheuer]

Earlier I had indicated that I would provide more on the flag socket mounting. Here it is, at least for the forward socket.

I decided not to mount the sockets with screws through the top. The existing socket holes were somewhat worn, meaning I would have to locate the holes farther away from the existing holes, and there wasn't a good way to do that with the sockets made from oarlocks.

So the plan was to add threaded studs to the bottoms and mount with nuts from below. The challenge was to get three parallel holes through the center deck frame. Since I couldn't get the canoe under my drill press, I made a wooden structure with guide holes for the #8 studs and the 11/16" Forstner bit that I used to clean up the existing socket holes.

The pictures are the forward flag socket assembly, prior to a trial mounting and after.

The aft socket presents added issues, since the flag hole is 20 degrees out of perpendicular from the socket base. More on that later.

 

[dtdcanoes]

That repro is really nice, Michael. It is sleek, clean and above all correct......Now when someone decades hence refurbishes that deck they won't need to question whether it is right or not.

 

[Paul Scheuer]

The adventure continues. As mentioned above, the aft flag socket presented some extra issues. The first being that I had failed to notice that the existing hole in the aft deck framing was at a 20 degree angle to the deck. This was after I had shaped the socket pieces from an oar lock socket. The only solution was to cut the socket tube and silver solder it to the escutcheon part at the proper angle. At that point the mounting studs were not yet mounted but their bottom tapped holes were done, requiring a bend in the studs.

The next challenge was to the three parallel holes in the deck frame at the proper angle. I probably went overboard on the alignment fixture, but I knew that I only had one shot at getting it right. The fixture allowed me to drill one hole at a time, then pin the fixture in place with a dowel and go to the next hole. The fixture pic shows the chuck and quill that I borrowed from an antique drill press, set up to drill the 11/16" main socket hole.

Happy to be done.

 

[Bill Thurlow]

Attached is a picture of the sockets that came on Morris #16726, owner said it had been in family since 1930.

Bill

 

[Michael Grace]

Hi Bill. These are definitely aftermarket flag sockets with respect to your Morris. The hole just above the flag socket in your photo may be from one of the screws that secured an original diamond-shaped flag socket. Morris canoes are among the finest factory-made cedar-canvas canoes ever, as you may know. Details mattered to Morris, and a flag socket like the one on your canoe, overhanging the kingplank and mounted askew, would not have been installed at the factory. Your canoe would be nicely dressed up with some replica Morris sockets. You might be able to find someone locally with some original sockets that could be used as patterns to make replicas.

 

[Bill Thurlow]

I have been looking for the Morris sockets but haven't found any yet, I drilled holes in the new deck beams and in the new decks. However, will the kingplanks whole for now.