Beginning my first restoration of a gifted Old Town Canoe #110905

[CanoeNewbie]

Beginning restoration of this gifted canoe. Seems to be in pretty good condition beside new canvasing, broken seat, and light sanding/varnishing. Found this forum and will be eagerly researching and asking questions about the process!! Believe this is a mid 1930s canoe based upon the rudimentary research I have already performed

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 110905 is a 15 foot long, AA (or top) grade, fifty pound model with red Western cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, and a keel. It was built between December, 1931 and April, 1932. The original exterior canvas covering was painted dark green. It shipped on April 11th, 1932 to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A scan showing this build record can be found below.

This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate, join, or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/shop to donate or renew.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions. Good luck with the project,

Benson

 

[Dave Osborn]

Your new varnish will only be as good as the old stuff underneath. I recommend stripping the old varnish and starting new.
With new canvas coming soon. Now is the only time that you’ll be able to do that.

 

[Todd F]

Grade AA. Look forward to seeing more pictures and your progress. Congrats.

 

[Worth Gretter]

I agree with Todd. More pictures so everyone can see the condition and offer appropriate advice.
Doing canvas and varnish at the same time is good, because a stripper like Citristrip uses a water rinse, and with the canvas off the water can drain through the hull. A lot easier that way.
This canoe is only 8 years shy of 100, so a full rehab may be the way to go.
Whatever you decide, there is lots of good info on these forums!

 

[MGC]

I'd also lean towards a strip before canvasing. You can see there is quite a build up of old varnish and also some signs that it has flaked down to the bare wood. I don't think sanding will suffice.
You will lose that nice patina, but the wood will look stunning with fresh varnish on it and it will be properly protected for many more years of service.
Strip, TSP, Teak-Nu, Epifanes.........

 

[JClearwater]

And plan now for a trip to the Adks for the WCHA Assembly the third week in July. You will see beautiful canoes and lots of people to offer advice on your project. There are no short cuts to getting it correctly restored. Dismantle, remove seats and replace thwarts with temporary ones, Strip, repair the broken and rotted stuff, sand, sand some more, sand some more, varnish, sand, varnish, sand.....canvas, filler, sand, primer, sand, paint etc. You get the idea.
Good luck with your project and have fun.
Jim