E.m white

[Jake Phillips]

Hi,

I recently purchased this Canoe for a restoration. I was looking to tap into you folks knowledge base to see if anyone might help with dating it and any additional info. I have the builders tag with E.M white which I believe puts if before the 40s? It’s 18’ in length with a 36” beam, has keel.

any ideas?


Thanks in advance for anything you can share Jake

 

[Benson Gray]

My guess would be a White from between the late 1920s and early 1940s due to the square rear seat. This would usually have a 'Water St.' tag like the one shown at http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?attachments/257/ instead of the more modern version shown at http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?attachments/img950622-jpg.24262/ with 'Inc.' See https://woodencanoemuseum.org/index.php/builder-history/e-m-white-co for more details. Good luck with the restoration,

Benson

 

[Jake Phillips]

This is great thanks! Yes it is the earlier tag shown. Do you know wood species of this model? I am thinking cedar ribs and planking, then spruce rails, maybe ash for stem? Want to try and make repairs disappear as cleanly as possible.

Thanks again for response

Jake

 

[Benson Gray]

Some of the wood species used would depend on the grade as described on page 14 of the catalog at https://woodencanoemuseum.org/manufacturer-catalog/e-m-white-1930-circa from around 1930. Your description would be typical for their most common "B" Grade. Let me know if this doesn't answer your question.

Benson

 

[Jake Phillips]

This is very helpful thank you!

 

[chris pearson]

Jake,
You are lucky to have the cut water stem bands intact. Even if dented or broken they are worth saving. I have saved a few but also made some and it’s so much work I’ll never make another from scratch. Once you pull them off I can give advice on repairing them, or you can send them to me and I can do it for a a cost. Also really nice the brass tip covers are intact, they are usually gone. I had the 18 1/2 foot Sport model but they used the same hull for your Guide model. These canoes are really nice paddling canoes, very fast boat in my opinion. Benson is correct, I’d say ‘20s or 30’s possibly.

 

[dtdcanoes]

Jake, congrats on your new boat. I have just sent mine off to a new, deserving home and miss it already. These are beautiful boats to be in for time with the family , a moose/deer hunt and on and on. They are surprisingly light and easily handled alone. Yours needs minimal work and I agree with Chris. The stem bands are correct and nice to have as original. Yours can be saved, for sure but be careful to minimize the bending etc when you remove them. You can get any dings out by putting a radius that fits the spot in the band on a hardwood block and reform that spot with gentle blows. I used a towel in my basement floor crack as a rest. Change the radii as needed or do a new block. Your stem tips are nicely done. Really nice you will have these originals. They are more elaborate than many others and a nice addition. My boat never had a bow seat , and was in need of more work, but it was worth it. The pic may not show correctly but it seems there is some outwale issue with form. I would want to get a 10 foot length of 1/4" ply and get a form cut from the other side and set it on the thwarts to the problem side ( if it really is an issue ) and see what could be done. The interior is terrific and the gray can go with no problem. If you were closer I would like to see the boat. You will love it when it 's done. Have fun.
DAVE

 

[Todd F]

Jake, lots of enthusiasm about your canoe. Look forward to seeing where you go with it.

 

[Jake Phillips]

Hi guys, thanks for the encouragement and further information. Chris I have since removed the stem bands and there are cracks in both, would love any advice on how to repair. I was leaning to it being the guide model but was unsure.

Dave there was some dry rot in the outwale which I think is what you are seeing, when removed to get canvas off it came off in two pieces. Will have to scarf in some repairs on both sets of rails, build stern deck, couple planking repairs, recane seats, revarnish, recanvas …. And whatever else pops up. Most ribs look good, a few have hairline cracks running vertical not sure of there need to be swapped out. Suggestions?

Thanks again guys for encouragement and support

Jake

 

[chris pearson]

I repair them by first making a male mold a few inches long that you can mount in a vise. Make it out of aluminum or a hardwood. Then place the cut water on it and pound out the dents using a a brass hammer or the like. For cracks, get some thin brass and cut some strips that you can solder on the inside of the band(cut water). Make sure all the brass is sanded and fluxed well and hit with a micro torch and melt the solder in.