Chip repair

[Jahmin]

Hello all!!

Recently purchased a previously enjoyed canoe (Canada Canoe Company) and i wanted to patch this chip up and was wondering how to properly go about doing that? Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Dave Osborn]

Outside of opening the canvas and replacing some of the planking, then closing it back up, I'm not sure what you can do.
I suppose you could put some kind of filler in. It seems small and won't hinder you in any way...just leave it until it's time to recanvas. Make a proper repair at that time.

Maybe someone else has some idea...

 

[Michael Grace]

A not-uncommon repair for damage like this I call the "tin can" repair because I've seen flattened sections of tin cans or their lids, or a piece of flat brass, forced under adjacent ribs, thus covering a small area of planking damage like yours. Sometimes a planking gap like yours is first filled somehow, like with a small piece of planking stock before the metal patch goes in. The metal can be forced as far as possible under one rib (where tacks are farther away from the rib edge), and then pulled back and forced under the adjacent rib - enough that some of it remains under each of the two ribs.

For some reason I can't get the "tin can patch" photo to upload. But at least your canoe doesn't have the kind of planking issues shown below...

 

[Todd Bradshaw]

I think I'd start by cleaning up the edges of the break as much as possible then spend a few minutes carving a small wooden patch to glue in. If you rub the exposed canvas with something like a birthday cake candle you can help it resist bonding to the canvas, and some sort of gap filling epoxy, superglue or Weldwood Plastic Resin Glue (Amazon) will fill any spots where the patch fit to the wood isn't perfect. Then varnish over it. If you hit a rock right there the patch might pop out, but that's probably not terribly likely. Some day when the boat needs new canvas you can cut out the bad section and replace it.

 

[Greg Nolan]

Putting in some sort of patch could keep sand and dirt from getting in under the canvas, but wouldn't do much to strengthen the hull.

We paddled our 15' OT 50-pounder for about 5 years all the while missing two similar planking "chips;" the holes (along with several cracked ribs and other cracked planking) were present when we bought the canoe --



The holes from the missing bits of planking can just be seen under the bow seat, an area that isn't subject to being stepped on or having someting placed on the exposed canvas --



Neither the holes nor the other wood damage kept us from using the canoe.



It is now in the process of being repaired/restored -- new canvas, replacement of cracked ribs and broken planking.

 

[Jahmin]

Chip

Putting in some sort of patch could keep sand and dirt from getting in under the canvas, but wouldn't do much to strengthen the hull.

We paddled our 15' OT 50-pounder for about 5 years all the while missing two similar planking "chips;" the holes (along with several cracked ribs and other cracked planking) were present when we bought the canoe --

View attachment 34900 View attachment 34901

The holes from the missing bits of planking can just be seen under the bow seat, an area that isn't subject to being stepped on or having someting placed on the exposed canvas --

View attachment 34902 View attachment 34903

Neither the holes nor the other wood damage kept us from using the canoe.

View attachment 34904

It is now in the process of being repaired/restored -- new canvas, replacement of cracked ribs and broken planking.

Thank you all for your replies. I've decided to just leave the chip how it is and just repair it when the canoe gets re-canvassed. It should be fine. Thanks again!