chris pearson
Michigan Canoe Nut
Are the rails origional? Are they Ash? I didnt know Rushton used Ash? Just trying to educate myself....
Yep, Ash was typical for Rushton b-grade canvas canoes.
OP
OP
Howie
Wooden Canoe Maniac
My rails are not original. As I said, I was given pieces of the original sides & caps, along with some of the nails. The wood was very light as I recall - not ash I thought. And the nails were all copper. The sides & caps used different length nails. And the nail heads were slightly wider than the body - like a finish nail but smaller. I have no idea how they pounded them into the wood without bending them. The heads on the nails I ended up using were much wider than the original ones.
ticonderoga
"Just one more"
For what it’s worth, my A grade Indian has original inner and outer gunwales and they are oak.
Oak was also used in grade B canvas canoes. Cherry was typical for Grade A. If your canoe has Grade A-style gunwales made of oak, it is an unusual, though not unthinkable, combination.
ticonderoga
"Just one more"
My grade A has oak inner and outer as well as cherry decks, thwarts and seats. This combination is listed in his 1903 catalog.
