17' old town canoe can I use cotton duck canvas?

[Brian DeRose]

I have a 17 foot old town canoe. This needs to be canvased. I would like to know if anyone could answer this question for me. Can i use cotton duck canvas for this project? This canvas is the type you would use for painting pictures on, this is 10oz canvas. If not which kind of canvas should I use. Should the canvas be treated or just painted. Any help would be greatly appreatiated.

This is my first canoe project and I would like to do this the correct way.

Brian

 

[Mark Adams]

Hi Brian,

I'd order #10 treated canvas from Rollin Thurlow at Northwoods canoe. He is a top notch guy to deal with. http://www.wooden-canoes.com/

Your canoe isn't an Old Town. I am gonna guess it is a Waltham, but I am sure better informed folks will jump in and let you know for sure. The give away is the deck shape. Also, the fact that the outer gunnels are fastened on from the inside is another non Old Town feature. Very pretty canoe though!

You'll be wanting to get a copy of "The Wood and Canvas Canoe" by Rollin Thurlow, and Jerry Stelmok. It will have everything you need to know on how to properly restore your canoe. http://woodencanoe.org/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=92&products_id=418&osCsid=37d873f2a36e6122

 

[MGC]

Brian,
Mark is correct. Your canoe is not an OT. There are a number of features that suggest that is was built in Massachusetts and likely by Waltham. Arguably that makes it much more interesting than an OT.

That said, there are several seeming oddities about your boat that suggest that it may have been refurbed and slightly modified. You might be able to post some additional photo's to help clarify things. It looks like seats, inside rail may have been replaced. It also appears that the seats are held in place with OT diamondhead bolts. If you have a thwart it would be interesting to see a photo of it and the hardware.

As Mark notes, you should buy a copy of "The Wood and Canvas Canoe". It will answer a great number of questions for you.

With respect to the canvas, the treated canvas that Rollin sells is a good investment.

Good luck with what should be a very nice canoe.

 

[Brian DeRose]

17" old town canoe

This canoe has no thwawt in it. Here are more pictures.

Thanks

 

[Dan Miller]

Gee guys, sure looks like an Old Town Molitor to me. Deck shape and lack of thwarts are all typical.

 

[Mark Adams]

yeah Dan, that just occurred to me too. It would be an early Molitar though, wouldn't it? You have to remember, being out here in the hinterlands the way I am, I don't have the ID skills that you do!

 

[Michael Grace]

Brian,

Your canoe is a typical Old Town Molitor with half ribs and rub rails from the 60s or more recent. Has typical Molitor mahogany outwales and spruce inwales, no center thwart, late-20th century Old Town seats with machine-woven cane, diamond-head bolts, etc. Molitor. I don't have the build records CD, but the serial numbers chart on this site indcates that the canoe is from around 1980.

I've attached a photo of my 1966 Old Town Molitor. The only difference (other than the fact that mine is rigged for sailing) is that your seats are caned with the spline forming curved corners. This is a later method... my '66 has square-cornered splining. Otherwise, these are the same canoes. It's a nice canoe. You'll enjoy it restored and on the water.

Michael

 

[MGC]

Snack time

I have just finished snacking on this...
A Molitar it is.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hi Brian-- The serial numbers on the Old Town serial number CD only go up through 210999, which is a canoe shipped in 1975, so if you want a copy of your canoe's original build record you'll have to contact Old Town.

For some interesting information on the Molitor model, use the "search" function above and type in "Molitor", or "Old Town Molitor".

More information on the Old Town Company can be found in Sue Audette's book, "Old Town, Our First Hundred Years", which is available through the WCHA store and most booksellers, eBay, Amazon, and public libraries. Stelmok and Thurlow's book also has information on the Old Town company.

Nice canoe--- congratulations, and welcome!

Kathy

 

[Brian DeRose]

Old town Molitar what about the canvas?

I still need to know about the canvas to use on this canoe.

Hi Brian-- The serial numbers on the Old Town serial number CD only go up through 210999, which is a canoe shipped in 1975, so if you want a copy of your canoe's original build record you'll have to contact Old Town.

For some interesting information on the Molitor model, use the "search" function above and type in "Molitor", or "Old Town Molitor".

More information on the Old Town Company can be found in Sue Audette's book, "Old Town, Our First Hundred Years", which is available through the WCHA store and most booksellers, eBay, Amazon, and public libraries. Stelmok and Thurlow's book also has information on the Old Town company.

Nice canoe--- congratulations, and welcome!

Kathy

 

[Michael Grace]

Hi Brian,

Mark's advice was good. Rollin and others sell canvas duck, as you suggested. But it's best to get treated canvas that's resistant to growth of mildew, or to treat it in some manner to prevent such growth (search these forums and you'll find discussions of treatment methods). Good canvas isn't cheap, but it's worth it.

Also, if you haven't canvassed before, you might find it a daunting proposition. It's not, though. Try it and you'll be surprised how do-able it is. The Stelmok and Turlow book is great, and it describes the process of canvassing completely. You might also find a copy of Jerry Stelmok's earlier book- "Building the Maine Guide Canoe." As an alternative, you can ask here for restorers in your area who could canvas or do more for you.

Michael

 

[Dave Wermuth]

canvas

I have gotten number 12 cotton duck from Pearlpaint.com
I use a mildewcide in my filler.
Rollin has canvas and you would do well to get yours from him. There are others too.
Gil Cramer has a dacron that is very heavy duty, expedition grade and requires no mildewcide. I used it on an 18' canoe and like it. It's a little tougher to cover the canoe but not too bad.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Canvassing Videos

If you poke around YouTube, you may find some of the videos helpful. For example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTTymdnHojk

 

[MGC]

Canvas

From my earlier note:

"With respect to the canvas, the treated canvas that Rollin sells is a good investment."

Treating the canvas is a very important step if you opt not to purchase the treated material. Most builders that sell supplies do offer standard cotton duck and some offer the canvas treated with fungicide. I have some older canvas jobs that were not treated (I won't point fingers) that started to show mold on the paint. Not cool.......Be sure to address this either with the material or a fungicide...